We have quickly reached the middle of December. You know what that means… it is almost the end of another year and another season of holiday cheer.
I don’t know about you, but I have about 60% of all my holiday shopping done. I still have a few gifts I need to purchase, but I am getting close to checking everything off the list.
I am usually the worst at buying gifts on time. Procrastinator should be my middle name this time of year. I. Am. The. Worst.
Personally, I am not a fan of shopping. I hate crowds and I am very task driven when I go to the store; I like to have something in mind, go straight in, execute, and leave.
Done.
It is a rare occurrence for me to window shop or leisurely peruse the store shelves. I can think of a million other things I would rather be doing. Like shopping from my computer while laying in bed.
See what I did there?
Alright, I have a confession. I hate shopping, but I don’t mind spending hours shopping online.
Why? Well, because I can take my time making decisions. I can research. I can explore innumerable options. No pressure.
All of this is good and bad because sometimes I struggle to make a decision. I am either compulsive, or so slow to act that I never get around to pulling the trigger.
Every year as we approach Christmastime, I usually have good intentions: buying gifts ahead of time, taking a nice family photo, and sending out a personalized holiday card with said photo.
I typically fail at all of the above.
I did buy a beautiful set of nativity cards to send this year, but guess what? I still haven’t sent those out either. So, if you are wondering if you are going to receive a card from me, please know that even if you don’t actually receive one, I am still thinking of you and there is probably a card in my house with your name on it.
But if you are here, you are probably wondering what these gifts are that I am promising will alleviate your last minute shopping woes, so I won’t drag this out.
If you are still looking for a few unique gift ideas for the holidays, look no further. I am going to break these up into categories with one or more of my favorite options within each.
But first, a disclaimer. I have partnered with several of the brands I am featuring. All of these are items that I currently use, and I have not been paid for any of these endorsements, although some items have been gifted to me. Nevertheless, I stand by my recommendations. These are all items I have been personally recommending to all of my friends as of late and most of which I have purchased with my own hard-earned money!
Gift Idea #1: Tech Notebooks
Notebooks are a great gift idea for anyone, really. Everyone needs to take notes, so why not give them a cute notebook or journal.
If you are thinking, girl, notebooks are boring, I get you. BUT….
Check out Rocketbook. This is no ordinary notebook. I am literally obsessed with my Everlast Rocketbook. Not only do I have my own Everlast, my boys each have their own Rocketbook Color.
I have been recommending these notebooks to everyone because they help digitize everything. No more wasting paper or losing notes. And what about all those pieces of paper your kids leave for you with their doodles? I have enough paper art to fill a closet and they haven’t even graduated from preschool.
Right now they have a special promotion where you can take 20% off your next order with code FINAL20. Plus, free shipping and arrival by Christmas!
Gift Idea #2: Handmade Jewelry
Jewelry can be a hard gift to give, but if you want something extra special that won’t break the bank, check out Simply Sofia.
I have to be honest… My mom owns Simply Sofia, so I may be slightly biased. 😉
But seriously, everything my mom makes is handmade with only the best quality natural stones at ridiculously affordable prices. Quality is paramount and she hand selects the best stones while making every piece with all her love.
Making jewelry by hand is hard work for my mom’s tired hands but she swears it humbles her. It is a true gift to be able to create jewelry by hand for those who want the added special touch.
If I had to pinpoint a collection to check out, I would have to share my personal favorite: Cami’s Rosaries. A line inspired by none other than…me!
I may be partial, but I honestly wear my Saint Peter Rosary everywhere. I do take it off to sleep and shower, though. This particular one is made with Job’s seeds, so they really can’t get wet.
The two featured below can be found here and here.
I hate to admit it for as much as I love my rosaries, but the most popular designs right now come from a collection inspired by my sister, Katrina: Kat Wraps. You can see all the options in that collection here.
Simply Sofia has something for everyone – men, women, and children included. The best part is that Sofia will make a custom design to order if you prefer something personalized.
Also, we offer two-day flat rate shipping. That means you can order as late as the 21st and still get it in time for Christmas. (I would probably order by the 20th to make extra sure it gets there in time for no extra charge.)
Gift Idea #3: Skincare and Makeup
Serious question. Who wants better skin?
Let’s all raise our hands, because I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t want to improve some aspect of their skin.
Did you know that your skin is your largest organ? That is right, not every organ is internal, and your largest one just happens to be center stage, for everyone to see. So why not take care of it?
Everything you ingest, and even that which you don’t, like pollution and UVA/UVB rays, reflects on our skin, making it really important that we take care of it. All of it. Inside and out.
