Tip to avoid cord stealing- get charging cables for everyone in the family that has a phone and assign each person a different color. Love that this one has a masculine look.
100% Without a doubt. The most amazing cologne Garrett owns. I gave him Rose 31 when he graduated Law School. Don’t let the price freak you out. Start with the smallest bottle and you will be hooked. The smallest spray lasts all day long and people stop Garrett on the street and ask him what he is wearing.
I’ve been a huge Plum Pretty Sugar fan for years. They have the most incredible robes (that would make good Christmas presents and as bridesmaid robes if you are planning a wedding!) I have this in both colors and it is so soft. I wore the blue robe in this post and didn’t want to take it off. Also, I have this floral robe as well. Perfect for someone who loves all things feminine.
You all know how much I love to layer dainty gold necklaces! I own this and it makes layering so easy because they are all connected on one clasp. Perfect for a jewelry lover!
A tickets to The Monthly Dress Tour would make such a fun gift to give! To a mom or sister (or just shoot this over to your husband ;). I think gifting experiences is extra special. And if you have been wanting a ticket to come to the tour, now is the perfect time to ask for one for Christmas!
Today I’m breaking down all of my favorite gifts I’ve found to give to KIDS for Christmas! Over the years I’ve given gifts that were a total hit, and some I regretted (ie: a forgettable toy with a zillion different pieces).
While I tried to keep my list fairly gender neutral…I just have a much better handle on toys my boys love 😉 I’ve included many gifts we have given the boys over the years that they actually still play with to this day. The thought of getting a dozen new toys is completely overwhelming. So I stuck to the classics in our house that keep kids attention and that don’t have a million parts to keep track of.
NERF GUNS: Like it or not, we are a nerf gun family. My boys are absolutely obsessed. It’s the toy they gravitate to the most, especially when friends are over. Bradley asked for this clear light-up Nerf gun last year and it’s actually really cool!
NERF REFILL PACK: If you’re going to be a Nerf mom you MUST have plenty of bullets. (they are like socks…they like to disappear everywhere)
RAZOR SCOOTERS AND/OR MICRO KICK BOARD: My kids play ride their scooters way more than their bikes right now. They are easy to throw in the back of my car and take to the park. Eli loves his Micro Kick Board so much. I love that it’s well made and just his size! And if you accidentally run your car over it like I did last week, they sell every single piece individually so you can put it back together!
THE ESSENTIAL CALVIN & HOBBES: My boys are really into comic books. Calvin is funny and my boys crack up over these comics over and over.
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: Another great comic book Bradley loves. It’s a little more complicated reading level, I would say ages 8+. The movie is also really cute!
HARRY POTTER SPECIAL EDITION BOXED SET: We only own a few books, so I think it’s time to invest in the whole series. I wish we would have purchased them all when we started reading them.
POCKET MICROSCOPE: Cash asked for a microscope last year and he has the best time finding things to inspect up close!
ROCK TUMBLER : This is #1 on Cash’s list this year. I researched a ton of rock tumblers and this one is made of steel (as opposed to plastic like lots of the others) and I think its the best bang for your buck. This is the model I ordered.
TEAMSON MODERN PLAY KITCHENS: Such a beautiful toy I would be so happy to have displayed in my house! Think of all the pretend food your little could cook up here!
BUBBIMAL BUBBLES: Cutest little bubble blowers- inexpensive and great as a stocking stuffer.
CHILDREN’S PATCH SET: These patches would be so fun to let your kids add to a jacket or backpack to make it their own!
MAGNA-TILES: I’m being serious when I tell you we use our Magna-Tile set EVERY SINGLE DAY. They are pricey for sure. But we invested in a large pack last year and they have been such a great purchase. We make letters and castles out of them, and the large pack comes with an idea book my boys always look through for ideas.
KNIT BLANKET: A non-toy item that can be personal that kids can use to cuddle with for movie nights or at nighttime!
JELLYCAT STUFFED ANIMALS: I’m not a stuffed animal person. But Jellycat stuffed animals have a special place in my heart because Eli’s dog Ruff Ruff is made by them. It is so soft and cute! We are also huge fans of Bla Blas. I’ve gotten one for each of my kids when they were first born.
PLAY-DOH: My kids have always loved Pay doh. A classic that helps with their creativity…that doesn’t involve stick slime! 🙂
BOOGIE BOARD WRITING TABLET: We put these in our boys stockings last year and we still use these every Sunday at church! For being so thing, they really are durable. $20 might sound a little steep, but we have definitely banged ours up and they still work great. I highly recommend these!
WALKIE TALKIES FOR KIDS: These have been so fun for my kids! They do go through batteries fairly quick, but they giggle from one end of the house to the other saying “are you there? over! are you there? over!” They are also really fun for family vacations!
ONTEL MAGIC TRACKS :We have these and they are the best race car track we own! We have purchased so many plastic ones, but this one is so fun because the cars stay on the track and are motorized!
WOODEN TRAIN TRACKS FULL SET: I think a train set is one of the most important toys for kids. My kids use their creativity to create the tracks and you can’t beat a classic wooden set! These tracks are fun because there are so many wooden brands that are all the same size, so you don’t have to stick to one kind of wooden track. They are really fun to buy a little bit at a time and build up your collection.
WATER WOW! REUSABLE WATER-REVEAL ACTIVITY PADS: I am always buying new color revealing marker sets for Eli because my big boys use them all up! These are great markers “on the go” and they don’t make a mess! Adding a pack of these for Eli’s stocking!
