Gift Guide for the Lady Folk
I just tucked Charlie into bed and happened to glance at the advent calendar on his nightstand. Y'all, I don't want to cause a stir, but we are nearing the panic zone.
We must be ready.
We also must take advantage of this time of year when people are asking US what we want for Christmas. But, if you're like me, I tend to develop a poorly timed case of Wanters Amnesia this time of year. It's that pesky amnesia where you recall wanting things throughout the year that you couldn't justify purchasing, but now that the bell has tolled, you can't remember for the life of you what they are.
So you end up with Target gift cards.
Saying that you'll spend them on yourself.
But really just end up reducing your Target purchase one day of toilet paper and mouthwash.
Ladies, we are better than this.
The following is for WA sufferers. Share with the fellas, the friends, the family, the ones who have drawn your name. Just circle a few that make you happy and get excited about the possibilities.
(For those of you new to Whimsy Gift Guide, click on the numbered names for direct links to these products.)
Bauble Bar is new to me, but I get sucked into their website almost as easily as I do a Jason Bourne movie marathon. Truth be told, I originally had a rainbow gem ring in this #1 spot but realized it was preorder, slated to arrive on December 27th, and I didn't want anyone murdering me over that. These are some awesome hoops anyone would be happy with.
I'm basically as comfortable in the kitchen as a thirteen year old boy at a middle school dance, so please consider this gift only for the sisters who know a thing or two about cooking. Despite my lack of culinary skills, the colors drew me in and honestly made me want them for myself. Also, "can you hand the gray thing to me?" might warrant an actual response instead of asking my crew for the ladle.
When Dave Matthews Band was life to everyone in college, there was something in me that just didn't want to embrace DMB like all the others.
Well. Same with Yeti and me.
Look. I KNOW. Everyone has a stainless steel tumbler.
But do they have a 40oz one that comes with a handle AND fits in all sized cup holders?
(**Make sure you choose the 40oz size and even though the image doesn't show it, this cup comes with a handle)
This is a Brookstone mask, so if you search sleep masks on Amaze-On, you'll find a long list of others that are cheaper. But this one has some mojo in it that helps reduce eye swelling. And it's made of memory foam, so you should start remembering things better.
🤓
Like, go to bed earlier and maybe your eyes wouldn't be puffy to begin with.
Some shine. A tennis shoe bottom. A little lift?
Sign me up!
Remember the Bauble Bar preorder ring I mentioned in Item #1? Well, these are basically the earring version that Nordstrom is offering except they are available NOW in all of their glory.
And just for kicks, go to the Baublebar site and search "rainbow". You'll basically land on my life list.
When it comes to stacks, a bracelet stack is second only to a pancake stack.
Erimish has figured out how to stack some wrist-wear. These come in all colors and designs and are awesome quality. I even loaned one out to a friend two nights when her hair band broke, and this puppy held her pony high and proud all night long without breaking. Go ahead and add versatile to the pro column for these bracelets, too.
No, these weren't a misfire from the Tween Girl Gift Guide. These are just some affordable fashion sneakers to amp your shoe game up a bit.
Stars are so hot right now, and so. are. YOU.
And also, it won't matter how many Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's no one saw you eat in the pantry last night, these babies will still fit after the holidays.
If you have some personal beef with American Eagle or Aerie, go ahead and scroll for a minute because I'm about to confess my love for both.
Let's call a spade a spade here, ladies.
Joggers are tailored sweatpants.
A simple banded ankle took us from total slob to minimal slob just like that. And none of us are mad at it because they're sporty enough that we could throw out a workout lie, and no one would even question us.
Don't let this shirt being categorized as sleepwear deter you. This is 2018 and my sweatshirt can identify as an outside of the house sweatshirt if it wants to.
See that royal blue one on the left column, 2nd one from the top?
That one's mine. I wore a plaid button-down underneath it with jeans yesterday and no one asked if I was about to go to bed.
Super cozy and as cute or as cuddly as you want it to be.
Poor, Erin. She must be further into the panic/lunatic zone than we originally thought. She's posted two sweatshirts in a row.
Save your pity, readers. I know exactly what I'm doing here.
Basically, I'm letting anyone who might have me on their "to buy for" list know that despite my already heavily sweatshirt populated wardrobe, I'm on board with another. And I wouldn't mind it being an XS in either the teal or cream colors.
