Hello Sunny Siders, for Blogmas day 4. I wanted to highlight some small businesses I’ve purchased from throughout the year. I love supporting small and local businesses and this is the perfect time of year to support local when getting gifts!
Sundrop Studios
The Juice Box Club
Oddity Sisters
Chaotic Blobs
Cereusly Lunar
PepperCut Studio
Nick Lanza
Soupermandoo
Hello Sunny Siders, happy Blogmas day 3! Gift giving can be so stressful and expensive this time of year. It sometimes feels virtually impossible to balance showing your friends and family you care while also staying on budget. That is why this year I thought it’d be fun to share some DIY more affordable gift ideas to help make that balance more feasible!
DIY Gift Ideas
Handmade cards/card boxes – Not only to people love receiving cards, but having a stock of cards on hand for the year to come is so helpful. Design, print, or draw greeting cards for various holidays throughout the year and package them in a box to serve as a stock for the person you are gifting to!
Personalized drawings (thrift a picture frame for an added touch) – If you are in to art, drawing something meaningful to the person you are gifting is a great option. I have done this for birthdays and holidays in years past, and it is even more fun when you find a nice picture frame to elevate it.
Handwritten letters (thrift a picture frame for an added touch) – As simple as it sounds, write a nice letter to someone you love. You can jazz it up with thick paper or even a nice frame.
Coupon book – Make coupons of things/experiences your person can cash in when they want at a later time. This could be for simple things like a movie night at home, breakfast in bed, or even something fancier like an evening night out at their favorite restaurant.
Write a poem – My Grandma has been doing this for years as birthday gifts and trust me when I say people are more excited and appreciative of her poems than anything else they are gifted. I have witnessed first hand my aunts and uncles sob tears of joy reading her poems. Truly, a great and meaningful gift idea.
Themed dinner night at home – Don’t have the means to go out? Not a problem! Make a themed meal at home. This can be tied to their favorite cuisine or even a book or show they enjoy. Set the table and plate it up like you are one of those master chefs!
Cook a loved one their favorite meal – If theming seems too much, simply cooking someone’s favorite meal is sure to be appreciated. I know anytime I get to savor my mom’s homemade Mac n Cheese or my Grandmas pierogis it makes me feel so nostalgic and at peace.
Handmade baked goods box – If you enjoy baking, this is a perfect time to bake some treats and pack them up in a festive tin. Expanding on this you could do themed boxes to breads, adding homemade jams to the box. Or, make a coffee themed box, with homemade syrups and coffee grounds.
Scrapbook/dump journal – Turn those memories you’ve made into a scrapbook that your person can look back on when they need a smile. I did this for my friend when we graduated High School, for my fiancé when we had been dating for a year, and for my Grandma’s birthday. Something simpler would be to keep hold of little things like concert tickets, movie tickets, and other little paper goods from events or experiences you’ve attended with that person and turn it into a dump journal.
Personalized photo calendar – My family has been doing photo calendars for as long as I can remember. We used to do it as our entire extended family, and I would get so excited seeing what photos made the cut. Now, I make one for my parents and my brother every year focused on our family.
Family recipe book – I received one of these for my High School graduation and to this day it is still one of my most used gifts. My mom asked family members and friends to share the recipes for my favorite treats they make and compiled it into a book. Now, whenever I am craving comfort food from my childhood, I can open the recipe book and get cooking!
Bracelets – Grab some beads and string and make some bracelets. I love making bracelets focused on words of the year. A few years ago there was a trend to get beads that look like your eye color and that of your family, and I had a blast making those too!
Thankful jar – I have been doing a thankful jar for the past 4 years and I think gifting someone one would make a great gift. Take any jar, I used an old peanut butter jar that I washed, and decorate it. Include a pack of sticky notes along with it. The goal is to write one thing you are thankful for each week and put it in the jar. At the end of the year you have 52 memories to make you smile.
I hope these DIY gift ideas give you some inspiration on fun ways to show your appreciation to those you love while also not breaking the bank. Let me know if you decide to give any of these a try!
Merry Christmas and happy holidays Sunny Siders! We’ve made it to the end of Blogmas! I can’t believe I’ve completed my third year of blogging everyday of December leading up to Christmas. I love this tradition so much and it always helps me to get in the holiday spirit!
As always, I’ll be taking a bit of a break until the new year to spend time with my family and be present in the moment with them. I also have a very exciting project I’m working on that I’m trying to finalize so I can launch in January! More to come on that soon, but just know this won’t be a long break like previous years since I won’t be bombarded with school like I normally start the year out!
