The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide 2017 coming right at you today! So grab a mug of coffee, set yourself down and get ready to be inspired. If you've been feeling all itchy and twitchy because you don't know what to get anyone you can just calm right down. First of all, you might just have chicken pocks. Second of all, I've compiled a list of gifts this year that I hope will cure you of this time of year's most dreaded disease; present purchasing paralysis.
The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide 2017
- Woolrich Poncho 2. Champagne Cowhide rug 3. Birchbark candles 4. Seagrass Belly Basket 5. Sheepskin Slippers 6. Linen Cushion Cover 7. The Little Book of Hygge 8. Sheepskin Rug 9. The Year of Living Danishly 10. Glazed Coffee Mug
Never heard of Hygge? Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is the Danish concept of living a cozy life. It doesn't necessarily mean having sheepskins and candles around the house (although the Danish are the number one purchasers of candles in the world). Rather it means to be able to recognize and enjoy the small moments, the charm and coziness of life. Being aware of them and appreciating them. Like hearing the rain outside while sitting quietly in a warm room reading a book. Or making a point of using your nice towels instead of keeping them just for "show". Or keeping anything just for show for that matter.
- Bronco pajamas 2. Cards Against Humanity 3. Hand Shit 4. Squishy Stress Head 5. Unicorn Wine bottle holder 6. Cuddly Sloth 7. Meh mug 8. Octopus Candelabra 9. Hand Pencil Holder 10. Pearl Cat Earrings
We all have a fun one in the family. The person that loves the weird, wonderful and wacky. In my family it's Betty. This gift guide is especially for them.
- Leather Apron 2. Linen Proofing Cloth 3. Marble Mortar and Pestle 4. Microplane Zester 5. Charcoal Dinnerware set 6. Bialetti Coffee Maker 7. Copper Soup Pot 8. Gold Flatware 9. Peugeot Pepper Grinder 10. Black Salt Pig
The odd time a new fangled gadget becomes a classic. The microplane rasp that was developed several years ago for example; an instant classic. The rest of the gifts in this list are all classic kitchen staples for anyone who loves to cook and loves to do all things old school.
- Chicken Leg Socks 2. Ceramic Rooster Cannisters 3. Custom Egg Stamp 4. Automatic Coop Door 5. Dried Mealworms 6. Chicken Tee 7. Nesting Box Pads 8. Egg Skelter 9. Chicken Greeting Card 10. Magnet tool (great for picking up any screws, nails, or other metal in the coop that chickens risk eating - which could kill them)
The first thing you need to know is that not everyone who loves their chickens loves to decorate with them. So keep that in mind. All backyard chicken owners on the other hand do love to take care of their flock and do what's right for them whether it's sneaking them a few mealworms every day, keeping the coop free of dangerous metal staples and nails or making sure every egg drops into the nesting box without breaking. What makes the Egg Skelter especially great is that you're guaranteed to be eating the eggs in the right order. The first egg into the skelter is the first one out of it and so on.
- Appetites by Anthony Bourdain 2. Larousse Gastronomique 3. Veganomicon (VEGAN) 4. 3 Times a Day 5. The Professional Chef 6. True Food (the book my kale salad dressing comes from) 7. Thug Kitchen (VEGAN) 8. The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day 9. 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School 10. Saveur The New Classics
Anyone who likes cooking should have a mix of old and new cookbooks. This list is a great combination of some of the best classics and some of the newest soon to be classics.
- Storm Glass 2. LifeStraw (water filter for disasters or emergencies!!) 3. DIY computer 4. Tablet Stand 5. Ecobee Thermostat 6. Airbar (makes regular laptops a TOUCHSCREEN!) 7. Norton Core Router and Security 8. Fidget Cube (WAY better than stupid fidget spinner) 9. Polaroid Camera 10. Talking Toilet Paper Spindle
The more gadgets we have it seems the more gadgets we need for our gadgets. Take the bedtime tablet stand for instance. If you've ever tried to lay in bed and watch anything on your tablet you know propping it up is an unsuccessful pain. And that Polaroid camera? It takes pictures in the exact same size the classic camera used to. But the most important and timely gift in this list after the horrible year of natural disasters we've had is the LifeStraw. A small straw that can be used to filter any water clean. If you know ANYONE who lives in an area that is prone to disasters get them this.
Next week I'll be bringing you a whole other list of gift ideas including stocking stuffer ideas and gifts for under $20 so if nothing here inspired you fret not. You still have a chance to become itch and twitch free.
Sarah
Is it bad that I automatically see fun presents for myself first? My holiday shopping is done other than 2 people and they'll be done on Saturday! Thanks Karen for the great gift giving ideas and I look forward to more presents next week!!
Rhonda
I'm putting the egg tower on my wish list. That looks so much better than egg cartons on the counter. We are also going to get the talking toilet paper holder to hide in a practical joking friend's house. I predict it will end up in all our friend's homes throughout the coming year. Much better that toilet papering their yards!!
Linda
Loved these ideas, just had to get the chicken socks for my chicken loving daughter and the egg tower. Thank you, this completed my list and will be fun/unique gifts.
