Our Top 15 Fun Christmas Gifts – My Favorite Things…
I kind of love the concept of these “favorite things” posts that are happening at this time of year. It reminds me of the 1990s when Oprah did that annual show about her own favorite things. Remember? “You get a car, you get a car, Everybody gets a car!”
Sadly, no one will be getting a new car over the course of this post, but hopefully, I’ll share something here that you hadn’t seen before. I personally own, drink, wear or otherwise use every single item that I’m sharing here today.
They are each Heathered Nest tested, Heathered Nest approved. And they are all things that I am head over heels for (I even included a pair of heels 👠), and are sure to make for some fun Christmas gifts.
1.Roomba
Like most people, I kind of hemmed and hawed before committing my dollars to one of these little beauties. I just wasn’t sure how well it would work. Or if it would fall down the stairs, or knock things over in my house, etc.
But I’ve had this baby going on 2 years at this point, and it is a hard-working machine at our place. You may be able to get a sense of that if you look closely at the pic below. This guy has gotten around.
We don’t have dogs, so I can’t really comment on how it does with pet hair, but I can tell you how well it does with cleaning up after our bipedal animals we got here…
And that’s pretty darn good. I’d say the Roomba (and we just got the baseline model, not one of the fancier ones) picks up at least 85% of our “droppings”. I like to let it run while I’m out of the house because it’s not the quietest of machines, but it has never knocked anything over, and it has never fallen down a stair or off of a step.
It handles transitions in flooring amazingly well, including larger marble-type transitions that go into bathrooms and such. It’s pretty darn incredible.
It’s easy to clean, and it saves me a lot of time. So I’m THRILLED with this little vacuum. I feel like Jane Jetson, just a little bit, with this awesome thing here at home. If you’ve been on the fence about one, I’d say put it on your list to Santa FO SHO this season.
2. Flat iron | Hair Straightener
Here’s the truth. If I had to pick an appliance I could not live without, I’d give up my dishwasher. Heck, even the washing machine, quite possibly, in order to keep my flat iron. If you’ve got curly, thick, unruly hair, then you get it…and you may feel the same.
And that’s why in the past, I’ve always bought really EXPENSIVE hair straighteners. Like a couple of hundred dollars expensive. So when my last Mercedes of a straightener kicked the bucket, I started searching within minutes for a replacement. That’s when I came across this one…
I read reviews on allllll the straighteners out there, from the super-duper expensive ones on down. And THIS ONE had consistently great reviews. And the best part? It cost LESS THAN $40! INSANITY I tell you!
This thing works just as well, if not better than my $200 Chi. I swear it to be true. If you’re in the market, seriously…try it. You’ll thank me. And you can send me a gift card for a massage with the extra $160 you’ll have in your pocket.
3. Dry shampoo
I’m the ultimate lazy girl when it comes to showering. There are just so many things to do each day that showering always is pretty low on my priority list. Gross, I know, but totally true.
So I am QUITE the aficionado when it comes to dry shampoo. Some people are knowledgeable about cars. Others, wine. Me? Dry shampoo. I’ve tried almost every brand in the universe.
And that includes the precursor to these fancy new-fangled dry shampoos, which was straight up Johnson & Johnson baby powder.
And of all the brands I’ve tested,
Batiste is by FAR the best. It smells amazing (there are lots of varieties, but I prefer original to most of the others), and doesn’t leave a residue.
You can still finger comb through your hair easily after you use this product. And I use it for days on end in order to prolong the inevitable shower. Seriously.
4. Poldark series
I’m a very weird person to have to watch TV with. I’m not the most flexible when it comes to what I’ll sit through. I WILL NOT watch the following:
- anything violent or revolving around someone’s murder or killing anything or anybody
- anything involving vampires, zombies, or other creepy things. Definitely no horror movies or shows
- anything that makes me cry
In truth, I prefer straight up comedy, Disney movies, Harry Potter anything, or totally stodgy, old person period dramas…as in most shows on PBS Masterpiece (yes, I’m fully outing my inner nerd, and it feels very freeing). So if you were a Downton Abbey, or Victoria fan, you MUST try the Poldark series. It will not disappoint. Plus, the guy who plays Poldark is very un-painful to look at…
5. Anne of Green Gables books
Listen, if you’re not a fan of Anne of Green Gables, I’m not sure why you’re here, period. I thought we were kindred spirits…
If you didn’t read this series growing up, or it’s been a while…maybe this year is a good time to try it again.
My daughter is 9, and she’s still a bit young to pour over these yet, but they are parked in her room, anxiously awaiting the day she decides to open one up.
And I found a GORGEOUS copy of the first book. The one above has a beautiful cover designed by an artist from Rifle Paper Co. And they’ve put similarly beautiful covers on a variety of other classics, as well.
The series with these types of covers is called “Puffin in Bloom”. It would be a truly beautiful gift. And to invite another person into Anne’s world is a wonderful thing to do for someone you love, isn’t it?
Or, a similarly pretty box set of the Green Gables hardcover books can be found here.
6. Faux wood bathroom tile
I geek out a bit over flooring.
