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My apologies for leaving anyone who was following my gift guide countdown hanging.

Things got a little out of control/frenzied around here. We had three dogs running up and down the stairs wanting to play, three different bathroom schedules, a big cat stalking anyone in the kitchen who might open the fridge, and finally my boyfriend’s parents arrived from Vermont. They will be with us for two weeks and we have many fun adventures planned, including a day trip to Catalina and a ski trip to Mammoth.

MaineMan’s mom is furiously making us dinner downstairs — the second day in a row of her home-cooked meals — YAY ME! — and I’m finally sitting down at my new iMac to write a finale post to my countdown, despite it being nearly three days late and the holiday season of gift-giving being officially over. That is, if you aren’t returning gifts from relatives who failed to interpret your unique sense of style at the shopping mall.

While I was building this year’s gift guide, I failed to come up with a jaw-dropping final post. I couldn’t pick any store or website as my all-time favorite. Then when I opened my Christmas presents I was inspired to share a few faves with you all, in case you didn’t know these brands.

My mom surprised me with a pair of P.J. Salvage pajama pants. It doesn’t get any softer or better than their pajamas. Similar to how I felt when I wore my first Hanky Pankys, I do not ever care to wear another pair of no-name flannel pajamas. If they’re not P.J. I won’t be in them. In addition to the pajamas, my mom and I fell in love with a pair of boots from Sorel in Wilton at their Outdoor Sports Center. The salesman’s eyes left his head when I told him I wanted to wear these furry suckers in Los Angeles.

“LOS ANNNNNGELES?”

“Yup. It gets cold there in the winter.”

Anyhoo, check out these Joan of Arctic boots (Joan, apres Jeanne d’Arc, happened to be my confirmation name). I’m in love with the boots and I’ve been proudly sporting them on all of our puppy nighttime walks.

Just because it’s the last day of the gift/giving countdown doesn’t mean you get to stop looking for ways to give your time and/or money to charity. Today’s suggestion for donations is Coca Cola’s Arctic Home campaign, in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund. Every time I see a commercial or nature show with polar bears I cry (similar to my reaction to Sarah McLachlan’s commercial for the ASPCA). I literally have to turn my head away because seeing what these animals are going through is just too painful for me to watch. Whether you believe in global warming and its impact on our civilization, there is no disputing that the polar bear has lost countless square miles of its habitat. Unless you’re Santa Claus or an Arctic explorer, chances are you won’t see one in the wild in your lifetime, so go to the Arctic Home website. It’s really well done and there are some cool video/tracking features where you can click on polar bears and capture a video of them in action.

Not inspired by my suggestions over the past 12 days? I’d love to hear what does inspire you. I always love learning new things and new ways to support those in need.

I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season so far. We still have New Year’s Eve to look forward to, so no getting the post-holiday blues yet! If you haven’t been, please check out my company website Rascals, Inc. We got new logos over the break and I’ve gotten to implement one in the header.

Previous days of gift/giving suggestions:

Duncraft/LLS
Daytrip Society/ Livestrong
Etsy/AHeirloom / Action Against Hunger
C. Wonder / Ace of Hearts Dog Rescue
Made / Pilots N Paws
Linus Bikes / National Wildlife Federation
Uncommon Goods / California Wildlife Center
Iomoi / Fran Crippen Elevation Foundation
Heath Ceramics / The Gentle Barn
Hipcycle / Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
Mxyplyzyk / Hope for Heddy