To finish out Blogmas I wanted to share what I gifted my friends and family this year. I love gift giving and showing my family how much I appreciate them in any way I can.
Mom
For my mom, I gifted her a Pandora charm that is Zero in his doghouse from Nightmare Before Christmas. I also found an ornament of Huey, Dewey, and Louie that plays the trick or treat song from one of our favorite Halloween movies.
For stocking stuffers, I made her and my dad a family calendar with photos of the family from 2024. Additionally, I found a Thor enamel pin and a Jack and Sally enamel pin. I also made some handmade sticker sheets of my ghost characters and some fall inspired stickers!
Dad
For my dad, I made him another bottle of soap inspired by his favorite Bath and Body Works Scent: Orange Ginger. I also gifted him a Doofenshmirtz t-shirt, Mario and Luigi baseball caps, and a certificate for a dad and daughter dinner date he can cash in.
For stocking stuffers, I drew him the Disk World and had it printed. I also found a Rock n Rollercoaster pin from opening day of the ride, a Phineas and Ferb pin, and two Splash Mountain pins.
Brother
For my brother, I gifted him a whale plushie along with some books he asked for. The big item was an illustrated copy of The Princess Bride that I picked out with the help of my parents.
For stocking stuffers, I drew him with his stuffed potato gator swampy in a Minecraft style. I also found a Scuba Diver Penguin and a Mr. Toad enamel pin.
Fiancée
For my fiancée, I pre-ordered him the 10th anniversary music box from Elder Scrolls. I also got us tickets for an orchestra showing of the soundtrack from Stardew Valley. Finally, I am also going to cook us a special dinner inspired by Frieren.
Best Friend
For my best friend I ordered her the next two books in a series we both love reading. I’m also going to make her a cute bookmark inspired by the series, along with some stickers!
Hello Sunny Siders, today I wanted to share some other online retailers I’ve been shopping from besides Amazon for gifts this year!
This is an online website where people can sell new or used books. I bought a few of my brother’s Christmas items from this website!
I love doing my holiday shopping at Etsy. There are so many great artisans on there. You can find such unique pieces that are so personal and special. I also love going to independent artist websites to support them since Etsy takes a substantial cut
eBay is another great place to find vintage or items that you can’t get in stores anymore. I’ve bought some really cool limited edition pins, books, and even my favorite shoes from eBay.
I’ve talked about Casetify before but they are my favorite phone case brand on the market. I highly recommend if you’re looking to get someone a phone, tablet, or laptop case to give Casetify a chance!
Independent Author Websites
Another place I love to look is at websites from my favorite authors. Some of them sell special copies of their books or even licensed merchandise. One of the coolest things I’ve seen is my favorite authors will sign their books with a character signature, which I think is so fun and special!
Hello Sunny Siders, happy Blogmas day 17! Today I thought it’d be fun to share some creative gift ideas when you’re on a limited budget. The holidays can be a tough time financially, but it’s also an opportunity to create something special for your loved ones.
Handmade cards
Something I’m personally doing this year is making my own Christmas cards. I’ve been making the designs in procreate and then orienting them on my computer before printing onto card stock. I am so excited to have personalized cards for each person in my life and I know this little touch will be extra special.
Thankful/Smile Jar
A really cute idea that my mom and I have been doing for years is writing ourselves one note a week with something we are thankful for/something that made us smile. This could be a super fun gift to make for someone. Get a cute jar or even recycle a jar you have. Then decorate it and provide your friend with some sticky notes and a pen as part of the gift.
Baking kits
Just like getting premade baking kits from the store, the holidays are a great time to make your own kits! My mom has been doing this for years where she gets all the dry ingredients and stores them in a mason jar, attaching a recipe card on the side. I think this is such a fun gift and simple too!
Baked goods
Similar to the last idea, baking treats for the holidays is always a great idea. Making a special box of cookies or baking bread is always perfect for the holidays!
Family/friend calendar
We have a longstanding tradition in our family that every year we get a family calendar with photos of everyone, birthdays, and anniversaries. I’ve recently taken this over for my immediate family and friends. It’s such a perfect gift that can be super personalized to the people you love.
Personalized art
Another gift I’m giving this year is digital drawings that I’ve done for my family. I have been drawing on procreate then printing at Walgreens before framing them. I just think this is such a fun gift. If you can’t draw, there are so many people who will do commissions or sell their designs. Even framing a photo of you and that person is a super personal and cute idea.
