Masala Your Life

July 8, 2020

I love gift-giving. You read that right, I am one of those people who likes to find the perfect gift for someone and often sends a gift just because. We have all been in a situation where we needed a gift that would be nice, thoughtful, and affordable?

When I discovered Masala My Life, my heart smiled. It’s the perfect gift box for a hostess, get well soon or those fun women in your life. There are so many ways to share the magic that comes in these boxes that they truly are the perfect gift.

To me, the perfect gift is around $40-$50. These gift boxes are not imposing on someone’s style or aesthetic and are thoughtful and fun. For example, I can see myself gifting the LUXE Mango Gift Set to my Mother in Law or an Aunt. I could also share it with someone whose house I may be going to for the first time. It has a cute kitchen towel, candle, a bar of soap, and a cute pair of earrings. It just feels unique and thoughtful and that is what I love about it.

We know life is better with masala.
~Anu Mannar, Founder of Masala My Life

Founder Anu Mannar didn’t stop at putting together cute boxes, she thoughtfully put together each piece of these curated boxes that make you feel good about the purchase. She uses recycled saris in her jewelry, creates everything in the USA, has environmentally friendly packaging, works with local artisans to create unique pieces, AND donates a portion of her proceeds to the South Asian American Digital Archive. It is the whole concept of things coming together to help the community at large which makes is box truly special.

As a South Asian female entrepreneur, I commend Masala My Life for representing the best of our community.

Next time you need a thoughtful gift that will make someone feel great while supporting local artisans, and giving back to the community, consider shopping from Masala My Life!

Your Chick,

Rina

** This post has been sponsored by Masala My Life, but the review and opinions are all my own.**

Fashion, Lifestyle

Chicks Picks For the Guys -Men’s Gift Guide

December 13, 2018

Here is what is on our list for the hubby’s. We also put out a guide earlier with some ideas for your Dad, Father in Law, and brothers too! Between the two of us we own and use all of these, so they are tried and true. You are welcome!

The Waterpik

This is our top pick (pun intended!) As a regular flosser I was FLOORED when I tried this water flosser for the first time. It like a massager for your gums and gets your mouth feeling cleaner than ever before! This is a great gift and a steal for under $60!
(Warning: its smaller and louder than I thought it would be, but totally worth it!)

Harry’s Shave Set

My husband has been using this set for over two years now, every year I get him a new handle and this gift set for $25 is just perfect. He loves the razors and the convenience of a subscription. Check it out!

Grooming Set

For $15 there is no excuse for stray eyebrow (or nose) hairs! Help him keep it all together with this compact grooming kit. Believe me you will end up using it too!

Convertible Garment Bag

Garment bags can be sloppy oversized and hard to carry! Not this one!! The bag literally rolls up into a duffel making it easy to carry and use. Personalize this for $80 and get this for the man who wears a suit in your life.

Massager

This is the second time we are featuring this product in a gift guide because it is that good! After a long day at work, this massager sits nicely on a pillow and is a great way to wind down at the end of the day!

I hope you found this list helpful. The guys can be hard to shop for but not getting anything doesn’t feel right either.

If you are wondering what to get your children or their teachers, see all of our gift guides here!

Cheers,

Rina

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Lifestyle

What I Am Getting My Second And Third Grader for Christmas!

December 6, 2018

As moms we often exchange notes, and when it comes to gift giving we are always curious about what each other’s kids are into. So here is what is on my kids list and what I am getting my nieces and nephews and also my friends kids. Everything on this list excites the kids and I so I am counting down the days to Christmas morning.

We have so many gift guides for adults, so creating one with the kids in mind was fun!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Dog Man Book Series

I have seen that boys and girls alike love the adventures of Dogman – its comic book layout makes it super kid friendly. With age appropriate humor and a few life lesson sprinkled in there its a win for parents too.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Camera

My girls have not gotten this camera yet much to their dismay, but my anxiety about buying refills held me back in previous years. Now the prices have come down on refills and Amazon now offers a value pack which makes me feel a little better about buying it this time around.

Moj Moj Claw Machine

This is my daughter, Maya’s, top pick this year. My girls cannot resist a claw machine when we are out and about so the thought of having one at home is just so exciting for them, I can’t wait to see her face when she opens this.

3D Pen

This is the second year in a row I am getting these for family and friends, after getting this last year and using it for science and art projects, this gift proved to be useful AND fun!!

