Lapland, Finland + Kohama Island, Okinawa
Merry Christmas!! Happy Holidays! Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Winter Solstice, or just a Happy Day-Off-Work-granted-by-the-federal-government Day if you aren't committed to any one particular celebration.
We have a unique episode, as we are releasing on Christmas Day! So instead of our usual formula, we planned 10K Days as *cough* imaginary *cough* gifts for each other. So Alison planned Lulu's day and Lulu planned Alison's. How benevolent, and what an interesting test to see how well they know each others likes, preferences, and dreams!
Would love to hear about your holiday festivities, gifts, surprises, etc, so hit us up on the Bae page! Alison for one is excited that she surprised her family with a trip to Puerto Rico! Lulu is excited to be done with an insane week of auditions, and is now in Orlando with family, relaxing and enjoying the holidays.
Now, instead of our usual Obsessions and Wishlist discussions - which by the way, you can find a lot of them on our Obsessions & Wishlist Pinterest board - we are doing a "gift exchange". As in, Alison and Lulu each came up with five presents for each other and are going to exchange them now. Of course, they don't actually have them for each other, this is imaginary. But if they had money, this is what they'd be gifting and getting.
The Wave's breakthrough science lets you cool down or warm up with the press of a button. Perfect for those - like Lulu - who can’t quite get comfortable!
Silver Regularly $299 on sale for $249 and Rose Gold Regularly $349 on sale for $299
If Lulu never had to ride the subway again it could not be soon enough. An Uber gift card for when she’s hauling a lot of stuff or just wants some peace and quiet…
can buy in any denomination you want over $10
Live Streaming HD Video, 2-Way Audio, Treat Tossing feature. This is the dream for any animal owner! Love on your pet from wherever you are!
Regularly $249 - on sale $133.99
Each month receive one signed first edition hardcover fiction book each month, also included is a protective Brodart book cover to preserve the value of your book. Perfect gift for the book lover in your life!
6-month subscription $210 and 12-month subscription $420
Built to “reinvent the massage experience”, this device activates, loosens, and relaxes muscles with 5 different attachment heads. Excellent gift for the sports enthusiast in your life or for the person who carries stress in their muscles!
$349
An Oscar for best actress
Can’t buy one of these, though these novelty gift ones for $13 on Amazon would be great as favors for an Oscars party!
A new laptop AND a new desktop
Specifically, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM, and 512GB Storage, regularly $1,999 on sale $1,879, and the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5k display, 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, and 1TB currently $1,724
A personal assistant that includes driving her kids to school
There are many options out there, but Task Rabbit seems like something Alison could use with ease!
Lulu has been obsessed with this, and knows Alison would be too! You get 4 items at a time, and can swap out as often as you like, and keep any item(s) as long as you like! It’s like having your dream closet that constantly evolves!
$159 a month, currently $80 off your first two-month trial
You can also just order one off pieces, click here for $30 off your first order!
Home food delivery service
There are loads of options that have 30-minute or less prep time, or already chopped ingredients, but even better for Alison would be Blue Apron, which has so many options for lifestyle, dietary needs, and uses recyclable packaging!
Alison is sending Lulu to Lapland, Finland! Alison found this spot for Lulu by googling "best luxury vacation destinations for introverts". The Lapland region is sparsely populated, making it the perfect getaway from city life. You can take in the Northern Lights and the midnight sun from this breathtaking locale. Alison made a reservation for Lulu at Levin Iglut - Golden Crown, a glass igloo boutique resort. Those are some of Lulu's favorite words. She’s in the Suite Igloo which has a private terrace with outdoor jacuzzi and illuminated Northern lights in the ceiling of the lounge area. They have the most incredible, unobstructed views of the valley and the northern sky, and the price comes with breakfast, a welcome basket, the first fill of the mini-bar (FREE MINIBAR!) and portage service. Pretty sure that last one means someone carries your bags for you. This is soooo Lulu's kind of place. She's giddy already.
Alison bought Lulu a few things to prepare for her day. She has the Columbia Women's OutDry Ex Diamond Heatzone Long Parka Jacket and Oboz Wind River III Snow Boots waiting for her in her room, I mean, igloo. Once she's geared up, she is heading out on a Husky Safari! Lulu loves safaris of all kinds, and dogs, so she is super excited about getting on a sled with some huskies.
As if that wasn't exciting enough, next she heads to the Pure McLaren Arctic Experience. She gets to drive a McLaren 570S Spider ON ICE. Now Lulu loves sports cars, but is surprised you are allowed to drive them in such a winter wonderland? Alison anticipated Lulu's confusion, and found McLaren's own description (disclaimer?) - "Sports cars and ice may seem incompatible, but it is just deep snow that low-slung racers really disdain. Snow piles up beneath cars with little ground clearance, but ice is smoother than the best asphalt". Lulu is still not certain that this is true, until she is told that there are studded ice tires on the sports car. Now it makes sense and she feels free to be ecstatic and excited!
