AisleDash

We all love to be pampered, though not all of us make the time or spend the money to do it often. That's why we're always a fan of giving a gift that practically begs the recipient to slow down for a moment and relax. We like these gifts even more when the company behind them uses environmentally friendly practices in creating the products, all of which is why we love k. hall designs.

From bath salts and shower gels, lotions and soaps, to candles and diffusers and sheet sprays, k. hall has something for everyone. The products come in a variety of intriguing scents, like black currant, orange amber, and moss, but there are also plenty of scents that you know you'll love, like cocoa almond and lavender.



Aside from the fact that they're pretty and smell yummy, these items are something you can feel good about giving. k. hall designs is a family-owned and run company, and they produce their products as locally and naturally as possible -- no animal products or petroleum is used, and they don't test on animals. Seriously, who wouldn't love to receive one of these products as a token of thanks?

We know it's a bit of a stereotype, but the fact is that most guys we know really like gadgets. They like playing with the settings, they like pushing random buttons to see different features, and they really like showing us what they can do with them.

And so, we think the perfect wedding gift for your new hubby is some sort of techy device, especially if that particular gadget is something that will come in useful on your honeymoon! Like what? Oh, don't you worry. We've got lots of ideas. Check out the gallery to see what we suggest, and be sure to tell us in the comments if you have other ideas of your own!

Wednesday Wedding Wrap-up is a weekly roundup of highlights from the past week, covering wedding blogs and websites, reality TV, even particularly hot scoop right here at AisleDash. Think we missed something? Leave your favorite highlight in the comments!

Manolo for the Brides takes a look at menus and reminds us how lucky we are to have the option to get foods from all over the country, even all over the world -- shrimp in the midwest, fruit in the middle of winter, your choices are endless! But planning your wedding menu wasn't always so simple.

iDoSugar discusses the proper amount to spend on a wedding gift -- do you agree?

WeddingBee has a really cool idea for an anniversary (or wedding countdown) present. Even though it didn't actually work out due to storage problems, we still think it's a sweet idea.

Here at AisleDash, Caroline tells us all about a couple who had sex for 101 days in a row. What did they have to say about it? Click here to find out!

As much as we love to dream about Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin, the two words that more often describe our footwear are flip flop, and for many brides, their wedding day isn't any exception. We say, if you're going to wear flip flops on your wedding day, make sure you wear special ones, and the flip flops from Silly Sandals definitely are special.

They have several options for the bride, but that's not all. This is a great gift idea for bridesmaids -- if you're asking them to wear killer heels, giving them a comfy pair of shoe to wear afterward is certainly a kind gesture. Or, if it's a low-key ceremony (or a barefoot ceremony with shoes needed for the reception), these could be some comfy reception shoes.

Also think about flower-girls -- there are loads of options in children's sizes, with lots of really fun styles. Check out the gallery for a few samples, and if you see something you like, head over to Silly Sandals to get your own or see more options!

Incorporating children into your wedding ceremony can be tricky, but it's important to many brides to host a kid-friendly wedding where the children feel just as special and wanted as the adult guests. One way to show how much you appreciate the little additions to your ceremony is by giving them some fun and trendy gifts they will love and that will make them feel fantastic about their role in your big day. ClassyBride.com -- a fun, original wedding gift site -- has an entire section devoted to the little guys and gals in your life. Pick up a cute-as-can-be flower girl hoodie set for the mini-diva in your bridal party or a baseball t-shirt for your ring bearer. Check out the gallery for even more gift ideas and tune back in tomorrow for even more flower girl and ring bearer gift ideas!

All gifts linked to and displayed in this post can be purchased from ClassyBride.com.

It's tradition for the bride to give her groom a gift for the wedding. We love the idea of this poker set for him. It's a great thing to have in your home for hosting friends, but we especially like it for the message it sends to a new groom.

This kind of gift is a nice way for the new wife to tell her husband that marriage isn't going to ruin his social life -- she is supportive of the occasional guys' night. But poker and cards aren't just for the boys anymore -- grooms, maybe your bride would appreciate a gift like this. You're supposed to get her a wedding gift, too.

This 500-chip set comes in a stylish mahogany case, and sells for $100.99 on Overstock.com.

Justin Timberlake offered to not only sing a song at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DiRossi's wedding -- he offered to write them a song.

He was on Ellen's talk show as the first guest to appear after she made the announcement that she and Portia planned to marry, and immediately congratulated the happy couple. Ellen mentioned a double wedding, suggesting Justin propose to his girlfriend, Jessica Biel, and while he laughed off that suggestion, he had a better one.

He offered to sing at their wedding, and told them, "You should have an original wedding song. I think it's only fitting." He asked Ellen to write down what she wanted to say to Portia, and told Portia to write down what she wanted to say to Ellen, and he promised to put it to music for their wedding. We think it's awesome, and hope Ellen will share the song after the wedding (although, we understand if they keep it private).

