Holiday Gift Guide 2020

Hey everyone! Today I thought I would share some ideas for this holiday gifting season!

We've been doing a ton of Christmas shopping around here and I think I'm finally done. My husband has a bit left to do and I do need to wrap a few things but I'm done ordering online and shopping in store. More than ever this year I ordered the majority of my gifts online since it's been so hard to shop in person but we did make an effort to shop small and local in order to support some of our favorite local shops. I'll be highlighting those here for anyone who is in the Rhode Island area, but also sharing links for online items if you are looking to shop from home this year.

Dog Dad

Are you married to a dog dad? Well here are some items he might like.

How adorable are those socks?! I ordered these socks for Tim for his birthday but ended up giving them to him within five minutes of opening the package up. Pupsocks are super customizable, you upload a picture you want to feature and pick the sock color as well. Tim has given them great reviews which is saying a lot since he is a sock connoisseur. I think they are absolutely adorable and I love how sweet Sophie's little face looks on the socks. You can check out their website here.

Doodle Dad T-shirt- If you also have a doodle dad in your house, this shirt is super cute! I gave this to Tim for fathers day and he wears it all the time.

Doodle Dad Coffee Mug- Also a big hit in our house- so much so that the first one broke and another has been ordered as a Christmas gift (shhh!)

You can also find a ton of personalized dog items on Etsy. I've seen t-shirts, ornaments, paintings, mugs...definitely a great place to get something personalized for your family.

Books

So many great books have come out recently and I have quite a TBR (to be read) list. Here are some of the books I think would make a great gift this holiday season

A Promised Land- Barak Obama

Postscript- Cecila Ahern

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City)- Sarah J. Maas

One Day in December- Josie Silver

The Home Edit- Clea Shearer

The Home Edit Life- Clea Shearer

Throne of Glass series- Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thrones and Roses series- Sarah J. Maas

The Rest of the Story- Sarah Dessen

Open Book- Jessica Simpson

Christmas Shopaholic- Sophie Kinsella

A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes- Suzanne Collins

Midnight Sun- Stephenie Meyer

The Return- Nicholas Sparks

Make Life Beautiful- Shea and Syd McGee

Obviously all these recommendations are for adults or young adults. Since I don't have kids I don't have any specific book recommendations for children however I know when I was a kid I loved to read and was so happy to get a gift certificate to the book store so I could go pick out a book I wanted to read! If you have any kids in your life who haven't been introduced to Harry Potter yet, it might be a good time to start!

House Stuff

This year we have purchased so many items for our home that we did not have previously in an apartment. If you know someone who has just purchased a home you can never go wrong with a Home Depot gift card. However, if you want to make sure the person you are gifting to has a physical present under the tree here are some things we love in our home or are looking to purchase someday.

Bamboo Sheets- These sheets are so soft! Everyone loves a good set of sheets, and these are so affordable.

Coffee Organizer- Great for anyone with a Keurig!

Power Washer- This was my birthday gift to myself and it works great. I highly recommend it.

Portable Carpet Cleaner- I clean my couch with this little machine and it picks up so much dirt. 

Dyson Cordless Vacuum- Need a big gift? You can never go wrong with a cordless Dyson vacuum!!

Home Painting- These home watercolors are beautiful! I know anyone who just purchased a home would love to have one of these.

For Your Puppy

Obsessed with your dog too? Here are a few items you can put in your pups stocking this year.

KONG Wobbler- We picked this up for Sophie in the spring and use it all the time! It's great for keeping her busy and also giving her some treats!

Dog Treat Molds- Interested in making homemade dog treats? I know your dog would enjoy them!

Biosilk- For anyone with a long haired dog...this is a lifesaver!!

Cheese Chews- These are a great treat for dogs because it takes them awhile to get through them. We pick these up at our local pet store Fetch RI (linked for you) and we always feel great about supporting this small, local, woman owned business!

Earth Animal No-Hide Chews- Sophie loves these in every flavor and we get them all the time. Great chews for a once in awhile treat.

