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I’m just going to say it: I am terrible at gift giving. I favor practicality over indulgence, and I am in a season of life where I don’t want or need much. I’m very picky about how I spend my money, and look for things I will use near daily to benefit myself, my business or my family.
I think, as a culture, we tend to consume a lot that we don’t truly need, so I’ve selected a few of my most favorite picks to share with you in this gift guide. Add them to your own wishlist, share with a friend or treat yourself!
EDIT: 12/7/19 I updated some prices that changed since the original time of posting. Prices and availability may vary going forward.
I don’t use this every day, but when I do, I get so many nice comments and people asking if I just got my haircut - you know that fresh salon look you can never replicate on your own? This awesome tool cuts hair drying time down, plus it adds volume and smooths. I do recommend a serum or spray that helps smooth frizz, but everything I always hated about blow drying my hair - time, skill, and hard to get results - are solved with this brush.
There’s a reason there are over 12,000 reviews for it on Amazon. It’s just that good.
Black brush, $41.99 (other colors available, prices vary)
This 5-piece packing cubes set (teal, $19.99) is the BEST if you do a lot of traveling, anywhere from overnights or weekends away to longer trips. I do a lot of weekend trips with the kids for work and to visit family, and these cubes keep us all organized.
I typically assign different items to each cube, like one for bras and undies, one for pajamas, one for pants, one for tops, and then whatever is left that the season requires, which might be shoes, slippers, sweaters or bathing suits. For the kids, I also use them to pack a couple stuffed animals, diapers and wipes, favorite books.
The cubes help organize and fit everything you need into smaller bags like a weekender or carry-on. They allow me to pack efficiently with whatever I need to access to first on top, without rummaging and disheveling the whole bag.
There is also this 4-piece set of packing cubes with laundry and shoe bags ($17.49) that comes in a bunch of cute colors if you’re looking for sets to get for the whole family! Color coding helps keep everyone organized, right? There are a lot of packing cube options out there for various sizes, quantities and colors!
The YETI Rambler Mug ($24.99) is perfect for working at home, working at the office, waiting for the bus that’s running late, parenting, and oh, I don’t know…just being a human! It keeps your beverage hot or cold for hours. It’s a bit mind boggling, but never again will you microwave that same cup of coffee four times per morning.
These are great for travel or using at home or at the office.
There are many sizes and styles of YETI mugs, tumblers, and even a kids’ YETI Rambler Jr. 12oz Bottle ($29.99) with straw cap! Prices vary, other colors available.
Sounds like a dream come true, right? Throw this power bank that doubles as a hand warmer ($25.99) in your bag or your coat pocket and never run out of phone juice. This pod doubles as a hand warmer, which comes in super handy if you have an outdoor session during cold months, or your office has terrible heat, or your kids neeeeeed to play at the playground in January. Mornings at the bus stop and walking the dog do not need to be torturous!
I use my power bank all the time to make sure I am not running out of charge sitting at dance class, or shooting somewhere on location all day, going on day hikes and spending the day on the go. Spending the day at the beach or pool? You’ll be scrolling Instagram from lunchtime to sunset. Plug it in to recharge when you get home so you can use it again and again.
Don’t need the hand warming factor? This EasyAcc portable power bank ($43.11) is solid and can handle charging up to 4 devices at once (for those friends who are always looking for a charger).
After years of hoarding my aunt’s every time I visited her house, I finally splurged on an electric heated throw blanket ($58.99) for myself last Christmas. We try to keep the heat down in the house at night and I am always cold, whether I’m watching movies, editing at my computer or getting into bed. My electric heated throw is my BFF all winter. I “preheat” my bed before I get in so my legs aren’t cold, I wrap it around my lap while I’m editing and it keeps me covered and warm catching up on my shows after the kids go to bed.
This one is BETTER than the one I got since it has an auto-shutoff after 3 hours. The only issue I have is keeping the kids from stealing it off me on the couch. I guess I need another one, huh?
