My Holiday Gift Guide
Yes, it’s only the beginning of October but it’s not too early to start thinking about Holiday gifts. If you’re like me, you try to come up something personal for each person. So, check out my Holiday Gift Guide for some thoughtful gifts for the women on your list.
Table of Contents
Last Year’s Gifts
So, last year, I made good use of my Cricut machine, which is basically a cutting machine. I took an online sticker-making course by Love From Mim and made over 200 of stickers. I included them in a personalized planner which I made for each of my young grandchildren. And they loved them!
I also learned how to mix my own bath salts using Himalayan salt, Epsom salt, baking soda, and essential oils. After creating my own concoction, I spooned my bath salts into small Ball jars, wrapped ribbon around the top, and placed a Dream. Explore. Discover You sticker on it. Each of my daughters received 3 filled jars in a gift basket.
For the smallest granddaughters, I whipped up some aprons and filled the pockets with oversized kitchen tools. I also included a box of brownie mix for Mommy and Daddy to enjoy baking with their little ones.
And finally, I sewed memory bears for two of my children out of some of my mother’s sweaters. They were adorned with her earrings and bead necklaces. There were very emotional tears when these special gifts were opened!
All of this took a lot of planning and effort to complete. And because I started early, I had everything finished in plenty of time for Christmas!
My Holiday Gift Guide
Are you thinking that you’d like to make and/or give personalized gifts for this year’s holiday gift-giving? But not sure where to start?
Let me give you some ideas:
Essential Oils Gift Basket
Find a cute diffuser. Prices vary from $15 and up on sites such as Amazon.com. And in the case of diffusers, size does matter. Make sure to check the room size recommendation before you purchase.
There are many essential oil recipes on the Internet and Pinterest. Check out Stacy Russel’s essential oil recipes for the Holidays for some great ideas. If you use Pinterest, look for more essential oil recipes on Stacy’s boards.
Print out some recipes of your own on some pretty file cards and add them to the basket, along with some basic essential oils. Piping Rock has been my go-to place to shop for oils.
Recipe Binder
Years ago, my mother wrote down her favorite family recipes, printed them off, and created a binder for each of us, her daughters. It is my favorite recipe book.
And while there are apps and webpages where you can keep your recipes stored digitally, there’s nothing like a hands-on book. One that you can prop open on the counter and look at while you’re creating masterful delights in the kitchen.
So, here’s my next idea in my Holiday gift guide.
Gather your favorite recipes, and either write them out (I love my mother’s handwritten recipe cards), or print them out on colorful paper.
Take some action pictures while you’re cooking or baking, print them out and to add to the collection.
Separate categories by color – pink for desserts, blue for casseroles, and so on. And place them into a colorful binder. Don’t forget to place the recipes inside plastic sleeves to protect them from spills and splatters.
And voila! A one-of-a-kind recipe book!
Of course, there are so many online companies that can make your recipes into a book if you choose that route. Head over to Daily Mom for a detailed way to up your game with a professionally-done recipe book that you’ve designed!
Bath Salts Basket
Once again, you’ll have to break out the essential oils for this one. You’ll need:
- Pink Himalayan Salt (or other course salt)
- Epsom Salt
- Baking Soda
- essential oils
- small containers
- gift basket
For quick and easy, try Elizabeth Rider’s recipe at The Best Homemade Bath Salts (Under 10 minutes).
You can always add some little extra goodies like a loofah and pedicure supplies to finish off the bath salts basket.
PERSONALIZED PLANNER
Have you checked out Etsy lately? If not, head on over there to find personal planner ideas. There are hard covered, leather bound, and heavy cardstock planners in varied price ranges. You can have a full name engraved or initials. So many choices!
And of course, to encourage your recipient to use her new planner, gift her with an array of gel pens, sets of stickers, and washi tape.
She will love her new planner and will think of you throughout the year as she stays organized!
What a great idea to be included in my Holiday gift guide!
YOGA BUNDLE
We’ll soon be celebrating the New Year. And you know what that means! New Year Resolutions. Check out my updated post on creating a resolution that you can keep.
But I digress. Many folks decide that January is a great time to start a get-in-shape/get healthy program. They join the gym, begin a new running regime, or just choose to get healthy through clean eating.
Anyone starting out in yoga can use a new yoga mat. There are many colors and variations in cushioning and size. Here is a review that you might find helpful when selecting the right mat for your recipient.
