Ho, Ho, Ho – Happy December 1st! Otherwise know as the day Suzi is finally allowed to set off a Christmas bomb all over the house! This year should be particularly interesting with these two little creatures who are now residing with us…
Pekoe was always really good and just wanted to nap under the tree. Ollie was a bit of a tree stalker/chewer, haha, but I think these two are going to wage all out war against Christmas, I can just feel it.
Anyway, today I wanted to take a few minutes before I dive too far into Christmas Town to talk a bit about gift giving. Gift giving can be stressful no matter if you have an unlimited budget or are strapped for cash. Finding gifts for everyone on your list that they will actually like and use can be like finding a needle in a haystack. So to make your life a little bit easier, I’ve come up with a list of gift ideas for some of the different types of people in your life who seemingly “have everything”.
For The Scent Lover
With all of the chemicals and allergens found in products today, there are many of us who are leaning towards more natural products for our bodies and homes to help combat the unhealthy side effects of chemical exposure. If you have a scent lover on your list, a selection of aromatherapy blends or a diffuser can be a wonderful gift. I am really loving the new Elements Premium Essential Oil Blends Collection from Organic Aroma which comes with 10 unique blends you won’t find elsewhere. It comes packaged in this gorgeous two piece collection
which opens up to reveal five “Awaken” blends and five “Inspire” blends. The Awaken side is gentle and effervescent, while the Inspire portion represents strength and balance.
The two collections include:
Pacific Northwest – Hinoki, Tea Tree, Amyris, Rosemary, Tangerine,
Ocean Breeze – Peppermint, Lemon, Lime, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Coriander
Formosa – Hinoki, Tea Tree, Amyris, Rosemary, Tangerine, Aloeswood
Meditation – Benzoin, Dill Seed, Clover, Rosewood, Bergamot, Myrtle, Amyris, Sweet Fennel
Welcome Home – Pine, Cedarwood, Patchouli, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Jasmine, Tagetes, Petigrain
Morning Bloom – Egyptian Geranium, Jasmine, Elemi, Ylang Ylang, Palmarosa, Sweet Orange
Butterflies Breath – Chinese Tea Tree, Celery Seed, Spearmint, Bergamot, Egyptian Geranium, Palmarosa, Cedarwood
Jubilation – Lavendin, Petitgrain, Pine, Amyris, Chamomile, Jasmine, Ginger
Celebration – Basil, Cinnamon, Clove, Sweet Fennel, Melissa, Geranium
Harmony – Lemon, Eucalyptus, Cypress, Rose, Chamomile, Lime, Nutmeg, Oregano, Thyme
Scent is such an individual thing, but I think everyone can find a few blends in this collection that really appeal to them. Two of my current favourite from this collection are Butterflies Breath and Ocean Breeze, but my favourites changes from day to day depending on how I’m feeling so it’s nice to have a larger collection to draw from, that way I always can find something that fits my mood.
Updated to add: Organic Aromas is offering a 50% off discount on their Elements Premium Essential Oil Blends Collection until Christmas, just use coupon code: PERFECTGIFT50 on their website www.organicaromas.com to get your collection 50% off!
Organic Aromas also sells individual bottles of essential oils if you’d like to purchase another blend or single oil instead of an entire collection. Personally I really enjoy their Energy Essential Oil Blend but they have a number of different oils you can choose from to find that perfect gift. And if your not sure how much they will love essential oils, Sweet Orange is always a pretty safe bet. I really love this idea, especially if you know your friend has a diffuser they often use, chances are if you give them an oil or oil blend they will be excited to try it out.
For The Cat or Dog Owner/Lover
Of all the things I’ve purchased this year, I think I’ve received more compliments on the Shark Bed I bought for the kittens than anything else. I have to admit it is pretty much amazing, and for your friends or family members with cat or small dog, a cute pet bed like this will be a hit!
And we all know those crazy pet owners (like me) will appreciate you thinking of their little furry children! And if you’re really lucky, their pets will love it and actually use it like our kittens do!
For The Super Organized
I remember a time when I was super organized. And now I’m more of a “sort of organized, sort of a disaster” girl. But one thing is for sure – I still love planners and notebooks and nice pens. Why yes I am very specific about what kind of pens I like to use (the Uniball Vision .7mm or Gellyroll if you’re wondering), but when it comes to notebooks I pretty much like anything that is cute. I’m also known to have more than one planner on the go at any given time, so getting undated planners or plain lined notebooks for gifts will make me swoon. Coupled with a package of my favourite pens – forget about it! If you know you have a paper planner or list maker in your life a little bundle of notebooks, post-its, cute paperclips, etc. will likely make their day, and is something they will definitely use.
And if any of my friends/family are reading this and still trying to figure out what to get me, I’ve got the answer for you. Cat shaped paperclips. Amazing.
For The Deal Finder
If you have a friend who is always bragging about how *little* she pays for all of her awesome stuff, you can be sure she loves thrift shopping. Why not feed her need for a deal by getting her a gift card for a local used clothing or thrift store?
If you are going this route, pay attention to where she says she scores most of her deals and get her a gift card for that place. Everyone is a little bit different when it comes to thrift store shopping, so while one person may love Frenchies (which is a used clothing store in my area), someone else might love the local consignment shop or Value Village.
Giving a gift card may seem like taking the easy way out, but if you put some real thought into what kind of gift card you give, these can really end up being some of the more thoughtful gifts you give.
For The Soda-a-Holic
Since I’m fighting the world war against diet soda, I think that the Bonne O Carbonating Beverage System which I recently reviewed here would be an amazing gift for someone who you are trying to help kick the habit. Unlike the Soda Stream, with the Bonne O you can carbonate virtually anything, without the use of a CO2 cylinder. I’ve been really enjoying carbonated iced teas for drinks that taste like soda without the sugar, and fruit infusions.
If you missed my post the other day, I urge you to go back and read it to find out why I’m liking it so much!
And of course if you are local (Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia) and are reading this before Saturday, December 3rd, you need to pop over to my recent review post and enter to win a Bonne O of your very own (or to give as a gift – I won’t tell!)
For The True “I Have Everything” Person
For those on your list who really have everything they want/need, why not buy them the gift of charity. There are so many worthy causes out there, there is something that would be perfect for everyone. Whether it’s a donation in their name to the local SPCA for animal lovers, an item from the World Vision Gift Catalogue, or a loan/donate money in their name to someone in their name on Kiva to help change someone’s life. There are truly endless ways you can give without filling someone’s home full of stuff. And these types of gifts are the ones that truly help to make the world a better place.
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I hope some of these ideas have helped you to figure out what to buy for those hard to buy for people on your list. Whether it’s one of the products above, or maybe I’ve helped spark an idea in your head while you read. In the end, the holidays are meant to be a time of fun and togetherness, not one of stress and worry.
In the end it’s the people that matter, not the gifts. And if we can keep that in mind we’ll all have a happier holiday!
Disclosure: Organic Aromas provided me with the Elements Premium Essential Oil Blends Collection free of charge for me to try out. This post also contains affiliate links. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.