If you’re looking for a multi-use tool to add to your clean beauty arsenal, the OctoVie Face Brush ($17.98) is something you can feel great about. Gently cleanse and exfoliate your face, massage, apply serums and creams, clean your makeup brushes, and support a local small businesswoman from Massachusetts! It is also made in the USA, recyclable, and will last you much longer than those dollar loofahs and sponges.
OctoVie also has a larger, firmer skin brush ($14.98) for the whole body, replacing loofahs that hold onto old skin cells and bacteria in the shower. It comes in two colors, Vineyard Rose and Ocean Blue, and makes a great stocking stuffer for everyone in the family!
If you’re waffling on this, add it to your list. The Instant Pot 6-qt pressure cooker (on sale 12/7 fr $49.00, reg. $99.95) has replaced my crock pot for 90% of my cooking. It’s easy to use, there are tons of great recipes (and a whole Facebook community full of recipes and tips), and did I mention it’s a time saver? You can cook entire meals in one pot. Rice, veggies, meat, hard boiled eggs, cheesecake (I haven’t tried that one yet but it works).
I actually prefer the taste of what I cook in my “IP” to crock pot meals because it doesn’t just sit there becoming one big crock pot flavored meal, it retains all the different flavors of the spices and components.
There are a few different sizes with different functions, but this one suits our family of four very well and doesn’t take up a ton of cabinet space.
I know this is a big ticket item, so hear me out. The Apple Watch ($379.00) has been a life changer for me. I don’t go nuts over all the different versions, but Sean gifted me a watch for my birthday and I use it for so many things. Telling the time, getting the weather, tracking my movement and exercise, checking messages, quick replies to messages, GPS, finding my phone, as a remote for taking pictures with my phone, answer or decline calls when driving or walking or doing anythere where my phone isn’t in my hand, setting timers…it’s kind of crazy how much you can do with a little watch, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I feel a bit like James Bond or Dick Tracy when I hold it up to my mouth to send a voice text.
The big thing? This has helped me detach from my phone. I am the type that gets swallowed up with scrolling and checking everything if I get one notification on my phone. I lose hours. Sad, but true. And with the watch, I leave my phone in my bag or on the counter instead of bringing it everywhere. I get my notifications but no longer feel the desire to pick up my phone and scroll through 5 different apps.
One of the biggest benefits is how it helps me to be healthier. The activity app, and the reminders to breathe (so simple, right?) and stand every hour, keep me moving and motivated to keep going.
Not every Christmas gift needs to be big and flashy. Sometimes its the day to day comforts like warm and cozy slipper socks ($12.99) that can mean a lot. And as I stated earlier, we keep our heat low, which means finding ways to stay cozy and warm. We also take shoes off inside the front door and are immediately greeted with cold floors, so having a couple pairs handy to put right on inside the door, next to the bed or after you shower is no small thing. I work from home, so most days, all I need is thick, warm socks around the house. Funny how 10 years ago I was in heels every day and now my closet is full of elastic softness.
Many colors available, so get a few pairs to have on hand for every day of the week!
I’ll be the first to admit that I find drinking cup after cup of coffee every day to be super easy, but drinking enough water? That’s another story. Not my strong point. So this gallon water bottle with motivational phrases and time markers ($20.99) might be a good way to ensure you’re hydrating regularly every day.
A benefit of such an absurdly large water bottle is there’s plenty of room for ice or fruit or infusions like mint or cucumber, if plain old water isn’t your favorite (it’s not mine). And while the size is intimidating, it’s good for people like me who are not likely to get up and refill my bottle 8-12 times per day.
There is an assortment of colors and if the style doesn’t suit you, there are plenty of other styles, options and colors. And anything we can do to reduce the number of single use plastic water bottles we consume, the better!
There you have it! My 2019 Gift Guide has something for everyone, I think, and while it’s not the most pretty or indulgent list, these items will benefit your health, mood, productivity and comfort on a daily basis.
Leave a comment if you see something you might want for yourself, or share with a friend!