Barkbox- We are obsessed with getting Barkbox each month. You would think the excitement level would go down after a year but it hasn't at all. Every month the toys are high quality and Sophie truly plays with all of them. We have lost very few over the last year so we just keep collecting them. 

Neighbors/ Co-Workers/ Secret Santa/ Yankee Swap

It's so hard to buy gifts for people when you don't really know them well or in a yankee swap situation where you don't even know who will get them! Here are some ideas that are simple but also are loved by (almost) everyone. 

Candles- I personally can't get enough candles! My favorites for this season are from Bath and Body Works and are Tis The Season and Marshmallow Fireside. Both are a great winter scent that aren't too strong so they make a great gift. Bath and Body Works candles have great scent throw and often are on sale so you can really get a bang for your buck.

Chocolates-  I know everyone thinks their local chocolate shop is the best, but ours truly is! I absolutely adore Sweenor's Chocolates and you will too! They have many of their products online so you can order from anywhere but if you are local to RI you can stop in their shop in either Wakefield or Cranston to witness the best smelling shop you've ever been inside!

Simple Pleasures in Charlestown- One of the best shops in Charlestown Rhode Island! Unfortunately you do have to be local to purchase from here but they have the cutest items around! There are many "beachy" items but they also sell clothing and jewelry. It's a wonderful store to poke around and so many great gifts to be found.

Blankets- I don't have a link for this item but I think everyone appreciates a really nice blanket. I received one from Marshalls as a birthday gift this year and it's so soft and lovely. I don't think you can go wrong with anything that makes you cozy!

Soft Socks- Speaking of cozy...these are the best soft socks! The aloe really makes them so comfortable and once you use these you will never find any other socks as soft again.

Puzzles- During 2020 is anything more appropriate than puzzles? These Thomas Kinkade ones look like a great option for any Disney lover!

What great gifts are you buying this year? I would love to know! 

Birthday Weekend 2020

Well, it's happened. I am officially 32.  

Despite 2020 (and my age) I managed to have a great birthday weekend! We started off on Friday night with a birthday dinner at my parents house. My mom, dad, my brother, my brothers girlfriend, Tim, Sophie and I celebrated with takeout from one of my favorite restaurants, Pasquales. It was delicious, I absolutely love their penne alla vodka! 

I didn't take any pictures at dinner but I took this picture of my birthday gift from my parents.

My mom and papa both have similar birdbaths and I wanted one so much. I found this one at Walmart and requested it for my birthday. My sweet mom ordered it and my sweet husband lugged it into the car for me to take home. I have it set up on the side of our deck in the corner where it meets our new fence (post on that coming as soon as it's completed) and I plan to plant a ton of things in this area next spring! I want this to be a little secret garden area. 

I also got a special birthday package from Rachel with this cute t-shirt inside! I panicked when I saw the mailman coming with an Amazon package because I couldn't remember what I ordered and I have been known to order so much stuff that I can't remember what is coming!

Sophie was feeling awful sleepy on my birthday Saturday! She slept almost the whole day while I puttered around, cleaning the house and getting ready because we had some visitors coming over.

Brittni came over with her family! Sophie can't contain herself around these girls, she is a nut! It was so nice to have them over for a pizza party and just hang out together. They brought me some beautiful flowers, KitKats and paintings they had done. You can see on the tv what our entertainment was- the girls love Hamilton!

My awesome husband also made me feel so special with a sweet sappy card and some KitKats (can you tell they are my favorite??). We decided to not do big gifts for each other this year since we generally just buy ourselves whatever we want anyways. We also would like to work towards our savings goals AND I just bought a new car so I don't really need anything gift wise ;)

I'm writing this on Sunday and this sums up our plans for the day...

Lots of hanging out on the couch! 

I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to take on this new week!!

 

Engagement Gifts To Buy Your Besties

Have you ever been completely stumped with what to buy for your besties as an engagement gift? Well I'm here to do a little round up of gifts that I've been given for our engagement as well as gifts that I have seen that would be super sweet. 

