The HoGGIEs - Zen Edition

Looks like today was not a great day for blog viewing (which I suppose isn't all that surprising given that it seems like nearly everyone I know is going somewhere for Thanksgiving, whereas I'm thankful for not having to travel anywhere!); that or people just weren't into yesterday's gifts. Well, they can't all be winners and I guess I just had my turkey a tad early.

Instamom is my blog friend who gets the HoGGIEs gifting idea treatment, straight from the CB2 online catalog, today!

I've written before about my friend, Instamom, and my admiration for her. If anything, I've got more of a girl-crush on her now than I did a month ago. She's probably wondering right now how she got to be sooo lucky!

For all the things Instamom and I have in common, there's one thing that is very different about our lives: She's swimming in a sea of testosterone in her house, with her dear husband and four sons! When it comes to indulgence, whereas I get to live the life of a single girl, with facials, massages, long luxurious showers, pedicures, etc. pretty much whenever I like, I can only imagine it's a little harder for her to get that precious, pampering "me" time.

One of the things I believe in most about being a woman is that you have to take care of yourself in order to be your best if you're taking care of others. I think that can be easier said than done for many of us, since women caretakers tend to put their needs in the backseat when there's too much to do for others.

So when I saw this great Pebble Mat on CB2, I immediately saw it as an affordable, durable (did I mention four boys?) and unique gift of luxury for one of my favorite busy moms.

It's like a little Zen moment right there in your own bathroom. Imagine feeling those smooth, soothing stones on your feet as you bundle yourself into your fluffy robe after a bath. Plus it doesn't scream "girly" so it wouldn't be completely out of place in a house full of males.

And because they would just make this present, I wouldn't be able to resist adding a set of these water-resistant Splash Lights to float in the tub:

This is what I call a "She'd never get it for herself" gift. It doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to be something that you think your friend would say she'd love to have but would probably not spend the money to buy because it's not a necessity. It's definitely a step up from a bottle of bath gel, which has the same feeling but not the originality factor.

Go forth and gift!