Thrifted gifts
Everyone thinks that a gift has to be brand new to be good, but I disagree. Thrifting can be such a fun way to find some amazing gifts for more affordable prices. Maybe someone you know is looking for a vintage set of dish ware, the thrift is a great place to look!
Scrapbook/Collage
I’ve given scrapbooks before as gifts and they are some of my favorite things to gift! I love spending the time to design and create a personalized piece for someone I care about. Even a collage can be a fun gift that is less time consuming!
Happy Blogmas Day 6 Sunny Siders! I can’t believe we’re almost a week in, time is going by too fast these days!
Today I thought it’d be fun to share my Christmas list like I used to do as a kid for Santa!
Personally, I’ve become a lot more intentional with the gifts I put on my list compared to as a kid, and many times I wonder if I even should me making a list, but that’s a Blogmas post for another day!
Today, it’s all in good fun, and I’m pretending to be 8 years old again taking my Christmas list very seriously.
Time With My Family
The most important gift this Christmas is just getting to spend time with my family making memories
A Gold Heart Locket
For my birthday I was gifted a beautiful gold chain from my grandma, and I’ve been wanting a locket to put on the chain so I can hold photos of my family close to my heart
Fuzzy Socks
I’m putting fuzzy socks on my list this year because all mine have holes in them and are in need of some replacements
Regular Crewneck Socks
Similarly to the fuzzy socks, a lot of my socks have holes in them or are stained and I’d like to have some replacements
The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore and The Christmas Tree Farm
These are both books in a series I just started over my little Thanksgiving break. I really enjoyed the first novel and would like to see where this series goes
A Court of Thorns and Roses
This is another book series that I’ve been interested in reading for awhile and want to get into
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
This has become my favorite sunscreen product this past year, as it really and truly does not feel like sunscreen
Mouth Tape
I learned about this product that is supposed to help you breathe through your nose instead of your mouth and I’d like to give it a shot
Silk Pillow Case
My Lash Tech recommended a silk pillowcase to help my eyelashes from breaking, and I like to have a set for the pillows on my bed
Visiting a Capybara Cafe
There’s a capybara cafe that recently opened near where I live and I’d really like to go do that during the holidays with my family
High Tea
I learned about a really fun Christmas themed high tea experience near me and I’d really like to go do that with my family when they visit
Koemi Studio
If you’ve been a fan of the blog for awhile, you know I’m a huge anime fan. I always want to show my love for my favorite shows, but I love a more subtle, elegant way to do so. In comes Koemi Studio and all my wishes have been answered. My boyfriend purchased the Rengoku Hilt charm from them and I absolutely adore it. They have a necklace version, but he knew I only wanted the charm so I could add it to my special gold necklace that my grandma gave to me for my birthday this year. I truly love how dainty and elegant this piece feels while still showing off my love for my favorite anime character of all time. Highly recommend taking a look at their products for that anime obsessed someone in your life!
Mommy D33zy
Another piece that I have been loving is from a small business that makes anime and video game inspired claw clips. Again, related subtly to my favorite anime character, I love being able to wear this claw clip to work and rep my fandom. It’s extremely nice quality and came packaged super well! Highly recommend taking a look at this shop if you have someone who loves anime or video games and is looking for a way to add some fun to their accessories!
Yarn It Bunny
Switching gears to some adorable hand crocheted plushies is Yarn It Bunny. I’d been wanting a Sui the slime from campfire cooking for over a year now, and finally found a small business making plushies for the character! I love how high quality the plushie is and how soft! These plushies can be tiny so if you’re looking for a smaller gift size wise, please check out Yarn It Bunny
Big Fat Lanyards
This past year my brother and I have really gotten into Disney pin trending. Big Fat Lanyards has tons of retired, vintage, and new Disney and Universal pins that she sells through Instagram. She’s also been kind enough to send out to the pin community “in search of” and has helped my brother and I nearly complete our Club Penguin pin set. If you’re a pin trader or know someone who loves pins highly recommended checking out Big Fat Lanyards
Chapters Tea and Coffee
If you have a book lover who also loves coffee or tea, I definitely recommend giving Chapters Tea and Coffee a try! They have some of the most beautiful coffee and tea blends with adorable packaging that makes you feel so cozy. I’ve personally tried the second breakfast tea and it was delicious!