Getting engaged is an exciting time and it's so nice to show the ones you love that you are excited for them! This guide will focus on gifts for the ladies but I'm sure there are plenty of places to find gifts for your engaged guy friends as well. 

One of the first gifts I received was a tote bag that says Bride on it. This one that my MOH Rachel gifted me is absolutely perfect since it's super simple and fits my taste. With a quick google search I noticed there are hundreds of different bags you can pick up for your girls! There are sequined ones, colorful ones, simple ones like mine- anything your heart desires! I do recommend a tote bag since there is plenty of information to carry around this time- I have my wedding planning binder inside mine along with miscellaneous papers I need to hold onto.

Another thoughtful gift Rachel gave me was the two tiny vials pictured above where sand will be held from my wedding day and from my honeymoon. Mine came from Painted By The Shore and I think they would make a fabulous gift for any brides who are getting married on the beach or honeymooning on the beach!

At the time of this post this mug is only $11 and how cute is it?! You can purchase it on Amazon and I think it would make such a sweet gift for any engaged girl in your life.

My friend Danielle sent me The Bride Box and it was such a sweet gift! There are many variations of it on their site so you can really customize it to your bestie. The one I received, The Bridal Beauty Box is a fun one for any girl who loves testing new beauty products. I have been testing out lip products and nail polish from this box and if you've been reading for any length of time you know that's one of my favorite activities!

Another really cute idea is a passport holder with your friends new name on it! Or simply "Mrs"

Many people plan to leave the country on their honeymoon and having a new passport holder is a simple way for them to have their new name or title on display! This one is from Zazzle and I love the fake marble look!

This adorable sun hat is from Kohl's  and every time I go into the store I want to buy it for myself....I might buy it soon... how nice would this be for a beach honeymoon?! We are going on a beach honeymoon next year and I will definitely be displaying my new title for all to see!

Have you seen these feyonce shirts?! I think they are so funny. If you do a quick google search you will find an abundance of shirts like this and ones spelled the traditional way as well. Either are adorable and nice way to encourage your bestie to show off her new ring!

Speaking of shirts I also think this one is great for any girl who is trying to get in her best shape before her wedding! You can find it at Bridal Party Tees along with hundreds of other shirts if working out isn't the brides thing!

I hope these ideas helped and remember that a gift is a sweet idea for a bride-to-be but not entirely necessary. Most brides just need besties around them who will listen to everything they are stressing about and going through during the wedding planning process and are thrilled to have you by their side!

An A-Team Christmas Party

Tonight was the second annual A-Team Christmas party!

(Almost) Every Wednesday I play trivia at a local bar, Wood River Inn with friends and we go by the name the A-Team. We actually do pretty well and win quite a bit which is fun. There are six of us on the team and last year we all exchanged gifts, but of course that gets pretty pricey. This year we decided to do secret santa and it was a ton of fun!

We watched some football and ate before exchanging gifts. Funny enough, it was all back and forth.

I had Brittni, Brittni had me.

Blythe had Jenna. Jenna had Blythe.

Stephen had Amy. Amy had Stephen.

Weird how it ended up like that!

Anyways, my present to Brit hasn't exactly arrived yet, so she will get it handed to her at work this week.

Thanks to Julie over at Peanut Butter Fingers, I discovered this awesome shirt! Brit is giving birth to her first daughter Emma at the beginning of February and I thought this was a hilarious shirt from ThugLifeShirts.com. I also gave her the cutest, fluffiest ornament from Pier 1. 

How cute is he?!

I absolutely loved my gifts from Brittni. She knows me so well and got me things that I will use and love!

This Patriots ugly sweater t-shirt is awesome! I have been talking about wanting a Patriots ugly sweater for some time but they are super expensive so this t-shirt is perfect! She purchased it on chowdaheadz.com which I've been browsing around seems like an awesome website to buy gifts on for any Boston sports fans!