Snap Circuits Pro

A gift with education mixed in with fun is my kind of gift. My daughters are in second and third grade and they are starting to explore circuits. In an effort to explore engineering concepts for every things like alarm systems to radios, this advanced ‘toy’ is safe and has easy to follow project instructions. Sonia introduced me to this one and I can’t say enough about how good this set is!

LOL Dolls

Literally EVERY SINGLE PARENT of girls ages 4-8 will be buying these this year. Something about collectibles that gets us every time! This year it is LOL Dolls and not knowing which one is inside this box is what gets kids super excited – so scoop of one of these for your daughter or niece and win at life.

Jewelry Box

My girls have started ‘taking care’ of things which is weird (lol). They also have taken an interest in their accessories. So it seemed like a good idea to get them a ‘grown up’ jewelry box with a few new earrings too.

Slime

Ugh, the gift parents love to hate! I wrote about this set in particular in my family gift guide because it is different. It comes with PRE MIXED / NON STICKY slime but with tons of mixers , kids don’t even miss making the slime themselves. We absolutely loved this set– no glue means no ‘ick.’ You are welcome.

From My Family To Yours,

Happy Holidays,

Rina

**We use affiliate links and do make a small commission off of purchases that you make. We use that to help grow the blog. So when possible, please shop links directly from our post to support our work. Thank you!!**

Lifestyle, Review

12 Gifts For Teachers That You Love Under $30

November 19, 2018

I love giving gifts, its my thing and yes, I am already pulling together my list of people to get gifts for this year. At the top of that list is teachers for me. As a parent of a child with a chronic medical condition (see Type1Chick) I interact with my child’s teachers more than most and feel more indebted than most for that reason. I know that gift cards and cash are king when it comes to gift giving, but sometimes I like to throw in a little something extra– because let’s face it, they deserve it.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

I honestly love all of these ideas and give preference to things that they can use every day.

Kitty Ring Holder

If you don’t have one of these by your bedside or sink then you are missing out! Never lose your jewelry again – once you get in the habit, this little kitty will have changed your life.

Swell Wide Mouth Water Bottle

Is it just me or is getting ice into those little spouts a nuisance. Not anymore with these easy to use AND easy to clean bottles.

Initial Necklace

I am almost ALWAYS rocking my little “R” necklace. Get one like this for your favorite teacher for $15!

Stress Balls

Ok so this falls into the ‘gag gift’ category, but its still useful and a fun addition to any gift card that you give. You may want to grab one for your 8 year old mini me too (ahem, I digress!)

Amazon Dot

I cannot say enough about how useful this device is – even the classroom the dot can provide some relief with fun facts and jokes that are sure to chill out any teacher in a bind- scoop the dot up for less than $30 this season.

Crossbody With Tassel

This bag looks like it costs five times what it does, pick from any color and help your child’s teacher feel great by looking great.

iPhone Charger

How many times have your chargers gotten stolen since they all look alike! Not anymore, these adorable chargers are $6 each and won’t get lost in the mix. These would make adorable stocking stuffers too!

Sephora Play Box

For the gift that keeps giving a Sephora Play Box is such a fun way to keep your teachers (or your friends) feeling great about themselves. If you want to go big and give a multiple month gift, you can keep up those feels all year round.

Insulated Tumbler

Can we talk about this tumbler — its amazing and its $25! This one will double up from Coffee O’Clock to Wine O’Clock in a snap.

Stainless Steel Straws

Over and over again we hear that we can do more for the environment – these straws make it easy to make a little change. I suspect these will be very popular gifts this year as everyone tries to do better in the new year, so for less than $6, this set is a steal.

Bath Bomb Set

These vegan bath bombs have essential oils in them that will take your bath to the next level. Give the gift of relaxation with this gift set.

Scalp Massager

If you own one of these, you know why they are AH-MAZING. It may seem awkward to give a gift like this, but once you use it, you will understand why this is the easiest and most thoughtful gift for your child’s teacher. Tag an Amazon Gift Card to it and have a happy holiday.

Hopefully you liked some of these ideas — what did I miss? Giving to those I love and care about during the holidays is probably my favorite part of the season (in addition to all the good eats!)

Thanks for stopping by Chicks And Salsa! Be sure to check out our Amazon Store with all of our favorites in there here.

Your Chick,

Rina

**We use affiliate links and do make a small commission off of purchases that you make. We use that to help grow the blog. So when possible, please shop links directly from our post to support our work. Thank you!!**