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Personal Gift Ideas for Everyone

If you thought January first marked the end of the gift giving season, think again. We have Valentines Day right around the corner. Then Mother’s Day and Father’s Day right after that. And what about all those friends getting married, buying a new home, having babies? There’s a lot of gift giving left, my friends. 

My favorite kinds of gifts to give, especially as wedding gifts or to celebrate a new baby, are those that are personal and show the person how much they mean to me. Something that they couldn’t get just anywhere. 

Lately, I’ve had a lot of friends have babies and my favorite thing to give the new mom is a beautiful necklace that holds some meaning. Uncommon Goods has a lot of unique, hand made jewelry pieces that would be great for anyone. They also have a lot of other unique gifts to give for any occasion. Here are some of my favorites:

Personalized Gift Ideas

  1. I am sort of obsessed with lockets. If I had a child, or even a dog, I would definitely be wearing their picture in this locket. I think they are so sweet and would make a wonderful gift for a new mom, grandmother, or yourself!
  2. Another one of my favorite gifts to give my new-mom friends is something that has their baby’s name on it. This necklace is so subtle that only the wearer knows the true meaning. The necklace has beads on it in a Morse code to represent the name of your choice. Here are other delicate necklace options. 
  3. For the person or couple that loves to travel, why not get them this personalized map. The best part about this map is that it is mounted on cork board so that they can use push pins to mark all the places they have been! This seriously may be my new go-to wedding gift for my friends!
  4. I love the idea of getting something for new parents to hang in their nursery like this birth announcement. I know I had a birth announcement as a baby, but it’s probably tucked away in some box. Why not display it proudly so that the parents always remember that special day. 
  5. Now this necklace is a gift for any mom! What a beautiful way to show off the whole family, with all the kids birthstones. Birthstone necklaces are some of my favorite, but if you aren’t a fan of your birthstone, there are some other beautiful necklace options. 
  6. These cuff links have to be my favorite gift idea (maybe ever)! It would be prefect for either a wedding or anniversary gift for your husband or husband-to-be (or even father of the bride!). Most of us get our wedding dresses altered so there will be some extra dress fabric to spare. Use that extra fabric to put into cuff links for your man to wear on the wedding day, or just for all those special occasions after. 
  7. These mugs are the cutest gift for just about any occasion – Valentine’s, Mothers, Fathers, Labor Day…whatever! Every family member gets their own mug with a cute caricature of themselves on it. No more fighting over the mugs. 
  8. If you and your significant other have a special place, memorialize the cross streets with this print! The would be a great Valentine’s Day gift or 1st Anniversary gift (the traditional gift is paper). 

There are so many other amazing personal gifts that would be perfect for your significant other, newlyweds, new parents, or family members at Uncommon Goods. This cutting board would be a great wedding shower gift. This necklace looks like initials carved into a tree and would be perfect for your girlfriend or wife. Here is another great birthstone necklace for a mom or grandma. We also have a few friends who have either gotten these custom whiskey barrels to use for their wedding ceremony or to give for the wooden anniversary. 

Thanks to Uncommon Goods for sponsoring this post. Words and opinions are my own. 

The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $20 – For Him

Stocking Stuffers for Him

1. Bottle Cap Gun $10 | 2. Oreo Spoon $5 | Whiskey Stones $16 | 4. Bad Ass Socks $10 | 5. Golf Ball Stamp $12 | 6. Wheel of Shots Game $15 | 7. Light Saber Chopsticks $15 | 8. Lego Coffee Mug $10

I have to admit, it is so hard for me to buy Christmas gifts for the guys in my life. But I can buy the heck out of some stocking stuffers for the fellas. My rule of thumb, just buy them anything related to drinking, golf, video games, Star Wars, etc. Or, when in doubt, buy them a random toy.

Which is probably what I will end up filling my husband’s stocking with: that bottle cap gun and the Oreo spoon. They combine some of his favorite things like drinking, being stupid, and eating Oreo’s. 

I will probably get my brother in law the whiskey stones and and the Lego coffee mug. He is getting more into nice whiskeys, so he needs a good set of whiskey stones. And he gets the mug because I think it’s awesome and he’s really the only one that would truly appreciate it. 

My father in law is definitely getting that golf ball stamp. He plays so much golf that he would actually get a lot of use out of it. If you have any golfers in your life, you should consider this for sure!

Then for my dad’s stocking, he gets the Bad Ass socks because he’s a bad ass. Even though I won’t be there in person, I know he will appreciate it. Not only will he love the message, but he’s always eager to learn about new trends and be “hip” so it seems fitting that he should get some fun socks. 

