I always love new holiday gift ideas so I wanted to share some of my favorites with you. Everything that I’m listing here is tried and true and my personal recommendations.
For the guy on your list.
Personalized DeCapper bottle opener. I have had one of these for a couple years now and love how easy it is to use. Total man gadget.
Lululemon Pace Breaker Shorts. These are Lulu’s best selling shorts and every guy I know that tries them, loves them. They have a built in boxer brief lining and come in a ton of different colors and patterns.
For the fitness enthusiast in your life.
Jawbone Up 24. It’s a wristband that tracks your activity day and night. It tracks your movement during the day and your sleep at night and then reports data via bluetooth to your iPhone. You can also track all of your meals and workouts. It has all kinds of cool features and some of my favorites are…
– You can set it to buzz when you’re sitting at your desk every “X” amount of minutes to remind you to get up and walk around
– It has an alarm that will wake you up at the most ideal time based on your sleep within a certain window that you set
– You can set goals and track milestones
I have not personally tried the Up yet but I have heard great reviews from people at the gym and I’m buying it as a gift for others!
For the yogi.
Manduka Pro Mat. I get asked over and over what the best yoga mat is and this is it. I’ve had mine for 3.5 years and it’s in the same condition as the first day I practiced on it. Also, it lays flat on the floor and does not move around. It’s grippy and feels good to practice on. My Yogitoes stays in place and does not shift or bunch when have to use one due to high sweat. This mat is pricy but so worth the investment.
Violet Love Headbands. These are comfortable and stylish. They stay in place and I get tons of compliments every time I wear them!
FOR THE FOODIE
25 Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar. It may seem steep to pay $25 for a bottle of balsamic vinegar but this aged balsamic tastes like nothing you’ve ever had before. It’s thick, slightly sweet and perfectly acidic. It’s a game changer for dressing salads and finishing dishes.
Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer. This is one of the first big kitchen gifts that my parents gave me when I started cooking and it’s an invaluable resource in the kitchen. It’s a surefire way to cook your meat exactly right and also comes in handy when baking to measure water temps for yeast as well as internal temps of baked goods and also when making candy or caramel to measure the temp of the sugar. I can only imagine it would be awesome to have on hand for baby bottles and bathwater too! 🙂
For girlfriends, moms and other ladies on your list.
Erin McDermott Jewelry. I have blogged about Erin so many times but she never ceases to amaze me with her beautiful work. You can order individual pieces from her website or splurge and get someone special her Luxe Box where she sends a new piece of jewelry each month. I’ve been so fortunate to receive a Luxe Box this year and I’ve loved every single piece she has sent. If you want to get in on the Luxe Box, December 10 is the last day to order it for holidays!
Okay, that’s all I have for now but let me know if you have questions about anything above or any other things you’d like recommendations for. Also, check out this post for more kitchen, yoga and workout faves.
Happy shopping! (I haven’t started yet…ahhh! Anyone else with me!?)
I’m actually done with all of our shopping! I have a busy week and we’re flying back home for Christmas though, so I suppose that’s why I was so anal on getting it done early 🙂 Love those Violet Love headbands!
Love these suggestions! I LOVE my manduka mat. Agreed – well worth the investment!
I totally agree with that balsamic – best stuff ever!!
Yes, I LOVE my manduka mat too – it makes so much difference in your practice. And I think fancy/ flavored olive oil and balsamic are great gifts – I usually get a nice bottle for my parents, and I know they look forward to it every year.
Since I love accessories and Erin, I kind of want to treat myself to the Luxe box this year! 😉 Her pieces are so beautiful and love how some are dressy and others are casual. I always get compliments whenever I wear them. XOXO
I got a Manduka mat in July and i sorta hate it. it is STILL slippery 4 months later. so much so that i feel like i havent had a comfortable down dog in months since my hands are slipping. I did the salt scrub that the manufacturer recommnded and have dry brushed it to try to get the film off and i still hate it. i have been slipping so much that i feel like its starting to inhibt my practice on down dogs, side planks, 3 legged dogs, etc. Anyone have any suggestions ? I like my target cheapo mat better than this one. i’m so afraid i’m going to slip really hard once and really injure myself. It seems like everyone likes Manduka but me !
Me too!! I actually gave mine away! Very frustrating … I felt like I was so in the minority!
I’m planning on becoming a yogi and a runner again once baby girl arrives in May (for now, I’m just trying to stay active!) and really need a new mat. The one I have now is David’s and it cost $15 and I slip all over it and it slips all over the floor.
Long story short- thanks for the Manduka rec! 🙂
I am ashamed to say I have not even started our shopping! We are so far behind! Maybe this weekend or early next week we can catch up – just so much going on!!
Do you have a discount code for individual Erin McDermott items?
I had the jawbone up band and loved it but it randomly stopped working after a few months : (
Thanks for the yoga mat recommendation! I was actually just searching on your site the other day trying to see if you recommended a certain brand so this was excellent timing!
Never would have thought, but after spending some time tasting high quality olive oils and balsamic vinegar … it is well worth the high price. And anyone who would appreciate will know the price.
Great list!
I use a Manduka ProLite and would never buy another mat… they are that amazing!!! I’ve tried out friends’ Jade mats and Lulu mats, and they don’t even compare!
That Jawbone tracker sounds incredible! Amazing what technology can do.