Sometimes we just run out of ideas
Christmas is almost here and the time for last minute gift ideas is upon us. What can we find truly spectacular for that special women in our lives? Not something she just throws out as a passing comment like needing a new vacuum or a clean house. She needs something real and obtainable that she will use for herself and come to enjoy having. Who honestly gets excited over a new vacuum?
This is a list I came up with, it’s in no particular order and most of theses items are readily available.
Essential Oils/Products
This is a huge category and figured it would be a great place to start. My wife loves everything essential oil and with tons of options, you can personalize this gift to match almost anyone. Eden’s Garden and Plant Therapy are a couple favorites in our house and they both have amazing sales every day this time of year.
If you’re in a pinch even local retailers like Walmart are starting to carry essential oils in stock (I’m thinking the evening of December 24th and you have no other options.
There are also a variety of additional products you can purchase to make this gift even more special. Some of these include glass roller bottles, labels, pipettes and carrier oils. Coconut oil and jojoba are just a few.
You can also consider books on which oils do what and and how to make your own oils at home. Here are some that my wife has found particularly helpful, .
You can find diffusers for the home, car ,and office along with wearable jewelry that you can infuse with oils for daily use.
Practical and easy storage is another great gift to consider for the essential oil user in your life. If you don’t have a place to put them, you can quickly have tiny bottles take up space all over the house.
You can choose from shelves, boxes and baskets. See this post to get step by step instructions on making your own box like the one pictures.
Choose just a few of the above mentioned items and you have a gift set that is custom and can be given to a wife, girlfriend (soon to be wife with gifts like these), friend or mother/mother in law.
Gift Cards
I know I’m going to get flack for this but hear me out. If your wife is anything like my wife, all of her focus is on the kids. With a gift card you can help her put a little focus back on herself.
Gift cards are used everywhere so choose a place she likes to shop, get her nails done, a restaurant she prefers to eat at with friends, even gift cards to iTunes, Visa and Amazon are great options.
I’m not recommending this as a main gift but gift cards can be easily included as an add on gift and are great as stocking stuffers. They can be purchased anywhere. Who knows, she may be eyeing a new pair of shoes or outfit but won’t justify spending that kind of money herself. With a gift card she feels more justified in getting something for herself.
Smelly Stuff
So this is my least favorite as it involves going to the mall, I hate the mall, malls are places kids hung out before the millennium and before we knew you could get things at a better price if you went online. Unfortunately the mall is where you will find Bath and Body Works, Victoria Secret, even Yankee Candle. Again these stores cater to the unknowing and will pre package gift sets and have deals where if you buy so many you get more free or at a reduced cost like $20 each but buy 3 and get them for $5 each, whatever, it doesn’t make sense to me (get it, sense….?) Again this would not be recommended for a main gift for a spouse but a gift that could be given to most women in our lives (just be careful I wouldn’t recommend giving VS gifts to coworkers, female friends or mother-in-laws, that is, if you’re currently wanting to stayed married, also not a great place to shop for mom.
Face Paint
Shops like Ulta and Sephora or a local Mary Kay rep have staff that will be able to help if you’re wanting to pick out favorite beauty items a significant other may use. Girls have their favorite brands and favorite items they use to make themselves look good for us so if you can take notice of what she uses or if you can take a bottle/eyeliner/whatever with you to the store you can help replenish the overpriced cover up she uses. This time of year they also have the ever popular gift sets of face washes, primers, paints, pinstriping, and clearcoats. Just think about it the cost of this item is a drop in the bucket compared to what has been spent since she first discovered her mother’s makeup bag.
Games/Entertaining
As a family we love having friends and family over for game night, some snacks, games, maybe a movie, Bam gift idea. You can choose something more of an adult gathering after the kids are in bed or pick something everyone can play. Some of the game we enjoy include Settlers of Catan, Code Breakers, …, … and … You can even make this a packaged gift by adding some microwave popcorn or theater snacks to a couple movies, make a gift set for making banana splits (jars of toppings, dishes and a scoop, maybe an ice cream maker with all the necessary ingredients, some nice serving trays or bowls that can be used with entertaining, or even scheduling a night with friends and include it on a note with the gift.
Date Night/Nights or a Weekend Getaway
If this is something you can pull off, do it. It doesn’t have to be something crazy expensive or last multiple days. You don’t need to fly anywhere or max out a credit card. Think local B&B or 5 star hotel (no motels with hourly rates), here in Colorado try staying the night at one of the many hot springs. Make sure to plan the trip not just book the hotel. Choose a nice restaurant for diner and breakfast and have a couple options for activities that she would like. I know my wife would just want a nice dinner, a chance to catch up on her favorite tv shows and an early bedtime to catch up on her sleep. Other options could include a movie, show or concert maybe even just a nice walk around town. For the following day shopping is always a favorite and you could include the already mentioned gift card. A nice day hike would also be fun for those of you who like to walk for fun.
Spa Day
Who doesn’t love a good massage and mani pedi? Book a day at a nice spa or schedule an appointment at her favorite nail salon or hairdresser.
Bling
Jewelry, instead of trying to find the most expensive item you can afford try going practical this year, instead of a jewelry box full of unworn bracelets think about what you wife could wear daily. If she wears simple earrings maybe pick up a couple nice but not expensive pairs (something that she wouldn’t cry over dropping in the carpet for you to find later while barefoot), also simple rings, bracelets and necklaces would be more utilized if they could be worn while dropping off the kids at school or worn while cleaning up after a 2 year old. The best part is that you could get a few different items and still not spend anywhere near the cost of something that will only be worn 1 time a year.
Personalized Gifts
This one might take a little bit more thought and time but pay attention to what she likes to do. If her interests include crafts maybe an inscribed pair of good scissors or does she always complain that something she uses all the time is starting to show signs of wear? Try to find something that she could really use even if is something small or easily replaceable. Find a few items like these and she will know you’re paying attention!
Flowers/Plants
Give her something that she can show off, you can even give this gift prior to company arriving to your home. A nice bouquet of flowers that can be used as a centerpiece while family and friends stop by will get you points every time someone says “those are beautiful where did you get them”. Plant of all types for either indoor or out can be a great gift idea and many last for years and add beauty to your home, just remember to help her plant it.
This list is nowhere complete, but should help to get your gift giving juices flowing. Good luck this season and if I missed anything please add it in the comments below. Merry Christmas
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