For many years, I was the mom who did my Christmas shopping in December, often within just a couple weeks of Christmas, and spent hours on December 23rd and Christmas Eve sitting on my bedroom floor wrapping gifts. This year, I’m proud to say that I actually finished all my shopping already and have at least half the gifts wrapped already. And I haven’t spent hours with an aching back doing it, either.
In my search for the perfect gift for those I love, I’ve come across some truly amazing gifts. Some are just incredible for their quality or what they are and some have an amazing story behind the brand. Either way, the gifts on this list might be the perfect gift for someone you love and are well worth the money.
Please note that some links are affiliate links, which means I may make a little money if you make a purchase.
Famokids Foam PlayMat
Famokids was kind enough to send me a free playmat — but my kids are far beyond this stage. However, I fell in love with this mat almost immediately. When my kids were that small, I would have loved something like this for them to play on. It seems like the perfect cross between a playpen and free roaming — and with the interlocking blocks, you can make the space much bigger than the average playpen.
At the time this article was published, the site is offering a 10% discount for signing up for their newsletter, plus a Black Friday deal with another 15% off. Combine the two and you could save 25% on one of these play mats that’s perfect for a little one just learning to crawl or a toddler who needs room to spread out and play.
Touchie
This little no-contact tool has become a mascot for this year, I think. Even people who aren’t germophobic have become quite conscious of everything we touch in light of the pandemic. And Touchie provides the perfect solution to being able to go out in the world and live life as normal while also offering some protection. Touchie’s design makes it perfectly portable by attaching to your keyring and lets you open doors and use touchscreens and point-of-sale buttons without touching them. It’s lightweight and durable.
It comes in several designs — and my favorite is the one that says, “2020 is just the worst.” Take a look and see if you can’t find one for everyone. Right now they’re offering a deal to buy three and get one free on these perfect stocking stuffers!
Meddy Teddy
As a meditation teacher, I love anything that encourages adults or kids to be more mindful and engage in meditation and/or yoga — and Meddy Teddy is perfect for this! He’s a posable teddy bear that comes complete with closed eyes and a soft, peaceful smile. His arms and legs bend and hold various yoga and meditation poses. Fun for kids and inspiring for both kids and adults, Meddy Teddy makes meditation, mindfulness, and yoga feel more accessible and easy. This would make a great gift for anyone who needs more mindfulness in their life, but also for yoga and meditation teachers to use with their students in classes.
You can not only get Meddy Teddy, but also adorable accessories for him, like this precious yoga mat!
Nunbelievable Cookies
I’ll be honest, I was super skeptical about a cookie that costs more than $2 per cookie. But then they arrived. They’re huge! No wonder they’re so highly priced! They sent me 4 flavors, and my absolute fave was the chocolate chip. The double chocolate was my second fave. But I think perhaps the best part of these cookies is that each cookie sold provides a meal for someone in need. Nunbelievable was created by a group of nuns who partner with local relief groups across the country and provide a meal for someone who’s hungry for every cookie sold.
I’m one of those people who would struggle to justify spending $2 on a cookie — but this mission behind this brand is too amazing to ignore. And the cookies themselves are so decadent (each cookie is three servings!) and delicious. Nunbelievable cookies are this year’s indulgent gift to pamper someone you love — including yourself.
Mixhers
Mixhers is a brand specifically for women and our hormones. They offer four different products:
· HerTime: In both Daily & Classic versions, HerTime is designed to help balance your hormones during every stage of menstruation. Mixed into a drink, this powder helps make periods less painful and hormones less out of control so you can feel better about your period.
· HerPower: This is a nootropic designed to support your brain. It helps with cognition, memory, focus, and clarity. It gives you an energy boost without relying on caffeine or sugar, and helps to relieve anxious and depressed feelings.
· HerCrave: A simple supplement to curb cravings, this product is flavorless so you can mix it into any drink and get support for your cravings, whether you’re trying to lose weight or just keep your sweet tooth in line.
· HerNightly: This is a sleep aid that also offers benefits like repairing and strengthening skin, muscles, and hair. Take one serving before bed and the melatonin helps you sleep while the other ingredients ensure you wake up feeling healthy and rested.
I’ve tried both the HerTime and HerPower. I admit to being skeptical at first that a powder mixed into some water could really make a difference but I was quickly converted to a believer. These products are not a cure or treatment for any major issues, so of course you should check with your doctor before use, but in my experience, they are amazing. HerPower would be perfect for your wife, mom, or daughter who wants to boost her energy or complains about brain fog, while HerTime may be a good fit for your teen daughter who only recently started her period.
