GIFT GIVING IDEAS

It's that time of the year when our attention is focused on the holiday ritual of gift-giving. We scurry about, getting caught up in the hustle & the bustle looking for the right gift for those special people in our lives.  Giving a gift is a universal way to show love, appreciation, and gratitude, and it also brings us JOY.

Make your holiday shopping fun this year. Here are a few stocking- stuffers  & gift ideas for the special people in your life. 

Linda Rodin is such an inspiration in the fashion and beauty industry, she's ageless chic. Maybe you have a friend, mom, a daughter or sister (in-law)...Her yummy lip balm, cleanser and jasmine perfume just might be the feminine touches she needs. 

How about Restoration Hardware cozy Faux Fur Slippers with matching Neck Scarf for your mom, grandma or mother-in-law?

Dr. Lancer has a new product out - Dani - Glowing Skin Perfector- An illuminating skin finisher and skin treatment that brightens, and perfects all skin tones in one setp.

How about a few fun stocking stuffers - Can't go wrong with these beautiful glitter nail polishes. She'll be ready for her New Year's Eve Party and that special Valentine. Butter / OPI / Deborah Lipman /

Don't forget about the Golfer in your family...Restoration Hardwares Golf Ball Personalizer - Everything you need to emboss you name or initials right out of the box.

I've recently discovered these unique candles. After Party Candle Co. Especially for those champagne lovers in your life, an Incredible gift for a hostess. Beautiful champagne bottles from the best bottles of bubbley to well-known favorite brands. After your candle is finished, you will want to keep it for a vase with fresh flowers, or what-ever you choose. 

Does someone in your life need a little pampering?  Maud's of Beverly Hills is a charming boutique that offers stunning lashes, nails, and brow service.  Here she can relax, unwind and feel beautiful. 

AMERICAN TEA ROOM has the most delicious teas. Their is a huge range of green, black, and oolong teas. Their gift wrapping is lovely. On your way to a holiday party or your need a simple elegant gift, you can't go wrong. Three favorites I keep in our home -  Victoria Organic Black Tea - Earl Gray Shanghi, and Madame Bergamot Organic. You can find any tea to your liking online. Beautiful teas, beautiful flavor.

Violet Grey is an incredible boutique filled with highly curated luxury beauty products. It's located here in Los Angeles on Melrose Place. If she loves beauty products, you will be a rockstar if she receives a gift certificate or a favorite product from Violet Grey. You will find everything for her cosmetic wardrobe you need online or in the store. This foundation is FANTASTIC. Koh Gen Do - for flawless skin. If you live here in L.A. be sure to take a minute and experience a true beauty boutique.

Restoration Hardware's Leather Watch Holder is great for your on-the-go guy. It's a rich chocolate color, soft leather, and lightweight. Also great for storing your watches safely.

 Whether you're 3 or 53 you'll find Diane Muldrow's little golden book full of life's lessons, and remember what you were taught along the way.  It's always nice for a humorous "guide to life" for grown-ups!  or great advice for your little one. It's pretty much everything that really matters about life in this simple little book.                                                                                                                       Celebrating You (and the beautiful person you are) Read about your kind heart, your spirit, generosity, your laugh, and your glow. You can't help feel joy and loved if you receive this little book. For all ages. 

A gift card from his or her favorite studio or gym is a great idea. Harmony Studios is located here in West Hollywood, and the instructors are very focused on you being your best healthy self.  Here you can have private or group instruction and a full mind-body connection. You'll feel welcomed the minute you step in the door. If you live here...check it out. You will get in shape and have fun at the same time. NO matter where you live, a gift card to jumpstart a healthy body is always a great gift of life. 

And most of all...The Gift of Time. Spend time with those you love, give your time to those who are in need. Take the time to be Grateful.         

Doesn't it feel satisfying when you see the joy on the face of the person you're giving the gift to? How about being a Secret Santa...Maybe pay for someone's coffee, or breakfast. Don't forget the people who help us in our everyday errands. I love to give to the guys who help me at the gas station, José, who helps me load groceries.  Fedx, UPS - We always depend on Tom...our fantastic mailman. He delivers the mail everyday, with a smile on his face... Enjoy the process and may your heart be filled with joy this holiday season.  

               We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” 
― Winston S. Churchill                                                                                                                                                           

TAMAR GELLAR - FEARLESS DOG LEADER

There are people who come along in life that impact you in the most special ways...They open up your eyes and your heart like a breath of fresh air, and then they open up your minds into the sensitive hearts and souls of our 4-legged friends. Tamar Geller is a New York Times bestselling author & as Oprah says "A Life Coach for Dogs and Their People". Tamar is known for her innovative methods and enthusiasm. Not only has Tamar transformed lives and impacted relationships for dogs, but also for people. This is Tamar Gellar : Dog trainer who developed "The Loved Dog"  method of dog training, and I am proud to say...My Friend

Tamar on Oprah - Watch this helpful video... it's really helpful for tips on jumping. If you are looking for a great holiday gift you can share with your family or maybe give to a friend in need of positive guidance for their new family member... Tamar's online coaching program is full of Pearls of Wisdom for humans and their best friend. This is a gift that will give back forever...

