It is time for my annual Holiday Gift Guide. Unique, interesting, pretty, fun and useful gift ideas for anyone on your list this holiday season. Also some weird stuff of course.
If you've been following along with The Christmas Pledge you have no need for this post because all of your presents are purchased and you're positively berserk on an accomplishment high.
You people can just spend the next 10 minutes staring blankly at the computer screen. Or you could make use of this time and do something important like scroll through the list I've composed and pick out a perfect gift to give yourself.
Before we get into it I have some guidelines on buying presents:
Table of Contents
Christmas Present Buying Tips
- If someone lives in a small space DON'T buy them a large present that'll cause them stress and eye bleeds trying to find a place to put it.
- Check to see where something is being delivered or supplied from. This is especially important on Amazon. If it's being delivered from China then it's going to be a month to get to you if you're in North America. If it says "supplied and shipped by Amazon", then you're good. You'll get it in a few days normally.
- If you're having trouble thinking of a gift for someone think of their hobbies, and then get them something for that, that they wouldn't buy themselves. Very expensive knitting needles for a knitter for example. Or a signed copy of a book by a favourite author for a reader. That sort of thing. Hobbies are always the best place for inspiration.
- Want to cut down on shipping costs if you're shipping presents out of town? Change the shipping address in Amazon to ship directly to the recipient's house and choose the gift wrap option. The present will be gift wrapped in a moderately pathetic way with a personalized card and gift receipt inside the standard brown Amazon shipping box.
And to reiterate as I've said before: If you can shop local SHOP LOCAL. Instead of clicking and buying here see if you can get these things locally first. I'm willing to give up my Amazon commissions to make sure local stores stay open.
Ready? Here we go, this year's gift list.
The 2022 Holiday Gift Guide
Some things on this list contain affiliate links. That means if you buy something, I might make a commission.
If you're in Canada and you're having trouble with the right items coming up, just click here and search for the item on Amazon Canada. All other links should work fine for you.
Some of these things I own and love and that's why I'm recommending them.
Other things I've selected are based on how much I like them AND the ratings they get.
ITEMS I PERSONALLY OWN AND LOVE ARE MARKED WITH A 😀
ADVENT CALENDARS
EVERYONE loves an advent calendar. These ones are a step up from your regular $2 advent calendar filled with almost inedible chocolates from the Dollar Store.
These advent calendars are filled with fun experiments and activities for the first 24 days of December.
CANDLES
I'm a sucker for candles and burn them all the time. Always have, always will.
Mandarin Orange Candle (perfect for in the toe of a stocking)
Bubble Cube candle (tons of colours to pick from)
10" long Dough bowl candles (I'd pick the Apple Maple Bourbon scented)
OR for the DIYer, a DIY dough bowl candle kit from Etsy
New Years Eve (truth candle, lol)
Frasier Fir votive in gold jar (This is my candle scent of choice for December) 😀
CLOTHING
Remember the Upper East Side coat?
Philip ate it. So I bought this long Orolay coat as a replacement. It looks really good, isn't skimpy in size and I assume it will wash in the washing machine as well as my first one. 😀
THIS is the Upper East Side coat I got it in white (which my dog ripped on walks when he was a puppy). It now comes in allll the clours. Army green, red, bright yellow, black, navy blue, silver blue ... 😀
DON'T FORGET - IF IT HAS A SMILEY FACE THAT MEANS I OWN AND LOVE THE PRODUCT
I bought both of these last minute to take on a trip to the Dominican Republic. No need to size up, the fabric is pre-shrunk. 55% linen, 45% cotton.
I also bought the black and white striped cover up below which is WAY nicer than I thought it was going to be. Wherever I went in it at the resort people stopped and asked me about it.
If I had known it was going to look so good, I'd have bought the one on the right as well.
COOKING
Flame Birch French Rolling Pin 😀 This hand turned French rolling pin from rural P.E.I.'s Brenda Watts was one of the first things I recommended here on my site 10 years ago. I bought one for myself then one for almost everyone in my family. You can see me using it in my pastry recipe post.