I hope this helps inspire some of your gift giving this year!! I would love to hear of any fun stocking stuffer ideas you may have!

 

 

The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $20 – For Her

Stocking Stuffers for Her

1.Coloring Book $10 | 2. Colored Pencils $5 | 3. Philosophy Shower Gel $18 | 4. Ugly Christmas Sweater Socks $10 | 5. Peppermint Bark Coffee $15 | 6. Gold Striped Tumbler $18 | 7. Selfie Stick $14 | 8. Rollerball Perfumes $10 | 9. Invisibobble Hair Tie $8

Stocking stuffers are by far my favorite Christmas gifts to give (and get). They are always a mix of ultra practical (socks, underwear) and extremely random and quirky. Obviously, when giving stocking stuffer gifts, I lean more toward the random and quirky side. 

This year we are spending Christmas with my husband’s family which means I have 5 people to buy stocking stuffers for, including my sister- and mother-in-law.

I have gotten them both an adult coloring book and colored pencils. I have seen these around everywhere and think they are so cool. It’s supposed to be really good for stress, but I just think they are fun. 

I also want to get my mother in law some festive bath soap and coffee since she deserves to be pampered. And my sister-in-law definitely needs some quirky socks and a selfie stick. 

The girls were relatively easy to shop for, but I think the guys will be pretty tricky. So far all I have gotten them are socks. Once I get their stocking situation more flushed out I will share with you some of the things I plan on getting them. 

What are some of your favorite stocking stuffer gift ideas?

 

Second Anniversary Gifts for Him and Her

Cotton Anniversary

My husband and I just celebrated our second anniversary this past weekend. We didn’t do anything incredibly special, just went out to dinner and opened that special bottle of wine we had been saving for a special occasion. Even our gift to each other wasn’t really special, more practical. We decided for our ‘Cotton Anniversary’ to get a new couch. Romantic, right? But at least we are keeping with tradition! I have to it admit, it was difficult coming up with gift ideas for the second anniversary. Everything we thought of didn’t quite excite us, and in the end we thought we would get more use out of a new couch. But I did want to share with you a couple of the ideas that we did seriously consider

A lot of these ideas would work be a great gifts for both husband and wife, or a gift you give to yourselves. 

  1. Sheets and Bedding. I bet the last time you got new sheets and bedding was for your wedding. Well now would be a great time to get a fresh new set. Maybe even something with a higher thread count or a different color to acknowledge your first two years of wedded bliss. 
  2. His and Hers Towels. I don’t know about you and your husband/wife, but my husband and I can never tell whose towel is whose, and sometimes we end up using their already used wet towel. I would love to get a pair of towels embroidered with “his” and “hers so that we are never confused. 
  3. Quilt. Quilts are such a wonderful keepsake that can actually serve a purpose. Do you have special items of clothing, t-shirts, or other fabric that you don’t mind cutting up? You could even get photos printed onto fabric to sew into the quilt as well. Even if it is just something you make or have made, it will be something special to remind you of year two every time you use it to cuddle under. 
  4. Canvas Print. Nowadays you can put anything on canvas: a wedding photo, your vows, a map, a piece of art (your own, or professional). My personal favorite, and something that my husband found, is getting your vows printed onto a canvas which you can hang up in your home to remind you of your special day.
  5. Monogrammed Robes. This may be one of those gifts that would be great for a wife, but maybe not for your husband (my husband would not use a robe). I personally love robes, especially those really nice, fluffy ones they have in nice hotels. A really nice robe will last for years and will make those minutes after your shower in the morning that much cozier. 
  6. Clothes. If both you and your hubby are fashinista/os at heart, you could each treat the other to a brand new outfit (preferably made of cotton, like a dress, jeans, oxford shirt, etc.). The experience of shopping for one another will be a lot of fun and you can wear your new duds to a nice anniversary dinner. 

Hope this helps inspire your gift giving for your second anniversary! And if you are looking for ideas for the first anniversary, check our my post from the previous year. 

First Anniversary Gifts for Him

First-Anniversary-Gifts-for-HimMy husband and I are coming up on our first anniversary gifts and I have struggled coming up with good ideas for him! The first anniversary is the “paper” anniversary, according to tradition. Now paper isn’t the most romantic material, and in this day in age, isn’t the most coveted. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good ideas out there! I guarantee your husband will love at least one of the gift ideas below!

