Christmas is only 16 days away and I know many of you are still not even close to finished with your shopping. I am only about 50% done shopping myself. It doesn't help that ever time I try to buy gifts, I find gifts for myself. Lucky for you, I've pulled together my favorite gifts this season.
I LOVE shopping. I don't just love shopping for myself, I love shopping for others. I get way too excited about gift giving. I will typically end up telling the person ahead of time or letting them open the gift early because I am ecstatic for them to see the gift. However, I know not everyone loves to shop. Many of my friends tell me how much they dread shopping and trying to select gifts for others. After helping a few friends with their Christmas shopping, I decided I'd compile a list of my favorite gift ideas this Christmas. This is a wide array of gifts from inexpensive to expensive, techy to silly, and both male or female. 1. A Wine Subscription Calling all wine lovers. This is great for your girlfriend who likes to drink wine or your married couple friends who love to entertain. There are quite a few wine subscription services out there & I think they are fantastic. They curate wines to send to you for a great monthly price. Once you start trying the wine, you can provide feedback and they will adjust your subscription to further suit your tastes. I've tried First Leaf & liked it. My friends also rave about Winc Wine Club. I think this is cool because you start trying wines you wouldn't normally try.
2. Audible Gift Card I'm a lover of books. I listen to podcasts or audible books on my drives or while I'm getting ready. An audible gift card is a great gift for book lovers. Right now I'm listening to Becoming by Michelle Obama and it's incredible.
3. Pushpin Travel Map or Globe For those friends and family who love to jet set or those who love to road trip, these travel maps are pretty cool. My mom and stepdad are in the military, and my stepdad is a private pilot, so I want to get this map for them to document every where they've been both individually and together. Creating a collective view of everywhere you've been in the US or in the world creates a calling card for stories in your home - great conversation piece. They have United States only versions or world versions.
4. Year-Long Fresh Cut Rose Boxes Yes, you read that right. These fresh cut roses last one whole year. Instead of buying roses that will wilt by New Year's Day, buy roses that will put a smile on her face for a whole year. They also come in super classy, vintage-esque hat boxes that I'm obsessed with.
5. Silk Robe I'm obsessed with robes. I have about 6 robes that I alternate through - silk and velvet. I find it much more enjoyable to get ready or lounge around the house in a silk or velvet robe rather than lounge clothes or sweats most of the time. A nice silk robe is a great gift for any lady. I'm especially obsessed with this new shine robe from Victoria's Secret.
6. Himalayan Salt Tequila Glasses The only way I like to consume tequila is in a margarita, but so many of my friends love tequila. For those tequila lovers out there, these Himalayan salt glasses are pretty and awesome. Rather than making a mess with salt on a glass, these naturally infuse a salty finish into the tequila.
7. Robot Vacuum I am obsessed with the robot vacuum I ordered over Black Friday. I now have two Australian Shephers and the hair can easily get out of control. Buying a robot vacuum was the best purchase I've made in a long time. Whether you're shopping for a busy mom or someone that's constantly battling dog hair, these things are amazing. They have a wide array of price points and capabilities. I bought the Shark Ion version that connects to my cell phone so I can run it any time throughout the day, or even just schedule it for certain times. It has been a game changer in keeping up with my dog's hair. And luckily, most of these are still on sale. I bought mine at Bed Bath & Beyond and you can combine their sales with the 20% off coupons they offer to get a really great price.
My favorite self-care routine is lighting a candle, pouring a glass of malbec and soaking in a hot bath while I read. That bath is made infinitely better with a bath bomb but not all bath bombs are created equal. If you've never dropped a Lush bath bomb into a warm tub and laid back to relax and watch the water fill with incredible scents and colors, you're missing out. Throw in a bottle of wine for that super stressed friend or busy mom and you may just make her whole year.
9. Lululemon Bag I was gifted my Lululemon bag a few years ago on Christmas from my friend Taylor. I had used her a few times during our trips to Lifetime for spin and also on the plane from Salt Lake City to Tulsa. Not only do these make great gym bags, they also are great weekend bags, carry-on bags and work bags. I love the duffels and totes. They have some great backpacks as well. They are really great quality but the thing I love most about these bags is all of the designated compartments. There is a spot for everything. My duffel even has a spot for my laptop which makes it perfect for a bigger carry-on bag if needed. I used to stuff my purse into the Lululemon bag with my laptop and other travel items and then it counted as a carry-on so I could still use my roller carry-on too and not have to check a bag.
Record players immediately make me think of my great-grandpa Dawson. He had more records than I could count and he instilled a love for jazz - Louis Armstrong is my favorite. There's just something about popping a record onto the player and hearing the difference in sound. It also makes me nostalgic for a time long before me.
11. Echo Show Because now Alexa can show you how to do things instead of just telling you how to do things. Whether you want to watch a briefing, a video, see your security feeds or have a face-to-face call, you can do it all through the new Echo Show. This makes using Alexa so much better and easier!
12. Samsung VR with Controller When I was in Chicago a few years ago with my ex-boyfriend, we saw a Facebook pop-up VR booth. We stopped in and were instantly transported to other places with the headsets. It was crazy to see how clear it all looked and the way you can look around and see all of the angles blew me away. We were first on a fishing boat in Thailand and then soon we were on the court watching LeBron dunk. It was fascinating.
13. Nintendo Classic
Everyone loves the classic and who doesn't like a reminder to simpler times years ago. You can grab these on Amazon or at Target.
14. Dream Dust For our friend who is always finding themselves or for the friend who is in to holistic practices. This is a natural powder that is full of good-for-you ingredients and guarantees you a better, more restful sleep.
15. DeadSoxy Socks I know, I know. Socks seem like the lamest gift but hear me out. Prepare to wear the comfiest socks you've ever had. Not only are the comfy but they're super cute and they stay in place. This company out of Dallas has perfected the sock and they have super cool technology that makes them unlike the rest of the socks you've owned. Whether you are in the boardroom or just strolling through the Farmer's Market on a Sunday, they've got a sock for you. Not to mention, they do crazy cool customization for teams, bridal parties and more. If you're going to gift socks, at least gift the best socks. Also, you can get 35% off everything, even sale items with the code, "Members Only."
This beautiful travel set can be monogrammed or left as is. It's a super classy and timeless travel set for the frequent traveling men you know. I love that there are so many individualized pieces and you can buy a single piece or build the perfect set. You could even buy a new piece of the set for each upcoming gift need for the person - Christmas, birthday, etc.
17. Faux Fur Booties
If you've never slipped your feet into a pair of these faux fur booties, you are missing out. It's the comfiest experience they've had.
