Christmas,  Cooking,  Gifts

My 2018 Favorite Christmas Gift Ideas

 

I couldn’t find a “Favorite Things” list for normal people with normal money, so I made my own.

Unlike Oprah, my favorite gifts for Christmas don’t cost the same as a car payment or mortgage. Grouped from the five-dollar range to a fifty-dollar max, I did all the scouring so all you have to do is the clicking!

To ring in the season, here are my faves….

 

Gimme $5!

1. Ginsco 7-pc Succulent Transplanting Minature Fairy Garde Planting Gardening Hand Tools Set

The tiny tools with the giant name, perfect for the succulent addict. I gave these to my sister last year and they’re so stinkin’ cute. Don’t hesitate… propagate! 

2. Ninja Outdoorsman 11-in-1 Stainless Steel Credit Card Pocket-Sized Survival Multi Tool

The name says it all. Give one to an adventurous guy and feel confident about calling him MacGyver. Any adventurous girl can use it too, but you’ll have to call her Addison Timlin.

3. Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover

Got some clutzy friends with or without sippy sippy? Their white shirts will thank you when you whip this out.

Featured in Good Housekeeping, Food & Wine, Today Show, Rachael Ray, Washington Post, Architectural Digest, InStyle, and many other nationally recognized mags. Also works on coffee, blood, ink, fruit punch, sauces,  pet accidents and red medicine stains!

$10-ish

1. Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People by Bob Goff

If you’ve never wrestled with setbacks or difficult people, don’t read this. I finished this page-turner a couple weeks ago and felt challenged in a whole new way. Perfect follow-up to his first book, Love Does.

 

2. Just Crunch Anti-Soggy Cereal Bowl

Pretty much the most popular bowl on Amazon, this thing keeps cereal fresh and crunchy while you eat! Also perfect for yogurt and berries, ice cream and toppings, chips and salsa, fries and ketchup… shall I go on? And of course, it’s BPA-free.

 

3. Taco Socks

What else would one wear on Taco Tuesday? These are the women’s version, but they also have them for men. Click to see all the other food and animal options.

4. EOS Lip Balm Stick Pack

Love the balm but don’t love the ball? These sticks will fit perfectly in your purse, your pocket, and somebody’s stocking. Plus, pomegranate raspberry, vanilla bean, and sweet mint? Good garlands! Lick if you must. 

5. Merry Christmas Retro Red Truck Pillow Cover

Do you have a sad/ugly/pathetic/worn 18″x18” pillow? This is a perfect replacement cover! They also have eight other awesome covers to pick from if Christmas isn’t your thing. This is on my Amazon wishlist!

 

$Fifteen–Not Obscene

1. Truff Hot Sauce

With black truffle from Northern Italy, organic agave nectar from Jalisco, Mexico (hollah!), and a hint of organic cumin, this is not your uncle Bill’s hot sauce. Plus, it’s gluten-free, preservative-free and vegan so you can slather it on your kale or seaweed, guilt-free. 

 

2. Set of 7 Hexagon-Shaped Ceramic Succulent Planters with Bamboo Tray

I love this beehive-inspired look so I put it on my wish list too. Perfect for succulents, cacti, herbs or any small plant. 

3. 50 Photo Clips String Lights Holder

Most strings only have 20 or 30 clips—this one will help you display all your Christmas cards/photos in one place! Whether you string it down the hall or zig-zag it across your wall, make sure to tell the teen in your life it’s “lit.”

 

 

4. Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis

With rave reviews on Amazon and a New York Times Bestseller, her subtitle says it all: Stop believing the lies about who you are so you can become who you were meant to be.

5. Stainless Steel Reusable Straw Set

No need to be a millennial to love these. Eco-friendly, travel-friendly, and anti-choking-friendly. Because friends don’t let friends accidentally ingest paper straw bits.

 

25 Bucks

1. Pudus Slipper Socks with Grippers

Don’t you dare call them just socks. Featured on shows like Good Morning America, Oprah’s Favorite Things, Rachel Ray, and dozens more, you know they’re ridiculously cozy and fully legit. And… they have 74 different patterns and colors! (Yes, I counted for you.)

Perfect for the person who’s hard to shop for. And the person who’s always cold.

