My family and I spent all of last week skiing, and while we were good at buying all of the required outerwear and gear (skis, boots, helmets, etc.), one thing we didn’t think about was good socks. It took all of an hour up at the hill for my kids (and me) to realize that our regular socks would not do. I went in to the ski shop, bought us all proper socks, and everyone was much happier.

Starting at $16.95 @ Amazon.com

My family and I live in a desert climate. When summer hits, we spend as much time at the beach as we can so that the lake water can cool our body temperature down to a (somewhat) reasonable level. Daily beach time means that a decent beach tote is a necessity, and we have two (TWO) from Lands End that we’ve had in use for four summers now. They are a must-have, in my opinion.

$22.50 @ Landsend.com

I wear a lot of neutral colors (I love brown) and I had a beautiful necklace that I wore almost every day until a few weeks ago when, while jumping up and down during a hockey game, the string snapped and the beads flew off in every direction. I’ve been on the lookout for a new necklace and then a friend linked to one of her favorite Etsy shops and now I think I’m in love.

$28 @ JustExpressive

My brother gets married four weeks from tomorrow (!) and I am, of course, wanting to buy a new dress. I’m not sure is Mr. Budget Lockdown will let me, especially since I have a closet full of pretty dresses. But this one is purple! And has the neckline that flatters me! And is just so PRETTY. I’ll work on him.

$59.95 @ eShakti.com

Our very own Susan has written a few different posts on shorts and how to wear them, so I thought I’d see what Old Navy had in the way of Bermuda shorts. And, lo! Their shorts are on sale! I think I like these cargo shorts that Susan highlighted in today’s post the best for my body type.

$19.99 @ OldNavy.com

I went to a MAC cosmetics Style It Up event this past weekend and while I am pretty good at defecting the up sell, their paint pot is one of those products that I could have said, “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME ABOUT IT BEFORE?” As it is, I tend not to speak in ALL CAPS, but I can tell you that their paint pots will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Or, you know, last all day and help your eye shadow to do the same.

$16.50 @ Maccosmetics.com

Need a last minute gift for someone who already has plenty of gadgets and gear? Get them something they can eat, and feed a few extra people at the same time: The Hickory Farms Party Planner Gift Box supports Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, so your good wishes do double duty this season. The box is stuffed with Hickory Farms classics, like their summer sausage and original cheese ball, crackers, mustards, and more; $5 from every purchase goes to Share Our Strength.

$40 at Hickory Farms.

A computer is a must-have for any home office, of course, but a lightweight laptop is a must-have for anyone who needs to bring their office on the road with them. Dell graciously offered to let me test out their newest offering, the Vostro V130, and even though I’m a Mac girl at heart, I developed quite a crush on this pretty, ultra-portable computer.

The Vostro V130 is a deep cherry red, which is pretty to look at, of course, and it’s super-skinny (just 0.65 of an inch in the front and 0.78 of an inch in the back). But looks are only skin deep, and the real power is on the inside: an Intel Core ULV processor, a full-sized keyboard, a 13.3-inch High Definition WLED display, a HDMI port (so you can connected it to your HDTV), two USB 2.0 ports, a shared USB/eSATA port, 802.11n wireless technology, optional WiMAXtechnology, and Bluetooth 3.0 (to wirelessly connect to your mouse, printer, or headset). The SIM card slot is a nice touch, as is the built-in webcam — video conferencing is the new normal, after all.

My only two quibbles: If you wanted to use it to watch a movie on the plane, you’d have to make sure you’ve downloaded one first — there’s no DVD player. Which means that if a client hands you a disc full of images (some still do), you’ve got to get them off the disc before you can get on with your work. The clicky keyboard and touchy mouse took a little getting used to, too, but that complaint is easy to solve with a separate Bluetooth-enabled keyboard and mouse.

$429 and up at Dell.

Have this on hand, and when the first snow falls, you’ll be ready for action. Mold precise blocks of snow for building forts, and then fill the forts with perfectly shaped snowballs made with the special scoop. And you can do it all without soaking your mittens in the first minute and a half of fun.

$14.95 at L.L. Bean.

Playmobil’s new twist on an old tradition ratchets down the candy consumption but dials up the imaginative fun. Their advent calendars are filled with tiny toys, and the calendar itself turns into the stage upon which to play with them. Choose from several themes — classic nativity and winter forest scenes, but also police, dragon land, pony ranch, and unicorn-and-fairy sets — and get ready to count down to Christmas.

$16.99 to $18.99 at Playmobil.com.