2010 Gift Guide: Dana Claudat

GIVE: The book, A Natural History of the Senses. It's a literary version of a scratch and sniff book without words. Literally, reading the book gave me an experience of floating on a magic carpet in life and experiencing so much more of the sensory information that we tend to miss in our multi-tasking and rushing around like superheroes. There is a ton of incredible scientific information about all of our senses -- each presented one by one -- every page wrapped in the most lush prose and deeply enchanting storytelling. It's a surprisingly eye-opening read. Anyone into being more "mindful" and living a more satisfying life will deeply benefit from this indulgent read.

RECEIVE:

Luxe: Oh boy, oh boy, how badly I want a cashmere robe from Loro Piana, the ultimate in home indulgence. Also, my puppy Bob would like to eat that cashmere, it's his favorite thing!

Still luxe (but pragmatic since they last forever): my real would-love gift that one could purchase is a Vitamix 5200 mega do-it-all wonder blender. I am on a gluten-free diet and this mega-blender would take the health quotient of my kitchen to the next level. You can literally drop in whole apples and they are seamlessly demolished in seconds!!