Brit also got me a candle from Bath and Body Works called Dashing Through The Snow.  I have to say that although it is not a scent I would've picked out at the store for myself- I'm absolutely loving it. I'm burning it right now in sync with my Diamond Candle in gingerbread and the scents are so complimentary to each other! The scent description is green balsam, wintry musk, and the jingle of sparkling citrus. It definitely gives off that Christmas pine tree scent that I miss when we have an artificial tree!

After exchanging gifts we played a few rounds of Heads Up which is the super awesome Ellen Degeneres game. Amy pulled it up on her phone and we had fun seeing how good everyones acting skills were as we attempted to act out each word that popped up!

I hope you had an amazing weekend and if you attended any Christmas parties you had a great time. Have a great week and get excited...we are almost to Christmas!

Christmas Gift Ideas!

Every year I like to put together a little gift guide for Christmas so I thought I would share all my previous gift guides in one post as well as show you a few things that are on my Christmas list/ Wish list this year!

My 2014 Gift Guide

My 2013 Gift Guide

My 2012 Gift Guide

One of the main gifts I always recommend (as you can see at the links above) is candles! I absolutely adore a good smelling candle. I can highly recommend Bath and Body Works candles because I have used them for years.

Tis the Season is an amazing scent! It's great for a Christmas gift for anyone!

Other favorites I would recommend are:

Leaves (not a winter scent I know!)
Vanilla Snowflake
Vanilla Bean Noel


Other candle companies that are awesome:

Diamond Candles
Yankee Candle




This year a gift I may give myself is a Dyson vacuum!




Isn't she beautiful?!


I'm sure you already know based on my blog that I enjoy a clean and organized home and I've been dreaming of owning a Dyson for years. There is no vacuum on the market that performs like a Dyson and after using my moms for years- I think it may be time to splurge on one for myself. I got a new job and a raise so I think I might have earned it right???










The nutribullet is something I have asked my parents to gift me this year. I will be using this to make my Shakeology each day which I'm super excited about. I am not a huge fan of the blender here so I can't wait to have my own to use each day.

This would be a great gift for anyone who does Beachbody or a similar program!









I have been crushing on these boots ever since I saw them on Sam's instagram. Sam from SimplyOrganized showed these off on her things I love post and I am a huge fan! I can't justify the splurge on these right now but I might have to before they disappear because they are adorable! You can find them over at Nordstrom (they are called Leandra) and would look adorable with any outfit!






Other items I love gifting?

I am a sucker for gift cards. I know, super lame, however I think that gift cards allow the gift recipient to pick up something they will actually use and love. I know that I'm particularly picky when it comes to decor for my house, clothes that I wear, and pretty much everything so I would prefer someone just give me a gift card so I can pick out something I actually like.

A good bath and body set is always appropriate for any women in your life. I have an abundance of lotion and shower gel and am actually going on a product no-buy in the new year but I know it's something women always appreciate getting!

I love experience type gifts as well. Anything that you can do together such as a sporting event, a vacation, etc is great because it will be a super memorable gift. I'm super excited to be giving a gift to Tim this year that we will get to enjoy in March! (He already knows what it is- if he reads this then it won't ruin a surprise)

The last thing I love to gift is ornaments. I think it's an awesome gift to give to anyone in your life. There's always something memorable about the year- whether it's a movie that you loved or a trip you took- there's always something you can add to your tree. I love picking out ornaments for friends and family and seeing them on their tree year after year!

What are you gifting for Christmas? What's on your wish list?

End of the Year Gifts Part 2

Last week I shared with you some gift ideas that parents had given me during the end of the dance season. Today I'm going to share with you an example of how I was able to give nice gifts to all my assistants without breaking the bank.

Here is an example of some of the items that I put inside the bags I gave to them:

I chose a beauty theme for the five girls who assist me all year long and used a wide variety of items that I had couponed for to fill up their bags. Each girl received slightly different items- but I tried to put two nail polishes in each bag because I know all of them enjoy painting their nails! I also included items like bath salts, lotion, emery boards, and soap in the bags.

