Home for the Holidays

Lisa:                       Welcome back to Good Day Kentucky. The holidays are here and no surprise, many of us are still thinking about what to get friends and loved ones. Well joining us today with some great gifts and experiences for the holiday season is style expert and founder of the Viva fashion blog Carmen Ordonez. Welcome to the show Carmen.

Carmen O.:         Hi Lisa, thank you for having me.

Lisa:                       Well we are so glad to have you here because, yes, the holidays are upon us and people are panicking at this point, right? One of the focus this year for shoppers has been giving the gift of experiences. What’s a great family gift idea, not only for just one person but for an entire family?

Carmen O.:         Sure, well I’m so excited to be working with some companies today that are going to make gift giving so much easier this year. As you said, gifting experiences has become such a big trend. I personally love the idea at the end of the day it’s all about creating memories with your loved one, so one great option that is perfect for the entire family is a cruise vacation. It’s budget-friendly. Like I said, it’s perfect from everyone from the little kids to the grandparents. I personally think it’s the best way to travel.

When it comes to cruising, Norwegian Cruise Line really offer something for everyone. The cruise line has two innovative new ships coming to the US next year, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Encore. They each feature some incredible activities such as go-cart racetracks, outdoor laser-tag arenas. There’s also tons of places to relax like innovative water from promenades as well as 180 degree observation lounges which are super-spacious and brings you that much closer to the ocean. With nearly 300 destinations there’s tons of options too. For me, this is on the top of my wish-list this holiday season.

Lisa:                       And it’s on my wish-list too for sure. Now, do you have any ideas for practical stocking-stuffers, or practical gifts that we could give for this year?

Carmen O.:         Yes, well stocking-stuffers can be pretty tricky because you have to keep in mind the budget, the size and as you said, I love giving gifts that are practical, that I know people are going to use, so OtterBox is the perfect gift for someone that let’s say wants to give their old cellphone a new look or wants some trusted protection for a new cellphone. As we all know, tech gifts are very popular during the holiday season especially new cell phones, so this is a really great way, a stylish way to protect that investment.

This is the Symmetry Series cases from OtterBox. It features maximum protection as well as different designs, different colors. So you’re not sacrificing the style, but you know you’re also protecting your cellphone. Because if you’re anything like me you’re always dropping your cellphone, so you know your screen is protected and you’re not going to break that $1000 phone that you just got for Christmas.

Lisa:                       Exactly. I love it. That’s a great idea. Let’s also talk about holiday style. What are some of the big style trends that consumers are shopping for this year?

Carmen O.:         Sure, well I always say pajamas is always really bae, because it’s something that everyone loves, everyone needs. So I love putting together just like a pampering kit. I’ll throw in some chic, luxurious pajamas. I’ll throw in some fuzzy slippers, some candles, so they can create their own spa day at home. I also love maybe something for the house, like a throw blanket is always a really great idea. Also jewelry, you can never go wrong with that. You could, let’s say, a personalized necklace or a personalized bracelet where you could put their initial and it looks like you actually put some thought into the present. Those are some really great affordable gifts that if you want something that’s on a budget, you could get those.

Lisa:                       Well great ideas Carmen. Thank you. Where can people go for more information too?

Carmen O.:         Sure, well for more information you can check out my blog. It’s vivafashionblog.com.

Lisa:                       Nice. Well Carmen, thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate it. There is more Good Day Kentucky coming up.

Carmen O.:         Goody.

Lisa:                       Keep it right here.