I recently bought my friend a Heifer, a llama, and a goat.
I know, it sounds like the beginning of a joke, but this really was her birthday gift. The organization, Heifer International at www.heifer.org has the perfect gift for friends who don’t need or want anything, but you want to do something special for them. My friend loved the idea that her gift was helping families and children less fortunate in third world countries. Please visit the site to find out more details regarding the variety of animals available. She can now check off her bucket list that she is the proud owner of a cow!

Purchasing gifts for friends and loved ones can be tricky. I of course recommend the ChaCha rings, wine glasses, and jewelry which come beautifully packaged. I also love the idea that you can match your recipients personality with the color varieties and stone size. But, if you have already purchased ChaChaBella before and are looking for some other ideas, perhaps this blog can help.

At www.gifts.com, I love how they divide the women and men into personalities. Is your female friend or relative the domestic diva, the trendanista, the achiever, the super mom, the thinker, urban sophisticate, the adventurer or one of the other personalities. They group gifts by style. Remember, what you may like or want isn’t necessarily their choice. I sometimes see things that I say I would like that, but I am not purchasing it for myself. If you are ever with your friend and you hear a comment like that, file it away for gift giving. I know the super sized cupcake baking tray seems like it would only be used once a year, but she will love it, and always think of you (as she bakes her own cake if she is the domestic diva type).

My friends normally chip in and we give each other hard, cold cash. I know it isn’t exciting, but sometimes it can be a lot of money. This allows the receiver to decide if they want tons of little things, or one great big purchase. The key is always making sure they buy something though to honor the gift and not pay a boring bill! I know women who will roll over in their grave if a gift card or cash is given, you want a substance beautifully wrapped (not in a bag) gift. I salute you for your effort!

A funny gift that I have seen given is all the “As seen on TV” items in a huge basket. Yes, the shake weight, aqua globes, heel tastic, and many more can be the special birthday present for your loved one. This friend just has to have a sense of humor! Visit www.asseenontv.com for the variety of choices.

We all know sentimental gifts of a letter, poem, or framed picture can be beautiful. They are personal and always well received. If you ever need a poem written for a friend, I am your gal! I have written more poems than I can count by just asking about 20 questions, and you will have most unique gift ever.

Let me know the worst gift you have ever received and the winner will win the best gift, a chachabella ring! If you need a poem, contact me, Suzanne, at s@chachabella.com.

I am guilty.

I have wasted more than a few hours of my life watching infomercials, and even more time, researching some of those products online. Yes, I did make a purchase (or two) but I had very valid reasons. My face was feeling tired and I needed a miracle lift that their products promised to deliver. In addition, my wooden floors needed to be super steam cleaned to prove that I was a worthy housekeeper. Who says that you and your home can’t be beautiful at the same time?
If you have ever indulged in watching the infomercial, you know you must act fast for either the extra special give-a-way or the super payment plan. I am smart enough to know that if I purchase the product days from now, it will still be honored, but it keeps flashing on the bottom of the screen that this is only a limited time offer, which definitely hastened my purchase.

Now, I am not going to reveal which skincare line I bought, but I had to watch several different famous and beautiful models tell their secrets before I made my intelligent decision. After googling all the choices and reading real user comments, it appears that each had their positive and negative statements, so I went with the best price package. I was happy with my selection but not enough to purchase again, and I think the over-the- counter products are just as successful. Perhaps, I should wait for the gift with purchases from the department stores to entice me next time. I am a true sucker!

Can you even imagine if ChaChaBella rings were on an infomercial? By the end of the show, you would have ordered the 5 must have rings to mix and match with every possible color combination outfit. The models and rings would be so dazzling that you just couldn’t decide and the super package price would have made you dizzy! Oh, if there was a “gift with purchase” special, ChaChaGirls would rejoice with “Yay Me!”

If you have ever made an infomercial purchase on something life-changing, let me know so I can check it out, and if you want to know my 5 must have rings….I am happy to share. But, respond fast, as I have a super secret blog special if you are one of the first 10 responders!

Suzanne Taylor at s@chachabella.com
Blog contributor

Seriously, I am stuck in Paris! Yes, an unprecedented explosion of an Iceland volcano has sent ash into the air closing airports across Europe and stranded me in Paris with me my four college girlfriends. I know, break out the violin, as I have it so rough!

My sorority sisters and I decided to see if we could celebrate the big 4-0 with a bang by planning a trip to Europe. The depth of organizing a trip of this magnitude, figuring out a date, using our frequent flyer points, agreeing on a place and organizing child care is so enormous, that it was a miracle that the trip happened at all- and then to get additional days due to cancelled flights, was unprecedented. As my husband said, if a natural disaster happened on his Keys trip with the boys, I would have said, “Walk Home!” Well, I couldn’t swim back to the USA and he sensed my anxiety, so he told me to just enjoy my extension as eventually I will return home to reality.

