This could also be titled “My Last Minute Christmas Gift Hustle- 2015 edition!”

It’s the minimalist in me- I like practical stuff that you can USE and has a PURPOSE. Gift buying has never been my love language. I more so like helping people with healthy advice or even helping to relieve their stress and worry over their health. Things like a Homemade Wellness Basket or Homemade Deodorant are more my thing…and writing this blog. 🙂

So here are a few fun ideas I have for my friends and family this year, many of which are healthy, helpful and practical.

(For complete disclosure- YES, these are my Amazon affiliate links- I make a very small commission if you click on them and make a purchase. Yeah!)

For My Kids:

Non-obnoxious Looking Play Kitchen:

Play Blender and Immersion Blender for Pretend Smoothie Making:

Wooden Play Tea Set for My 2 Year old:

Awesome Science Kit for My 6 Year old:

Sonicare Electric Toothbrushes for Both:

Magnatiles for creative building:

Little House on the Prairie Audiobooks:

Hohner Kids Glockensiel/ Xylophone for all my kids:

New smoothie cups for all kids:

My girls drink smoothies almost everyday for breakfast. They love choosing their cup each morning (one of the ways I try to make it fun for them….because green smoothies every. single. morning can get unpopular some days.) Each smoothie container in this gift guide are stainless steel inside to avoid plastic leaching. I’m not a fan of even BPA-free plastic since I can still taste the plastic taste in the water. Stainless steel is the best option for kids since glass is broken too easily even when covered with silicone (for my kids at least!)

Minnie: 

Star Wars: 

Batman: 

Rapunzel: 

Klean Kanteen Water Cup: (this is what my toddlers drink their daily water out of- great stocking stuffers!)

WeeSprout Reusable Food Pouches: (I use these for my 10 month old for drinking pureed EVERYTHING:)

“How to Draw” Books:

Montessori Math Bead Abacus:

Laugh Out Loud Jokes for Kids:

For the Men in My Life:

Stainless Steel 32 oz Smoothie Bottle for Adults: (excited to try this one instead of our typical 32 oz mason jar)

Slightly bigger, 16oz adult version of the kids Funtainers:

Coco Jack: No more busting your coconuts open on the driveway (ha!)….enter the Coco Jack! (we saw this on Shark Tank and also heard about it from Chris Wark….I linked to his site for this one since it’s not available on Amazon.)

Primal Pit Paste: 

Glass Pyrex Straws with Cleaning Brush: 

Stainless Steel Personalized Picture Mug: (We bought something similar for my parents last year and they loved it!)

Certified Reconditioned Vitamix: I would buy a reconditioned one starting at $299! Completely overhauled with new container, tamper, and blade. Model less than 2 years old. 5 year warranty and free shipping! Add additional 3 years for $75. DONE!

For the Ladies:

Stitch Fix Gift Card

I tried Stitch Fix a few months ago after I realized I hadn’t been shopping for new clothes for approximately 6 years. I LOVED IT and this is why (and also why it serves a purpose for a season.)

For several years now I had been wearing a rotation of three pairs of yoga pants and a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans I picked up at Costco and it was getting to be socially unacceptable. I was still wearing shirts I had ordered from a Delia’s catalog in college 12 years ago. I realized it was time to get rid of the ragged, ill-fitting pre-baby clothes. I wanted to figure out my style- clothes that made me feel ME and not just MOM. (Although mom is really great- I just let my version of mom get a bit too frumpy.)

How does it work?

Stitch Fix works by starting an online account and filling out a survey about what kind of clothes you like and don’t like. They give you sample outfit pictures to reply “Love it”, “It’s OK”, or “Hate it.” You also can write a note to your stylist with any requests from “I want organic clothing ONLY,” to “I want clothes made in the USA,” or “No animal prints, PLEASE!” I made special requests for tops only in green and purple hues and the neck had to be scoop or button-up for nursing access. Also- NO dry cleaning. I was amazed at how they nailed it. On one of my fixes I asked for pants that were cute but would cover my mom tummy. They sent me the most cozy and well-fitting pants that I loved but were adorable and trendy.

Each “Fix” you receive has 5 items in it. You can put in a request for what you want. For my fixes I asked for 4 blouses and 1 pair of pants- not jeans. It was perfect. They also send you a style card that gives you ideas of how to mix and match your items with each other and other basics like scarves, jeans, shoes, and skirts.

A huge perk is that they ask for your exact measurements when you create your account. This way they match your size perfectly to your measurements so you don’t have to worry about what size you are. It’s tailored to your exact physique.

Is Stitch Fix great for everyone? Probably not. If you have loads of time to get away and shop then you probably should stick to that. And if you just love shopping, then Stitch Fix is probably unnecessary for you.

Shopping makes me NUTS. I get totally overwhelmed at all of the choices and then end up leaving with nothing. I really need the Trader Joe’s of quality clothing to open nearby soon. Until then, I will stick with Stitch Fix every few months.

You do have to pay a $20 stylist fee when you schedule a Fix, but it goes towards your purchase if you decide to purchase even just one item. If you love all 5 items you get a 25% discount on your whole order and your stylist fee goes towards the purchase as well. My second purchase ended up being $153 after the stylist fee discount and 25% discount. That’s about $30 for each of the 5 items. Not bad and totally worth the experience.

Can I afford to do Stitch Fix all the time? Absolutely not. But did it help me get my after-cancer-and-babies-groove back a bit? Absolutely YES. I may have paid premium dollars (for my budget) for those clothes, but I’m taking care of the few I have really well. I’ve learned how to use the gentle cycle on my washer (lol) and am hanging dry clothes or drying on the low setting. I learned how to coordinate clothing with other things.

Try it for yourself once HERE (that’s my referral link for transparency.)

Buy a Stitch Fix Gift Card for friends and family. (Gift cards can be printed, emailed, or received in the mail in 2-5 business days! Perfect for us late shoppers.)

AnnMarie Gianni Sample Beauty Kit

I also love and plan on buying a few of these $10 AnnMarie Gianni skincare sample kits: Click here to try a sample of this award winning, organic skincare line. I have actually been trying this out recently and it’s really quite fun trying something so fresh and different. It comes with 8 different products to try. And who doesn’t love product!? They are all handmade and wild-crafted. My favorite so far are the herb-infused skin repair serum (for my eyes) and the dead sea facial scrub. And for $10 bucks? Awesome deal and not much to lose if you don’t like it. (Although I’m leaning towards LOVING it.)

A Pair of Tom’s Shoes

I still wear Tom’s. Pretty much daily and I love them so. And you buy a pair and they give a pair away to someone in need. Great stuff. Here are two of my absolute favorite pairs: HERE and HERE. Tip: buy Tom’s a half size smaller than you  normally wear because they stretch and run big in my experience.

Stainless Steel Cookware:

My research on non-stick Teflon led to me getting rid of all of my Teflon pots and pans, motivated by a cancer diagnosis. It’s taken me 7 years to replace almost everything and I started with these guys. Note that over the aluminum baking sheets I use silicone mats.

Also consider visiting my SHOP for other great items!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!!! xoxoxo

Cortney 🙂