1. Tickets. Does your husband love sports, traveling, or maybe the theater? Get him tickets to see his favorite sports team, fly to a city he’s never been, or go see one of his favorite shows. Both my husband and got each other tickets for our anniversary: I college football tickets and he So You Think You Can Dance tour tickets. What can I say, we’re romantics. 🙂

2. Artwork. If your husband is on the artistic side, or at least has an appreciation for art, why not get him a water color or sketch by his favorite artist, of something he’s interested in, or has meaning to the two of you that he can hang in his office or in your living room. I know my husband love Banksy prints and Minted has a lot of wonderful prints from up and coming artists.

3. Books. My husband isn’t an avid reader, but if he were I would have loved to track down a limited edition or first edition version of his favorite book. Or maybe a signed copy by his favorite author. This could definitely also include comic books. If your husband loves or collect comic books, he would be so impressed if you tracked down a rare comic book.

4. Stationary. I find that good quality, personalized stationary can make an ordinary note that much more special or professional. This is a great gift for any guy who has a job were they send a lot of notes or cards out to people, or just like writing. Or if your man works for himself or has a small business you could surprise him with professionally designed business cards and letter head.

5. Boudoir Photos. This may seem like the trend for new brides to get their new husbands, but why not save these for your first anniversary. Of course, not all of us are super comfortable stripping down in front of the camera, but I bet any husband would love a photo of his beautiful wife. Especially if she’s in lingerie.

6. Journal. If your man like to write down thoughts, poems, recipes, or whatever, why not get him a really nice journal. Every time he writes in it he will think of you and the meaning behind it. And once its full, he can keep it out and display it. Or save it to look back on over the years.

7. A Love Letter. This won’t require any money, but it will require the most work. I am certainly not a super romantic person, so writing a love letter doesn’t come easy. But you can fill it with some of your best memories over the first year of marriage. Or telling him all the ways you love him. He will certainly appreciate the thought and love behind it.

What did you get your husband for your first anniversary?

 

White Elephant Gifts

I love white elephant parties. And, to be clear, I mean the gift exchange parties where people bring the most asinine gifts. Definitely not those gifts that people can actually use. If you are looking for some pretty awesome and totally useless gifts, ThisIsWhyImBroke.com and Amazon are going to be your best bet. You can find just about anything your weird imagination can dream up.

What is the best White Elephant gift you have received or given?

Gifts for the Beauty Queen

1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette $50 / 2. Chi Orbit 3 in 1 Tourmaline Ceramic Curler $100 / 3. Clarisonic Mia Cleansing Device $100 / 4. Sally Hansen Salon Pro Gel Nail Colors $10 / 5. GlamGlow Gift Sexy Set $70 / 6. Beauty Blender Makeup Sponge and Blender Cleanser $25 / 7. Channel Ultra Wear Lip Colour in Light Rose $35 / 8. Forever 21 Makeup Bag $10

I am fairly certain that any girl in your life has a little beauty queen in them. They may not do their makeup or hair every day (I’m guilty of that), but most women do care about their appearances. And it is always really nice to get a friend a little luxury that they may not get themselves. Take for instance, the Naked Palette and the Channel lip gloss. Both are purchases I was hesitant with at first because of the price, but in the end they were definitely worth the extra bucks! I guarantee that both will become staples in any makeup routine. Plus, its nice to say you got someone something from Channel! The Beauty Blender and makeup bag are perfect for anyone and you don’t even need to know anything about their makeup routine! For those looking to get that flawless complexion, then the Clarisonic or the GlamGlow will be right up their alley. I love giving nail polishes as a little stocking stuffer or just that something extra, and gel polishes are very popular right now. If you are willing to spend some extra money on your beauty queen, then the Chi 3-1 curling iron might be the perfect gift. It’s currently on sale at Ulta, and I may just have to get one for myself!

What is the best beauty gift you have gotten?

Gifts for the Health Nut

Even if you don’t have a friend that is a full on health nut, there is probably at least one thing above that would appeal to anyone who has a remote interest in fitness. For the runners, the Garmin watch/pedometer/GPS will track distance, calories, steps and the Sony Walkman has the earbuds and MP3 player included in one, compact device so they don’t have to deal with extra wires while running. For the at-home exercisers, the weighted jump rope and resistance bands will add an extra punch to their workout. For the barre-lovers or yogis, the Nike Studio Wraps will give them stylish and practical footwear for their favorite classes. For those that are looking to loose some extra weight in the new year, the FitBit will help them stay on track and Giada’s cookbook will provide them with some healthy meals to keep the pounds off. Then, for everyone, I think a foam roller is the best tool to add to a fitness routine, no matter how mild or intense. It helps relieve sore muscles and promotes flexibility. 
Do you have a health nut in your life? What are you getting them for Christmas?

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