As far as gifts go, skincare covers everyone, from teenagers to mature women. There is hardly a more versatile gift.
Now that you see the value in gifting skincare, if you decide this is the direction you want to take, there are a few great options.
Rodan + Fields
Rodan + Fields has some amazing gift packages that come ready for gifting. These bundles come with a big savings and they are guaranteed to please. Whoever you gift one of these babies to will be seriously ecstatic.
I have personally used Rodan + Fields for a month now. For some reason, unbeknownst to me, I started having major breakouts in my thirties. I was desperate for help and Rodan + Fields came to the rescue.
When I finally decided it was time to invest in my skincare, I called up my good friend and former baseball wife, Susanne. She asked me a few questions and made some recommendations.
I started off by purchasing Unblemish, the Active Hydration Serum, and Lip Renewing Serum. So far, I absolutely love all of them.
I usually start my mornings with Unblemish. It has really helped clear my current blemishes while preventing new breakouts from forming.
At night, I alternate between a micro-dermabrasion cleanser and this AHA/BHA cleanser and then use the Active Hydration Serum, which pulls moisture from the air while I sleep, keeping my skin hydrated and subsequently boosting the performance of my layered treatments. (Right now I am using Peter Thomas Roth’s AHA/BHA Clearing Gel.)
I finish every evening with the Lip Renewing Serum to condition my lips and smooth my lip texture.
Once I have been using the products for several more months, I plan to do a full review with before and afters.
If you have any questions, Susanne can help. She was a wealth of information when it came time for me to jump on the Rodan + Fields train.
Now that I am using it, I can’t believe it took me so long.
Younique Makeup
I love me some Younique. Younique does offer skincare, but personally, I have only used their makeup. I haven’t tried their skincare, so I can’t really speak to its effectiveness. I can tell you with confidence, however, that they have great makeup.
Younique is touted for being natural, mineral based, paraben free makeup and skincare.
What I love most is that it is never tested on animals. That makes this on-again-off-again-vegan-but-solid-pescatarian, happy. Very happy, in fact.
So, if you are looking for an amazing gift for a lady in your life that is chemical free, and cruelty free, then Younique is an amazing choice.
My favorite products are their foundation and mascara. Right now, I am using their Touch Mineral Liquid Foundation and Epic Mascara. Whatever you do, make sure you buy their mascara. It. Is. EPIC.
If you want to learn more about Younique and have an amazing experience, make sure you talk to my friend, Adreanna. We go back… way back… like to middle school, when David and I first started dating.
And if you want the VIP treatment, well then, Adreanna is your girl. She introduced me to Younique months ago, and now I am a full convert.
P.S. I bought my mom one of their gift sets for Christmas. But, shush, don’t tell.
Gift Idea #4: On-Demand Workouts
I gave up going to the gym a long time ago. With kids, my life got so busy, sometimes I only have a few minutes to get a workout in before I go to bed at 10 or 11 pm – and that is on the nights I don’t fall asleep while putting them to bed.
It is a struggle, but I do my best to find the time because my health matters.
I started using on demand apps almost a year ago and I haven’t looked back. For more on that, you can check out this post.
Right now, though, my favorite on demand workout app is Beachbody on Demand. I love that it has something for everyone and right now they have a one year subscription discounted for only $99 when you pay for the entire year up front!
Another great note to add is that it is easily accessible on nearly every device. Sadly, I can’t say that about all my other favorite on-demand apps.
This is what I would consider a gift that keeps on giving. It is something the receiver can use daily, and it gives back to their overall well being.
It’s a true win-win.
If you want to learn more about Beachbody, and their On Demand App, you can go here. My good friend, and yet another amazing baseball wife, Dara LaPorta, introduced me to Beachbody long ago.
This is a wonderful gift for those looking to get something up to the day of! All you have to do is purchase it online and bam! It is active!
Gift Idea #5: Books
I love books. Not everyone loves books, but I promise everyone would benefit from having more of them in their lives. That is why I am a big proponent of gifting books.
Here is a list of some great choices this holiday season. Some are written by personal friends, others are just really worth reading. Check them out!
Mark Newman was my editor when I was blogging for MLBlogs. He is an incredible author and journalist. Diamonds from the Dugout came out last year, and now you can get his latest book, Yankees Legends, here.
I have to do a book review on Scary God. I am still in the middle of reading it, but boy is it goooooood. I am loving every second of this book.
So there you have it! My hope is that this gave you a few things to think about that you may have not been considering.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Camille