MinnieMadeIt/Custom-Made Baby & Family Shirts
My ovaries started demanding I have another baby when I saw the onesies and other adorable shirts for babies and toddlers. This custom, handmade clothing shop on Etsy offers some seriously outstanding shirts for the whole family. From adorable pregnancy announcements to hilarious holiday says for babies and toddlers, and matching shirts for the whole family, this shop has something for everyone. And they’re all reasonably priced, costing about the same as what you might buy in any big box store — but supporting a small business instead.
Check out the shop and see what you like. I’m willing to bet you’ll find something you just can’t resist — even if it is only for yourself.
Confidence by Gabby Goodwin
When I learned that Gabby was only 7 when she came up with her product, I was floored. And her mom’s support was amazing! This was a story I truly loved. Gabby is now 13 and CEO of her own company — talk about girl power! As far as the products themselves, I have no little girls on which to try them. But I loved the concepts. I passed the products on to someone else who could use them. I loved the orange cream scent — that’s a big thing I hate about the products I use, they all have these heavy perfumy scents (or like coconut) and this was light, fresh, and playful. It’s super light and in all frankness, I think I would enjoy using these products as an adult. But if you have a daughter, the styling products are perfect for kids and the barrettes are absolutely adorable and much harder to lose than typical barrettes.
If you’re looking to support a small (though rapidly growing!) female-owned business and buy something feminine and fun for a girl in your life, this is perfect. Check out the bundle of styling products or the complete set of barrettes on Amazon or find other options on Gabby’s website.
Little Love Jar
This may be perhaps the most personal gift I’ve ever found. The Little Love Jar is a gift that is quite literally filled with love. When you order, you receive a special link that you’ll share with others who care about your intended recipient. They can then send a personalized message through that link which will be printed and included in the jar. When opened, the jar offers all these messages of love, hope, kindness, and good memories. I received a jar filled with sample messages and even though they weren’t meant specifically for me, I still felt very loved and cherished.
This gift does take some time to put together so if you plan to order for Christmas, you’ll probably want to start now. But it’s also great for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, a new baby, weddings, and so many other reasons. Little Love Jar really hits the mark of “it’s the thought that counts” and will easily be a most-treasured gift to anyone who gets it.
Tidal Hair Sticks
Whether you watched Friends when it originally aired or watch reruns today, you’ve probably seen Monica, Rachel and Phoebe use hair sticks to hold their hair up. And that trend is making a comeback, thanks to Tidal Hair Sticks. I’m waiting for my hair to be long enough to successfully use these again! They’re a quick and easy way to put your hair up that looks effortless and even intentionally messy. They’re less constrictive and not likely to get tangled in your hair no matter how fine or thick it is.
Tidal Hair Sticks come in several beautiful varieties and can be purchased alone or in sets of two. And you can just ignore me over here measuring my hair to see if it’s long enough to use them yet.
Moonglow Jewelry
Moonglow Jewelry offers handmade jewelry with a unique twist: choose a date and get your jewelry with an image of the moon phase on that date. With jewelry for women or men, pieces that are both delicate and sturdy, these pieces are truly beautiful and meaningful. What I really love about this twist is that unlike a birthstone piece, only you and your loved one will know the meaning behind the moon. It might be your anniversary, the date of birth or death of someone meaningful, the day you met, or something else. But no one else will know unless you choose to share it. This makes it a public secret the two of you will share.
Each piece is handmade and finished with Swarovski crystals, genuine gemstones, and semi-precious metals. Whoever you’re buying for, if there’s a special date for the two of you or one you know has meaning for them, Moonglow Jewelry is an ideal gift.
Wild Dough
My kids loved playing with playdough, but it always dried out so quickly and I’d find little hard bits and clumps all over the place. It drove them and me crazy! Which is why I really love Wild Dough. This deliciously-scented and super-soft all-natural playdough was founded by an Australian mom who wanted softer, longer-lasting playdough for her own daughter. And now she’s expanded to take her product global and that makes the world’s kids so lucky. With bright colors, yummy fragrances, and dough that is super soft and almost seems to moisturize the hands as you play with it, this is perfect for little ones who love playing with dough. And the all-natural ingredients make it super-safe for little ones (though it does contain wheat and corn in case of allergies). I even found myself pulling it out of the jar and kneading it between my hands as I watched TV or worked on a problem — kind of like a stress ball!
Wild Dough is a little more expensive than regular playdough, but you get a lot more of it and when properly stored and cared for, could last a year or more without drying out. I have no hard numbers but I suspect that by the time you bought and replaced regular playdough in that time, Wild Dough is about the same price and maybe even a better deal considering all its benefits.
I’d love to know what’s on your wish list this year. Even though I claim I’m done shopping, you just might inspire me to get a few more gifts for those I love.