Of all the natural disasters to occur, a volcano eruption never entered my mind and I am a planner! I wanted to enjoy the extra days, but I was a little stressed about my return to the United States. The news in Europe was much more exaggerated then here as the trains were striking (because they could) there were no rental cars left to travel to Spain (the only open airport), experts predicted another eruption (hence closing airports longer) and Paris isn’t the cheapest city in the world either! Since my friends and I are all positive, we actually thought our flight on Tuesday wouldn’t be canceled and once it was, we had to deal with the reality of we could be here a few more days. Now, we were in the backlog of people whose flights had been canceled since Friday. After phone calls to the airlines and rebooking back up flights, we tried to enjoy the rest of our extended trip by drinking, eating, and shopping - a girl’s favorite activity!

For those of you that maybe just planned a wedding, I know it is hard to imagine, but the girls that you just had as your bridesmaids could very well be your best friends in another 25 years. There is something about old (my friend likes to say dear because it sounds better) friendships and the comfort of knowing each other so well. Getting stuck was a joy with my friends and in true ChaCha style, we embraced a situation we couldn’t control with a few tears, but mostly laughter. We were part of a world wide event, the closing of European airport in April 2010. Needless to say, we all got home safely, on different days, on different flights, on different airlines with none of us flying directly home anymore, but with transfers, yet we are all happy to be back on this side of the pond! In looking back on the trip, the airport closing is one small part of the trip as the memories we made in Provence and Paris will make my 40th birthday unforgettable!

If you were stuck in Europe, tell me how you handled your situation in ChaCha style.
Contact Suzanne at s@chachabella.com

Have you ever done the “friendly wave” because you are driving a Jeep, Sea Ray boat, Harley motorcycle or something similar and see someone in the same type of vehicle?

I think this wave is more than just a “Hey, we like the same type of vehicle” as I certainly am not waving at every Chevy SUV that drives past me. I think the wave is reserved as a wave of acknowledgment that you enjoy the same attitude, lifestyle, feeling that these vehicles or other unique products provide.

So, imagine my surprise when I am at a ski resort in North Carolina, where the dress code is simpler, more natural, and of course warmer. I almost didn’t even pack a ChaChaBella ring since I knew I was wearing gloves most of the time and we were planning to eat in our cabin. But, just in case we ventured out for dinner, I wanted to have one in my purse.

I even told my brother in law that it would be a ChaChaBella free weekend. The rings are like a drug, you can’t live without one or your finger feels naked. So, when we decided to have one nice big dinner out, I donned one. My brother in law has helped spread the word about the ring in South Carolina and his female friends think they are fabulous, so he understood my obsession with breaking it out of my purse!

Anyway, as I am drinking my glass of red wine, a girl stops me and says, “Is that a ChaChaBella ring?” My brother in law says, “Here We Go…” because he knows that automatically if we have the ring in common, what else can we talk about for hours?
It is the same with the Jeep, Sea Ray, Harley example from above - the ChaChaBella ring is more than just a ring, it is an attitude and a feeling wrapped into a beautiful, unique piece of jewelry.

Needless to say, they were visiting from Charlotte and her friend knew the owner of the company Heather, and the ring started us talking. Otherwise, we would have just been a bunch of people drinking separately at the bar. It’s not such a small ChaCha world after all!

If you have been approached by anyone because of your ChaChaBella ring, drop me a line and let me know your cute story. Suzanne at s@chachabella.com

Did you hear the screams?

I recently went bathing suit shopping and did my best to not cry at the image in the fluorescent three way mirror. I believe it is a conspiracy to bring the bathing suits out in the middle of the winter before you have lost the holiday weight, gotten your spring bikini wax, and started applying tanning crème.

I know you all have been in this predicament, looking for a bathing suit before your spring break trip, yet your body isn’t ready for this event. I am still hiding under bulky sweaters and looking forward to the arrival of the Girl Scout cookies!

It doesn’t matter if you are a size 0 or a plus size, trying on bathing suits is our own worst nightmare because we are all self critical. I love that some boutiques have heels in the dressing room. Yes, they do make my legs look longer but I won’t be wearing those at the pool club or on the beach. Perhaps, if I was taking a trip to Vegas, they would be appropriate, but for now, I’ll have to use the wedge flip flop or (gasp!) go barefoot, which doesn’t elongate anything!

I haven’t worn a bikini since I was in my twenties! I am a tankini girl thanks to my two beautiful children. I also prefer the halter top to help lift my breasts up. So, right away my choices are limited. My friends love the bikinis and can order them right from the Victoria Secret catalog. Sure, they may have to return a few for being see-through or lack of coverage, but they have so many choices online and in the stores it makes my head spin.

Like most of you, I have figured out a few brands that work well with my body type and concentrate on those. I need two types of suits, one to wear in a lake for boating activities (dark color and not as pricey since may get ruined more easily) and then one for sunning at the pool, which can be prettier and more flattering since I am not covered in life vest. It seems crazy that something so thin and small can cost so much, but per wearing, I guess it works out. At least, that is my cost-benefit rationalization, as the more expensive ones always look better on me.

Whether you shop at bathing suit specialty shops that let you mix and match sizes, department stores where you can bring in 25 suits at once to try on, or discount stores where you can sometimes pick up steals, I suggest bringing a friend.

ChaCha brides and ChaCha girls need a female companion to remind you that your smile is the best part of your body and to stop obsessing over the way the suit makes you look!

Let me know your nightmare bathing suit story, and you will be entered to win a ChaChaBella Friendship ring to help you feel better.

Suzanne Taylor, Contributing Blog Writer
s@chachabella.com