Spain in a bottle

I love finding nice little wine bottles. French, Spanish, Italian, chilian, Peruvian…it’s a journey around the globe that starts in front of a supermarket shelf :) I wish I was a connoisseur, but im not, so I rely on friends’ advice, magazine reviews, and, of course, on the label, the story written on the back label, the terminology…yes I’m a true stupid packaging victim…:(

“Sangre de Toro” is a bottle that caught my attention with its name (inspired from Bacchus, roman god of wine, known in ancient times as “son of the bull”) and the little plastic bull hanging from it. (my honeymoon in spain 2 years ago might have had something to do with it too :)

It's a very enjoyable light wine with notes of spices and blackberries. (costs 14usd)

Appreciated by all our guests, it’s next to the Kleenex and lemons on our supermarket lists :)

TreeShirt

Everything about these tshirts is special!
The name, the design (by Lebanese designers), the really good quality of the tshirt (funky and soft), its super cool packaging, and the cause it encourages.
About the cause, every time you buy an item from TreeShirt a share of its revenue is donated to the AFDC (Association for Forest Development and Conservation), and that will help reforest areas in Lebanon. (reminder: trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air, thus making earth cooler and greener).
About the packaging, it comes folded in a flower pot, and the tshirt’s label holds seeds in it. So you can just leave the label inside, add some soil and water, and make a plant grow... Genius and lovely.
They're sold online http://www.treeshirt.me/ (you can pay cash once its delivered to your place in Lebanon, which is great) or at A New Earth (ashrafieh, next to supermarket ashrafieh). Price is super affordable, for a change, 25-35USD.
Design. Nature. Simply perfect combination.

Cuts like a (laguiole) knife

I had seen a documentary about those knives on M6, about how they are designed, their history, etc.

The laguiole (pronounce “layol”) was first designed in 1829 in Laguiole, South of France. And since then, it’s been faithful to its slim and sinuous outline, probably inspired by the Arabo-hispanic pocket knife of Andalusia, Spain (the navaja).

For all meat lovers, (but not just meat) it’s really nice to have those sharp, traditional knives at your table.

This 6 pieces set of laguiole is sold at Bains & Compagnies (Geachchan group) for around 130 USD.

A meal is definitely more enjoyable with a nice table set.

Offer Experiences

Now this is not a new idea, I mean it’s been there for a while, and you’ve probably came across these boxes, but I think it’s genius! And definitely worth some words.

The beebox gift vouchers. (sold at BHV city mall and at C&F). Nicely packaged experiences. Isn’t it just great to be able to offer somebody an experience, and not always an object?

The selection is wide. Those are my favorite:

1. Art activities. There’s a box for adults (109usd) and a box for kids(69usd). 4 to 6 sessions of: music instruments, (guitar lessons, for example, could be a great idea for someone who often talks about wanting to learn how to play)) dancing (modern, oriental...), painting, and other activities at Ecole de musique Ghassan Yammine; or ceramics session at Ceramics’n more, and cooking classes at Ghazl el Banet.

2. The photo-shoot gift (for a family, a couple, a pregnant woman, a baby…) (155usd). It’s true that we’re kind of fed up with all the Facebook albums and profile pics of photo-shoots, but it's a great gift (just mention to its recipient that it’s not necessary to put them on Facebook J

3. The Adrenalin rush box! Love this one! Paintball for 4 persons, ATV for 4 persons, or skidoo! (66usd)

4. The spa boxes (99usd for 1pers and 215usd for 2) at great addresses such as Edde sands, Grand Hills Spa, and Gspa.

5. The getaway box, double room B&B for 2 for 210 usd, at Etoile du Loup in Jezzine (an amazing place!), Terrebrune in Faqra, or West Bekaa country club for a total change of scenery.

There’s more info on beeboxleb.com

Encourage experiences. As my friend's tatoo says, Experientia Docet (Experience is the best teacher).