☀️It Dawned on Me… to Make a Christmas Gift Guide!

🎁 Gifts for the family; gifts for readers; gifts for the cook & the kitchen; odds & ends & stocking stuffers; & big splurge gifts!

Dec 02, 2023

♣️ Dutch Blitz

Our children and their friends started playing Dutch Blitz a couple of years ago. The card game involved lots of action and yelling. Recently my husband and I decided we should learn how to play, although we expected to be bad at it for a while (the kids all said they were too).

I. Am. Addicted. If I played solitaire all day, I’d consider it wasted time. But Dutch Blitz is family time. It’s designed for 2-4 players ages 8 and up, but add the Expansion Pack and you can accommodate up to 8 players. (4.8 ★ on Amazon)

🔎 Labyrinth

We started playing Labyrinth in the 1990s when I sold Discovery Toys. It’s such a sentimental family favorite that we gave it to our adult children’s families at Christmas a couple of years ago. Designed for 2-4 players ages 7 and up, Labyrinth also comes in Harry Potter, Disney Villains, Ocean, Pokémon, and Super Mario editions. (4.8 ★ on Amazon)

♦️ Skip-Bo

I’ve played Skip-Bo since I was a child when a relative from Texas brought it to our house on summer vacations (I think it originated and was available there in its early days). It’s designed for 2-6 players ages 7 and up. (4.9 ★ on Amazon)

🧸 The Sweet Smell of Christmas

The Sweet Smell of Christmas scratch-&-sniff storybook is an all-time family favorite with the littles. We must not be the only ones who love it because as I type, it’s in the top 500 books on Amazon. (4.7 ★ on Amazon)

🪆 Madeline Doll

Combine this 16” Madeline doll with the book and you’ve got the perfect gift for a little girl. Who doesn’t love Madeline? (doll 4.7 ★ and book 4.8 ★ on Amazon)

Gifts for Readers

📖 Kindle Scribe

I bought a Kindle Scribe when it was released last year and I’ve used it weekly if not dailly since then. I love the larger size, the pen, and the ability to make post-it style notes in books you’re reading or create your own notebooks. Amazon allows you to spread the payments over 5 months, interest-free, which I did. (4.3 ★ on Amazon)

👓 All the Light We Cannot See

Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See is back in the spotlight thanks to a new Netflix limited series. This beautiful WWII historical fiction novel explores the connection between a blind girl in occupied France and an orphaned German boy. (4.5 ★ on Amazon)

💕 Jane Austen: The Complete Works

Jane Austen: The Complete Works 7-Book Boxed Set features Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, & Love and Friendship (early writings and juvenilia). (4.8 ★ on Amazon)

🎶 The Lyrics: 1956-Present

If you couldn’t swing the hefty pricetag for The Lyrics: 1956-Present by Paul McCartney when it was released in hardback in 2021, you’ll be happy to see the new paperback edition at a fraction of the cost. Get the stories behind the songs! (4.9 ★ on Amazon)

📔 Little Golden Book Biographies

Delight your younger music-loving readers with Little Golden Book Biographies of The Beatles, Dolly Parton, or Taylor Swift!

Of course, I’d be thrilled if you checked out my books too!

🌿 It All Began in a Garden
💧 My Essential Oil Companion
🙏 The Beauty of Grace
👯 The Gift of Friendship
💍 The Heart of Marriage
👩‍👧 With Love, Mom

👩‍🍳Gifts for the Cook & the Kitchen

🍿 Salbree Microwave Popcorn Popper

According to my Amazon purchase history, we purchased the Original Salbree Microwave Popcorn Popper on our anniversary in 2017; it’s been in constant use ever since. We subscribe to Snappy White Popcorn on Subscribe & Save each month.

I calculated we pay half as much as we would for bagged microwave popcorn, and it’s better once you figure out how to make it how you like it. Our son uses olive oil, salt, and pepper. My husband and I like salt and equal parts butter and Amish Country Popcorn Coconut Oil, which pops more kernels than butter alone. Although I’m sure Concession Essentials Flavacol Popcorn Season Salt isn’t good for us, it’s nevertheless delicious. We bought it once, which might be a lifetime supply.