The Loved Dog was created 25 years ao and is based on the knowledge Tamar acquired as an intelligence officer in the Israeli Special Forces, and from her wisdom of nature during the time she spent observing wolves in the wild. 

Tamar's method builds a relationship based on games, clear communication, mutual respect, and fun. Remember : Your pooch wants to be a loved member of your family. Train them with happiness, with joy and empower them..the same way you would want to be treated. Tamar is the founder of the First Cage-Free Doggy Boarding and Day Care Center in Southern California.

A photo of Tamar during her time as an intelligent officer with the Israeli Special Forces. Tamar understands firsthand the challenges of being a veteran. She created a nonprofit program called Operation Heroes & Hounds that helped empower the lives of veterans and shelter dogs.

Tamar has appeared on various television programs and media outlets including; The Today Show, Oprah, Ellen. She works closely with the animal rights organizations - The Humane Society , ASPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, PETA, and Helen Woodward Animal Center. You can also find Tamar conducting speeches about programs for rescue organizations.

Published works include: The Loved Dog Method / 30 days to a Well-Mannered Dog / The Gentle Way To Teach Your Dog Good Manners /  Celebrate your Dog Training (DVD) / Tamar on   YouTube

Dogs are sent to us to open our hearts, teach us how to show up in the world, and practice our communication skills with everyone in our life. This is Zuma...a gift of love and a happy student.

Dogs are a tremendous gift to the world! They have a remarkable power to transform the lives of the humans they touch. They understand you more than you can ever imagine. They will be right by your side and honored in doing so. Tamar is devoted in teaching us how to capture their individuality, and celebrate the magic in them.  Tamar... You are a tremendous gift to OUR world.   The Loved Dog    

           *My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I Am... unknown

Me:  What made you decide to leave Israel and move to the United States ?

Tamar:  I never decided to leave Israel. I just came for a short visit after
backpacking for a year in South East Asia. John Lennon has a line that
says... "Life happens when you are busy making other plans." and that's how
I ended up living in the U.S.A.

Me:  Did you move to the U.S. right after you finished serving as an
Intelligent Officer ?

Tamar:   I was going to go for a two week holiday in Southeast Asia, but I kept running into awesome people who invited me to join them on different treks and explorations of off-the-beaten-path places, so I kept extending my stay. My original ticket ended in Los Angeles, so I decided to stay for a one week visit and It¹s been almost three decades...

Me:  Was Los Angeles your first city you lived in?  

Tamar:   Yes, I love Los Angeles...I love to hike, and L.A. is full of beautiful trails. I love the people in this city, I find the City of Angels to be incredibly kind and open.

Me:  When you moved to Los Angeles, did you have a job in place already?

Tamar:  I came to Los Angeles for a week on holiday and I never dreamed that I would stay here, so no... I didn't have a job.  I was returning back to Israel to begin my studies for a degree in Psychology. 

Me:  As a businesswoman, what are some challenges you have faced in the beginning stages, and how did you overcome them?  

Tamar:  The biggest challenges I faced was the fact that I was questioning the status quo when it came to to dog training. Later on I decided to open the very first Cage-Free kennel and doggie daycare in Southern California. When I was an Intelligence Officer with the Elite Special Forces in Israel, I saw how the dominance approach was the one that was being used when training the dogs in the military. I didn’t like it, but I never questioned it. That was until I got the opportunity to volunteer for a wolf-behavior research program that was taking place in the Israeli desert. The approach being used on the wolves (who are dogs ancestors) was based on building rapport and amazing bonds between them. The role of the Alpha wolf was to care, teach, and protect his pack...not to be a tyrant and a dominating jerk. The way of the wolves resonated with me. I had to mature as a person and as a woman to find the courage, and the right words to begin my mission, and my vision. I realized that training a dog is very similar to raising a child. As a parent, you have to ask yourself what kind of a parent do you want to be – the one that connects, coaches, and is encouraging, or the threatening know-it-all parent. I created The Loved Dog method, which was game-based, and was designed to have an unique relationship between the dog and his “pawrent”, where there is mutual love and admiration! Although, the established trainers in Los Angeles weren't quiet sure of my coaching techniques, and veterinarians thought I didn't know what I was talking about... I was blessed to have doors and hearts open, and it seemed as if I was being divinely guided. I became the resident dog expert for the Today Show, and when I wrote my first book, my beloved client Oprah, launched it on her show, saying  "That my method really works and was life changing for all dog lovers". Today, three decades later, my method is very accepted, and has inspired many others to rethink certain training tactics. I still get goosebumps and tears when I read the many emails I receive from happy dog pawrents, telling me how it changed their dog...and even made positive differences in their personal relationships.