This was a simple way to create a small gift to show my assistants how much I truly appreciate their help all year!

Do you have assistants? What do you give them at the end of your season/year?

Kaitlin's Baby Shower!

With recital finally wrapping up, it was time for some low-key hang out time. First, I had a baby shower to attend! On Sunday morning, I met up with some friends from work and we headed to Kaitlin's baby shower. You may recognize Kaitlin's name because she is not only a friend from work but someone I enjoy hiking and hanging out with! She is due with her first child in early August and it's going to be a sweet little girl! She is still working on a name, however all the ones she has told me are adorable!

Here are some pictures from her pink-filled shower!

One of my favorite things about the shower was during the present opening we were able to play bingo! We each had a blank bingo card and before Kaitlin opened gifts we wrote down on the card items we thought she would be opening. Of course being an insanely competitive person, I loved playing this game! As prizes there were a bunch of pink nail polishes in a basket that had labels saying "You nailed it!" How cute is that!?

I also loved the favors they gave away. Bath and Body Works hand sanitizers in shades of pink. They said "Thank you for coming and touching Kaitlin's life, now you'll be able to touch her baby!" This was a cute idea since it's so important to keep a baby away from all the germs you can!

Now, I'm going to share with you what I gave Kaitlin as a gift.

As you all know, I'm on a budget and try to give the most amount of items possible, while still spending the maximum I can afford (which isn't a lot!). I ended up finding a ton of newborn through one year outfits on clearance after Christmas at Kohls. At that point I wasn't even quite sure if she was having a girl or boy but I was banking on it being a girl! I purchased a few items off her registry, but then also bought a two cent baby powder and gave safety latches that I received as a free sample. The most expensive item was the book that I purchased in lieu of a card.  By being smart about your purchases and buying things on clearance and using couponing deals and free samples as gift items you are able to give so much more!

There is everything all wrapped up!

What is your limit for a baby shower gift? Do you use clearance deals and free samples to bulk up your gift?

Have a great day everybody!

End of the Year Gift Ideas!

I'm here today to share a few end of the year gift ideas from gifts I've received this year from my students. I love the ideas they and their parents come up with and I know that sometimes people have a hard time coming up with gifts for teachers, so I thought I would share a few of the more creative ones I've received this year!

These chocolate pops were a hit with one of my classes. One of my students made these for everyone in the class and used a pointe shoe mold to make them dance-appropriate, so cute!

This water bottle with Hershey kisses inside was really sweet and it was even sweeter that they included a gift card to a local restaurant inside!

Simple, but adorable. A mason jar full of wrapped candy is a great idea! Mason jars are cheap and a great way to store items, and the candy inside is such a delicious treat!

One mom went so far as to crochet flowers for her daughters to give me and the other teachers. How sweet right?! I love it!

Another mason jar idea- but I thought the top was adorable- you are "tutu" sweet! How cute is that?! I love the idea of giving a mason jar full of candy (just make sure it's wrapped candy. A lot of people will not eat food that isn't wrapped for cleanliness reasons!)

Those are some cute homemade items I received as gifts for this end of year. I will keep you updated if I receive any other cute ideas before the year is over!

Do you have any cute homemade ideas for end of the year gifts?

Under The Bed...

Dun Dun Dun…

No there's nothing scary under my bed! Are there scary things under yours?

I think under the bed is a great place to store a few things, especially if you are a little low on storage space. I only keep a few things under my bed since I don't want it to become a free-for-all maze under there.

One of the main things I keep stored under my bed is a bin full of extra gifts. When I find a great deal, I tend to buy multiples of items and store them for future gifts. I also do the same thing after Christmas, when I find great deals on holiday gift sets, I buy a few and save them for when I'm in a pinch.

These are also great donation items if you ever do "Adopt a family" at Christmas time, or if you need a prize for a party game.

