the holidays are here! already! holy crap! are you ready? have you even started stock piling your presents so you aren’t running around that last week before christmas like a chicken with your head cut off, pulling together presents you aren’t proud of so you can stuff the stockings and hand every family member their own carefully wrapped package?
that is normally me every year. when it comes to the holiday season, i find there’s a lot of moving parts. there are so many friends and family that i want to treat to something special that i tend to get overwhelmed. and when i get overwhelmed, i sort of step back and don’t do anything. i’m quite all or nothing.
this year i may have got my old procrastinating self beat. there are still a handful of folks i need to go poking in the shops for, but for the most part i’m done. (okay, maybe i’m just done buying presents for dylan. the hardest part has been not buying everything i see so other people can spoil her too).
i find the best way to give, especially when you can’t find that extra special thing for that super awesome person, is to share things you love, or find useful, and these are the best things i’ve discovered this year.
chromecast
the chromecast is google’s answer to apple tv, and we use it all the time. basically, the chromecast lets you stream video, music, even photo slideshows from your devices as long as you have the chromecast app installed. right now, dylan’s watching peppa pig on netflix while i’m working. it’s pretty neat, and for $45 (canadian), a well worth it stocking stuffer. credit goes to my big brother for this little gem, it was part of our gift last year.
subscription services are huge right now, and why wouldn’t they be? everyone loves receiving mail, and we’re obviously no exception. we just LOVE…
bookroo
books books books because books! bookroo is an awesome way to help build your little person’s library. they send a curated selection of three books once a month, perfectly wrapped with a cute little bow. sine having dylan, i haven’t had as much time to read as i would like, but i really hope to foster in her a love of reading, which is something that the guy and i both share. go ahead and click on this link right here and send yourself or someone special the gift that keeps on giving! this gift is dylan approved.
a little bundle
this one is for moms and moms to be. a little bundle is a big supporter of small business, and sends a monthly selection of treats for you and your little. i absolutely adored receiving these packages in the mail every month, and so did dylan! it gave us a chance to support some of the designers we love (and follow), and introduced us to new favourites.
disney tsum tsum
um… i don’t think the disney tsum tsum needs a reason, it’s probably just the cutest gosh darn thing i’ve ever seen. i need this. LOOK AT HOW CUTE IT IS. i got dylan four, one for now and three for her stocking.
miss peregrine’s peculiar children
i mentioned above that the guy and i love to read. while we both have very different tastes when it comes to stories, we certainly agree on a few things, one of which being the beauty of a ransom riggs tale. i first came across miss peregrine’s peculiar children back in 2011 when it was first released. i had to wait three whole years for the follow up – hollow city – and they were the longest three years of my life (kidding, i forgot about it). the final installment was released earlier this year and we both devoured it. this is a series you’re going to read fast and will earn its place on the shelf alongside the likes of harry potter and the lord of the rings. it’s fun, funny, dark and just wonderful. i’m sure i’ll be picking up the box set for myself…
marbled clay ring dishes
not everything you do or give has to be expensive. seriously. it’s the thought that counts. i live on pinterest (sort of) so you shouldn’t be surprised i’d include a DIY gift on my gift giving list. these marbled clay dishes by a beautiful mess are so beautiful they look store bought. you may want to practice with a cheaper air dry clay before settling on a final piece.
oogaa baby silicone bowls
i follow a handful of people on instagram, a few moms, some bloggers, and a host of shops – mostly small business. what can i say? i love looking at pretty things and dreaming of buying them. i also follow quite a few blw accounts for food ideas, which is probably how i came across oogaa baby and their amazing silicone bowls. i kept seeing pretty pics in my feed of toddler meals i could only dream of serving to dylan until this one photo (that i just can’t for the life of me find so look at this one instead) caught my eye and decided i had to have them. you can bake. IN THE BOWL. is that not exciting? seriously. mind. blown. though it seems silly, for a mom of a picky eater looking for any and every which way to get food into a baby / toddler, this simple little dish ranks really high on the list of must haves.
oogaa baby is uk based but you can find them in the states (try bed, bath & beyond). shopping in canada, i found most outlets only carried the single bowls but i really wanted the double, but i was able to snag them from 2 blue ducks.
outside of presents, i think one of the best things you can give to anyone – friends, family, strangers – is the gift of your time. we spend so many of our days wrapped up in ourselves and our immediate lives. work, social media, transit, home. the gift of time, unhampered by a cell phone and a million responsibilities, is probably the hardest to give but the one most welcomed. get out, volunteer, visit old folks, call your grandmother, facetime a cousin overseas, promise to unplug for at least an hour a day. actually, that can be your gift to yourself.
happy holidays!