Strands of Genius :: Holiday Gift Guide!
WRITING FROM
Honolulu, HI
WORKING ON
nada - spending time with family & thinking about all the things we're thankful for
UP NEXT:
Nov 24-Dec 4: Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec 5-9: Los Angeles, CA
Dec 9-12: Nashville, TN
Dec 12-19: Beersheba Springs
Dec 20-22: Atanta, GA
Dec 23-30: Nashville, TN
Dec 31-??: Greenville, SC
THE WORD | THESE BRIEF BITS OF INBOX INSPIRATION BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
Andrew&Soph&Jonny, late nights & long conversations, playing some chunes at 95bFM (and fulfilling our dreams of being on the radio!), Azabu, lunch with Hayley&Lisa&James, Big Breeze Inn's fantastic rum drinks, the still ever-so-lovely Vic&Randal, our delightful AirBnB hosts - we sometimes forget how much fun it can be to stay with hosts instead of getting a place to ourselves, and if you happen to find yourself in Auckland, it would be a damn shame if you didn't stay with them.
And now... for our holiday gift guide for the year! We got our act together this year with an earlier edition, and we hope you'll find some inspiration below. You can always treat yourself, too :) As always, any Amazon affiliate earnings will go towards buying young people in our industry drinks.
˗ˏˋ HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2019 ˊˎ˗
Don't Forget To Have Fun Gravestone
Give the gift of ART
This concrete gravestone comes with life's most important reminder (if we do say so ourselves): Don't forget to have fun. It's signed by artist Mr Bingo himself, and even "comes in a sexy box." A perfect passive aggressive gift for the boss that tells you to work through the weekend, or for anyone who needs a reminder to have a little more fun in their lives. If you're not familiar with Mr. Bingo's work, he's the guy behind our favorite advent calendar, one that involves scratch-off fun and nudity -- what more could you ask for?!
::BUY THE GRAVESTONE::
::BUY THE ADVENT CALENDAR::
Send Your Love With JunkPunch & PunkPost
Give the gift of SNAIL MAIL
We love sending snail mail almost as much as we love getting excited texts from people on the receiving end. In our polarized world, we could all do with sending a little more love. Which is why we're obsessed with our friend JunkPunch cards, who put the SIN in Sincerely, and are guaranteed to give your friends a chuckle.
::GET 20% OFF OF JUNKPUNCH CARDS::
When we don't have a JunkPunch card on hand, we opt for PunkPost, where you pick a card and type a message to an artist who hand-letters and sends the card for you. (You can even add pictures and confetti!)
::SEND YOUR FIRST PUNKPOST CARD FOR FREE::
Dual Use Power Cords & Charging Devices
Give the gift of POWER
I don't know why it's taken us this long to discover these dual-use cords, but we'll never go back to just having one or the other. We've got iPhones and Kindles, and this means that when we carry fewer cords, and impress others when we're charging our devices. And yes, you can buy them in various lengths.
::BUY MIGER CORDS::
We're also big fans of this ultra compact portable charger, that comes with iPhone and micro USB cables as well. Technology continues to get better and better -- and this tiny power bank charges your iPhone twice as fast as the original iPhone charger.
::BUY JACKERY PORTABLE CHARGER::
A Subscription to Serenity & Sleep
Give the gift of MINDFULNESS
This is one of those gifts that you might just need to buy yourself because damn, Calm's Sleep Stories have been life-changing y'all. 283 out of the last 365 days we've either meditated or listened to a sleep story from Calm. These stories are designed to help you fall asleep -- the calming voices, the lack of plot... So dreamy. (See what we did there?!)
::BUY A SUBSCRIPTION TO CALM::
And if you're more into meditating with others, might we recommend JourneyLive? Their meditation guides come to you live, and there's an immediacy and community element that we love. If you can't practice live, you'll miss the Q&A/chat afterwards, but you're still able to stream meditations. We're particularly big fans of meditating with Amanda & Miriam.
