These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things – Holiday Gift Giving Guide

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended. Please check out my disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Hey there!  I LOVE finding and giving the perfect gifts. I really think I’d make a great personal shopper #toottoot. Something that I have learned as an avid shopper and professional gift giver {is that a thing?} is that everything has a season and usually that season runs way ahead of the actual holiday.  I know that if you want to get the good stuff, you have to be ahead of the game. Like a whole season ahead really. How about this as an example? If you want ski stuff, head to Costco ASAP. It will likely be gone by the time the snow really starts falling. I even saw swimsuits at Target yesterday. #ew #toosoon

In honor of this whirlwind time of year and how busy we can all get, I came up with a holiday gift giving guide sharing some of my tried + true faves plus some other things that I would definitely give as gifts.  It’s time to make that list and check it twice! Maybe this post will inspire you. Speaking of lists, I should check mine soon and get my shopping wrapped up. Amazon is my bestie this year. Especially with big kids who like all things techy + Amazon Prime which is so awesome. Do you have Prime? Free shipping plus fast delivery? Yes please!

I don’t like the pressure of the holiday season or the craziness of it all. I am a midweek shopping kinda girl. I also like to scoop up some good stuff online. I love things that seem to have more heart + soul invested in them as well. I have come up with some pretty special gifts that would be perfect for giving. Oh, I should also mention that I love shopping local or small business whenever possible. I also love personalizing a gift so that it feels special.

A personalized Christmas ornament is a perfect and simple gift. It’s a keepsake and one that will remind the recipient of you year after year. I love this sweet ornament at Wall & Wonder.

Bits of Vintage has a lot of original jewelry but this hammered heart necklace is one of my favorites.

Jane has the best deals and so many fun things. Really. I have filled up my cart just looking for fun items to share. I love this cute coffee sign. It would be perfect for your java loving friend.

I love this coffee camp set at Thoughtfully. It has a bit of a masculine feel so it could be the perfect gift for that awesome guy in your life {dad, brother, etc}.

A friend swears by these Capri Volcano Candles and I can attest, they smell amazing. They are a mix of spicy + sweet and the scent that just makes you feel like staying home and getting cozy. I will be stocking up on these as gifts this season.

I have an off obsession with doormats. Well, maybe it’s not odd and there are millions of people like me who love doormats. It’s hard to say really! I am loving all of the funny doormats over at Cloud 9 Craffts on Etsy.

I love using tiered stands and trays in my decor. They are great in the kitchen or even functional in the bathroom. If you do a search, you will find so many cute ideas for how to style them. I love this one on Instagram at My Autumn Farmhouse. You can scoop these up at Target, Hobby Lobby and so many other home decor stores. I found mine at Marshall’s. Wayfair has a fun selection too.

Recently, I spotted this fun necklace on Rachel Hollis via Instagram. I thought it was cute but didn’t think much more about it until I spotted it at Anthropologie today. Then … I wanted it. Badly. It’s $38 but big and fun! Plus, monograms are trendy yet timeless.

An item that I will be giving this year is the Ancestry DNA kit. I might have bought one for myself as well. 😉 I actually bought it on Amazon as the shipping was free with Prime and it was $5 less than the Ancestry website. I am seriously geeking out over giving this as a gift. Don’t worry, I won’t reveal who the other lucky recipient might be.

Instant Pots have become all the rage for cooks everywhere. I honestly haven’t used one but I’d love to own one. My kitchen gadget quota is almost maxed though. But hey, if it’s efficient then bring it on! I’ll make room. I love anything that helps simplify and make my life easier. Especially in the kitchen.

Games are a great way to spend time with family and friends. You cultivate memories and there is usually a lot of laughter too which is music for the soul. Farkle is one of our favorites to play with our friends. The kids love Apples to Apples Jr. Earlier this summer, I shared our favorite games. Click here to read that post for more fun game ideas that everyone will enjoy.

A couple of years ago, I was gifted a Hydroflask for my birthday. It quickly became my favorite way to drink water. It stays cold all day long people. All day long! It’s seriously awesome. I bought one for my boys last Christmas. I love that they come in a variety of colors and sizes too.

Most of us require coffee to kick-start our days, am I right? We have a Keurig and I love that it brews a quick cup of coffee. Or hot cocoa. Or tea. I think you need a Keurig in your life. It’s almost a necessity.

One of my most favorite shoes are my Converse. I am seriously in these things all of the time. I have a grey pair that are well-loved and a new black pair too. They are unisex and a great gift for all ages.

Every year for Christmas, I put together a calendar for my mother in law. She loves having memories of the prior year hanging on her wall. I like the simplicity of this one at Minted. I love giving sentimental gifts that don’t take up a lot of space in your home but fill up your heart with sweet memories.

Give a gift of going away! Not in a, “Get outta here” kinda way but in a, “Enjoy a little getaway” kinda way. That was a lot of ways … but you get my point. I love giving gift cards to bedandbreakfast.com which are also valid at VRBO. Air BNB also offers gift cards. We actually give my in-laws a gift card for bedandbreakfast.com every Christmas.

There are so many options for gift gifting. You could do gift cards and even charitable gifts. My mother in law has donated to Heifer International in our names.

Do you have a favorite type of gift to give? We draw names for grown-up siblings on one side of the family and we do a big white elephant gift exchange with quality gifts on the other. The limit is $50 per gift and you almost always go home with something great. So this allows us to be a bit more thoughtful and stay on budget. I hope you are feeling joyful this holiday season. Remember, it’s really about enjoying the moments and cherishing the season.