**These are oversized so order smaller than normal if you're on the fence.**
This is a sweater. It's made of the chenille, the textile of our high school youth for you thirty somethings out there.
That green one is my shopping cart, and what a shame it would be if it got swept up in a group purchase of gifts for other people.
muahahahahahahaaaaa
These are girl boxer briefs.
And they are everything to those of us who get hot at night and have to throw a leg out of the sheets. If you don't know this move, then keep scrolling. Your flannel, temperature-of-hell inducing pajamas are coming up soon.
The skivvies are also on sale for $7.97.
You have likely concluded that apparel pieces in this gift guide are more on the safe than expressive/adventuresome side, because let's face it: rainbow sequin ain't for errbody. But dang if these shirts aren't close to being so!
I don't own one of these yet, but did try one on last week. The fabric is light, soft and hangs well. Fits true to size. Also, currently on sale!
I am 0% ashamed of listing another jogger.
The Item #9 joggers are your Sams Club/Walmart jogger.
These are your Costco/Target jogger.
Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. We shop at all of them for the same reasons.
*(More of a snug, legging fit. 5/5 star rating and would be a good athleisure staple to pair with the Hometown Sweatshirt listed above)
This one is putting off a little Three's Company vibe. A little retro, a lot cute.
Would be fun with a colorful plaid shirt underneath, one of the 57 joggers on this post, (or jeans), the star sneakers, and a fun winter hat with a pom pom on top.
17. Slippers
(Links below)
Every Christmas as a child, I used to receive a new pair of "bedroom shoes."
Who decided that needed to change?
My feet would automatically power skip to get the paper every morning if I got to wear these. It would make for some entertaining posts on NextDoor at the very least.
Not as flashy or budget friendly, but Ugg's never disappoints in quality. And the real sheepskin doesn't get as fonkdified for those who suffer from Fritofeetitis.
Please ignore the packaging on this product and trust me. THIS IS A MUST.
My mom gave a bottle of this to me years ago, and being the rule follower I am, I only laundered my fine linens in it for a while.
That quickly changed to all linens because I wasn't even sure what fine linens were and was pretty sure I didn't own any.
Then, I started washing everything in it.
And now I'm drinking it in hopes of it eeking out of my pores.
Please just get this. People in line at the post office will ask you about it. I promise it smells that good.
There was hesitation in posting this because a purse would have been more fun.
But I ultimately filed purses in the same category as jeans.
The file labeled "If there were 10 women and 10 of ____, we'd likely have 10 different opinions on our favorite one, so I'm not including them on the gift guide."
Outside of schools, backpacks are underrated.
Airports, swim meets, baseball tournaments, the gym, work...All made easier and more fun with a cute backpack.
This is for all of you sports ladies out there. Whether it's your kid playing or you're cheering on your favorite team, there's no need to continue letting those jank metal bleachers give you Numb Butt.
(I have this, and it's great.)
Local readers, you probably know all about these gems! A Hilton Head Island resident hand crafts these beauties and they honestly are some of my favorite earrings I have ever owned. LFB earrings can be purchased online or you can find a variety of them at Gigi's Boutique in downtown Bluffton.
For you non local folks, this link takes you Gigi's Boutique's Instagram. Be sure to follow from wherever you live as they are happy to ship to you!
Speaking of Gigi's, this is Katie who works there and is modeling something that has been on my Christmas list for-ehhh-vurrrr (please say it in your head like that kid from The Sandlot). These raincoats are straight classy and timeless, and they come in a bazillion colors.
Locals, go see Katie! She will point you in the direction of these coats as well as a hundred other items that could have easily made it to this gift guide.
Outsiders, check the link and message Katie on IG!
(Isn't she a cutie?)
There are no softer t shirts than these. They hang well and are slightly tailored for a more feminine fit. And a little birdie named Katie said Gigi's Boutique just received a shipment of the long sleeve version.
And for the record that no one is keeping, Gigi's isn't paying me to say this, nor did Katie threaten to harm me if I didn't. I just love to shop local when I can, and these products are honestly some of my favorites. The face to face customer service at your local shops is unbeatable, so don't forget your small business owners!
Simple. Meaningful. The best gift to give or receive.
Eyes are rolling everywhere, I'm sure. Here she is with her Adidas again.
