M Magazine Bay Area

Fringe Shoe Accessories

Need a gift for someone who loves to elevate their sneaker style? Give the gift of FRINGE. Top Holiday Color Picks to Mix and Match: Red Glitter Fringe, Red Leather Fringe, Lions Green Glitter Fringe, and Green Metallic Leather Fringe. From $24 at fringeyou.com/shop.

M HOLIDAY the

GIFT GUIDE

Gifts & Stocking Stuffers UNDER $50 for everyone on your Christmas list.

The Breadcrumb Bluetooth Tracker & Safety Beacon

This is the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite adventurer. This compact device can be attached to clothing, backpack or left at a stationary location. Pro tip: This is great to have on snow trips to keep track of the kids while they’re on the slopes. Holiday pricing: From $30 at get.

Bangle & Babe Bracelet Key Ring

Never lose your keys in your bag, backpack or purse ever again. This bracelet key ring is designed to easily slip onto your wrist, while still being flexible enough to fit in your pocket or purse. Less than $20 at bangleandbabe.com.

breadcrumbtech.com.

NanoSteamer Pro

This is the perfect gift for that friend who always hosts spa night at her house. This 4-in-1 professional device is engineered to produce nano steam which is up to 10x more effective in penetrating the skin. $36.95 on amazon.com.

26

MDIGITALBAYAREA.COM | M MAGAZINE

the M HOLIDAY / GIFT GUIDE FLY

The Cup of Destiny

FLY is the perfect holiday gift for the man in your life, whether it’s the cocoa butter infused Shaving Creem or hair pomade. From $18 at

Add a little excitement to teatime. The ancient art of reading tea leaves or coffee grounds is made easy with this book and beautifully designed cup and saucer. This is a fun and whimsical gift for your favorite tea drinker/fortune teller friend. $24.95 at amazon.com, Urban Outfitters, and other retail outlets.

flybarbershop.com/shop.

GRANDMA LUCY’S GINGERBREAD DOG TREATS

Don’t forget about the pups during gift giving! Even picky dogs love Grandma Lucy’s dog treats. The gingerbread treats make a nice gift for your favorite furry friend during the holidays. From

Shaker33 Cocktail Shaker

$10 at local pet stores and on chewy.com.

The perfect gift for that friend who bartends at every party. The modern and sophisticated design helps users effortlessly create the perfect cocktail, every time. $39.95 at

shaker33.com.

editor’s

PICK

[

Glyph Molecular Whiskey

]

What is molecular whiskey? Whiskey made without aging or barreling, which means significantly less wood, water, and land is used in its production process. From $20 at national online retailers such or in-store at select retailers.

White Elephant

by Trish Harnetiaux

The perfect holiday read! The mystery begins when a white elephant gift is exchanged at the annual office party thrown

by Henry Calhoun. It turns out to be the weapon Henry used to commit a murder years ago. Someone at the party knows – but who? $25 at local bookstores and on amazon.com

The Cocktail Box Co Cocktail Kit

These cocktail kits are the perfect grown-up stocking stuffer! Each box contains the ingredients and tools required to mix the perfect cocktail – just add booze. at thecocktailboxco.com/shop

MDIGITALBAYAREA.COM | M MAGAZINE

27

WINTER ESCAPE

a

THE ANDAZ MAUI AT WAILEA RESORT

B

rrrr… it’s getting cold around here.

Ok, this is California. How cold does it really ever get?

Still, anything below 65 and many of us start whining about the chill. Or maybe we just want an excuse to get out of town and head for warmer, sunnier places. Sounds good to me!

How about Maui?

If you’re looking for luxury, Wailea is the place you’ll want to be once you arrive in Maui. This tony area abounds with luxury hotel properties – most of them beachfront with gorgeous views and plush accommodations. And The Andaz Maui At Wailea Resort is no exception.

Once you’ve arrived, you’re greeted by a spectacular view of swaying palm trees, tiers of swimming pools and, of course, the ocean beyond.

You’re invited to have a seat facing the ocean, offered a cool scented towel, an ice-cold lavender lemonade, and an electronic tablet for easy check in.

Maui is truly, in a word, paradise.

And it’s extremely convenient to get to for those of us in the Silicon Valley – only a little over 5 hours from any airport in the Bay Area if you fly non-stop.

“ ”

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A WINTER GETAWAY, THE ANDAZ MAUI IS I THE PERFECT PLACE TO...

28

MDIGITALBAYAREA.COM | M MAGAZINE

a WINTER ESCAPE / TRAVEL

“ ”

IF YOU WANT TO JUST GET AWAY FROM IT ALL, BOOK A TREATMENT AT THE HOTEL’S AWILI...

The Andaz Maui impresses beyond its ideal location and attractive design. For one, it is an ecoconscious LEED certified property, and each guest receives a reusable water bottle which can be filled at the water stations throughout the property reducing the waste of disposable plastic water bottles. Also, the staff is genuinely friendly, and they are happy to share cool facts and historical anecdotes about Hawaii with guests if you ask. The hotel also supports local artists and the onsite shops feature products and artwork from local artisans. Along the same line, the hotel’s restaurants rely mostly on local farmers and vendors for their ingredients.

Architecturally, The Andaz Maui is sleek and modern with a beautiful and breezy open-air lobby.

Besides the gorgeous ocean views, the lobby also has a sand feature where beautiful drawings and messages

For a fun beach activity, definitely head out to sea on an outrigger canoe. On the day we went, we were lucky enough to get up close and personal with a sea turtle who, much to our delight, made a surprise pop-up appearance alongside our canoe.

are drawn by one of the talented staff. Guests can request special messages like “Happy Anniversary” and even marriage proposals to be drawn in the sand. A unique touch.

THINGS TO DO The resort offers a nice assortment of activities. Start your day off with a morning yoga class which takes place on a patch of lawn at the edge of the sea. Or take a mixology class and learn the basics of crafting delicious cocktails. This class is a lot of fun and you get to enjoy some pretty tasty drinks at the end of the lesson.

If all you want to do is relax by the pool, there multiple pools to choose from, including a wadein pool (popular with families with kids), as well as a couple of infinity pools with awesome views of the ocean, and a serene adults-only pool near the spa.

If you want to just get away from it all, book a treatment at the hotel’s Awili Spa. Before your spa treatment begins, enjoy the apothecary experience where you can create your own scented massage oils and lotions.

The spa also features a dry sauna, eucalyptus steam room, and heated plunge pool which can be enjoyed before or after your treatment.

cont...on pg. 30

MDIGITALBAYAREA.COM | M MAGAZINE

29