Krista and Becca Ritchie
My favorite book series of all time comes from a set of twin authors Krista and Becca Ritchie. They create worlds and characters that feel so real. Something I love that they do that I’ve never seen other authors do is autographs in books from the characters! They also have a merch shop with stickers, sweaters and more related to their characters! If you know someone who loves romance books, consider getting a book from one of Krista and Becca’s series!
Threaded By Sabrina
Related to the last share is Threaded By Sabrina who creates gorgeous embroidered sweaters. My mom and I have matching ones related to the series I shared from Krista and Becca Ritchie, but she does other books and even non book related projects! This sweater is my favorite one I own and definitely recommend taking a look at her shop to see if you can find a unique gift for someone in your life.
Hey Sunny Siders, I know it’s been ages since my last blog post. However, I wanted to come on here and say that all of that is about to change! There are some very important announcements and changes coming, so I wanted to fill you in on the future of Sunny Side With Siri!
Essentially, I’ve been MIA for the last 4 months because I had the amazing opportunity to work as an intern at The Walt Disney Company starting in January.
As some of you may know, I was also pursuing an MBA so this was my first instance of working full time and being a full time graduate student.
Clearly, from the lack of content you can piece together what happened: I was so busy with work and school that I had to put everything else on the back burner for awhile.
BUT… it’s finally over, because in less than a week I will be graduating with my MBA! I am still working at The Walt Disney Company as an intern, but now I finally have evens and weekends to relax and do what I want to do!
I am sure you’re wondering, what does this mean for the blog?
Well, for the first time since I started this blog back in August of 2019, I am going to have dedicated time to focus on it! Starting today, I’m going to work to post one blog a week. I’m thinking these will be shared on Sundays as a fun way to start the week.
Some weeks if I’m feeling it I may post more, but I’m going to hold myself accountable to one blog a week for as long as I can going forward.
If you’ve been around since the beginning I used to do monthly:
Motivational Mondays
Workout Wednesdays
Foodie Fridays
Story time Saturdays
I’m going to try and bring these back as well. I am not sure if I’ll do all of them every month, but I am going to try and start bringing them back now that I have the time to do so!
I’m so very excited to start this next chapter, and even more excited to bring my Sunny Siders along with me. For now, I’m going to leave you with a list of upcoming content to look forward to in the next few weeks/months!
All About My Disney Internship
Working and Being a Student Full Time is No Joke
My Crazy Car Story
I Was Diagnosed With Stress: Let’s Talk About That
My Golden Birthday Recap
Current Workout Regiment
How I’m Preparing for Summer 2024
Day in My Life Blog: MBA Graduation Edition
What My Life is Like Post Grad
My Recent Thrift Finds
Hey Sunny Siders, Merry Christmas! I hope today is a wonderful day spent with the ones you love. For the final blog of Blogmas, I’m going to be sharing the gifts I gave to my family this holiday!
Boyfriend
For my boyfriend, I got him the Lego Bonsai Tree set that can be converted into a cherry blossom tree. He really loves cherry blossoms and had also expressed an interest in Legos so I thought it was the perfect gift! I also found some strawberry and matcha flavored Kit-Kats and surprised him with some flowers when I went to visit a few weeks ago.
Brother
For my brother, I got really creative. I had recalled back in August that He wanted to one day get a quote he liked turned into some art. Well, I had the perfect small business for that: Teabag Cartoon! I shared the idea and had her create a custom design featuring the quote and our family as cartoons. It turned out so beautifully and it was really hard to not give it to him early! I also thrifted the frame at a local thrift shop! For stocking suffers I found a cute handmade Christmas tree ornament at a local holiday market. I also found a first edition of Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov and a tiny authentic Chinese cookbook!
Mom
For my mom, I got her a gift certificate to her lash tech to cover her next lash lift and tint appointment. Her technician just opened her own studio, That’s So Lash, so I contacted her to get a custom gift certificate made specifically for what my mom likes to get done. For stocking stuffers, I found the first two Assassination Classroom Mangas since she really loved the anime. I also got the first season of Glee on DVD since it’s one of her favorite shows to watch while she works out. From the local artisan holiday market I found her a cute pressed flower ornament. At a different market, I found her the cutest sea glass earrings as well!