For any of you who follow those Nordstrom shoppers on IG, you've only seen these about a thousand times. And in my wannabe nonconformist ways, I was pretending to be so over them but secretly looking all over the inter webs for them in my size.
No luck for weeks until the heavens opened at our local Adidas outlet and manna fell in the form of this shoe in my size, at a majorly discounted price.
As of this morning, the Eastbay link above had them in stock in most sizes, but they sell out SO FAST.
And as of last Friday, local friends, the Adidas outlet still had them in stock and on major sale!
These + AE joggers + all of the sweatshirts/sweaters = your best self.
At this point, posting this hoodie again is a joke.
But I still want another one. In this color.
New to the Adidas gift guide collection, but what a great addition it is! Great for a chilly morning run or the more likely run, which is a grocery run when we're out of milk, and I haven't washed my hair in days.
These take every outfit and earlobe up at least three notches. Not large enough to be tacky, but not small enough to be ignored. (<--Things I bet plastic surgeons hear at consultation appointments. 😉)
29. Kodak Wireless Mobile Mini-Printer
This is a little portable printer that prints credit card sized pictures from your phone wirelessly. I couldn't think of describing this as a need, but yeah...I pretty much do want little pictures of my people all over my house now that I know this exists.
My brother and sister in law gifted this to me last year for Christmas, and I have to say, it had a large role in getting the blog started! This goal planner forces you to dream big while also coming up with action steps on how to get there.
More of a typical calendar-style planner than Powersheets above, this Clever Fox planner leaves a little doodle room for the creative types out there. Check out the other product images in the link for an idea.
It probably wouldn't hurt to raise the gift-giving bar by throwing in a pack of new Papermate Flair pens in there as well.
Not super exciting, but sometimes we neglect buying the things we actually need and it's more fun when we're gifted them. Also, you'd secure a spot on the Awesome List if you buy a new MacBook to go with it. But #notcheap.
These are everywhere, and FOMO is settling in nicely. There are a ton of colors and brands out there, but all of them should make you feel like you're on the movie set of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, so it shouldn't really matter which one you end up with.
Cooking wouldn't be my pageant talent of choice, but I'm a pretty good eater, so cookbooks are still a relevant gift choice for everyone IMO. This cookbook is Southern as all get out and manages to tell stories about each recipe that almost read like short essays. It's beautiful, so well done and the perfect choice for any southern food chef (or consumer) out there.
If I was willing to remove myself from underneath this cozy blanket of mine, I'd march to my bathroom to show you the wadded up mess of necklaces that returned from our Thanksgiving vacation two weeks ago. It's like tangled up Christmas lights with a meth habit level of bad.
I knew there had to be a better way. A quick Amazon search and voila!
Here it is:
This was on my nonexistent Favorite Things of 2017 list, and if I were Oprah and it was up to me:
EVERYBODY'D GET AN OVENTURE RING
That circle pictured below is to thank for reducing my key loss incidents by at least 50% over the past year. I can slide it on my wrist when I'm unloading groceries and hang it on the hook when I come through the door. It's a simple but necessary concept for the brains like mine that remember nothing of importance.
If you haven't shopped a Cabi home party yet, please find a rep near you, and ask her about this product. This is a Cabi staple that I will order every season and in every color because it somehow manages to combine leggings and a skirt in a way that is cute and butt-friendly. Meaning you don't have to overthink your underwear options nor worry about the whole see-through debacle.
If you don't have a rep friend, the link should take you to my girl, Dana, who's got your back(side) if you need help.
**Also check out the Prep Pullover**
Ever been the girl in a large group photo who volunteered their phone only to have the poor, involuntary photographer pause and say "Your storage is full." And then everyone's mad at you because they were sucking their stomachs in for longer than normal, all for nothing?
Never again with this genius gadget!
Free up some memory while saving some memories.
Seewhatididthere?
Lightweight, large, waterproof.
And it looks like a Croc.
Except you won't get made fun of for having this.
I don't live north of the snowline, but we've all sat through enough freezing baseball or football games to know how miserable cold hands can be.
Nevermore...nevermore.
(For a laugh click HERE.)
Packing cubes should be the next exhibit at the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. I'm not sure what sort of witchery they have, but it is sheer magic how much stuff you can neatly store in a suitcase with these. Usually bottoms in the big back, tops in the next size up, then jammies and workout clothes and finally undies in the smallest one. We have them in different colors as well and sometimes for short trips we just pack one of these large sizes for each kiddo. And then I line them up in ROYGBIV order inside of Item #44 to pretend like vacation with kids isn't going to be a cluster.
