Holiday Gift Guide from a Luxury Travel Advisor for 2024
It's been ages since I last created a holiday gift guide, but as a luxury travel advisor always on the go, I've discovered some truly chic essentials. I've curated a selection of my tried-and-true favorites, straight from my personal travel collection and recent shopping sprees.
This holiday gift guide is designed for the stylish explorers in your life (including you!). It features a carefully curated mix of thoughtful and practical items to elevate any travel experience. These gifts aren't just useful for the journey—they also help cherish those travel memories once you're back home.
Finding the perfect travel gifts is a delightful journey in itself. Here are some chic and functional options that blend style and practicality, perfect for any travel enthusiast.
A holiday gift guide for the traveler in your life:
Hello, fabulous travelers!
It's been ages since I last created a holiday gift guide, but as a luxury travel advisor always on the go, I've discovered some truly chic essentials. I've curated a selection of my tried-and-true favorites, straight from my personal travel collection and recent shopping sprees.
This holiday gift guide is designed for the stylish explorers in your life (including you!). It features a carefully curated mix of thoughtful and practical items to elevate any travel experience. These gifts aren't just useful for the journey—they also help cherish those travel memories once you're back home.
Finding the perfect travel gifts is a delightful journey in itself. Here are some chic and functional options that blend style and practicality, perfect for any travel enthusiast.
Happy gifting!
Packing/Luggage:
Delsey Paris with matching tote and here are my favorites.
A Weekender Bag (with shoe compartment) - Pictured is my Beis version or similar.
Totes - The Sak Los Feliz and Madewell and Scout Daytripper- A must for travel (plus they make the perfect gift!).
Hanging Toiletries Bag - Perfect size for packing light.
Bagsmart Compression Packing Cubes - I’ve tried several and these have the best compression.
Pill Organizer - To keep your wellness items organized.
11 Pack Travel Bottles for Toiletries - A must for taking my favorite products along.
During Travel:
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones in White Smoke
Electronics Organizer To keep the cords organized.
Airplane Travel Phone Holder - Comes in handy for flights with no screens.
Matisse Silk Eye Sleeping Mask or here - For on the plane and every night.
Weatherman Compact Umbrella - A small umbrella is a must-have for any season.
Travel Style:
Coach Cross Body Bag - A must for hands-free travel.
Women’s Sweater Set - I have this one in ivory - perfect for travel.
Transitional Travel Jacket - I bought this jacket in both black and white this season.
Ecco Soft Sneakers - Who doesn’t need a little shine in their life?
Magnetic Hat Clip - A must for us hat-wearers!
Gold Bangle Kate Spade - I keep my jewelry simple while traveling and a single gold bangle is timeless.
Dalle Piane 100% Cashmere Wrap Made in Italy - Cozy for the plane and during travel.
Fitbit Luxe Special Edition - I can’t live without my steps and sleep tracker. I love this collaboration with Gorjana!
RFID Slim Passport Holder - Comes in an array of delicious colors.
Skincare & Makeup:
French Skincare: Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre for extra skin hydration during flights.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray - Hydrates, rejuvenates & clarifies skin.
NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Riche Nourishing Oil - Intense Hydration & Luxurious Radiant Glow for Face, Body & Hair,
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Rose Gold - Highly pigmented, just a swipe on the eyelid lasts all day with a perfect pop of color.
Julep Eyeshadow Sticks - Easy, breezy for a little shine in a stick.
Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics - A lovely palette for travel.
Long-Lasting Nail Lacquer - Londontown Bubble - Long-lasting is essential for travel. Another favorite shade here.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask - Super luxurious lip care.
Charlotte Tilbury - The Super Nudes Lipstick - Supermodel or the Pillow Talk Set is a favorite!
Nécessaire - The Deodorant Gel Eucalyptus - Aluminum-Free Deodorant for Women & Men (it works!)
Fragrance
Italian Fragrance - Acqua Di Parma Colonia Eau De Cologne Spray - I was gifted this sunny fragrance at the Gritti Palace in Venice.
I discovered the Soleil Eau de Parfum - A signature summertime fragrance I discovered in Eze on the French Riviera.
Acqua Dell Elba Blu Eau de Parfum Woman - Another favorite from travels I discovered on the Island of Elba, Italy.
Perfume Travel Refillable Bottle Leather - Turns my favorite scents into a travel-sized version.
I love a coffee table book to remind me of my favorite travels:
Assouline: Lake Como Idyll and Amalfi Coast
Pamela Fiori - In the Spirit of St. Barths and In the Spirit of Capri
Slim Aarons: La Dolce Vita and Poolside
Candles create an evocative memory of a time and place:
Diptyque Tubereuse Candle- Trip to Paris 2012.
Acqua Di Parma LA CASA LAGO Candle - Trip to the Italian Lake District 2022.
Acqua Dell'Elba Mare Scented Candle - Trip to Portoferraio, Elba in 2023.