LAKESHORE PRINTING LOWERCASE LETTERS PRACTICE BOOK: We got these letter practice books for a birthday party last year and I LOVE them. My older boys still struggle with their handwriting sometimes, and these make practicing fun. I have them each take a book and fill up a page with a letter, and then I circle my favorite letter out of all the ones they drew. Eli has learned how to write his name because of these books!
Nordstrom has some of the best gift sets in their beauty department right now, and they would make great stocking stuffers or gifts for girlfriends or co-workers. I love that some of my favorite beauty products come packaged in sets that make it so convenient to open and wrap individually! I listed some of my favorite beauty gift sets below:
Voluspa candles are one of my favorite candles. They fill an entire room with the scent in just a few minutes and this gift set makes them only $8 per candle. Plus, each candle has a 25 hour burn time!
These Juicy tubes are always a big favorite, and 9 for $40 makes each tube less than $5 (they are originally $19 each!!). Great quality gift for your girlfriends.
How cure are these Kiehl’s mini masks? At a little over $12 per mask, these would be great stocking stuffers for daughters or sisters.
Such a darling rose gold mini brush set. Perfect to throw in a big purse for your girlfriend on the go! On sale for $29, originally $92!
There are so many special people in my life that I love to shop for, but I never want to overlook my kids’ teachers when it comes to gift giving. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed when it comes to finding them the perfect gift. These are the people who pour into my kids’ lives day in and day out, the ones my boys love dearly, and I know their memories with them will last forever. Their teachers work so hard during the year to help my boys, and I am so incredibly thankful for them. But gift giving to teachers can be tricky. It’s hard to know what their teachers really want or need, so I decided that the MasterCard gift cards from Gift Card Mall are the perfect solution.
Sometimes we just need a little “giftervention” to help us say thank you to the people we cherish. These gift cards are perfect for everyone on your list. They are easy to purchase, easy to use, and still allow you to add a personal touch when wrapping them up. For Bradley’s teacher we decided to add a few goodies into a basket with the gift card to tie it all together.
It’s so easy to purchase MasterCard gift cards, and all it takes is a quick stop at your local grocery store. There are several familiar stores that carry them, including Vons, Safeway, Kroger, Food Lion, Alberton’s, and other local grocery stores. If you still have gifts you need to pick up before Christmas, the MasterCard gift cards from Gift Card Mall are a no-brainer. They take the difficulty out of gift giving, and make it easy for anyone to give a great gift.
By this point I’m pretty sure you know how much I love matching my phone case to my outfits (case and point here and here…no pun intended!). Today, instead of talking about which phone cases I love, I wanted to talk about which phone cases my friends and family would love. OtterBox makes so many different kinds of phone cases that would make great presents for everyone on your list this year!
If you are in the market for a new phone case, or you are shopping for a phone case for someone on your list, OtterBox is the way to go. For your girlfriend, the OtterBox Symmetry Series has some really cute girly options. This youthful purple polkadot print case would be perfect for your favorite babysitter (and it might just make her more available on the nights you need her…I’m not above bribery). This classic aqua striped case is what I’m giving to my sister-in-law, and they also make a similar option for the iPhone 6. My mom has a bit more sophisticated taste, so I think this burgundy leather case with a clear cover would be a perfect fit for her.
For the men in your life, OtterBox just released a new Strada Series line of limited edition cases for the iPhone 7 that are sleek, leather, and a bit more understated. Garrett is in the market for a new case, and I think this ultra slim cognac leather case is right up his alley. The Commuter Series cases are great for someone who is constantly moving and is really hard on their phone. They have an extra padded layer of protection for any drops or bangs.
With the iPhone 7 coming out this year, there are probably plenty of people on your list who could use a new case (or will be getting that phone upgrade for Christmas). A phone case is something everyone needs, and OtterBox is my go-to for well-made beautiful cases!
Also, I’m taking over OtterBox’s Insta Story today, and I will be giving you an up close look at these cases! You can tune in here.
You can find all of the deals, discount codes, and descriptions of my favorite products below…
COLLEEN ROTHSCHILD BEAUTY – Get 20% off any regular priced order with code: ELLE20. Valid from 11/17 – 11/24.
AQUIS HAIR TOWEL – Dries my hair so much faster and cuts my blow drying time in half! It protects hair from breakage allowing hair to grow fuller and faster. Use code ELLEAPPARELGIFT16 for 20% off of your order! Good through December 15th
OWLET INFANT HEART RATE MONITOR – I can’t recommend this enough! It tracks your infants heart rate and breathing at night, allowing you to sleep peacefully knowing your baby is safe! This would be ideal for a new mom.
I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas! We had so much fun this weekend opening presents, eating, playing games with family, …eating some more. I’m all rested and refreshed and bringing you some amazing picks from the Nordstom Half Yearly sale that it happening now! It goes through January 3rd, but the really good items are going fast. To help you from having to pour through thousands of items, I’ve rounded them all up for you.
Here are a few more of my favorite items on sale up to 50% off!
I need to tell you that this particular gift guide was hand crafted with love by me and my fashion forward husband slash just my husband. He sent me over links to every item he currently has that he loves (like these shoes and this beanie) and a handful of things that he has his eye on for a while (like this coat). I just made it look pretty and slapped it into a post. But I would trust him. He has called so many trends before they were actually trends. This has also made shopping for him this year much easier.
See my previous Holiday Gift Guides here and here.
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