Perfect Holiday Gifts for Everyone

Back for 2018! I’ve compiled a list of all my favorite things (kind of like Oprah, really) from this year that would make great gifts for everyone on your list - young, old, tall, short, etc.

Ready?

Let’s begin.

1. My favorite purse hook! I recommended it here, this little baby stays on your bag, is discreet yet mighty. – Clipa on Amazon.

2. The holidays means time with family and friends and I can only stand the constant roar of sportsball for so long. Also tweens and teens need a reason to get off their phones. Enter the family board game.

Two of our family favorites are this domino game (apologies for the name. There needs to be a new name for this, right? Like Crooked Train?) and my favorite card/ board game, Sequence.

3. Everyone needs cordless bluetooth headphones. I mean, it’s almost 2019!

I’ve bought 3 pairs of these. I use them until they fall apart and then buy another set. For $25, the value can’t be beat.

But if you want to upgrade someone’s listening experience, you can go with some noise canceling ones. My husband got these Bose headphones as a present to himself for business travel and they’re like a spa for your ears.

My cheaper favorite headphones seen out in the wild.

4. Great notebook & pens! Basic? Yes. But a lot of us planner nerds always appreciate a good writing pen and paper. A lot of people I know love a Rhodia Graph notebook. I’m going to ask Santa for a new Ecoqua grid notebook as I’m almost done with my old one.

Seen - the inside of my Ecoqua notebook.

And of course, you already know I’m recommending my favorite Micron Pens.

5. I took a felt message board to a gift swap last year and I think it would still be a hit this year too!

Handy even when one does not have a book that’s been out for one month….

6. Okay, this is the one gift suggestion that I don’t have YET. But I know a lot of people LOVE theirs and I’m definitely asking Santa for an air fryer too.

7. My whole family loves their Swell / Yeti/ Corksicle bottles and tumblers.

My favorite corksicle tumbler with a limited edition HBIC Nation sticker on it!

If you know someone who likes to keep their cold drinks cold and their hot drinks hot, here are a few stainless steel vessels I thought were stylish and practical.

A Corksicle wood “carafe.”

And then this special edition Swell bottle is pretty extra but in a sophisticated way.
Swell MCM:

8. Packing Cubes! The gift that no one knows they need until they get them!

Of course there are the utilitarian ones. Perfectly functional and a great gift.

And the fancy princess ones. You decide who is getting them and how much you love them.

I’d love to hear if you also love these gifts or what your go-to gift for people is this year! ‘Tis the season for sharing all the helpful tips!

Four Simple Tools to Achieve Hygge

Hygge… that Danish buzzword is exactly what I’m craving this time of year. Simplicity, good company, warmth, coziness.

These hygge favorites of mine are probably pretty basic, but I never said I was complicated… much.

1 Something warm on the stove… or in the Instant Pot.

I’m pretty much the queen of soups, stews and chilis. It takes a lot of practice to be as good as me, but you can strive to achieve my level of soup-tasticness with an instant pot. I was converted last year and I use it at least once a week.

But I also love a good bubbly stew on the stove and for that, I recommend a Staub cast iron pot. Yes, Le Creuset has its adherents and I have a few of their products in my kitchen, but I like to be a little different. And you can even buy little knobs to add flair to your pot! How cute is that?

2. A 100% necessary part of the hygge home is a candle. Now, with all that soup and chili going on in the kitchen, you’ll probably just want to stick with unscented, simple candles from Ikea (shout out to Scandanavia!). But if you want to go with scented, I like a Woodwick candle for that extra-hygge crackle. Or, you might want to splurge on this Tom Ford one. Mostly because I want you to tell me what in the world this smells like.

3. Cashmere Gloves

I get cold, alright? I finally decided to pull the trigger on some cashmere fingerless gloves last winter and it made all the difference for this girl who spends a lot of time typing in a cold house.

But I also really like these. They are very reasonable, they say they’re “cashmere-like” and I like the Claire Randall Fraser thing they got going on.

Just waiting on Jaime Fraser to warm me up…

4. Slippers
What’s more cozy than warm toes-ies? (I couldn’t help myself! Sorry!)

I’m a fan of the classic Minnetonka mocassins and also straight up Smart Wool socks. Very practical and necessary and… dare I say it? Basic.

But what’s not basic? Springing for these.

Maybe Santa will remember that I had a royal romance novel come out this year…

What’s your favorite way to practice hygge? Pie? A roaring fire? A luxe blanket? Let me know!

All These Things That I Love - 2017 Gift Edition

I'm just starting to put my gift lists together but I thought I'd share the surefire wins that any one should love this year. 

For the whole family

Amazon Echo/ Amazon Dot – we got these this summer and they’ve come in so handy. We use them as alarm clock, stereo, shopping list maker, landline. We’re going to get another one for the kids’ room to hack an intercom system.

Instant Pot – um, I feel like I’m always recommending this. From perfect ‘boiled’ eggs to amazing pot roast (in about an hour!) every busy family needs one.

For him

Sous vide precision cooker – if your man loves steak and technology get him this. Then you get steak too. WIN.

Wonder Woman – an action movie every couple can enjoy together. Win. Win.

For travel

White noise machine – I was sold on this on a recent church camp retreat. A mom next to my bunk used one and I slept through a bunch of middle schoolers giggling through the night.

Kelly Clarkson’s new album – Meaning of Life  Amazon | | iTunes – not a bad song on this album. Put it on during your road trip and the miles will fly by.

For youth (or young at heart) 

Bluetooth speaker – it’s the jam box of 2017 (did I just date myself?)

Teen Vogue – it’s the Washington Post of 2017. {But it just went all digital. BOO!}

Ticket to Ride – a game that everyone in the family can enjoy with a little strategy and a little luck.

For HER –  buy her something luxe she won’t buy herself. We’ve been through a lot this year. We deserve it.

Jo Malone Diffuser- I got one of these two years ago and it’s almost out. (HINT HINT MR. EMORY) It’s strong, smells amaze, lasts and makes a bathroom or side table look totally sophisticated.

Nest Box – a subscription box that will send high quality candles to soothe and invigorate your best friend/ mom/ sister as she persists.

Mistletoe Key – Amazon | | iBooks

Or give your favorite nasty woman  a copy of my holiday novella. It’s like a Hallmark movie she can read while on hold with UPS about that missing fruit cake delivery.