To Bring the Memories Home:
Frameo Digital Photo Frame - To enjoy your travel images at home or to share.
‘Smells Like She’s Planning Another Trip’ Candle - Just for fun - for the travel planner in your life!
Memories of Venice 2024!
Merry Christmas from Our Home to Yours!
Just a simple post on Christmas Eve wishing you a festive holiday from our house to yours. We will be celebrating at home with family, including sweet Baby Charlie on his first Christmas, this year. Thank you for stopping by and being part of our world today.
Just a simple post on Christmas Eve wishing you a festive holiday from our house to yours. We will be celebrating at home with family, including sweet Baby Charlie on his first Christmas, this year. Thank you for stopping by and being part of our world today.
What are your plans for the holiday?
Beyond Thankful this Thanksgiving
The birth of baby Charlie, on the first of November, has added an extra dash of thankfulness, joy, and gratitude to our family holidays this season. I simply can't get enough of this sweet, expressive little face. I think he is an old soul and he is only three weeks old!
Beyond Thankful this Thanksgiving
The birth of baby Charlie, on the first of November, has added an extra dash of thankfulness, joy, and gratitude to our family holidays this season. I simply can't get enough of this sweet, expressive little face. I think he is an old soul and he is only three weeks old!
I now fully understand what the look on my dad's face was all about as he gazed at me, his newly adopted firstborn, in this image circa 1961. He knew of my marriage, my becoming a step-mom, and my 2 miscarriages before he passed. I know he would be so very happy for our family with the newest little addition. Can hardly wait to introduce Charlie to his 'great-grandma' on my side and loads of aunties, uncles, and cousins during the holiday season. The miracle and the magic of babies is something to be so very grateful for this Thanksgiving.
For those of us missing family members around the table this year sending hopes for comfort and peace.
Wishing you and yours a beautiful and blessed holiday season.
xx,
Grandma Gigi ;)
A Bittersweet Season and a Cure for the Holiday Blues
With all the hustle and bustle, merrymaking and cheer, I can't help but remember that this season can be a bittersweet time for many of us. As time marches on, most of us experience loss, heartbreak and bittersweet moments, all made more pronounced by the 'Joy to the World' surrounding us during the holidays. There are loved ones we have lost through death or distance- lost loves, lost lives, lost homes, lost pets; and the broken hearts and dashed hopes of living life.
I know, it's not exactly cheery, but it is a very real part of life.
A Cure for the Holiday Blues
With all the hustle and bustle, merrymaking and cheer, I can't help but remember that this season can be a bittersweet time for many of us. As time marches on, most of us experience loss, heartbreak and bittersweet moments, all made more pronounced by the 'Joy to the World' surrounding us during the holidays. There are loved ones we have lost through death or distance- lost loves, lost lives, lost homes, lost pets; and the broken hearts and dashed hopes of living life.
I know, it's not exactly cheery, but it is a very real part of life.
I know my own holidays of years past have included a divorce, 2 miscarriages and the loss of my dear dad nearly 4 years ago. There is nothing like spending a holiday season in the hospital with a loved one who has just received a terminal diagnosis, to break your heart into a million pieces. I remember getting coffee at Starbucks, on a brief break from the hospital that Christmas. I was stunned at how life beyond the hospital could be moving on, so merrily, while my family was in complete crisis and heartbreak, praying for a miracle. That said, there is nothing like a crisis in your life to build compassion for others experiencing heartbreak this season.
If you, like me, find yourself having those painful, bittersweet moments or just the blues during the holidays please remember:
Take care of yourself
Whether it's a special treat, a warm bath, a massage, a brisk walk in the chill air or a bouquet of fresh flowers, self-care is the most important antidote for surviving the holiday blues.
Reach out to the open arms of friends and family who care.
If your family is far away, create your own kind of family this season with new traditions. Heartwarming movies, or funny movies, are always a mood booster. I double dog dare you to cry with sadness during the movie, "A Christmas Story".
A Christmas Story (Full-Screen Edition)
Reach out to someone else who is lonely or in need.
Doing something good for someone is always my best 'feel good' advice.
Look to the Future
As dark as times may be right now, there are bound to be brighter, more peaceful, days ahead. If you are feeling discouraged and lonely, you never know what can happen 'around the next corner' to change everything about the way you are feeling. Looking towards adventure is always a way to keep us focused on the next chapter, so have hope.
*I know this for a fact, my most recent "have hope" story happens to be about finding true love...at 82 years of age. I mean it~anything can happen~anytime-so never, ever give up hope for fabulous curve ball in your future.
(*The 'have hope' love story--here it is)
If you happen to see a crazy driver, or a person dabbing away a tear at your local coffee-house, be patient.
If you are needing a cure for the holiday blues, reach out to do something for someone else.
You are not alone, this time of year is bittersweet for so many of us.
Be of good cheer,