If you're having a summer wedding, we hope against hope that you're slathering on the sunscreen to avoid getting sunburned (and to keep from developing unsightly strap lines). However, if you're getting married in an area where your out-of-town guests might have occasion to spend time outside, either at your wedding or in the days surrounding the Big Day, why not welcome them with a basket full of outdoor, summertime goodies?

Think about the events you'll be asking them to attend and the activities in which they might partake while in town -- will they be out in the sun at the hotel pool? On the beach? At a barbecue? In the woods? Then, determine the types of items items they might find most useful. Check out our gallery for products we think would be a hit with any out-of-town guests.

Depending on the bride's location in relation to bridesmaids, friends, and family, a number of different bridal showers could possibly take place.

Many times there's a family-based shower, which includes aunts, cousins, grandmothers, etc. Then, there might be the slightly more risque lingerie shower with the bride's best friends. And then there are the showers based on organizations to which the bride belongs -- church, work, clubs, etc.

One of the things we loved about getting married was that new feeling of "home." We loved having friends over for dinner and throwing parties -- for some reason, doing these things as husband and wife felt so different and fun.

If you have a friend getting married who enjoys entertaining, there are a gazillion gifts you can give her that will be both fun and useful, but it would be hard to beat a fabulous apron by Haute Hostess Aprons. They're a little pricey, running around $100 (but many are on sale for half that!), but they're really an outfit all on their own. Forget covering up an amazing ensemble -- this is an amazing ensemble!

Check out the gallery and see which one is your favorite! Or, perhaps more importantly, which one would be your friend's favorite.

Sometimes the best gifts really do come in the smallest packages. Take, for instance, these hard-to-compete-with pop-up sponges from Williams-Sonoma: when packaged, they resemble little more than a small piece of paper. But when they are held under any amount of water, they begin to rise and turn into the best and most absorbent cleaning device your kitchen has ever been introduced to.

They come in sets of twelve and in two sizes: regular and large. Also, choose between the more natural yellow color of the funkier pink shade. Regardless of size or color, these sponges really are like no other -- compact for easy storing and durable when expanded, they are the best of both worlds.

Add these to your registry and you may even enjoy cleaning spills in your kitchen. Maybe.

We've already mentioned that we think a fun purse is a great gift for bridesmaids, and if you're having a Parisian-themed wedding, we still think it's a great idea. Of course, you also need a fabulous bag for yourself ...

We've got it right here -- the Eiffel Tower Bag by Timmy Woods. Granted, they're $375 a pop, so, even if you won't be able to give one to each of your bridesmaids, you might be able to splurge and get one for yourself! There are always other Parisian gifts to give your girls.

This purse isn't only good for your wedding, either. It's one of the bags being featured in the Sex and the City movie, carried by none other than Miss Carrie Bradshaw herself. So not only will you be a beautiful bride, you'll also be a serious fashionista any time you carry it!

Sunglasses can be a fabulous bridesmaid gift for an outdoor or beachy wedding, but if your wedding is nothing but opulence and luxury, get shades that follow suit. After all, if your jewelry is Tiffany & Co. or Bulgari, why should your bridesmaids have anything less?



Tiffany & Co.'s line of sunglasses is relatively new, so in addition to getting the name, you'll also be at the forefront of fashion by choosing these. However, Bulgari is ... well, it's Bulgari, and no girl in her right mind is going to turn her head to that.

However, each brand has it's own stylings -- Tiffany has several glasses with the well-known "Return" tag, while Bulgari is just bling-a-rific. Check out the gallery and let us know if any of these styles would be a satisfactorily luxurious gift for the members of your bridal party.

We're sure Fergie and Josh Duhamel are excited about their wedding (even though they haven't set a date yet -- hello! We're waiting!), but there's one guy who seems like he might be even more jazzed about their upcoming nuptials -- Fergie's Black Eyed Peas bandmate will.i.am.

He considers Fergie a little sister, so while he's protective of her, he couldn't be more pleased with her choice. Will.i.am calls her Transformers hottie hubby-to-be "super-duper cool -- one of the nicest guys I've ever met." Obviously they're a perfect match, because he also said Fergie is "the coolest wife you could have." It's a match made in heaven!

And though he doesn't know the details of the wedding yet, he guarantees he'll be there, and he already has a gift for the Fergie-Ferg and her man -- "some new beats, so she can sing over them!" We can think of a few other gifts we might rather have, but hey, to each bride her own, right?

When two become one, the laundry doesn't just double, it seems to explode, doesn't it? Just ask any newly-wedding couple: when they move in together the laundry becomes -- without warning -- overwhelming. So, if you can add something to your registry that will spruce up your house in addition to helping with the mountains of laundry that literally popped up overnight, wouldn't you jump at the chance?

At Bed, Bath and Beyond you'll find more than just your average laundry hamper, you'll find either a single or double embroidered and stylish laundry sorter. For the single, throw all your laundry in one sack. In the double, separate by darks and lights. Either way, your laundry room will look snazzier and your closets will breathe a sigh of relief. And $29.99 (for the single) and $39.99 (the double) are small prices to pay for a little peace and harmony, in love and laundry.