Vekaya Mandolin 😀 (this is the best mandolin I've owned, plus it comes with cutproof gloves)
from Michelin starred vegetarian chef Jeremy Fox.
I'm deeply attracted to the cover of this cookbook. It's beautiful.
The Pizza Bible I've learned more from this book about making pizza than any other. 😀
Cast iron skillet the perfect size for making Cast Iron pizza. I own a wood fired pizza oven and I STILL make cast iron pizza sometimes because it's so good.
GARDENING
Books from my own collection that I think any serious gardener should have.
BED & BATH
A shower cap that isn't ugly Because you really shouldn't wash your hair every day. Comes in multiple colours and patterns! 😀
Mini bidet! I bought this just to test it out for this Christmas Gift Guide. I nearly blew a hole through my intestine the first time I tried it. I also shot a stream of water moving at about 150 mph across my bathroom the first time. But with a little practice these things work astonishingly well to clean your bum. 😀
Refillable Shower Bottles for the person who likes things to be just so.
100% linen bath sheets from Rough Linen. They come in 8 colours including natural and black!
Bath Slippers I'm picking these terry bath slippers because they come in ALL sizes. Including wide!
Indoor/Outdoor Bootie I'm including these North Face indoor/outdoor slippers because my neighbour who owns them BEGGED me to include them. He just got them and says they GREAT. Comfortable, non slip, cozy ... and perfect if you have to go outside to let the dog out or bring in the paper.
A Different Bath Mat This bath mat is kind of like mouse pad material. It absorbs water better than fabric, is easy to clean, and completely non slip.
CROSS BODY phone holder Know someone who always has their phone with them? Or is always losing their phone? This case is the BEST. You wear it like a purse so it's always where you want it to be. The one CON to this is you can't charge it with a magnetic charger while it's in its case - you have to remove the case to charge. It comes in multiple colours and I own it in black. 😀
LUXURY (FOR CHEAPER)
I realize I spend most of my time in jeans with dirt or grease stains on them, but the truth is I LOVE good things. I'm one of those people who would rather own 1 good purse than 12 cheap ones. But I don't buy new. If I want something nice I buy authenticated used.
You just have to make sure you're buying from a reputable reseller like The Real Real. I buy from my friend Lauren Baker who runs the site Lab Consignment. All items are guaranteed authentic, the quality and any marks or scratches are pointed out.
ALL CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR IS 25% OFF BUT JUST UNTIL SUNDAY
HERMES card holder I wish I owned this. I really really wish I owned this.
CHANEL ballet flats These too. Plus they're my size. Alas ...
THE MENOPAUSE KIT
These two things will change their life.
Cooling Pad Put one on your mattress under your fitted sheet. INSTANT cool and it lasts all night. Yup. It's actually made for keeping dogs cool. 😀
Magnesium for Sleeping All magnesium isn't created equal. It can make you have to poop and create general stomach distress. This brand and type of magnesium eliminates those cons of Magnesium but has all the PROS - which means excellent sleepy time. 😀
Buy these two things for anyone who sleeps hot or has trouble sleeping in general.
TECH
The Frame TV from Samsung The Frame is a television that is incredibly flat with a very small bezel frame. You can buy different coloured frames (white, wood, brass) to give the tv the look of different frames.
There is only one tiny wire that hangs down from the tv so you don't have a multitude of messy cords.
Then you can choose from their selection of artwork to display on the TV when you aren't watching it. Both Betty and I own one (I own a small one she owns a HUGE one). My mother keeps floral artwork on her large tv which is hung on her living room wall. You would never know it wasn't actual artwork.
Fire TV Stick What makes a TV smart? The ability to load apps onto it. You can turn any TV that has an HDMI port into a smart tv by inserting this FIRE TV stick. Load apps, watch YouTube, surf the web ... all with a fire stick on your tv.
