2022 Holiday Gift Guide

This has been a busy year and the holidays are coming up fast. I can’t believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone. I have been reducing my Christmas list the last few years. Nieces/nephews getting older. Friends moving away. I’m trying to find more unique and meaningful gifts for everyone. Making memories more than it being about gifts or money. I’ve also been trying to go on more adventures, make more memories. Either with the kids, or with friends, I’ve gone to Catalina Island, car races, concerts, plays, even Calico Ghost Town, an abandon water park and Elmer’s Bottle Tree House (VERY cool places I found on Atlas Obscura website). I’ve also been busy in the classroom so blogging a lot less (meaning a lot fewer products I’m getting for blogging). So, that is making me think outside the box for meaningful gifts. I did find some handmade musical instruments that are great stocking stuffers from Strathearn Historic Park too. I’m still working on this list but wanted to share with you the things I have found interesting.

For the Person ‘That Has Everything’

For this type of person you can do a few things. Get a subscription for food (pretzels, snacks, beer) if you know their interests. You can also do something like a gourmet food gift basket or a Christmas bouquet.

You can also take them on a trip with you, to create new memories together. Sometimes day trips are fun while other times it is worth waiting until you have a three-day weekend so you can explore more. I can’t count how many times I’ve used Atlas Obscura website to find unique places to visit that are nearby your destination.

Body Care For All Ages

My kids, nieces and nephews are all at the age where they want body products (which are totally in fashion now too). The latest crazy is face mask sheets and lip mask sheets. I’m loving this Prideful five-pack. I can either give it to one person as a gift or five people as stocking stuffers. Each mask is different too. I will probably give it to one, since the packaging is so pretty to look at. This can be a gift for adults too.

I also got some salve (for me) and lip repair balm (stocking stuffers) from this wonderful small business in Oregon called Avani Herbals. The salve is for muscle and join pain relief. She has facial and skin products and they are all made by her, with ingredients grown in her garden. This is just a shoutout to her, since I love her products. I purchase them from her and don’t get them for blogging.

Gardener Gift Ideas

I’ve been spending more time in my garden. It is a place I like to be, plus, since covid hit, it was something I had more time for. I like growing fresh fruits and vegetables in the yard for my family plus I love harvesting them to bring to work to share with the other teachers. I like finding unique foods, like the sweet potatoes I harvested that are a pinkish-purple. I also just bought some mushroom-spore-infused-logs from 2Funguys. Hopefully I’ll have mushrooms I can harvest and eat in about 7-9 months. Not sure how it’ll work in California weather but I’m going to try. Here is a picture of my recent harvest.

Books Are Always A Great Idea

Most children do not read enough. Shucks, even adults don’t. Children should be reading 20 minutes daily. You can’t depend on their teachers for this. It is something that should be done at home too. Even if it means family curled up on the couches, reading together, or separate books but the same time, or making story time at bed time. When I wanted my kids to read I’d ‘accidentally’ place books places like on the kitchen table or living room floor and they’d stumble across them and start reading. It is funny but it worked better than me giving them books. Trips to the public library or little neighborhood libraries, where they can pick out their own books, is a good idea too. You are finding meaningful gifts and spending time together while looking for books or reading. I love books from National Geographic. Catchy covers, bold and colorful pictures and great stories for the kids to read. I even brought these to my classroom for the students.

I’ll be adding to this as I come up with more ideas but hope these gift ideas help you in your shopping adventures for Christmas. I hope you all have some good quality time with your family and loved ones.