This Holiday Gift Guide is sponsored by The Honest Company.
And please note that I use all of the products listed below, and please note that they are things that I find cute, lovable, useful, crush-worthy, delicious, and very giftable. And please note that I ♥︎ your awesome self.
So Merry Christmas! um whatta?!
How did that happen? Thanksgiving’s gone by, the corn pudding is all gone, the sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble will not be seen again until dinner on December 24th, and I’m already very behind on my gift buying.
I am super excited to have the opportunity to share my first ever Pinch of Yum Gift Guide with you and get your input on what you like to buy for the peeps you love most. This year’s gift guide will come in three parts:
- Fun gifts for foodies
- Pretty gifts for fashion lovers
- Cozy gifts for bookworms
Some of today’s gifts might be a wee bit outside of the foodie box, but I assure you, they have a place in making my cooking adventures happier and I hope they can do the same for you and yours.
Fun Gifts For Foodies
I got my Swiss Diamond Induction Braiser a few months ago and it has been a snap to use. It’s just like a Dutch oven and it cooks evenly, has a nice tight fitting lid, and puts out some reeeally flavorful food like Sweet Potato Chicken Chili and Pasta e Fagioli. Yessum.
This gem comes from one of my favorite gift shopping sites, the one and only ETSY. The owners of this little Etsy shop called Hurd & Honey sell all kinds of rustic and beautiful home stuff using materials like reclaimed wood and mason jars. I have this gorgeous, and I mean GORGEOUS, chalkboard in my kitchen to write down upcoming recipes and other lovey notes, and it just makes my eyes pop every time I see it hanging there.
My best friend Angela introduced me to the Honest Company a few months ago with her purchase of the book The Honest Life, and I’ve since become a very very big fan. These chemical-free kitchen products use natural, friendly, plant-based, honest ingredients which just plain feels (and smells) good. They make great gifts because, first and foremost, they are a-dor-able, and secondly, they’re the kind of extra-special daily use product that people might not necessarily buy for themselves, because, you know, they’re a little more special. After you order some of your faves for your fellow foodies, this would be a good one to gift yourself, too. My faves are the Fruit and Veggie Wash, Bamboo Dish Brush, and Dish Towels.
PS. If you have a new mom on the gift list, you MUST check out some of the baby products. Like this yummy little bear hat.
Imagine something you don’t really need, and probably wouldn’t buy for yourself, but would love to have. That’s a mini donut pan (affiliate link) for foodies who like to bake. You will probably be repaid for this gift in donuts x100, so IMO, it’s a no brainer.
If I could only live with one kitchen appliance for the rest of time, it would be a blender/food processor. And Blendtec is the winner for me! It kind of does both blending and food processing. Well, to be more exact, it kind of does everything in the world and comes with a fun little cookbook with creative ways to use it. Plus it has a touch screen. This is a fun gift for the foodie at the top of your list.
Bjork and I have been to lots of cooking classes and it’s a great date or activity or gift for food lovers. The latest cooking class we attended (per a gift certificate, thank you very much) was at the North House Folk School in Northern MN and we learned all about Scandinavian holiday baking with spunky cookbook author Beatrice Ojakangas. ♥♥♥ So much dough. I mean, fun.
Lunch is fun. Lunch is MORE fun with this perfectly sized lunch bag that is also a cooler. I take lunch pretty seriously, and I lovey this bag very much. Easy to gift with lots of cute colors. Go wild.
This is the friendliest little speaker ever called the Jawbone Jambox. While it’s not really exactly a kitchen product, I have the b-e-s-t time with this little thing in the kitchen! Cooking is such a rich experience and the mood can change so drastically with just a little music. Suddenly just making spaghetti and garlic bread becomes a party. Or soothing, or romantic, or… anything you want. I control all the music right on my iPhone and then just tuck it on the window ledge while cooking. During dinner, it travels to the table with us, and it spends the rest of the night out in the living room. May I also recommend Spotify for your tunage? We have a really good time thanks to this portable speaker. Instant mood boost.
A cookbook is a great way to give your foodie a personalized, thoughtful gift that says: “I know you love this kind of food and I like that about you.” If you know someone who loves Macaroni and Cheese (hi, Ang), go ahead and gift them a cookbook about Macaroni and Cheese, like this pretty one called Melt. And then throw in a gift card to a matching restaurant. Do Mac and Cheese restaurants exist? I have a good feeling about that. Find one.
Check out Bountiful for garden eaters, Memories from a Philippine Kitchen for people who ♥ the Philippines, America’s Test Kitchen 6 Ingredient Solution for speedy cooks, and Best Ever Indian Cookbook for spicy food lovers.
My mom got me a small CUTCO knife for Christmas a few years ago and it was the best gift for a cheapo foodie who wasn’t about to go spend money on a knife. I remember the first time I sliced through a bell pepper with it, I thought that the pepper was rotten because the knife went through it so easily. But no, that was just me experiencing the JOY of a supersharp knife for the first time. *eyes pop* Kitchen knives are fancy and they making cooking oh-so-much-more-fun. Find a good one and get your foodie stocked up.
Fun Little Stocking Stuffers For Foodies
I got one of these in my stocking a few years ago and I’ve been using it for the last four years. Yes, that’s right, I used the same reusable teensy purse-able pocket-sized grocery bag for one-two-three-FOUR years. After a year of grocery shopping in the Philippines, I’d like to add that this is excellent for groceries on motorcycles, just in case that applies to you. PS. How cute are these ones? My favorite thing about these kind of bags is that they can go over your shoulder, which is way more comfortable and convenient than a regular plastic bag anyways. Plus they can fit into a small little bundle for easy storage. Hey fun.
Simply the best chocolate I’ve ever had. And this is not something I take lightly, friends. This rockin’ bar packs a punch of sea salt – the kind the sticks out of the bar and is a little rough on your tongue, which is basically heaven on Earth – and 70% cacao. It’s made for the bold dark chocolate lover but I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like it. Made by Minnesota peeps.
It just makes life in general more fun. YEA.
Enough For Us, More For Others
One of the things I appreciate about Christmas and the whole holiday season in general is that our internal give-o-meters go up a few notches. When I look at these pictures from my friends in the southern Philippines that were affected by the typhoon, the very place that I’ve called home for the last year, I feel a deep tugging at my heart to do better for others. The needs for food and water are overwhelming, and most of us have the ability to do something about it.
Let’s be challenged and let this reality make us uncomfortable a little bit so that we are moved to action. Enough for us, more for others.
You can click the image to donate to World Vision for disaster response. On behalf of our loved ones in the Philippines, THANK YOU.
Happy giving-season, friends! I literally just smiled because I like you so much.