by Amy | Oct 26, 2018 | Awareness, Community, Holiday
I swear, they said, “Go ahead, make my day.”
Oh wait. They actually said, “Go ahead with the next one. It’s Make a Difference Day.” Details! Why do they give me wine? Anyway. The girls let me know that October 27 is National Make a Difference Day, and it’s actually not a movie reference. It’s a day to make a difference.
I learned this holiday is legit! It was created by USA Weekend Magazine and now it’s primarily sponsored by USA Today. And if there’s anyone you can trust, it’s the media!
So, we’re on it, damn it.
It wasn’t a big stretch. As you may know, the girls are all about philanthropy and making a difference. Kelly is an active advocate for Facing Homelessness Denver. And Amber, Melissa, and Kelly just participated in Shear Impact, donating their time and talent to provide haircuts to the homeless. Here they are after a day of styling. The prettiest difference-makers you’ve ever seen!
So yes, a celebration like this is right up their alley, and they were quick to think of all the ways to make a difference. Experts say the only limit to the day is our imaginations. The wine poured and the girls got to thinking.
Just say yes. Their first idea to celebrate this day was just to nod and say okay. No, seriously. Nod and say okay. That’s the idea. Many people think philanthropy means you have to run a 5k. Or organize a food drive. Or collect money door to door. But all you really have to do to make a difference is open your heart. And your wallet. Try this: Nod yes to everything and pull out your credit card.
That young boy down the street who’s raising funds to deliver eye care to the children of Guatemala? Hell yes, sign me up!
That Pampered Chef sales girl who’s donating proceeds from every 9-by-11 baker? Heck yeah!
That adorable young girl who’s rehoming and rehabilitating dogs and cats from high-kill shelters for her birthday? Bring it on! Seriously, bring it on. This is Melissa’s daughter, and she’s awesome. Donate here.
Pay it forward. Of course, for more ideas, the girls noted the popular charitable gesture at the Starbucks drive-through – to pay for the order of the person behind you. That’s good stuff.
“But you know what would really help?” Kelly asked. “If someone did that at the bank.”
True, very true, the girls said. Sip.
Answer your door. Here’s another way to make a difference: Instead of hiding behind your couch when the doorbell rings, open the door. If it’s that cute little kid selling butter braids — or the prickly teen hawking the discount shopping cards — Pay up. Remember, this is not about buying gift-wrap or a Yankee candle. It’s about reaffirming faith in humanity and teaching values of generosity and community to the next generation. You can make a difference just by making out your check.
But save your receipts. I bought popcorn from a boy scout back in August. Where the hell is my bloody tin?
Practice simple acts of kindness.
Finally, to make a difference, remember that everyday actions can change lives.
Get yourself this amazing tassel bead bracelet. It’s vibrant and fun — and made by women artisans in India who are working to improving their lives through fair trade.
Other things you can do: Smile at a stranger. Pass on a compliment. Meditate to avoid road rage. Or invite someone over for popcorn. Damn it, where is that boy scout?
Anyway, you get the picture. To make a difference, we are only limited by our imagination, and any way we can think of to make the world a better place is worth doing.
Because why do we have to complicate things? Just do something nice. Go ahead, make my day.
by Amy | Oct 17, 2018 | Boutique, Holiday
Yes, as a general rule, do not kill your boss’s cat. It worried me that this was the first item mentioned in the group brainstorm on how to celebrate National Boss’s Day. But they all quickly agreed on it.
It turns out Melissa did this to Kelly. Agreeing to kitty sit while Kelly was away, Melissa let said cat have the run of the house, where the cat soon discovered a taste for lilies, which turned out to be poisonous. Upon Kelly’s return, the cat unfortunately didn’t make it. But a lesson was learned: Don’t decorate with lilies. Another lesson: True friendship can sustain anything. And now Melissa’s daughter freely tells people: Do you know my mom killed her boss’s cat?
Our regards to PETA, this is a (somewhat) true story. And killing a cat is indeed not a way to celebrate National Boss’s Day, October 16th.
Fortunately, after toasting to the departed cat, the girls came up with other ideas. Here they are!
Give a gift with meaning.
Or not-so-hidden meaning! Passive-aggressive is a flavor we adore, and if the label fits, share it. Seriously, this looks like great wine, and we think any boss would love your kind words. Celebrate the big guy with this gift of the vineyard. If he doesn’t drink, that’s fine too. Enjoy the wine first and give him the bottle! You’re such a nimble employee!
Get them a gift that shows you care.
