The best thing about Christmas is…giving. Hands-down.
After all, the season IS inspired by the Greatest Giver of All Time.
Christmas is truly about generosity – clearing our calendars and our lives of clutter so that we can see the needs of those around us.
It’s about giving candid compliments, sincere smiles, heartfelt hellos, and…thoughtful, creative gifts.
My gift guide this year will include gift ideas for him, for her, for the whole family, for grandparents, and for kids.
Here’s the 411 on my guide:
- I hand-selected all items for inclusion in my gift guide.
- I have personally reviewed everything in my gift guide.
- I turned down HUNDREDS of product pitches this holiday season.
- Notably absent from my guide? Cheap plastic toys for kids (and, actually, most “toys” for kids, in general), DVDs for babies, processed foods, and products with brand names plastered all over them.
- In most cases, I will also be offering a giveaway of the spotlighted product to help YOU mark a few names off your list…FREE.
Here’s how the guide will work: I will posting a variety of ideas beginning Today through next Thursday, November 19 (the guide will take the place of my regularly scheduled “Themed Weekend”). As posts are published, I will add them to this post so that you can have a comprehensive spot to gather ideas.
To enter the giveaways, go to each post and leave a comment. For a second entry, blog about my guide OR tweet about my guide. Then, leave a second comment on each giveaway that you are interested in telling me that you helped to spread the word. Maximum two entries per giveaway.
FOR HIM:
- Answer 3.25 knife by Gerber [giveaway: knife, Deadline: 11-27]
- SuperTool 300 by Leatherman
- Flash 65 Pack by REI
- Tech Guys & Trek Guys [giveaway: ContourHD Camcorder by Vholdr, Deadline: 11-27]
- Fishing Gear from Bass Pro Shops [giveaway: White River Fly Shop Technical Tri Chest Pack, Deadline: 11-27]
- WindowSeat Windshield Mount for iPhone and iPod Touch [giveaway: WindowSeat, Deadline: 12-03]
- Alpha Pac boots by Sorel [giveaway: Men's Boots, Deadline: 12-08]
- 5 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Him [giveaway: PRIZE PACK, retail value: $65, Deadline: 12-25]
- 10 MORE Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Him
FOR HER:
- JULIAN & Co. Birth Necklace [giveaway: necklace, Deadline: 11-27]
- a wallet by WalletBe [giveaway: wallets, Deadline: 11-27]
- a sweatshirt from Hanes [giveaway: sweatshirts, Deadline: 11-27]
- sunglasses by Bolle [giveaway: sunglasses from women's collection, Deadline: 12-03]
- 5 Stocking Stuffer Ideas For Her [giveaway: PRIZE PACK, retail value: $270, Deadline: 12-25]
- 10 MORE Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Her
FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY:
- a router by Linksys [giveaway: router, Deadline: 11-27]
- Lowe’s [giveaway: $100 gift card, Deadline: 11-27]
- My World Personalized Map from the National Geographic Store [giveaway: Personalized Map, Deadline: 12-08]
FOR GRANDPARENTS:
- meaningful gift books [giveaway: The Grandparents Handbook and The Grandmother Book, Deadline: 12-03]
- CEIVA Digital Photo Frame [giveaway: CEIVA Digital Photo Frame, Deadline: 12-08]
FOR KIDS:
- Gifts for Young Kids @ Christmas : my take
- a nice pair of shoes [giveaway: pair of kids shoes from the Eleven Collection, Deadline: 12-03]
- 5 Stocking Stuffer Ideas : For Young Children [giveaway: PRIZE PACK, retail value: $137, Deadline: 12-25]
- 10 MORE Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Young Children
- Kids Gift Idea: Creativity for Kids [giveaway: art supplies, Deadline: 12-27]
- Kids Gift Idea: Photofiddle [giveaway: $50 gift certificate, Deadline: 12-27]
- Kids Gift Idea: Melissa & Doug [giveaway: easel, smock, and supplies, Deadline: 12-27]
Merry Christmas to you and your family…from me and my family!
We hope the upcoming year brings you joy, hope, and abundant opportunities.
I can’t wait to see them!
Aw, she beat me. I was gonna say I can’t wait! :)
This is exciting and a great idea. I can’t wait!!
I can’t wait to see your gift guide. I know it will be well thought out and meaningful.
Great idea! You have a good philosophy. No plastic crap or stuff that is too heavily branded. I’m a big fan of bats, balls and rocks. But, unfortunately rocks don’t sell very well :-)
Oh how exciting! This should be a ton of fun.
I love the picture of you all together!
Nell
I’m excited to see what you’ve chosen! Every single time I’ve tried something you recommended, I loved it.
Wow, sounds great, and good for you on avoiding the typical commercialized gifts!
I am really looking forward to your gift guide… even though I am pretty much finished with my Christmas shopping! (I like to get the shopping done early, that way I can enjoy the lights, the get-togethers, the baking, the giving of the season without the stress of crowded stores!)
Anyway… I know that you will have quality, original items in this gift guide so I’m looking forward to it!
Looking forward to it!!
So excited to read all of your reviews and see your gift ideas. I can’t wait to see each post!! I will be checking back often!!
I cannot wait! This is going to be epic, Stephanie! WOO HOO!
This is going to be so much fun!
I am excited about seeing your hand picked items!
Many thanks, Cindi
I love Christmas. This year I am TRYING so hard to make most of my gifts. But… I am finding it is a little difficult with a 10 month-old and no energy (thanks to baby #2) once he is down for the night. Hmmm… we’ll see. Maybe there will be some great things here I can do instead.
I am so excited! I know that your recs will be classy and unique and just so you! : ) I loved that you used “Christmas”
I know that I’ve been a litte thin on my commenting lately but life’s got the best of me with this whole surgery business. I do read every single post you write and appreciate the tiny little escape from reality.
What great themed weekend! Here’s hoping I win because I HATE shopping at malls and stores during the season. Thank God for the invention of online shopping.
I love how you set this up, Stephanie! Can’t wait to see everything. And I like that you are being very picky about what you include here. Can’t believe how many things you turned down! We’ll know that the things you do include will be things you really think are great — and not over-hyped.
This is certain to be a good one! You have excellent taste.
Happy! Happy! Holidays 2 U & your beautiful family
Happy Holidays to your gorgeous family! May you all have a healthy and beautiful new year!
thanks for the great giveaways
Your blog is amazing! I am always so stumped on gift ideas, but this year, my shopping is almost done and it isn’t even Thanksgiving! Thanks for the gift of great ideas! The giveaways are nice, but the ideas are wonderful!
I see you don’t have anything for Gifts for Grandparents yet so I’d like to suggest a very useful gift…cell phones. I know a lot of older folks are tech avert but they really do come in handy and as we all know is very practical in these days and age. Now is a great time to take advantage of all the holiday offerings. I bought my 72 yr. old mom a TracFone which only cost me $10 and it comes with a bunch of accessories..never mind that she won’t use the handsfree headset that comes with it (it will be a challenge in and of itself and will take her some time to get used to carrying it around..but it gives me a great peace of mind to be able to finally have a way of reaching her when she’s out and about!!! I’m sure she’ll grow to love it. Hopefully I haven’t created a monster!!!
I appreciate you posting this list. I am always looking for a new idea and it gets tougher and tougher every year (husband and grandparents).
I like the ideas you have, as they are not the typical things one usually sees. I especially like to buy educational gifts for my son – something from a museum catalogue or National Geographic. Love the wall map. Would love to win it. See comments.
happiness