::BUY A MEMBERSHIP TO JOURNEY::
Splendor & Camel Up
Give the gift of GAMES
We've still played a whole lot of Camel Up this year (a favorite game we mentioned in last year's holiday gift guide), but we also keep coming back to Splendor. It's what we call strategy-lite -- There's some strategy involved but the learn time is quick. It's made for 2-4 players, and it's just as fun with 2 as it is with 4.
::BUY SPLENDOR::
::BUY CAMEL UP::
::CHECK OUT OUR FULL LIST OF GAMES WE'RE OBSESSED WITH::
Embryolisse: The Magic French Skin Remedy
Give the gift of GREAT SKIN
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré is one of France's best exports (besides wine.) The reason it's so well loved in France -- and beyond is because of its multi-uses: it can act as a make-up base, an intense mask, a cleanser and make-up remover, and even after-sun/after-shave care. I didn't believe the hype until our friend Farrah had some and HOLY SHIT GUYS. We're sold. (Yes, Faris, too.) It's the perfect hydration technique after flights, it cleanses without drying up, and that oft-chased-after dewy look is a real thing.
::BUY EMBRYOLISSE::
32oz Water Bottle + Neoprene Sling
Give the gift of HYDRATION
At the start of 2019, I (Rosie) set the intention of drinking more water. I began my mission by ordering 7 different water bottles on Amazon, returning them all, and then ordering 3 more -- 1 of which I've kept, and re-ordered several times this year. (I lost one, I took one to Burning Man and it never recovered, and I finally got Faris to join me.) It's BPA-free, got an easy locking mechanism and a quick release button, a small mouth so you don't spill all over yourself, an air hole at the top so that it the water comes out quickly, a rubber grip, and the volume markings by ounce on the side. AND it comes in all sorts of lovely colors.
::BUY THE WATER BOTTLE::
If you don't want to carry your water bottle around like a chump, pair it with a Neosling so you can "sling it and bring it." The Neosling won the water bottle carrying battle because not only does it stretch to fit around most water bottles, but the strap is completely neoprene (whereas others have a webbed strap with only a small neoprene sleeve and they can easily rub your shoulders raw.)
::BUY THE NEOSLING::.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
Give the gift of SUN PROTECTION
It's not just that it's scentless, but moreso that it's basically a serum. It's literally invisible (on all skin tones!), anti-oxidant rich, oil-free, and the velvetty matte finish is perfect underneath makeup for everyday wear. From the product review: "It comes packed with ingredients like red algae that protects against the blue light emitted from devices, frankincense that helps reinforce and sooth skin, and a complex derived from meadowfoam seeds that bump the skin’s own hydration levels." Yes, it's a small bottle - but a little goes a long way.
::BUY SUPERGOOP UNSEEN::
Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack
Give the gift of CARRY ON ONLY
We stopped checking luggage about two years in to nomad living and tried out a few different bags designed for the carry on only life. We have both ended up with the Tortuga Outbreaker Backpack because it's better than any alternative we've tried. It combines the best features of a backpack and suitcase, is the maximum size possible for carry on, opens up all the way around, has comfortable straps and supporting waist band and has strongest zips and seams of any bag we've used. And, it's adjustable so that you can alter the size based on your frame: whether you're short or tall!
::BUY TORTUGA OUTBREAKER::
Books, Books & More Books
Give the gift of LITERATURE
We're both big fans of reading, and this year alone Rosie has read nearly 60 books. Here are some of her favorites -- from memoirs and mysteries to satires and sci-fi.
::BUY A BOOK OR THREE::
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We always love getting to meet like-minded folks, so please let us know if you see if we'll be in a city near you :)
rockON,
rosie & faris & ashley, geniussteals.co
@rosieyakob / @faris / @ashley
HIT REPLY & LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
STILL WANT MORE?
In March of 2013, Rosie & Faris left NYC. They've been #OutOfOffice for 6 years & counting. Want more on the nomad lifestyle? Check out Technomadix.co
Want to collaborate with Rosie and Faris? They are a husband and wife team that consult, speak, write, teach, strategize, facilitate & generally play well with others. You should definitely get in touch.