Eufy robot vacuum with mapping! Last year I recommended a Eufy robot vacuum. I loved my Eufy so much I upgraded to this one for my downstairs, and moved my more basic Eufy upstairs.
Tech Travel Storage Kit I just got back from a trip to Dominican Republic and I really wish I'd had this. The amount of chargers, cable and crap you need to take with you now is astonishing. Keeping it in one spot like this would have been very helpful.
Finally - if you're looking to save money (and who isn't) buy refurbished!
Amazon Renewed!
Amazon has an ENTIRE category dedicated to guaranteed refurbished products.
Like Apple laptops, Frame TVs (yes you can get a refurbished Frame TV the same as the one above, but about $100 cheaper!), ice cream makers with a compressor and just about anything else you could think of.
Buying refurbished products is cheaper, just as reliable and prevents things from getting chucked in the garbage. A lot of refurbished products are just products that have been sent back or had minor issues.
I buy refurbished technology ALL the time and have never had any problems or issues.
That's it for this year, and before you say or think it, I know Christmas is about more than presents.
It's about having gingerbread sweats and filling your pockets with expensive chocolates on your way out from holiday parties.
→Follow me on Instagram where I rarely post because I hate Instagram now←
Gael James
Ordered a bag of Kicking Horse to be delivered tomorrow because I have a caffeine emergency on my hands, and then set up a monthly subscription (to join my cat food delivery.) Huzzah!
Karen
Caffeine emergencies are the WORST. Hope you like it! What kind did you get? ~ karen!
Kristine Maskrey
I ordered two of these items as gifts (one for me, one for them hehe) and already had them sent. Couldn't wait for Christmas! Thanks for a great list of ideas!
Karen
You have to tell me what you got now! ~ karen!
Louise Fortier
Just tried to order the beautiful facemask on Etsy. The mask was $21 CA, but the delivery was $55!! No thanks.
Karen
Did you message her to ask if there was a different option? ~ karen!
Kat O
Soooo I had never heard of a "boot jack" before and have apparently been living my entire life in the dark ages of muddy hands and wet socks. I immediately bought that beetle boot jack for myself (and my husband will use it too so it's like basically a gift right?).
Carole
I immediately bought it too.... I am getting too old to wrestle with boots that don't want to come off.
Deni
I wanted one too, but they are no longer available! Lucky you for ordering quickly. The Canadian Amazon has one similar (a tad smaller) which I've ordered so we'll see if it measures up. Arrives Thursday.
LOIS M BARON
Thanks, Karen, for another intriguing list of things I can tell people to buy me :-) Thank you, too, for urging people to buy local.
Vikki
I'm totally shopping small businesses and Etsy this Christmas. Thank you for the recommendations for Etsy--I'm skipping Amazon this year.
Deanna
Karen - Thank you so very much for including our (Homestead and Chill) organic sourdough starter on your gift guide this year! I am honored and tickled and SO very appreciative. Thank you for supporting our small business, and cheers to healthy homemade bread! (and we do ship to Canada too!) I also concur on the Excalibur dehydrators; we use ours non-stop. Anyways, you're the best!
Karen
You're welcome Deanna! :) ~ karen!
SF
I love to read your gift list every year. It helps me think of things I'd like people to buy me. ;)
My husband and I ended up talking about holiday gifts the other day when he mentioned that something he liked was currently on sale on Amazon. I asked if a local store we like would carry it, and he thought they might; I told him I'd rather pay twice as much and buy local this year. This evolved into us discussing how we would like to kindly suggest to gift givers in our life (namely parents who ask for "ideas") that they shop for us at local retailers or make charitable donations.
Thanks for adding your voice to support the shop local movement!
Karen
Thanks for noticing it SF, lol. Some people missed it. And I just did that very thing. I wanted some 8" bannetons but before I ordered any online I contacted my local kitchen store to ask if they had any. They did and I went and picked them up this afternoon. ~ karen!
DALENE K.
While I found the list interesting, I am disappointed that you neglected to talk about shopping local.
You hit on that important point so hard previously but when it came to your list, it seems linking to online purchases was your go-to.