2. bago Packing Cubes 10-Piece Set in 12 Colors

Know someone who travels more than never? They need these. No more exploding suitcases and “Where the heck did I put my skivvies?!” when they arrive. 

Use the largest bag as a laundry bag so there’s no separating back at home. Straight into the washer you go!

 

3. YETI Rambler 14-oz Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Mug with Lid

Have a camper, boater, hunter or hiker in your life? Believe me–this is what they want. It claims to be the toughest, most over-engineered camp mug out there.

Duracoat color = no peeling, scratching or fading. Double-wall vacuum insulation = hot stays hot, cold stays cold. No sweat design = dry hands. Eight colors to pick from, but the navy and brick red are my faves.

I Grant You $50

2019 Anchored Press Devotional Calendar Planner

This last one isn’t on Amazon, but when you have an editor friend who throws your name into the hat to be a guest author, you say yes!

Isn’t it purdy? With literally three books in one, this thing will get even the most distracted, organizationally-challenged woman right on track. It even features a weekly page for dinner plans, to-do lists, intentional goals, and prayer requests.

This beauty comes as a daily planner or weekly planner with three color and design options, in spiral bound or lay-flat binding and gold corner protectors.

I’m stoked to be a part of the 2019 edition and hope you love this keepsake too!

Click here to see the Anchored Press Devotional Planner

 

 

 

 

 

If I had my own TV show and a fat paycheck I’d be yelling, “You get a car! And you get a car!” to you and all your friends. But I don’t so I won’t.

Instead, I’ll end with this super inspirational and religious quote:

This Christmas, may your family be functional and your batteries be included.

 

Do you know someone who could use a little shopping help? Pass this on and ease their stress.

What did I miss? Do you have a fun Christmas gift idea? Help us out by sharing in the comments!

Happy shopping, amigos.

 

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14 Comments

  • Lisa Galleguillos

    I LOVE this! I’m definitely getting some of these! The planner looks amazing and if I hadn’t spent $40 on the Living Well planner I would buy it for myself in a heartbeat.

    • Carrie Talbott

      Thanks, Lisa. Come back and tell me what you got, kay? I’m always curious which gifts strike a chord with friends. Merry Christmas!

  • Karen

    Carrie,
    Loved, loved, loved this!! Just went to Amazon and bought the straws and the Wine Away. Had to restrain with a few other items. 🙂
    We miss you down here in Mexico. But it’s so fun to keep up with your family and life through your writing.
    Feliz Navidad a todos!!

    • Carrie Talbott

      Gracias, amiga! I had to restrain with a few other items too, but I’m glad the straws and Wine Away helped you knock out your list.

      We miss y’all too. Feliz Navidad a ustedes también!

  • Jeanne Baker

    Fabulolos suggestions… I went straight to Amazon and ordered three of your suggestions!!! Yeah???????? Check those off the list!

    • Carrie Talbott

      Gracias, Jeanne. 🙂 I’m never going to get rich on Amazon kickbacks, but I DO appreciate your support. Glad you could check a few things off your list in the first week of December. Woohoo!

  • Sherry Brinkerhoff

    A great list! I haven’t seen ped-tread socks in years! I love those! I am intrigued by both the books you listed. I have an almost teen granddaughter who might benefit from Girl, Wash Your Face. I often give books as gifts. I guess it is because I love to read so much.

    My favorite gifts to give come out of my kitchen and my sewing room. I love giving my jams/jellies to folks. I just made a corn pillow (shaped for the neck) for my best friend who is over the moon about it.

    Congrats on the spot in the daily devotional/daily planner. Merry Christmas!

    • Carrie Talbott

      There’s another book I saw that your granddaughter might like better: Live Original, by Sadie Robertson. I haven’t read it, but she’s a Christian and a 20-something who’s writing to a younger audience. Girl, Wash Your Face is more for women.

      I love that you make so many gifts! I haven’t done that as much as I’d like, but I love giving and receiving homemade items; feels so personal. 🙂

      Thanks and Merry Christmas to you too, Sherry!

    • Carrie Talbott

      Thanks, Jennifer.
      Me too! I should probably start making a list of every person who would love one….

    • Carrie Talbott

      Those are cool, Andrea! I just bought some larger ones, but I like the compact size and the fantabulous price. 🙂
      Merry Christmas to you too. And thanks!