Another way to celebrate your boss is by letting her know you care about her health and well-being – especially her hydration levels. Encourage her to drink up with this 25-ounce, double-walled, stainless steel, BPA- and Phthalate-free water bottle. Does it say too much? Nah! Fill it with wine and you’ll take the edge right off!
Get them a gift that makes them think of you.
It’s true. Sometimes you have to take those extra steps to get noticed, and sometimes just killing a cat isn’t enough. If that’s the case, give the gift that will remind your boss of all your bad-ass qualities. You take control, you make decisions, and you celebrate made-up holidays! Cheers, boss!
Give them a gift that conveys gratitude.
You know: Like how thankful they should be that you showed up today! Just kidding. Gratitude Changes Everything, and it can lift spirits, transform morale, and create positive outcomes. Seriously, spend a few minutes meditating on all the things you’re grateful for and your outlook will shift instantly. But back to the point…
The Gratitude Apothecary Jar serves as a thoughtful reminder and a great gift. It also tells your boss to be thankful for you – the great employee who remembered this holiday.
These of course are just a few ideas for National Boss’s Day. We have more in store and online – shop now. The important thing is to do something to honor the person who signs your paycheck. Send a card, send a gift. Or drink some wine. Just don’t kill a pet. It’s a felony.
by Amy | Oct 12, 2018 | Boutique, Community
It’s true. We are right next to Astro Tap House, Crush Wine Bar, and the soon-to-open Library Bar & Kitchen, so you might think we mean Designated Driver.
But, in case you don’t spend all your time on parenting blogs, what we mean by DD is Dear Daughter, and we’re inviting both of you to our annual Mother Daughter Gathering at the salon. Here’s why you’ll want to grab your daughter by the attitude, and get to this fun night, Monday, October 15th, 2018.
Because we’ll teach you all the cool stuff they show on Pinterest
That fancy braid that your daughter insists every mom except you knows how to do… those loose beachy curls you see on Facebook videos… how to apply eyeliner without looking like a prostitute. At Nixon and Company, we have the answers, and we can show you how it’s done. Plus, all the information will come from us. This means that because we’re not you, there’s a chance she may listen.
Because girls are awesome
Girls are great, and our daughters are smart, confident, and empowered. Based on this, we should never squander the opportunity to get them around women who are also smart, confident and empowered. In these days of vagina hats, #metoo movements, and patriarchy awareness, we could all use some bonding. And some free gifts.
Because we’re full of good advice
Simply put: The ladies of Nixon & Company know things. And to your daughter, we’re hip strangers with cool products who sell amazing clothes. This means we must be cooler than you. Don’t begrudge us this royalty. Instead, use it to your benefit.
Come in, and let us be the ones to tell your daughter she doesn’t have to wash her hair every day. Or that she does still need to wash her hair (we’re talking grease fire). Or that her flat iron techniques could trigger another kind of fire. There are things girls don’t want to hear. Especially from you. But they’ll take it from us. Cause, you know, we’re cool.
Because you deserve it
You are a rock star. You are molding the next generation of women. You’re defining a woman’s worth, and you’re doing it all under constant scrutiny – and through constant eye rolls. You deserve a night out to celebrate your rock star qualities.
So, grab that DD and come on in. Get ideas, get advice, and get each other something special – like these amazing textured bracelets. They’re cool. Trust us. We know.
by Amy | Oct 2, 2018 | Boutique, Holiday
It started with wine. Of course. The girls told me October 4 is National Taco Day. They said, “Lettuce talk about it.” Even though it was “Nacho business.”
I took a sip and dove in.
It turns out tacos are a big hit at Nixon and Company. In fact, Melissa celebrates Taco Tuesday every week. Seriously, every week. “But I mix it up,” she says. Meaning, sometimes they’re made with ground beef, sometimes chicken, and sometimes steak.
So basically, the love of tacos is real. And there are many reasons for it. As they talked, I counted five. Here they are:
They make us happy. Soft, hard-shelled, fish, ready-made, create-your-own, on Tuesdays, or any day of the week. The details didn’t matter. The girls were hard-pressed to narrow down their favorites, and every variation resulted in glee. We were on serious ground. Melissa’s weekly menu was proof.
They’re spicy and easy. Oh, yeah. Who doesn’t love “spicy and easy”? Note to self: Do not make joke here. Do not make joke here. Do not make joke here. Seriously, no innuendos. The girls spilled out the attributes of tacos as easily as others might talk of, I don’t know, their spouses? Their kids? God? They just love tacos, and as fast I could type, I gathered: They’re delicious, crowd-pleasing, versatile, spicy, crunchy, easy to order, easy to make, easy to purchase. Wow, I must admit I had never thought of tacos with such passion. And suddenly, I wanted Mexican.