Me:   Briefly describe a day in your life as an entrepreneur. From the time you wake up.

Tamar:  The first thing that takes place when I barely open my eyes is an attack of kisses by my 3 doggies who are ready to begin their new day. After I make their raw-diet breakfast, I meditate, connect to all the wonderful people and gifts that I have in my life (the best way for to fight generational depression that is in my DNA), and I'm off to see my dog training clients, or work on the different products and services that I continue to develope. In between I write. I don’t go out as much anymore. Time is precious and meaningful so I choose to be with people that nourish my soul. Over the years I saw how much I liked people who were comfortable in their own company and it took me a few years, but I now truly cherish being in my own company as well. I try to eat an early dinner, and I do enjoy connecting with people at fun events and especially when it's for a worthy cause.

Me:   What motivates you in your job and your personal life?

Tamar:   I believe we are all spirits that are having a human experience, deep down we all want to learn how to remember and reconnect, to be conscious to the love we were all meant to be. I believe that dogs are the best teachers for that, and I hold dogs in a high reverence. I’m here to serve them and the people who want to love. The same goes for my personal life. I want my inner-circle to be filled with only people who live “Wholeheartedly” as Brene Brown puts it. In order for me to want to be with a person, I need to know that they have a foundation that is based in some kind of spirituality or self-development. From that place, everything we do together is awesome, even the silliest thing. If people get the most excitement in their life by shopping for the latest trend, although I do like nice things, chances are we are not compatible. I no longer have the need to be liked by everyone, and that is a healthy place to be.

Me:  What are your 3 favorite beauty or clothing products you simply can’t live without?

Tamar:   My fake eyelashes are awesome. When I have them on I don’t need to put any make-up on as I always look put-together. I go every 3 weeks for a touch-up. A good blow dry is fabulous! and also makes my life easier, as it holds for one week (I have a great hair dresser) and I don’t have to waste time dealing with my hair. Other than that, A good moisturizer for my face and lips makes me happy.

 The Loved Dog - Online Coaching Program
* Give a gift of love - The gift that keeps on giving.

      Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealously or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside or a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring-it was peace - Milan Kundera

Thank you Tamar for your love, and kindness you share with our doggie pals. You are a true beauty from the inside out. You connect our human hearts with our 4-legged friends, and we thank you for your education and inspiration, and most of all, the dedication on how to make a loving connection with our pooches.   *To all of my dog-lover readers, tell me about your canine friend(s) send me photos (I love seeing photos) and share your funny and heartfelt stories. I hope you can watch Tamar's videos and read about her training, you will have an even greater love and respect for your pals. 

If you have any old collars, leashes, beds, toys...etc. you can always drop off to Pet Co. They have a box at every door for easy drop off.     Happy Holidays & Much Love & Kindness        


 

SLIM DOWN WITH SALMON

After Thanksgiving has passed and we now enter the holiday fiesta, how about an easy recipe for slimming down a bit before the parties arrive. Salmon & Veggies - a healthy way to satisfy your hunger and stay healthy.

Baked Salmon, Broccoli - sweet red peppers - cauliflower - roasted potatoes - L.A. Juice Co. (recycled) water bottle.

Wild caught salmon marinated in Olive Oil - Lemon Juice  - Pepper - Salt - Fresh Parsley.           Bake in the oven in a glass dish for 20 minutes at 375°. I use a recipe from Allrecipes and it comes out perfect every time.  

Sweet peppers - broccoli - cauliflower - potatoes - onions  - fennel - parsley 

Marinate the veggies in Braggs Olive Oil - Lemon Juice - Italian Seasoning - Garlic                           Place on a baking pan on top of foil for 20 minutes at 375°

BRAGGS Olive Oil - Italian Seasoning - Garlic - Sea Salt (just a touch)

Allrecipes is a great site for simple and easy recipes and they honestly come out perfect every time.  This is my go-to salmon dish. It's great when you have that dependable and satisfying dish. Salmon is a great source of protein and loaded in Vitamin B12 & Vitamin D - Omega-3 fatty acids.  Recipe for a great meal: Smile, listen to music, and think about the little things that make you happy....

                 “A home cook who relies too much on a recipe is sort of like a pilot who reads the plane’s instruction manual while flying.” – Alton Brown