Polarized sunglasses at a super cheap price? Sure! I'm a blue lens Oakley Feedback aviator girl 4 life. But signs are pointing to Oakley discontinuing them, and I'm having to put myself back out there. This could be the start of a good thing.
These aren't just for dogs who don't like thunderstorms anymore, y'all. Basically, it doesn't matter what the product is. If it guarantees falling asleep faster and sleeping longer, ladies will want this in their life.
Most of y'all have heard of Thirty One bags and for good reason. It's like the Tupperware version of all things bag related, and they keep cranking out the good stuff. This large utility tote is a must have. In this house, it's a must have at least six of them. Yes, I've seen the knock offs at Target. But they are smaller and don't hold up like ol' trusty here. If you could see the back of our car when we travel, it basically looks like a filing cabinet of these, and it's a real thing of beauty.
You can choose your fabric, add a monogram if you're worried someone might steal it, and click the link above to order one from my friend, Stacie, if you don't have a Thirty One handler on standby (waiting to just say hi.)
Everybody calm down.
This is not the same as an anniversary blender or birthday set of cookware. I submit to you today that Christmas CAN be a safe zone for practical gifting because of all the good deals. The think tanks at Dyson aren't dropping prices on these things around Valentine's Day, because who in their right mind would want to be held responsible for the blood bath that would ensue?
But, fellas, listen up. This is still not a gift you go rogue on.
You should make zero assumptions about your lady wanting this lightweight, sucker of all disgustingness. But if you've ever heard her say it would be nice to have one of these not-so-cheap life changers, then this is the time to pull the trigger.
And then learn how to use it.
Christmas gift gone Christmas miracle.
46. JAMMIES!
Pajamas are always a safe play because we wear them on the regular. But safe doesn't have to mean boring. Links are below for these cute and cozies.
Lake pajamas (bottom right)
Rainbow jammies (top right)
Buffalo Plaid Shorts (obvious. Just checked links and this sold out, but call your local Gap. They have a ton of them in Bluffghanistan.)
Cozy pants (top left)
This goes with everything, and looks cute on all the people.
If the definition of cooking included throwing random food on a board, then I take back everything I said negatively about it.
Up the ante and head to Marshall's or Home Goods to get a board to pair with this book, and you've got a winner of a gift here.
Spoiler alert: I'm about to pimp a another product that one of my friends introduced me to, and I feel as bad about it as that time I did something and didn't feel bad about it at all. Friends support friends. Iswhatwedo, right ladies? And I hope it's ok with her because I didn't ask. My girl, Ashleigh, introduced me to this product line, and they just so happen to have the world's best mascara, which is basically butter for your eyelashes.
2018 will forever be known as The Year of.....
Fortnite.
And Sherpa.
Old Navy has some super cute sherpa going on this season at the typical, good Old Navy prices. There's a longer version of this coat as well.
The should greatly reduce my monthly car cleaning budget since my brain currently refuses to believe that most of my coffee mugs will never fit in the car cup holders.
Packed Party carries the happiest things this world has to offer: sequin and glitter. This clutch is larger than it looks and is the newest item added to my
"Things at my Funeral" list. Request attendees to wear rainbow. Must have a marching band. Sequin and glitter party favors. You won't even know I'm gone.
That's a wrap!
Hopefully if you were looking for some ideas, you were able to find a few here. If not, try these things:
1. Walk through the check out line at a Home Goods store. They have all you need. I think someone could fall out with a heart attack in that line, and lo and behold we'd find a bottle of nitroglycerin right there on the shelf next to the gourmet gummy bears.
2. Go to Etsy and just search something she likes. Rainbow stuff, Adidas original, vintage Jordans, etc. See what pops up, and you might score a one of a kind gift.
3. Check out the daily deals at Jane.com (They have an app as well). Lots of ideas with good prices, so if you screw it up and get a bad gift you won't have to ring in the new year by listing a kidney on Craigslist to pay for this snafu.
And last but not least...
Stocking Stuffer Ideas!
Pretty much everything else can be found with an obvious search on Amazon.
Happy Hunting and Happy Hinting!