2019 Holiday Gift Guide

It’s time for holiday shopping and we’ve rounded up gifts for the entire family! Whether you are shopping for your men, children, girlfriends, or yourself, we’ve rounded up the best gifts around. You’ll find games, accessories, toys, tech, and clothes in this round-up of gift gifting must-haves. So get ready to shop for the ones you love with products that we tested and adore. No duds here, just excellent present recommendations for all your friends and family. Enjoy our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide (you can get it in PDF form too.)

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For Her

1. Birdies Songbird Mules – These shoes are stylish and comfortable! Birdies are known for being the shoe that’s secretly a slipper. Filled with lush padding, you’ll want to wear these mules inside and out.

2. Orolay Navy Coat Original and Orolay 2019 update – This was the HOT coat of the season last year and it’s still trending – plus there are numerous updates! Pictured are the original and the more form-fitting ones, but I love the contrast version,  longer version, and the kid version too!

3. Ilia After Midnight Mascara – Kirsten swears by this eco-friendly mascara for giving her all day lashes and volume. She’s been a religious user of this product for the past six months. She also pairs it with LashFoods’ eyelash enhancer for va-va-voom eye fringe.

4. Revlon One-Step Volumizing Hot Air Brush – This is the BEST hairdryer and it’s less than $50! It’s revolutionary technology styles your hair while drying it – no brush necessary! Bonus – it volumizes your hair and gives it all-day shine. Once you try it, you’ll never go back.

5. Druzy Earring Set – 3 sets of earrings in one set for under $50? Kirsten got hers last week and has been wearing them non-stop ever since. They can go from day-to-night and are surprisingly lightweight. No sagging earlobes here!

6. Wrinkle-Resistant Sheets – 62,000 people have given these wrinkle-resistant sheets 4 or 5-star reviews on Amazon. The set includes a fitted sheet, top-sheet, and 2 pillowcases for only $40! These are currently in the guest room at my house, but I’ll be buying some for the master this holiday season.

7. Ice-Roller – Ever wake up with puffy eyes after a long night tending to the kids (or binge-watching Netflix?) We have to, which is why we both have this $12 ice-roller in our freezer. It drains lymph nodes, reduces swelling, and wakes us up before our morning cup-of-joe can kick in. This is one beauty tool that I’d spend WAY more on.

8. Misfit Hybrid Watch – My sister has this watch and adores it. It connects to her smartphone app to track her steps, alert her to phone calls, and tracks her sleep. It’s got most of the function of a fitness tracker with a much chicer exterior.

For Him

1. Audio-Technica Bluetooth Record Player – I just snagged this record player for my brother! It plays your records over any Bluetooth speaker system combining your old-school tunes with the most modern listening experience.

2. Cotton and Cashmere Bomber Jacket – This item is high on my hubby’s wishlist this year. This Bonobos bomber jacket can do double duty as a sweater. It comes in three colors in a cotton & cashmere blend that will have him reaching for it again and again.

3. Glencairn Glasses – Whiskey and bourbon are all the rage these days – but is the man in your life doing his tastings right? After visiting a bourbon distillery this summer and discovering these Glencairn glasses all the men in my life rushed out and purchased them. Designed by the Scots to taste their whiskey, these bad boys mean business. Bonus, if you knock the glass over, it lands on the rounded part preventing any liquid from spilling out.

4. Monogrammed Shearling Slippers – Upgrade any man’s slippers with these shearling-lined monogram slippers Land’s End. They are the perfect gift when you don’t know what to give! At $50 they will work for just about any man on your shopping list.

5. Sunrise Wake-Up Alarm Light – I can’t stand my husband’s incessant alarm in the morning which is why I’ll be upgrading his bedside table with this sunrise wake-up alarm light. It gradually brightens the room, waking you up in a more natural manner – without ANY sound.

6. Tile Pro Key Finder – Finding keys is a problem in my house-hold. The Tile Pro makes it easy to locate keys, phones, or anything you might need to find in a hurry.  Now that’s a tech gadget I can get behind!

7. Motorized Tie Rack – Remember Cher’s closet in Clueless? Well, this is the male equivalent – a motorized tie-rack! Organize your closet and save space at the same time with this $30 present.

8. Ember Temperature Control Mug – I put this on the men’s gift guide but honestly I want one too!! The ember is an electronic mug that keeps your warm beverage at the same temperature all day. Imagine a world with no more cold coffee. It comes in a travel version too.

for Baby

1. Helicopter Carrier – I’ve loved the Green Toys line since my son got his very first dump truck. Made of recycled milk jugs, these eco-friendly toys are virtually indestructible. We take ours to the beach, in the pool, the tub, and in the playroom. The helicopter carrier is a new toy and the boat actually floats in the tub.

2. Symphony in B – Another fan favorite that’s been around my house forever. The symphony in B is the only baby toy my 8-year-old still plays with. It plays up to 5 of the instruments when they are placed on the stage, creating truly amazing music. It says 5 plus bit I gave mine to my son when he was 18 months old and supervised his playtime with it.

3. Wooden Train – This train set from Janod is so versatile. The blocks can be stacked to create trees or houses as your train drives by while the pegs make it a stacking toy too. The included pull string makes it a pull-along toy for your baby to use when he starts walking. I love toys like this that grow with your kiddo.

4. Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit– We have the Osmo kit for older kids in my house, but if they were little, I’d jump at the chance to own the Osmo Little Genius kit. This is for the older part of the toddler years because of the small pieces. So get for toddlers aged 3 and up.