And the faux wood porcelain tile that we used in this bath remodel a couple of years back is definitely one of my favorite things.
Not only is this stuff exceedingly unique and cool, it cost less than $3/sq ft (unheard of for flooring, really), and it still looks the same as the day it was installed. It’s the real-tile-deal, friends.
I’d recommend this stuff H-I-G-H-L-Y. Here’s the link…just remember, this stuff can’t be purchased at the store, it’s an online-only product.
7. Ruffled off the shoulder blouse
I LOOOVE this top. And although I purchased it this summer from Nordstrom, it’s available NOW at Nordstrom Rack for a FRACTION of the price I paid. It’s LESS THAN $10 right now, friends…RUN, do not walk to Rack online and grab one (also made in gingham, black, navy, and a couple of other colors).
8. Sweatshirt with ruffles
In my stay-at-home-mom world of pick-ups and drop-offs, cleaning guinea pig cages and toilets after boys…it’s hard to wear nice things because that’s just not in keeping with my job. But that doesn’t mean I like to look like a slob all the time. Well, truth be told, I usually don’t mind much. But sometimes, I like to look like I’ve tried a little bit.
Enter this awesome piece. It’s a comfy-as-crap sweatshirt, but it has the CUTEST puff sleeves! It’s one of my favorite items of clothing that I’ve purchased in the past couple of years, and I’m in it constantly.
I love to pair it with jeans…of which, my new fave are these black distressed variety. The slouchy boots are no longer made, but here’s a similar pair.
8. Say Yes to Grapefruit facial wipes
I’ve already admitted to my dislike of showering, and my love of dry shampoo. I might as well come completely clean (pun intended) and admit another one of my shower avoidance strategies that I cannot go without.
At the end of a 12 day that sometimes feels like 20, the LAST thing I want to do is wash my face. I know, I know. So bad, right? This is what I do instead…
I use one of these beauties. These facial wipes work so well to not only remove any makeup I happened to have put on during the day (if I were that ambitious for some reason), and they always leave my skin feeling a bit tingly and super clean.
I have pretty sensitive skin, and these have never bothered my skin, either. I really like the whole line of their products, and have tried the rest….say yes to cucumbers, carrots, etc. But these grapefruit wipes are my favorite by far.
9. Hamilton soundtrack
Seeing Hamilton on Broadway may have been the highlight of my year. It was without a doubt the absolute best play I’ve ever seen, Broadway or elsewhere.
When I got home from the show, I got the soundtrack, and my kids have been hooked on it ever since. It is loaded with earworms…but in the best possible way.
We seriously never get sick of these tunes. And not only is the whole thing super catchy, but it has made my kids so interested in the history behind the play, as well.
10. Bubble chandelier
This fixture was the first thing we bought for this house. When I saw this foyer, I knew I wanted something outlandish to hang in there, and that’s what we got. This glass bubble fixture was a serious budget-buster for us,
but I’m the type of person that’s willing to scrimp on a lot of other things in order to splurge once in a while. We bought this chandelier and haven’t looked back.
11. Retractable pencil holder
After sharing that last budget-buster, here’s something that’s the exact opposite. If you and/or your significant other are into DIY, then you need one of these.
Before this little purchase, Dave was constantly losing pencils during any building or DIY project. Not anymore. This nerdy little tool has prevented a lot of time lost spent looking for a writing utensil.
12. Zip ties
I’m convinced that everyone, everywhere needs nylon cable ties in their life…
There are sooooo many great ways these inexpensive little guys can be used for some pretty hefty jobs. Here are some of our favorite ways to use them:
to create rolling storage in 5-minutes flat
13. Irwin quick grips
Another item that DIY’ers definitely need to have on hand. These quick clamps come in handy for all kinds of tasks and jobs at home…
like your trusty hammer, or favorite drill, these quick clamps will be one of those things you find yourself reaching for a lot, and you’ll wonder how you got along before they were around.
14. Perrier flavored carbonated water
So I’ve tried about every brand of sparkling water that’s out there right now, and I’ve decided that Perrier is my absolute favorite.
And among the flavors they carry, the green apple, strawberry, and watermelon ones are my A-team.
15. Home state pillows
Yes, I’ve mentioned these fun pillows like a zillion times before, but that’s because they are so incredibly fun, AND they are super well made to boot.
You can tell them where to place the heart within the state boundaries, and they’ll print the coordinates for any location that you choose. Great to keep, or share ❤️.
Looking for more Christmas gifting ideas, crafts, or decorating inspiration? We’ve got you covered! Be sure to check out these articles, too!
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Heather says
LOVE the pun!!! So funny. It’s soooooo darn catchy!! You’ll see it one day. You’ve got to. I’m sure it will be everywhere sooner or later. It’s too popular not to be!
Heather says
Yes, Hamilton. It’s basically my life right now, and I’m sure I’ll never get to actually see it, but I listen non stop (pun intended).
Kim Roy says
Love the pillow! Nice list. I didn’t know about those Anne of Green Gables Rifle Paper Co. ones.
Heather says
You know what, that’s YOUR pillow, too ? Mine is red, white and blue. I took this before I gave it to you ?