I love giving gifts. You’ve read it here before and may have even read this post and heard me talk about it, but the only reason I think I’m decent at it is
All links to the items are included below the image in the description for each recipient!
I really nailed it on shopping local for my mom since two of the things she had mentioned to me were made in Alabama. She asked for new pillowcases, so these weren’t a surprise to her, but the Zkano socks (made in Fort Payne, AL) were something she mentioned that were sold out online but available locally to me at a store in Homewood. Her surprises from me were the other two items. The last time she came to town to visit, we binge-watched The Home Edit’s show on Netflix, so I got her that book to enjoy. Lastly, I had this wrap, and she had complimented me on it in the past when I’d worn it, so I gave her her own since it is the perfect layering piece for Alabama winters.
For my dad: A Speedsleev Bike Bag and Trump Toilet Brush Cleaner
My dad epitomizes the type of person who just buys what he wants—because of that, deciding on gifts for him is incredibly challenging. He loves riding bikes and is quite the athlete, but I certainly can’t afford to purchase a new road bike for him (mom covered that), and I am not sure what “accessories” would even be useful for him. Thankfully he told me that he wanted this bike bag for his new bike, making that easy. But since I love surprises, I saw the Trump toilet brush cleaner and knew he would get a kick out of that. He found it hysterical, texted a picture to his friends, and jokingly used it as a wand to pardon us on Christmas morning.
For my brother: Red Clay Hot Sauce Starter Set
My brother is another person who is a challenge to shop for since I wouldn’t feel confident buying him clothes and am not sure what he really “needs.” When we were together over Thanksgiving, he kept talking about different hot sauces, so I knew a gourmet hot sauce set would be well received. I’ve been following along with Red Clay Hot Sauce for a while after being introduced to them at work and settled on their starter set for him. Two of the bottles were opened while we were all together, and after tasting them can confirm that they made a delicious gift.
For my sister-in-law: Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer
My sister-in-law and I love to complain about what a chore it is to dry our hair/ My hair takes forever to dry despite not looking super thick. Shannon’s hair is visibly thick, so I knew this would be a practical yet fun gift for her. When she opened it, she was so excited since she had heard people on TikTok rave about it. She tried it while we were all at home and agreed that it was a great gift that she might not have purchased for herself!
For my boyfriend: Cooler Backpack, Mistral Bourbon Vanilla Cologne and Soap, a Breakfast Sandwich Maker, and Red Clay’s Hot Honey
Thank goodness for the running list of gift ideas on my phone since it made shopping for Hunter a whole lot easier. The cooler backpack was something that one of our friends had when we went rafting this summer that he commented on would have been convenient when we went to the beach or rafted again. I tried to find him the one my friend had since it was from the Hunter collaboration at Target and said Hunter on the front, but those were being sold for 4x the price on eBay, which felt like a scam. I settled on the one featured because I thought the color and size would work well. The cologne and soap were something he smelled when we were shopping in Homewood that he said would be nice to have but wasn’t a need. Since I don’t think I’d feel comfortable picking out a cologne scent on my own so I noted this on my list and was able to find it. The last two things I got him were afterthoughts but still fun. We really like getting breakfast sandwiches from Crestline Bagel, so the breakfast sandwich maker seemed like something fun for us to try. I was able to get it on sale, and we used it a few times before I left for Christmas. There’s a slight learning curve, but it does make really yummy sandwiches! Lastly, I ordered him Red Clay’s Hot Honey when ordering my brother’s gift because I really wanted to try it but was worried my brother wouldn’t open his while we were at home. He did, and now I’m so glad Hunter has it, too, since it’s delicious!
For my friend, Sophia: A Blue and White Chinoiserie Jar and Faux Palm Fronds
This was the first year that Sophia and I weren’t able to exchange Christmas presents with one another in person. In years past, she’s either traveled to Birmingham, or I’ve gone to Greenville and during our trip have designated a “Christmas morning” to open presents. Instead, this year we opened on Christmas morning and texted each other in excitement. Sophia and her husband bought a house this year, so I knew stalking her Pinterest home board would help me decide what to get her. She had lots of pins of pretty blue and white jars with faux palm fronds pinned, so that’s what I wrapped up and sent her way!
For my friend, Nell: A Chappy Wrap Blanket
Lastly and one of the gifts I was most excited to give was Nell’s Christmas present. For years she has been wanting a Chappy Wrap blanket and always likes to use mine when she’s over at my house. She was so annoyed when the brand sent our dog Scout one, and she realized that Scout would get one before her. Thanks to a sale code and a gift card from the brand, I was able to purchase one at a discount to give her!
I’d love for y’all to share the gifts you gave this year in the comments! I know there are plenty of us always looking for ideas.