For Margarita Popcorn (or any other recipe you make in this popper), add all the ingredients to the popper and microwave. Don’t worry about melting anything separately. For our microwave, 2:45 is about right. (4.6 ★ on Amazon)

MARGARITA POPCORN
Melt 2 to 3 T. of coconut oil and then stir in 8 to 10 drops of lime essential oil. Drizzle the coconut-lime mixture over a bowl of popcorn and salt to taste.

~Recipe from My Essential Oil Companion

✂️ Calvary Brands Kitchen Scissors

My dad and stepmom bought me a pair of Calvary Brands Kitchen Scissors from my Amazon wishlist. Wow! They’re heavy-duty, sharp, and sturdy—everything you need in kitchen scissors—but they’re lovely too. (Sounds odd for kitchen scissors, but it’s true.) Matt Weir, a husband in my essential oils group, developed them and he did an impressive job. (4.9 ★ on Amazon)

👩‍🍳 New Basics Cookbook

I’ve owned the New Basics Cookbook since the ‘90s. It teaches you how to prep, store, and cook any fruit or vegetable, and contains recipes so fancy you may never attempt them, but also directions for every possible way to cook a potato and how to make biscuits that taste like your grandmother’s. I’ve given it as a wedding gift.

The hardback is out-of-print, but Amazon has some copies for less than the paperback. (4.7 ★ on Amazon)

☕️ Harney & Sons Tea

My “necessary for survival” list is brief: tea, heavy cream, either honey or agave. Harney & Sons is my preferred tea company, especially since they offer free shipping and coupon codes. I prefer loose-leaf (and it’s more economical for power drinkers), but they also have teabags and sachets.

Flavored black teas top my list, like Victorian London Fog (Earl Grey with lavender), Paris (just as dreamy as it sounds), and Hot Cinnamon Spice (my diet tea since I don’t add cream or sweetener—it needs nothing). I keep Decaf Vanilla Comoro on hand for afternoons (Paris and Hot Cinnamon Spice also have decaf options); it’s a perfect base for fun, flavored creamers. Vanilla Black is its caffeinated twin. I don’t love all brands of chai tea, but I finished my first tin of Harney & Sons Chai this week and I’m hooked on the lattes now.

My Christmas list in three words: Send more tea!

Use my coupon code at Harney & Sons for $10 off your first order! https://www.harney.com/a/rewards/r/HvyvbmIy

🍷 Floral Wine Charms

This set of 12 Floral Wine Charms will charm your favorite hostess or book club leader. No more mixing up glasses! (4.8 ★ on Amazon)

hunnibi No Drip Glass Honey Dispenser

I always make a mess with ordinary honey pots, but the hunnibi No Drip Glass Honey Dispenser (is it pronounced honey bee?) solves the problem with its press-and-release handle. It can also be used with chocolate or maple syrup. (4.3 ★ on Amazon)

🎄 Odds & Ends & Stocking Stuffers

🧦 KEYSOCKS Original No-Show Knee High Socks

No-show socks that don’t slip off or bunch up in your shoe? Yes, please. (4.4 ★ on Amazon)

💅 Zoya Pixie Dust Nude Nail Polish

This Zoya Pixie Dust Nude Nail Polish provides a fun sparkle on its own or layered over another color. (I’m wearing it now.) (4.4 ★ on Amazon)

☔️ Van Gogh Starry Night Umbrella

The Van Gogh Starry Night Umbrella makes a perfect gift for the art lover. It’s a functional art conversation piece. (4.6 ★ on Amazon)

✍️ Zebra Pen Mildliner Double-Ended Highlighter Set

The Zebra Pen Mildliner Double-Ended Highlighter Set makes a great gift for the reader who annotates their books or Bible. Give it as a set or break it up into multiple gifts or stocking stuffers. (4.8 ★ on Amazon)

🔌 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station for Apple MagSafe Charger

This 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station charges my phone, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro all at once. It’s the best charger I’ve owned. (4.5 ★ on Amazon)

🧦 Hot Sox Women's Famous Paintings Socks

These Hot Sox Women's Famous Paintings Crew Socks are so fun! When I taught art history, I gave my students art socks at Christmas. There’s currently a $4.50 off coupon at Amazon, so I just ordered a replacement for my Girl With a Pearl Earring pair, which I’ve worn a hole in. (4.7 ★ on Amazon)

🧋Stanley 40 oz. Insulated Tumbler with Handle

Every teen or twenty-something that walks into our home—and there are many—has a Stanley Quencher H2.0 FlowState Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Tumbler with Lid and Straw in their hand. That may sound like hyperbole, but I’m not sure that it is.