After Lulu's adventurous day, she heads back to Levin-Iglut where Alison has made reservations for her at Aurora Sky, the on-site restaurant. Like the igloos, the walls and ceilings of the restaurant are made of glass. Stunning views with a seasonally-based menu, this dining experience is like none other. Lulu enjoys a 10 course meal, with dishes like arctic char with buttermilk and herbs, elk tartar with egg yolk and juniper, and reindeer with parsnip and lingonberry. Finishing off her meal with a bottle of Ruinart Rosé Champagne, Lulu is directed to retire to her room, where she can get cozy in her PJs, snuggle under faux fur blankets, sip on a warm beverage, and see the Northern Lights from her igloo! After perusing this article on Night Sky Pix about photographing the Northern Lights, she should be able to capture a few images worth showing off on her IG. I'd say this is pretty much the perfect day for Lulu.
Lulu wants to send Alison to Nishihama Beach on Hateruma Island, the southernmost inhabited island in Okinawa, Japan. The turquoise water and sandy beaches are just calling Alison's name (that and the inevitable sushi, her favorite food). For Alison to really unwind, to really detach, drastic measures must be taken. Lulu takes care of this by hiring a personal assistant for the day, so that Alison knows her email is being checked, and doesn't have to worry about it. Oh, and she gets a new Apple iPhone 11 Pro, the number of which only her personal assistant and Lulu have. You cannot reach her, leave her alone. Please.
A little geography mishap here, and while it's usually Alison mixing up cities or countries, or continents even, Lulu found the perfect resort for Alison, though it is not on Nishihama Beach, or on Hateruma Island, but is on Kohama Island. This island does belong to the Okinawa prefecture, and there are a lot of islands so it is an understandable mix up. Lulu has reserved the Ocean View Bath Suite at the Haimurubushi Hotel for Alison, which she is excited to relay has an outdoor bathtub. Alison is slightly disappointed by the “Please wear a swimsuit for privacy while using the outdoor bathtub in your room” stance, but a little rule-breaking makes for a memorable vacation, amirite? Her beautifully decorated and incredibly functional suite has a Japanese coastal living meets mid century modern vibe, and comes with a breakfast picnic service. You can also mail your luggage to the resort and have it waiting for you, which is a 10K first!
Lulu has booked a relaxed-yet-engaged day for Alison, starting with the Relax and Stretch Yoga class. After working her muscles, Alison heads to her appointment at the spa, where she gets their Tingahra Full Body Massage, a Chura deluxe facial, and a dry head scalp massage. The Haimurubushi Resort offers a free shuttle to the beach, and Lulu has sent someone ahead to the beach to set up Alison's spot. She has this “It’s a beautiful day to leave me alone” beach towel to start. Then there are six bottles of Lexy’s Toast Sparkling Rosé waiting for Alison in a YETI hopper flip portable cooler, which is enough wine to have a really good day all to herself, or to share with any...nah this is her day and her wine. Kanpai 乾杯!
Another themed trinket gift, Lulu got our friend, Bae, and recent guest googler Laura Berube to make Alison a wine tumbler that reads "It's a Beautiful Day to Leave Me Alone!". Side note - She is offering all 10K Dollar Day fans a $30 cup, and will give us a $5 kickback. Just message her on her Facebook Page - D-Cups to get your customized cup of any kind! Lulu had also packed Alison a cover-up tank to wear over her swimsuit on the ride down. The tank reads "Keanu leave me alone" and has an illustration of Keanu Reeves face on it. Are you getting the not-so-subliminal messaging here?
So after chilling on the beach, very much left alone to her own thoughts thanks to all her statement swag, it's time to soak up some of that alcohol with a meal. A dinner reservation at the Haimurubushi Resort club dining means trying a special fermented course. Fermented foods such as miso, soy sauce and natto are a staple of the Japanese diet and are known around the world for heir health-enhancing properties. Alison is going try a full meal of the cuisine, hoping that they understand that wine is also a fermented food. Lulu also purchased the buffet dinner in case Alison is less than enthused. Either way she's getting SUSHI!
Lulu has planned a lovely night of winding down for Alison. Post-dinner, she heads to the resort's Candlelight Yoga class, and has the instructions to head back to her suite (hint:remember there is an outdoor bath). Waiting for her is a selection of bath salts by Amayori - tranquility, deep meditative relaxation, and rejuvenation. Whichever Alison doesn't choose for tonight serves as a lovely souvenir, to hopefully bring the leave-me-alone-bliss back home with her. To up the luxury of this bath, Lulu purchased a dozen rose gold roses from Venus et Fleur for Alison to sprinkle in. After a nice long soak, Alison cozies up in the Felodie acid wash sweatpants, which she found by googling "the most comfortable sweatpants in the world". She's set for her night of chilling, until Lulu announces that she has only spent 6K at this point, so she decided to join Alison for this trip. So two "It's A Beautiful Day to Leave Me Alone" towels, tanks, and cups will be required now. Alison tells Lulu this is the perfect day, because while she desperately needs some time away to recharge, she might go crazy not talking to anyone, extrovert that she is. So being left alone except by her best friend is the perfect balance!
HEY, FRIEND! IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, FOLLOW US!:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. For a full understanding of how we use affiliate links on our site, please visit our Policy Disclosures page. Thank you!