Karen
Oh! That's great! There's no better feeling than a completed gift list! ~ karen
Elen G
That was fun, fun, fun, Karen. I actually have some of these things. And there might be one or two things I wouldn't mind having here. ;-)
JANICE MORTIMER
I got a pair of soft moc slippers a couple of years ago and honesty, I have never loved slippers like I love these slippers. So comfortable....I wear them out as shoes and ya know what...I don't care who notices. If they knew how painful my feet are and how great these make them feel they would wear them to. It is like walking on soft grass. My feet just sink into the soft cushy fluffy insert and I am instantly happy.
Mary W
I've bought something from your list for 3 years - this year not an exception. My spirit animal is a sloth - how can I resist a stuffy and a book? ADORABLE! I love the chicken leg stockings and they will have proud new owners, also. Your lists are always so much fun!
Jan in Waterdown
Hey Karen, I love the part where you mention that just because one raises chickens doesn't mean one likes to decorate in that particular theme. Did you have to have a friends and family heart to heart at some point to stop the flow of all things chicken? I have a niece who's an Anglican priest and some folks (not moi of course) apparently think if something is even vaguely religious, it would make a "great" gift for her. Thank goodness I grow diamonds.
carswell
Tell me that you have a pair of those chicken leg socks Karen. Please.
LOL
Jan in Waterdown
I thought at first that the magnetic pickerupper thingie beside them looked like a whip and thought they'd make a nice combo gift for the mistress of the coop. Then I had a mental image of Karen. Then I had to stick my head outside in the fresh air. 🙄
Ev Wilcox
Great ideas! Thanks Karen!
traci
Costco has sheepskin rugs! We lucked out and got one for like $30 2 years ago. They've only had the bigger area rug size ones in our stores the last 2 years but they are about the price of the one you linked on Amazon.
Just did a quick check. They have them on their website for $36.99 and free shipping! For $99 you get a quad rug (4 sewn together)! I might have to buy one now...my son loves his "sheepy" as he calls it!
Shannon Gosciejew
If you are going to spend $30 on a mug, I highly suggest you find a local potter - or even a potter on Etsy - to purchase one from. Trust me you will love it. Just look for the works "stoneware" or "porcelain." Every potter I have ever met loves to tell you about their process - how it was fired, the techniques used, their inspiration, and such.
Love, a Potter from Illinois
Katie C.
Okay, I just added half this stuff to my personal wish list...
I am going to get the hand shit for my mom though.
Penny
I agree about some of the prices. Holy cow 59.85 for a mug. Something like $70 for hand cream???? Fun to look at though. Thanks Karen
Heather
CDN$ 59.85 for the Meh mug??? It needs to come with a year's supply of coffee.
Karen
Yeah that happens the odd time if there isn't a Canadian supplier or warehouse for the item with Amazon. Scribble Meh on a plain white Dollar store mug. ;) ~ karen!
Edith Spitz
I bought the sloth!
Karen
How could you not? ~ karen!
Shelly
I just installed an Ecobee thermostat! Only took about 20 min. and I love it. Highly recommend!
Karen
Great! Maybe you can answer a question for me then, lol. The Nest thermostat will track where you are on your phone so if you go out anywhere it automatically turns down your thermostat. Do you know if the Ecobee have that feature as well? ~ karen!
Shelly
I know 1 of the models has this feature. Great if you are the only one in the house but you might freeze out your family when you go to work. I got the Ecobee3 Lite which doesn't have that option. But being that the app is on my phone, I can just adjust it from work. It also will send me emails if the temp gets outside my limits (in case the HVAC breaks down).
You can also get one with sensors that will know which room you are in and make sure the temp is right for that room, not just where the thermostat is. Greatest invention since the TV remote!
Meg
erhmagehrd this is so [expletives] great.
Jan in Waterdown
When I read that first word, it took me a minute and then I heard Kristen Wiig on SNL doing her check out clerk bit . . . hilarious! Amazing you could spell it lol!
TucsonPatty
The life straw is such a wonderful lifesaving idea! I wish I could buy them wholesale and donate them to Puerto Rico!! What a great list!
Paula
Hi Karen,
Again this year you have provided an excellent list and I like the breakdown into categories, too.
The link to the chicken door doesn't take me anywhere. Which one in particular do you use?
Martina
Nice job! Your storm glass linked to wind chimes...interesting as well!...lol
Karen
It did the same thing for me just now! I think it's a glitch between Amazon.com and Amazon.ca Weird. I love that storm glass!! ~ karen
Stephanie
Same with the DIY computer... links to a DIY screen only... I’ll wait til the link is updated before ordering. I️ hope amazon gives you something for making this epic list!!!!
Karen
I get a hilariously small affiliate fee but it all adds up, especially at this time of year. The Kano computer is coming up as $250. Significantly more than it is in the US I'm afraid. Best Buy has it for $199 which is less, but still more than it is in the US. https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/kano-computer-kit/11641198.aspx? ~ karen!