Holiday Gifts from Mary Kay, Birthday Plans & Christmas Haul!

Well today is my birthday and my husband surprised me with a shopping trip to the U.S, a romantic dinner and a night in Niagara Falls so I have a fabulous day ahead of me! I've actually been celebrating over the last two weeks, going to dinners, enjoying nights with the girls, homemade chocolate cake and peach bellinis thanks to my little sis who can bake like a pro!

Last year my husband took me to Niagra Falls (my favorite destination in Ontario) where we stayed at a beautiful hotel and had a romantic dinner overlooking the falls. It isn't always easy having a Christmas Eve birthday since everything closes early but some of my most memorable moments include: jetting off on a surprise trip to Montreal to see Cirque du Soleil and going on a sunny Caribbean cruise where I was serenaded by the band!

Niagara Falls

A couple days ago I walked into my office/photo studio to find a wonderful surprise! There was a elliptical machine waiting for me with a big bow on it! Since I love working out but hate the gym atmosphere this machine was on my wish-list for a while and along with my ab machine, aerobic step, yoga gear, workout ball, waist trainer, P90X and weights I will be burning off some of those holiday meals and delicious cocktails.

I also received a Keurig 2.0, gift cards, money, a year's supply of chocolate and gourmet snacks, lots of wine, makeup (not that I needed any more lol), a Kindle Paperwhite and a sleek Logitech bluetooth keyboard for my iPad which I wanted for vacations and editing on-the-go.

Logitech Keyboard for iPad & Kindle Paperwhite

My husband got me the Misfit Flash Activity and Sleep Tracker which monitors calories burned, distance traveled, steps taken plus sleep quality and duration. It syncs with your phone so you can keep track of your goals and progress.

I also got a beautiful Calvin Klein scarf, delicious smelling products from Bath & Body and the Weekender travel bag by Sonia Kashuk which I will be using in an upcoming travel post.

My sister surprised me with tickets to The Phantom of the Opera! This will be my second time seeing the production but I absolutely love the music!

The lovely ladies at Mary Kay also sent me a package with some lovely items! A personalized Tumblr is always a great gift idea and how adorable is this makeup bag!

The assortment of goodies also includes one of their moisturizing True Dimension Lipsticks in the shade Fire Cracker, the Indulge Soothing Eye Gel which refreshes tired eyes, The Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover which is the perfect travel size, Beauty Blotters Oil Absorbing Tissue (which is always in my purse), Satin Lips Lip Mask which is a MUST for winter, lip balms, mascara, liner and a thoughtful card.

They also know me well enough to recognize my love for glamour so they sent this gorgeous jewelry set which I will be wearing today and tomorrow for Christmas. 

We will be opening gifts at my mom's on Christmas morning before heading out for a nice dinner as per our tradition of having as good time without spending all day in the kitchen cooking and washing dishes!

Special thanks to the lovely ladies at Mary Kay for these gorgeous gift and thanks to my friends and family for all their beautiful surprises and for always making my birthday so memorable.

Happy Holidays!