If the giftee will be traveling to class, shops like Etsy and Amazon stock mat bags and totes. Some are soooo stinking cute!! JoAnn’s offers a sew a yoga mat bag video for beginners if you want to handmake one.
And did you know that there is such a thing as yoga shoes and socks?
It’s most comfortable doing yoga with bare feet. But if you’re going to a class, you may want to think about something to cover your feet.
Here’s an article about open-toe and heel socks as well as shoes. You can find gripper socks for yoga at a decent price at Walmart.
Finish off your gift with a yoga belt and blocks for that little extra stretch!
SPECIALIZED COFFEE BOX
Here’s your chance to get your coffee-loving recipient exactly what she wants.
We all know those people who can’t move in the morning until they sip on their first cup of coffee.
I have a family full of coffee afficionados who can’t wait for the pumpkin spice to hit the local coffee shops and grocery shelves.
So, now that you have some time, do some web surfing for some interesting flavors and roasts. Follow Katie at KT Likes Coffee to get some of her tried and true recommendations.
Or, hit your local coffee or specialty shop to browse their options.
If you think your coffee connoisseur might like to try grinding their own beans, get a variety of beans and a coffee bean grinder. They come in a variety of sizes and prices.
Finish off your gift box with a stylish travel mug or personalized coffee mug, and biscotti!
Or add a coffee scented candle. Coffee lovers can never get enough of coffee!
ASSORTED CARDS BOX
Do you have someone on your list who loves to send cards? Maybe your mom or an aunt?
I know that card-sending may be a thing of the past, but think about it, don’t you like the surprise of a birthday card in the mail?
So, here’s my thought and #7 on my Holiday gift guide recommendations.
Get a cute box of assorted cards, with envelopes. Purchase a book of stamps and add a few colored gel pens. (yes, I have a thing about colored gel pens).
And then include either a calendar or print out a list on colored paper, of all family birthdays, anniversaries, and other special dates. Include family addresses to make it easy to address the cards.
Super simple, very personalized, and much appreciated!
WINTER-READY BAG
Whether you’re in the coldest region of the country or just in cooler weather, our skin usually take a hit during the winter season.
Winter usually means dry, itchy skin.
So gather some special lotions and potions to soothe the winter scales.
I like Mary Kay’s “Mint Bliss: Energizing lotion for legs and feet. It has a light scent and calms leg itches and soothes tired feet.
I also look for products that contain shea butter. Shea butter is known to keep moisture in skin and acts as a barrier to outside irritants. Find out more benefits of shea butter here.
Along with the various lotions, throw in some chap sticks to take care of those lips. A girl can never have enough! But when looking for the best chap stick to gift, the American Academy of Dermatology Association has a list of ingredients that should not be found in your product of choice.
A Bag for Your Winter-Ready Gift
My daughter is a busy mom who has her hands full. Recently she introduced me to the Belt Bag line at Lululemon. Her new bag fits comfortably around her waist as well and can convert into a crossbody bag. It is roomy enough to store keys, cards, and those essential chap sticks and hand lotion sample sizes.
Hands-free is always a helpful thing for moms.
Adding a belt bag to your Winter-Ready gift bag will be an extra special Holiday gift!
Another Gift Package Idea
If you’ve stepped into a store lately, you’ve probably noticed that sprinkled in with fall decorations are Christmas and winter decor.
Start checking for those decorative boxes that many craft stores stock during the holidays. They come in various colors, sizes, and themes.
Using these boxes means no need for wrapping paper, tape, and scissors. Just pack all of your gift items into the box, add a gift tag, and it’s ready to go!
These boxes not only makes gift-giving easy, but they can be used in holiday decorating and year-round storage!
And many times, they are on sale and reasonably priced. So pick up a few to make wrapping your gifts a snap!
Print out a copy of My Holiday Gift Guide. You can find my free gift-giving guide in the Dream Life Toolkit. Get access by signing up for email notifications of new blog postings to Dream. Explore. Discover You.
Enjoy The Holidays
Now that you’ve gotten a head start on your gift-giving, schedule some fun time with family and friends.
And enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!
Disclaimer: I get no compensation from purchases made via links in this article as I am unaffiliated with all businesses and websites mentioned. Links to items for sale are meant as descriptive only and not as an endorsement.
What great ideas!
Thanks, Kaye! Hope you find them helpful!