They’re good with beverages. The girls then quickly turned to all the yummy drinks that go nicely with tacos. In a scene that could only be reminiscent of Bubba’s shrimp diatribe in Forest Gump, the girls said margaritas. Regular margaritas. Margaritas on the rocks. Strawberry margaritas. Mango margarita. Carlos Miguels margaritas. Frozen margaritas. Skinny margaritas. Pre-made margaritas. Home-made margaritas. Margarita recipes…Then Kelly yelled, “Focus chickens! We’re talking about tacos!” Oops.
You can dress up like a taco for Halloween. Thank you, Amber. Thank you for focusing. Yes, this is another of the top five reasons to love tacos. Halloween is coming. And you can indeed dress up like a taco. Moving on.
They’re inspirational. The final praise for tacos: They inspire us to reveal our feelings. To tell the truth about our needs, even if it means sacrificing other foods. To just do it. (Hmm-hmmm: Controversial Nike reference). Anyway. Our love of tacos gives us the courage to stand behind our taco pride with confidence. Like by wearing this shirt.
Gets yours here!
In the end
Eventually, the wine dried up, and the topic of tacos reached its natural end. At which time, Amber said, “Okay? So?” I thought this meant did I have any more questions. But she was actually saying, “Queso.” Didn’t I get it?
She said, “Yeah! We can’t stop taco-ing about it.” And then they laughed. And they found more wine.
Cheers they said! To National Taco Day!
by Amy | Sep 25, 2018 | Community
We all like to think we’re good people with good taste, and that it would be a good thing to live next door to us. But, in celebration of National Good Neighbor Day, September 28, we’re challenging all of us to give this some thought. Are we good neighbors?
Now let’s be clear. All neighbors are guilty of day-to-day transgressions. Letting your trash blow into your neighbor’s yard. Encouraging your adorable children to play outside your neighbor’s home office. Folding up your neighbor’s drainage pipe every time it rains. These things happen!
We’re talking about serious deviations that make people bad — The kind that make us raise our glasses to potential moving vans. So, look inward here and see if you’re a bad neighbor. Here are four ways to tell.
You lay claim to the open lot. Consider this: There’s an empty space between your house and your closest neighbor. Does this mean the lot just hasn’t sold yet or it’s “designated open space”? Or does this mean you have bonus storage space? If you answered the latter, you may be a bad neighbor. This is not an extension of your driveway, in case the curb and grass didn’t tip you off. Please move your cars and crap and be nice.
You take “free” stuff and sell it. Okay, suppose your neighbor puts something in his driveway with a big sign that reads “free.” You know this is his attempt to clean house. You also know this is a gift to those less fortunate. But, what this is not is a business opportunity. If you take the free merchandise and sell it yourself on Craig’s List, you may just be a bad neighbor. If you pocket the money and never mention it to your neighbor, you may be even worse.
You steal. This is a variation of our first two bad neighbor behaviors. But this covers all the other territory of simply taking anything that’s not yours. If your sticky fingers attach themselves to things that don’t belong to you, you may be a bad neighbor. This includes newspapers. Mail. Wood. Amazon packages. Furniture cushions. Wi-fi. The soap dispenser at Nixon and Company. You know who you are.
You make bad decisions. There’s no shortage of examples here. If any of these sound like you, well, your neighbors may be the ones slipping you flyers about the value of your house:
- You “throw way” your dog’s poop in your neighbor’s garage.
- There’s a Lazy-Boy recliner on your front porch.
- When you see your neighbor stranded with a broken-down car, you keep driving.
- When you neighbor rings your doorbell, you hide.
- You keep your dogs outside all day to bark.
- And this is your idea of outdoor décor:
You get the idea. If this is you, please stop.
Instead, let’s all celebrate Good Neighbor Day by being good neighbors! Still confused? Here are some ways people are good neighbors:
- They open their doors and welcome you to wine. Like our neighbors we love, Crush Wine Bar.
- They have fully stocked kitchens, and they always have that ingredient you’re missing.
- They keep their schedules, needs, children, hands, tastes, Craig’s List accounts, and opinions to themselves. Mwah! The less we know, the more we love!
- They have style. You see them coming and going gorgeously, like in this Teal Classic Cardigan.
So, on National Good Neighbor Day, celebrate with us. Stay good. And if you’re not good, take steps to change. You don’t want to be a subject of this blog.
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