As you have previously said, if we don't ship local this holiday season, local businesses will fail, employees will lose their job, people's lives will be negatively impacted.
Karen
Have another quick read. You missed it. I did indeed talk about it in this post. ~ karen!
Laura Bart
Better than Oprah, seriously and I love Oprah. Many socially distant hugs to you from me!
Karen
I'm having a very hard time not buying myself the cotton candy machine. A VERY hard time. ~ karen!
Christine
I also love Kicking Horse coffee, but Amazon charging $108 for 3 packages?!?! And that's for a 10 oz. bag. You can buy 1 lb bags of this in the grocery stores in BC for $16.95 per package, and it often goes on sale - I have seen it as low as $9.99!
Karen
LOL, that sometimes happens when Amazon.com converts to an Amazon.ca link. I laugh, but in truth it makes me CRAZY. You can find Kicking horse on Amazon for $10 a bag https://amzn.to/3kf2pUH ~ karen!
Heather Y
Oh what a help this list was! It even helped me to think of a few gifts that weren’t on the list! As usual, Karen, you rock! By the way...I got my son-in-law the hot sauce kit last year and he loved it! Thanks for all you do for your readers!
Karen
I'm glad it was helpful Heather! ~ karen
Patti
What a great list! I’m also in Canada but can’t seem to order the Under Armour face mask. It’s not on amazon.ca but amazon.com won’t ship it here. Any suggestions?
Karen
Hi Patti. Local sports stores might have the mask. Otherwise you can order it from the Under Armour site (Canadian). https://www.underarmour.ca/en-ca/p/ua-sportsmask/195250918950.html ~ karen!
Susan
I love you dearly, Karen, however why are we supporting the monolithic Amazon when so many of our local stores are going bankrupt? This is where we should be spending our money.
Carla
It was a small paragraph in the middle so perhaps you missed it but Karen did say “And to reiterate what I’ve said before: If you can shop local SHOP LOCAL. This year it’s more important than any other year for the survival of your neighbourhood stores.”
You could always google where to find these products through a different (maybe even local) company. But Karen does need to make a living doing this and she gets a wee commission through the Amazon and Etsy links “The items on this list contain affiliate links. That means when you buy a present for someone else, you give a present to me as well in the form of a commission from what you buy. The best part is it doesn’t cost you or the individual sellers a penny. Amazon, Etsy and other stores pay the commissions.”
:)
Karen
Hi Susan. I think I've talked about shopping local quite a bit. Even in this very post "And to reiterate what I've said before: If you can shop local SHOP LOCAL. This year it's more important than any other year for the survival of your neighbourhood stores." I've also recommended Etsy and other small online sellers. The reason most bloggers recommend things on Amazon is because a) it's part of our income through commissions and b) because it's available to everyone. It isn't possible for me to recommend things that are available in your local stores because ... well I don't know what your local stores are. Hope that clears things up. ~ karen!
Jofuri Bobagu
More please
Mary W
I MUST get that eat here sign but can't find how to get it in Florida. It only shows Canada. But I am Betty's twin and it hasn't helped to yell at the screen. What do I do?
Karen
Hi Mary! That's weird. Try this link ... https://amzn.to/32tNu2M :) ~ karen!
Mary W
Thank you - it works!!!
Carla
Hey Karen - for Canadian readers Lee Valley Tools has a Canadian made brass beetle boot jack. I don’t think it’s as pretty as the one you picked but made closer to home and from a company that has a pretty good reputation re conditions and pay for its employees.
Linda J Howes-Smyth
So I'm thinking the e-lighter is kinda like a mini taser and might have even more applications than lighting a candle, fire or cigarette of choice.
KimS
I just thought of a 2020 addition to your list! A phone tripod (for zoom calls). This link probably doesn’t work, but we have one like this, only 13.99, and it works great.
https://amzn.to/3paWlQL
Beth Bilous
Thanks, I got a few ideas from you. This was great. Recommend more useful or not wonderful stuff.