HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2015: for the hostess

Thanksgiving is next week, which means it's officially the holiday season! Even if you're not one to brave the mall on Black Friday (or if you'll be working amongst the madness, like me), you can still get a head start on Christmas shopping over the next few weeks! It's time to start hunting, so I'll be posting a series of gift guides to help you find the perfect present for everyone on your list.

Let's start with your favorite hostess. You know, the one with the picture-perfect apartment where you've spent countless long evenings clinking glasses and laughing around the table. She could be your mom, your best friend, that one extra cool co-worker -- whoever she is, she's sure to be thrilled when you show up to her holiday party with one of these gifts.

Gifts for the hostess:

1. Modcloth Pizzazz Good as Gold Pot Holder Set ($21.99) - As glam as pot holders can get. Your favorite hostess will love using these to take those hors d'oeuvres our of the oven!
2. Kate Spade "Drink Me" Wine Tote ($20.00) - Don't show up empty handed -- bring your host's favorite bottle in this festive canvas wine tote.
3. Modcloth Long Overdue Notecard Set by Chronicle Books ($19.99) - Perfect for thank yous, invites and recipes!
4. Kate Spade Malmo Rose Gold 4-Piece Hostess Set ($105) - Rose gold isn't just for jewelry and iPhones!
5. Kate Spade Gold Dot Cocktail Shaker ($50) - Hey, those hors d'oeuvres are bound to make you thirsty...
6. Charbonnel et Walker Pink Marc De Champagne Truffles ($28) - Who wouldn't want someone to show up to their door with these? These truffles by London-based chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker are almost too cute to eat! (They're also on my list, if anyone is looking for ideas...)
7. Vera Wang for Wedgwood Set of 2 Love Knots Toasting Flutes ($75) - For those of you who are already thinking about ringing in the New Year!
8. Michael Aram Butterfly & Ginkgo Wine Stopper ($89) - Maybe you've never seen your favorite hostess with the mostess put a bottle of wine away unfinished, but just in case...
9. L'Objet Aegean Coffee Pot ($415) - Coffee, anyone?
10. Royal Albert Polka Blue Vintage 2-Tier Cake Stand ($50) - This cake stand makes an adorable dessert display all year round. Bring on the Christmas cookies and cake pops!

Stay tuned for more holiday gift guides coming soon, and happy hunting!

Restaurant Week Fun!

Before I went away to school, I went out to dinner with my mom and brother once a week. It was our way of catching up, talking about our weeks and staying connected no matter how busy we were. I knew our dinner dates would be something I missed most about home - it's hard to get together so often even though I only live right across the bridge. I've been missing my family a lot lately, so we decided to get together this week for a little bit of Hump Day Restaurant Week fun!

I have an ever-growing list of restaurants to try, so I took advantage of the opportunity to try something new. I'd been craving Mexican since Emily of Her Philly posted about Lolita, so it seemed to be the perfect choice! Tucked away on 13th Street, Lolita definitely didn't disappoint (except maybe my little brother, whose idea of quality Mexican food just recently upgraded from Taco Bell to Moe's).

Lolita is a "modern Mexican" restaurant with a cozy-but-chic atmosphere.

We started with traditional guacamole (my favorite!) for the table, and I ordered chipotle shrimp enchiladas, both of which I'm still thinking about. As a college student, it's not often I get to eat anything other than pizza and EasyMac!

We tried to skip dessert but couldn't resist heading across the street to grab gelato at Capogiro before taking a walk through Midtown Village to end the night.

Philadelphia dwellers - what restaurants should definitely be on my list?