I also use bedspread packages to hold gifts. This tends to hold bigger gifts, or ones that are meant for specific purposes and I have just purchased super early. I love using these bedspread packages because they are a free supply and they seal nicely so everything you put inside stays safe.

My favorite storage item under my bed is my greeting card organizer. This is where I keep all my greeting cards organized by type and all my envelopes. I sometimes end up getting greeting cards for really cheap with coupons, so I usually buy generic cards so I can save them and use them rather then buy a super expensive card.

Before I used a shoe box to store them, and made the dividers you see above to fit inside the shoe box. In this plastic container, I feel that the cards and envelopes are safer, but still in a small bin. There is room to grow, if needed, but it also was a free organization system- the kind I love best!

In case you're curious of my card categories, they are; Birthday, Christmas, Thank You, and Blank.

I also try to clean under my bed every couple of weeks. When I change my sheets, I think it's a great time to move the bed and vacuum underneath. I also like to pull out a dusting rag and clean the baseboards on that side of the bedroom. It's important to make sure that area doesn't become a breeding zone for dust bunnies!

What is under your bed?! It is full of organizational aspects or a breeding ground for dust bunnies?

Stocking Stuffer Guide!

Two weeks ago I shared my Gift Guide for 2013  now I'm back with my Stocking Stuffer Guide. I personally think that sometimes a stocking can be the best part of Christmas morning. So many little gifts in one place, stockings can be so fun!

Whether you're making a stocking for family or friends, here is my master list of ideas to fill a stocking!

Hope this helps you with all your stocking-stuffing this holiday season! If you don't celebrate Christmas, I'm sure anyone would love to receive a gift bag with many of these items! 

Gift Guide 2013

Happy Holidays everyone!

Last year I posted a little gift guide with a few ideas of things you could pick up as presents for your loved ones. I decided to make it an annual post and once again do a blog about gift ideas. Some of the same things will make it onto my list this year I'm sure because there are certain items that I love and have loved for years!

Lets get started...

Candles

I love candles, I honestly can't get enough of them. Here are a few places that I like to buy candles for my own personal use, as well as for gifts.

Bath and Body Works

 

I love the 'Tis the season candle from bath and body works. They say that it smells like a mix of red apples, green pine and golden cider. Personally, I just find it incredibly spicy and love burning it all the time! I have received one of these candles last year for Christmas and held onto it so I could burn it this year and it's almost gone! I love the smell so much I'm considering ordering some others...

Candles by Victoria

I can't say much about particular smells from this brand because the one I purchased is a secret Christmas gift for somebody =) However, They have a TON of scents at the Candles by Victoria website, I would definitely check it out!

Yankee Candle

I don't buy Yankee Candles often because I find them to be pretty overpriced. However, I absolutely love one of their Christmas scents!

Their Christmas Cookie scent is absolutely delicious! This is a great candle to give as a Christmas gifts to friends, family, and co-workers. Who doesn't love a yummy smelling candle?!

Diamond Candles

I know I've talked about these babies before, but only because I can't get enough of them! Diamond Candles is a brand of candles where they put a ring inside the candle. The ring can be worth $10 or up to $5,000! I love having a little surprise inside my candle, although I've only ever received rings that are made in China =)

I have tried several of the scents and can honestly tell you that every single one has been fantastic. They are soy based candles so they really throw the scent into all corners of your home. My mom and I have been gifting these for a few years and everyone else seems to love them too!

Makeup

I know not everybody enjoys receiving makeup as a gift, and there are a ton of people out there who don't even wear makeup...but if you do have somebody in your life who is a makeup fiend, here are some ideas for them!

Naked Palettes

Urban Decay's Naked palettes are awesome! I own Naked 1, Naked 2 and Naked Basics and can without a doubt tell you that every one of them would make fantastic gifts. 

Recently they just released the Naked 3, and although I haven't had the chance to play with it yet, I can tell you that many girls will be hoping for this to appear under their tree this year!