My kids have assured me I’ll drink more water and love the handle and cup holder fit—basically, that my life is incomplete with this Stanley tumbler—so I ordered one for myself. Although they come in multiple colors and sizes, they say 40 oz. is the way to go. (4.7 ★ on Amazon)

amco 8402 Rub-a-Way Bar Stainless Steel Odor Absorber

The amco 8402 Rub-a-Way Bar Stainless Steel Odor Absorber may be the oddest item included here, but it’s on my list and a lot of others too—they sold over 3K last month. This stainless steel bar removes odors from your hands. People swear by it. (4.5 ★ on Amazon)

🌟Big Splurge Gifts🌟

Feeling flush this Christmas? Congratulations! Here are some big splurge gift ideas!

🎧 Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

Did you know Apple recently released an updated version of their classic AirPods Pro? When my older pair of AirPods Pro recently developed a hum in one ear after years of use, I passed them along to my son and snagged the new Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation).

I love the noise canceling feature, the snug fit (they come with multiple silicone tips to fit your ear size—I need the smallest ones), noise canceling and transparency modes (Need to hear everything around you? Want to hear nothing around you?), and personalized spatial audio. (4.7 ★ on Amazon)

🦈 Shark FlexStyle

Can a hair dryer/style change your life? The Shark FlexStyle did mine (and it’s cheaper than the Dyson Airwrap). Order this one if you need a diffuser attachment for naturally curly hair. If you have shorter hair or want tighter curls, you might want to add a set of the smaller, .95” Auto Wrap Curlers (the set comes with the 1.25” size). (4.4 ★ on Amazon)

🎥 Indoor/Outdoor Projector & Projector Screen

This indoor/outdoor Projector and Projector Screen was our most fun splurge last year. We’ve had a blast watching backyard Braves games and movies. Need movie ideas? Here’s the post that inspired it all. (projector 4.2 ★, screen 4.8 ★ on Amazon)

🔈Echo Studio Speaker

If you like big sound, you’ll love the Echo Studio Speaker. Everyone loves to connect their phone via Bluetooth and play their music on ours. I originally bought it for television surround sound, but it’s only compatible with a Fire TV Stick. Although that’s what my husband and I use, the kids use the Apple TV and the sound was always jumping around. Eventually, we got a JBL Soundbar and have no regrets. It’s awesome. (4.5 ★ on Amazon)

🥚 PRIVATE GARDEN Hanging Egg Chair with Stand

Last fall I spoke at a women’s retreat in Hilton Head. The VRBO where we stayed had an egg chair outside and it became my favorite spot for morning tea and Bible study. I ordered the PRIVATE GARDEN Large Hanging Egg Chair with Stand when we got home, along with this jute pouf ottoman. Now this corner of our sunroom beckons you to come sit a spell. (4.6 ★ on Amazon)

🌿Aria Essential Oil Diffuser

For the ultimate diffusing experience, gift yourself or someone special an Aria Essential Oil Diffuser (comes with 5 ml bottles of peppermint and tangerine), a Starter Kit, or the stunning Calm Recovery Essentials Bundle.

Complete the gift with my books It All Began in a Garden and My Essential Oil Companion!

Eero 6+ Mesh WiFi System

We recently upgraded our home wifi network to the Eero 6+ Mesh WiFi System because the signal of our existing system, with one satellite, didn’t extend to the far end of our house, our bedroom. Now it does!

This system comes with one, two, three, or four units to fit the size of your home. (4.4 ★ on Amazon)

Visit my full Amazon Page HERE.

I hope you find this gift guide beneficial. It was fun to compile! Merry Christmas and happy shopping!!