Dad
For my dad, I got him a pair of his favorite jeans from Tommy Bahama. As a family, we have slowly been building his collection so he can replace all his old, worn out jeans with the high quality Tommy Bahama ones! For stocking stuffers, I got my dad the first seasons of Arrested Development, a show my family really enjoys. I also got him a copy of Death Note the manga, since he loved that anime. Just like my brother, I also got my dad a handmade ornament from the holiday market. I found a We Bare Bears blind box and was hoping he’d get his favorite bear, Grizz. The last item for my dad was a handmade version of the Orange Ginger soap that was disconnected at Bath and Body Works. I made it for him when I found out it was discontinued.
Grandma
For my Grandma, I got her a bag of her favorite loose leaf tea. I also got her one of the handmade ornaments with a pressed flower in it. Just a little something for her time while she visits with us, I’m so excited to have her here with us for the holidays!
Hey Sunny Siders, today I’m going to share some of my favorite small businesses that I’ve purchased from. I know we all love Amazon, but sometimes switching it up and supporting a small business is the best way to go! If you’re in need of some last minute Christmas gifts, or just want ideas for the next time you shop consider checking out these amazing creators!
Peach and Paperie
I was at a holiday market in Virginia and I stumbled upon the cutest stationary and design shop. Peach and Paperie sells super adorable hand designed cards, as well as stickers, keychains, and tote bags. I bought the cutest cards for mothers and Father’s Day, and I’m excited to gift them next year. I also bought this Halloween tote bag and I’m squealing at how cute it is!
Website: http://www.peachandpaperie.com
Sakuradragon
I purchased from Sakura dragon a few years ago and it’s still one of my favorite purchases. Her characters from the Feed Me Dino collection are so adorable. I purchased a bearlato keychain and post card. I adore her art style and the colorful cast of characters she’s created are literally precious.
Website: http://sakuradragon.com
Teabag Cartoon
Teabag Cartoon is such a kind and wonderful girl to work with! I commissioned a custom piece for my boyfriend’s birthday and she was so easy to work with and took my vision and made it a reality even better than I could have imagined! I was so blown away that I even commissioned a second piece which I will be sharing in the final day of Blogmas! Commissions are done through Instagram and she typically responds within a week.
Instagram: http://instagram.com/teabag.cartoon
Kawaii Studios
Another shop I purchased from years ago was Kawaii Studios. Back when I was in my polymer clay era I always wanted to support the artists I looked up to. Kawaii Studios made the cutest clay necklaces of which I own two: a pair of wings and a kawaii cupcake. The owner now makes the cutest acrylic jewelry and enamel pins.
Website: http://etsy.com/shop/kawaiistudios/?etsrc=sdt
Rainshadow Alchemy
This small business is actually owned by a family member of mine. My second cousin creates soy wax candles with the cutest jars. I personally love the honey pot candle, and actually saved the container once I finished burning the candle to store real honey in!
Website: http://rainshadow-alchemy.business.site
From Jae
Another polymer clay creator I adored growing up was From.Jae. She made the cutest crystal turtles and I couldn’t resist adding a few to my collection. I don’t know if she makes those anymore, but she makes super cute keyboard key covers and other clay creations. Definitely check her out if you have someone who loves kawaii things and gaming!
Website: http://fromjae.com/password
Krista and Becca Ritchie
My favorite authors had to make a spot on this list. They are twin authors who have created a cult following with their lovable and realistic cast of characters. You can purchase signed copies of the books not only by the authors, but by characters too! They also have tons of cute merch related to characters on their shops
Website: http://kbritchie.com/shop
Voyager Bag Works
This was not a purchase by me, but my boyfriend has been so happy with his purchase I had to share. He got a handmade belt bag with a lifetime guarantee from Voyager Bag Works and has nothing but good things to say about it. If you’re looking for something more masculine or for someone who loves to hike, check out Voyager Bag Works
Website: https://www.voyagerbagworks.com/
Hannimations
Hannimations made stickers from one of my favorite cartoons, Amphibia. They were super kind and the stickers arrived so quickly. I love their take on some on my favorite characters, but they also design plushies and other graphics!
Website: https://hannimations.net/password
Sora Clothing
I am a huge anime fan, and when I find clothing pieces with subtle hints to the anime’s I love, I’m ecstatic. I bought a hoodie from one of my favorite anime’s last year and it’s so high quality. I will say it took awhile to get here, but was definitely worth the wait.
Website: https://soraclothing.ca/
Confectionear Shop
The most unique Disney Mickey ears I’ve ever bought are from confectionear shop. I found the cutest dole whip ears that I have gotten so many compliments about. I highly recommend checking out her shop with how unique and stunning these ears are.
Sunny Side Up With Siri 