Elizabeth's 2018 Gift Guide

 Welcome to my first annual Gift Guide! Here's the truth: These are my favorite products and books that I've bought this year, which would make great gifts for your friends and family, or really, for YOU. Give one, get one. It's fair.Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. 

The Tech

Two things to know: I'm an Apple girl, but some of these are compatible with Android, and you can click through any link and search through Amazon. Second, these are all off-brand products, I carry every one of them, they have all proven to be reliable, and  they're all under $30 dollars. You're welcome! Jelly Comb Tech Bag- I'm  shooting a Facebook  Live on my tech bag, which I love, tomorrow. I've tried other bags for my tech stuff, big ones, small ones, but this one is just right. $14.99, comes in a few colors.  Plenty of straps and plugs and compartments for everything I take when I take my computer anywhere. 

Which Includes:

 

AUKEY USB Wall Charger, ULTRA COMPACT Dual Port 2.4A Output & Foldable Plug 

You saw that, right? Foldable plug. Look at the plug you have. If it's not foldable, get this one.  $9.99 Belkin SurgePlus USB Swivel Surge Protector and ChargerSmall and compact, and the top swivels so you can maneuver around inconvenient wall plugs. $12.74  QINUKER USB-C Macbook Charger -  When my computer bag was stolen this Spring and I had to replace everything ( I know, right?) I bought this one again, and got another one  for our bedroom. $29.99  Ugreen Apple Watch Charging PadGood back-up for travel. I like to have everything in one place, so all I have to do is drop it in a suitcase and go. $21.89Anker 6ft lightning cable. Good for the stretch from your iphone/ipad to the wall, or if you're traveling, to the bed. $8.99

The Books

 What would a gift guide be without books? My favorite books of the year:FictionCity of Thieves - By David Benioff. A young author asks his Russian grandfather how he lost his thumb. His grandfather tells him the story, going back to his youth during the Nazi occupation of Leningrad. It's engaging, brutal, and laugh out loud funny,Less -  By Andrew Sean Greer. I picked this one up on our Valentine's day trip to The  Last Bookstore. An unnamed (until the end) narrator tell the tale of Arthur Less, a failed novelist, about to turn 50, whose lover of many years is about to marry another man. Invited to the wedding, he goes on a trip around the world as an excuse to avoid it. I just found out this won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and I'm not surprised.The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - By Taylor Jenkin Reid. Evelyn Hugo, reclusive 40s and 50s movie icon, decides to grant one last interview, with the young, relatively inexperienced report. It turns out she doesn't want just an interview, she wants someone to write her memoirs, an endeavor that spills, much, much, much tea. The surprise ending made me scream so loud it scared Zane. So good, you guys.My copy is currently with one of my mothers-in-law, and I miss it.My Year of Rest and Relaxation  - By Otessa Moshfegh. An unnamed 20-something begins a quest to do nothing but sleep and pursue sleep for a year. Questionable drugs and even more questionable therapy is involved. Her back story is slowly revealed, building a story about life, love, grief, and our longing to connect despite ourselves. I've already given it to one other person, and if you're ever with me in a bookstore, I will probably give it to you, too.Non-fictionTribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice From The Best In The World- By Tim Ferris. Interview style, the tools and habits of over 130 of the world's most skilled, best performing individuals. It's practically an encyclopedia of good health, life, work and business practices. Don't be ashamed to just grab the kindle version!When: Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing - By Daniel H. Pink. Timing is everything, but it's not just an art, it's a science. How do we start out in the best way? How do we turn a bad start into a better ending? And, of course, why you shouldn't go to the ER in the afternoon. I first got this in an audio book, and loved it so much I got another one in Hardback.You should also check the book he wrote before this one,  Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Motivation 2.0, anyone? I've already read both books twice.The Library Book - By Susan Orlean. On April 29, 1986, a fire broke out at the Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles. It burned for 7 hours and burned 400,000 books. This is the story of that fire- how it started, who started it, the history of this library and libraries in general, and our deep connection to books as a part of society. It sounds deep, it reads like a novel. I'm currently working and loving my way through this one. 

The Fun and Motivation

And what would a Gift Guide be without fun cool stuff?Decomposition Journals - For me, they are the new Starbucks City Mug. Recycled paper, eclectic covers. Collect them all.    Pop Up Funko: Black Widow. On the left side of the book picture above. People ask where I got it, and Zane got it for me at a comic book store, but you can get it here. Or, get Infinity War Black Widow here.  $19.95   The Giving Keys - Each key has an inspirational message (I'm wearing one now that says"Fearless") and each purchase creates jobs for people in Los Angeles  who are transitioning out of homelessness. You're buying them a "key" to a new life. If you purchase by 12/15 (tomorrow), you can save 30% online with the code WINTER30, or save 20% until 12/31 with the code CATALYSTCOFFEE20. As a virtual assistant, I take over administrative and tech tasks, and give event professionals their lives back. I can give you the gift of time and bandwidth to grow your business and enjoy your life outside of it. The things you don't like to do take longer and feel worse while you're not doing them - what can I take over for you? Let's talk about how clear your work-life cache - Click here to schedule a 30-minute consultation with me to get startedTalk to you soon,ElizabethCall/text 310-801-3602elizabethcoopersmith@gmail.com