Hunger Games Makeup

If you have anyone in your life who loves the Hunger Games AND makeup, you are in luck!

Covergirl released a whole line of makeup based on the new movie Catching Fire. There are eye pencils, mascaras, and nail polishes that look like so much fun. 

Nail Polishes

One of my favorite little gifts to pick out for people is a nail polish. It is so easy to toss it in with someones gift or put it in a stocking. I think Essie has amazing nail polish that dries quickly and has great staying power so I would highly recommend picking an Essie color!

Jewelry

Alex and Ani's

I have gifted (and been gifted) so many Alex and Ani's in the past few years and think they are amazing gifts! You can buy just one or buy a few to get somebody started on their collection. They are great bracelets and aren't too pricey which is great!

Inhale Love Etsy Shop

A family friend Kate makes her own jewelry and has the cutest Etsy shop! I previously purchased Tree of Life earrings from her and love them! I have been considering ordering some of the stacking bracelets she has as on her site as well because they would make great Christmas presents for anyone who likes to wear bracelets. They would be easy to mix and match with other bracelets as well.

Tech Toys

Apple Products

I am an Apple girl in all sense of the word. I own a Macbook pro, an iPod Nano, and have been in a relationship with my iPhone for 7 years. I highly recommend all of these items. I have also had the opportunity to play with the iPad and iPad Mini and think they would make great gifts! Apple has amazing products and everything they make is truly top-notch. 

Fit Bit

This is the big item that is on my Christmas list this year. One of my students constantly ran around last year trying to up her steps on her Fit Bit and I have desperately wanted one ever since! Not only do these track the number of steps you take, they also keep track of the number of flights of stairs you go up as well as the number of times you wake up each night. I am so excited to try mine out, and hope that it will get me more motivated to exercise on a daily basis.

Kindle

I love, love my Kindle! If you have a book-lover in your life the Kindle is the way to go. I was originally against the Kindle and I received it as a birthday present unsure if I would keep it or not. Books are a lot cheaper in Kindle version, and although I still love having a book to flip pages I do love my Kindle!

Books

Divergent Series

Not only is this an excellent book trilogy, the first movie is coming out early 2014! It would be the perfect time to buy this book series for someone. Although it's technically a young adult series, it's similar to The Hunger Games and a great series for all ages!

Delirium Series

This is another book trilogy, which is young adult but would be great for all ages. This one is definitely more geared towards girls however.

The Selection Series

The Selection Series is amazing. Only two of the three books are actually out but they are both excellent!

Odds and Ends

Scarves

A scarf is a great present to get anybody in your life. It is easy to find a pretty neutral color that is a safe bet, or chose a brighter color or pattern that fits someones personality perfectly.

Ornaments

I am a huge fan of giving ornaments as Christmas gifts. Everyone that celebrates Christmas has a tree and needs to decorate it. It is so fun to see if you can find the perfect ornament for someones personality. I love to pick out ornaments too, there are so many choices =)

Mugs

In my house we are huge fans of Disney mugs, especially ones that are HUGE. It is constantly a battle over who gets the biggest mugs for tea in the morning. I think most people appreciate a nice coffee mug this time of year since hot chocolate, tea and coffee are popular in the colder months

Birchbox

You all know that I LOVE when my Birchbox arrives every month. I have gifted this to people before as well and find that everyone loves getting this little sample box every month. There are lots of beauty box options out there but I can confidently speak for this one!

Lush Items

Lush is an amazing store, and their Christmas collection is fantastic. I received the Snow Fairy shower gel for my birthday and love the smell. It would be a great stocking stuffer!

Those are just a few items that I can recommend for gifts this holiday season. I hope that this mini-gift guide will be able to help you in some way!

How are you doing on your holiday shopping? Have you completed it already or are you just starting?

I am almost done with my shopping, just a few more items left to buy. I am waiting for a few items to arrive in the mail and then I will have almost everything done. I have been wrapping as I go so hopefully I won't have a ton to do after Thanksgiving!