5. Lovevery Block Set – If you only get one toy for your child this holiday season, make it this block set. Why? Because the 70 pieces can be used for 20 different activities! Kids can build, use ramps, use the sorting lid, turn it into a wagon, lace the blocks together, and so much more! The included guide lays out all the options for you, but trust. This is THE toy to get.

6. Grippies Builders – It’s never too soon to start STEM learning and these magnetic grippies are one of my favorites on the list! These magnetic rods and balls are perfect for tactile play and safe for kids 18 months and up!

7. Hape Pound & Tap Bench – This toy is the toy I personally buy for every single pregnant friend. It’s a true must-have in every house. I still have it in my house because I’m saving it for my grandkids. It’s that special.

8. Dolce Play and Learn Whale – The Dolce line of stuffed animals is amazing for newborns and older babies. Textured fabrics expose baby to new senses while the attached teether soothes aching gums. 3 accessories enhance play and can be stored in the whale’s blow hole!

Pretend Play

1. Pizza Counter Playset – Melissa and Doug have outdone themselves once again! This pizza counter allows your little one to “bake” their own pizza in the oven. The included menu opens the door for pretend play as customers order whatever topics they choose.

2. Creatable World Doll – Listen, I love Barbies as much as the next gal, but I realize that in today’s world we need to be inclusive. That’s what I love about these dolls. Change the hair, change the outfits, do whatever! This set lets your child create the perfect doll for them in the moment and gives them the luxury to change the doll again the next day.

3. Patient and Doctor Kit – Talk about upgrading your standard doctor play, the included patient apron has interactive elements for your kids to enjoy. Aren’t the people at Fisher-Price just so clever?

4. Bluetooth Microphone – We have an LOVE this microphone….well, I love it sometimes and other times I hide it. With voiceFX, lights, and a built-in speaker – this microphone is such fun! I love to get in on the games too just not too close to the end of the day.

5. Smores Campfire Set – If you are like me, you probably own some kind of teepee or play hut. Maybe your kid loved it at first, but they gradually stopped playing with it. Well not anymore, I’m determined to get my kids back into that play hut with this fun smores campfire set. I can’t wait to plan pretend camping nights “fireside.”

6. Hape All Season Dollhouse – My kids have owned this dollhouse for 3 years now – and I only have boys! This dollhouse is gender-neutral because it’s one of the few on the market that isn’t covered in pink. I love that the roof tiles have solar panels and can be flipped over to show snow! It’s truly large making it easy for 2 kids AND an adult to play with.

7. Circus Shadow Puppets– Remember when we made shadow puppets the old-fashioned way with our hands? Well, welcome to the 2019 update with these shadows puppets from Moulin Roty. Turn on a flashlight, face the wall, and let your little one entertain you with made-up stories of their circus adventures.

8. Harry Potter Coding Wand – Another gift that we’ve had for over a year and still use all the time. The Harry Potter coding wand lets your HP obsessed child try their hand at magic as they code their way towards making spells work. STEM combines with pretend play in the best way possible.

STEM Gifts

2. LEGO Hidden Side Graveyard – Ok, this toy is the COOLEST. Build your LEGO playset as usual and then download the app to see the augmented reality! Interactive fun that takes playtime to the next level. This Haunted High School is amazing too.

4. Osmo Coding Jam – As I write this post, my younger son is playing it next to me. We have lots of the Osmo playsets, but coding jam is probably my favorite of them all. New to the world of Osmo? We explain the whole system in this post.

7. Magformers Carnival – Magformers are the preferred magnetic toy in my house. We have so many sets – we’ve been collecting for 6 years now! This carnival set was one of the first ones we ever got and it’s still one that gets used most. The kids just love making a moving Ferris Wheel.

8. Arckit Play Little Architect – Shhh – don’t tell my kids that I ordered this fun architect set for them. I always love exploring new building toys and when I saw this kit I just knew my boys would be on-board. It will finally let them create the house from their favorite book – If I Built a House.

Games

1. Monster Match – A Toy of theYear 2019 finalist, this fast pace game reminds me of Spotit! Roll the dice, find the matching monster, and win the most donut points. This is a great game for the whole family because there is no reading involved!

2. Disney Villainous – I’m eying this game up because my little boys LOVE Disney villains. It actually won the strategy game of the year for 2019! If you get bored with the gameplay over time, there are expansion packs to add on!

3. The Genius Square – Jackie just grabbed this game set at our local toy store for her kids for the holidays. It came highly recommended from the shop owner who let Jackie try it out in store! She loved that it can be used as a racing game or for solitary play.

4. Unstable Unicorns – Unstable Unicorns was originally a kick-starter item that’s rocketed to popularity. It won the Toy of The Year award for 2019 in the gaming category. This particular game is designed for kids 14+ so I plan to get it for my husband and me to play with our friends.

5. Shadows in the Forest – Someone gave this game to my son for his birthday and it’s been our go-to birthday gift ever since. You actually play in a dark room. What a fun way to get your kids ready for bed!

6. Azul – This tile placing game won the best board game awards last year. And for good reason! It’s fastpaced, easy to learn, and perfect for family game night. Don’t tell my kids but they are getting it this year!

7. When in Rome – A game that uses Alexa? Yep! When in Rome combines the classic board game experience with the technology we all love. Alexa is the gameshow host! How fun is that! No more reading rules. Just set up the pieces and let Alexa be your new Pat Sajak.

8. Radical Road Trip – We travel all the time and so this game caught my eye the second I saw it. 60 fun games to keep your kids entertained and off their Kindles! Finally, road-trips can be fun again!