The Gift Guide: What to Buy your Guy

1. Patagonia Retro-X Jacket // 2. Carved Solutions Monogrammed Old Fashioned Glasses // 3. Woodlore Cedar Shoe Trees // 4. Vineyard Vines Croakie // 5. Wireless Antler Bottle Opener // 6. Smathers & Branson Plaid Flask // 7. Orvis Shotshell Belt // 8. Ugg Ascot Slippers // 9. J.Crew Cashmere Lined Smart Phone Glove // 10. Beats by Dre Pill Speaker // 11. Ben Minkoff Brody Briefcase // 12. Griffin Founder Timepiece // 13. Faherty Cardiff Plaid Button-up // 14. Peter Millar Dress Shirt // 15. Nivea Lip Care Replenishing Balm // 16. NuSkin For Men Package // 17. Inferno Novel by Dan Brown

I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I know everyone is making gift guides this holiday season, but it's just so much fun to do, and I have a couple special guys in my life I need to shop for, so why not make a men's version? Men are especially hard to shop for in my opinion. For my mom, I buy her exactly what I would want for myself (we're pretty much twins in the fashion category), so that part is easy. There are so many great online stores to find men's items now, the newest being Shopbop's new company, East Dane. The men in my life are a little more outdoorsy though, so I tailored this gift guide towards that type because that is what I've been in search for. I hope you find a little inspiration here for any man in your life you're looking to buy gifts for.

Splurge Vs. Steal

Isabel Marant Tacy Pony Booties / Sam Edelman Margot Booties

I haven't done one of these posts in quite a while, but a couple pieces this season just keep standing out to me as being so incredibly similar. These stiletto boots are so sexy, and the Sam Edelmans are an excellent alternative to the $1,500 Isabel Marants. I've been seeing the Marants all over fashion blogs - they're both super stylish and sleek, but now you can find an almost identical pair for under $250! I almost like the Sam Edelmans better... So which would you do? Splurge or steal?

Element Bars

I have to let you guys in on a little secret: they're called Element Bars, and they are custom whole food bars. Yes, you heard me right... custom, meaning you create your own. These bars are seriously the greatest idea ever. You start with your choice of 5 different cores (crispy, chewy, oaty, fruit & nut, datey), add your choice of fruit (like bananas, blueberries, coconut, etc.), and then pretty much any kind of nut you would like can be added. Next are the sweets (agave, honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, etc.), and then you have the option of adding a boost, such as protein, immunity or fiber. To top it off, you get to name your bar, and store it so that people can order it in the future. How cool is that!?

The "GSW Real Food" bar was the bar my mom and I customized and ordered ourselves. It has flax, blueberries, chewy core, and it's delicious. 

A pack of these bars also came in my order. I love these because they are smaller, which makes them perfect for breakfast, they are packed with protein, and they're only 160 calories - the perfect start to your day. 

As you can see, the ingredients are all natural - no preservatives, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, or anything you can't pronounce is added to the bars. It doesn't get much healthier than that. The fact that these bars are completely customizable gives them an A+ in my book. Make sure you check out the Element Bars website for more info, or email me if you would like to order some!