Dorothy KernIf you’re looking for some good gifts for the holidays, check out my favorite things gift guide list from this year! These are all products and items I’ve used or bought myself so you know they’re things that are actually great gifts! Plus, if you’re looking for gifts that give back, I’ve included some of my favorites on this list.
No matter who you’re buying for, some of these gifts are perfect for everyone on your list. Mom, daughter, wife, husband – you name it there is something for everyone.
I started looking through my purchases for the past year and realized that some of them have truly become my favorite products, so I wanted to share. I feel like word-of-mouth is the best when you’re thinking of buying something new, so these are my tried-and-true favorites from 2019!
On my list of favorite things you’ll find:
- Makeup Favorites
- Gifts that give back
- Gifts for the techie
- Clothing and jewelry gifts
- Gifts for your dog
- Gifts anyone will love
Favorite Make-Up Gift Guide
I love makeup! I never used to care about makeup that much, but once my daughter fell in love with it she turned me onto all the different fun things. Ulta and Sephora are now my favorite stores to wander in!
IT Costmetics have become of of my favorite brands. Their Bye-Bye Under Eye Concealer is the only one that covers my under eye circles, and their brow pencil is one and done – no color matching needed!
Thrive Cosmetics Lash Extensions Mascara has become my go-to mascara. It’ll look like you have long gorgeous lashes with only ONE swipe!
I discovered COOLA sunscreen products in a FabFitFun box last year, but really fell in love with the brand when I was in Turks & Caicos. I especially love the Sun Silk Drops which go on under my makeup and protect from not only sun but also technology!
I love so many different makeup brands for eyeshadow (I think I have the most Tarte colors out of everything) but I recently discovered BH Costmetics eyeshadow palettes at Ulta. They are really pigmented and have hardly any falloff, which is great for evening looks or when I’m doing video. Love In London is my favorite!
Gifts that give back!
In my search for the perfect gifts I stumbled upon gifts that give back. These are gifts that, when you purchase, a portion of the proceeds go to charity. I found a few companies that were created with giving in mind and decided to buy a bulk of my list with these items!
The Giving Keys promotes job creation for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. Their necklaces and other jewelry come shaped as keys with focus words on them. The goal is that you wear your jewelry with intention on that word and when you don’t feel you need the support anymore, you pass it on.
Bloom and Give is a store with gorgeous scarves, throws, purses and more. 10% of each purchase (about 50% of the profits) goes to girls education around the globe.
Me to We sources their products from Kenya and Ecuador. They have bracelets, chocolate and more items that give back to these same families and communities in one of five ways—helping provide education, clean water, health care, food security and financial opportunity.
The Little Market is a gorgeous online store that sells all sorts of fun things, from house wares to candles to bath and body. I am in love with their wooden platters and candles – they have so many fun scents! Each purchase supports women around the world – different causes for different products.
Other than all the apple products I’m not a huge techie person, but there are a few things I’ve bought this year that we really love.
Apple TV is a must if you are an apple lover. We cut the cord and got rid of DirecTV this year and now have Apple TV boxes for all our TVs. I don’t love their remote but I do love how it talks to my phone. It makes set-up a breeze!
My daughter discovered these LED color-changing lights earlier this year. They’re inexpensive and easy to hang (they’re like sticky tape, like a flexible measuring tape you’d use for sewing, but with sticky on the back and the lights on the front). She has two sets that span her bedroom wall and she can color change whenever she feels like it. (Red is supposed to help with sleep and nightmares!) This is a great teen or kid gift.
If you’re looking for a new WIFI router or need to strengthen your signal, I now recommend EERO to everyone I know. They’re not cheap but they work like a charm – even in places like my parents house where before they couldn’t use their streaming device upstairs (with an extender, no less) but now they can with the EERO!
Need new smoke detectors? Remember they need replacing every 7 years or so! We switched to the Nest Protect earlier this year – they talk to each other and my Nest app so that the battery doesn’t die at 3am! You set it to remind you when the battery is low at a certain time, and it runs self-tests. (PLUS – we discovered this by accident when some teens were vaping at our house – it can sense vaping and will alert as smoke!)
Last but not least, that large portable charger is a life-saver when traveling. They have 4 USB ports to charge at the same time and will last for HOURS!
The perfect gift for your dog:
Is a Bark Box subscription (or shop their store)! Abby LOVES her Bark Box and looks forward to it every month. Some of her favorite toys have come out of that box – like the Chinese dumpling container above. I’m actually getting her a new one for Christmas because her old one is destroyed.
The perfect gift for ANYONE on your list:
CHATBOOKS!! I have a subscription to Chatbooks and get a new one in the mail every time I post 40 photos to Facebook. You connect FB or Instagram to the app and it pulls in your photos. You can omit and add as you wish – this is the best way to get your photos off your computer since no one prints them anymore. I’ve gone back and had it print ALL the photos I’ve put on FB since I first got an account – finally I have baby books for Jordan.
And last, but not least, clothing and jewelry. These are the purchases I make most often – I’m obsessed with earrings lately!
Hapari Swimsuits are my new favorite – their tankinis are long and hide a multitude of sins. I love love LOVE the bandeau tops!
The Nenona Cardigan is one you may see on sites like Jane or Groopdealz, but I found mine on amazon. I have one in every color!
I have the horrible habit of losing earrings – I’ve lost half pairs of expensive studs when traveling. That’s why I only buy $10 cubic zirconia studs now from Amazon – no one knows they’re not real!
My newest find is The House of Perna by Amanda Perna. I met her at Social Media on the Sand and her fun tassel earrings are my new favorite. I also won that straw bag – isn’t it adorable?
See my favorite kitchen items – they’re great gifts too!
I hope you find a few amazing gifts for someone special or yourself off my 2019 gift guide!
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Published on: November 18, 2019