20 Gift Ideas for 2019
- Steph Castelein
- Dec 9, 2019
- 7 min read
Looking for that perfect gift idea? Look no further my friend. I put together a list of 20 gift ideas -- 10 from Scott, 10 from myself -- of things we're loving right now and we think you might too.
These are all things that we own and use almost daily. I'd recommend and buy all of these for a friend. Heck, I HAVE recommended and bought all of these for friends!
I wrote the 21 Gift Ideas for the Ultimate Adventurer with the travel lover in mind, but these ideas are some of the things we're both loving for different reasons right now.
You'll see some affiliate links below which means I make a small commission (at no additional cost to you!) if you click and make a purchase! Every time you do, you are supporting my blog and this journey and I so much appreciate that!
Here. We. Goooooo!
STEPH'S 2019 GIFT IDEAS
I looovvveee my 365 day, 5 year journal. This is the ONLY journal I've ever kept up with. It's a small book with 365 pages and a question each day. Under the question are 5 little parts where you fill in the year and write in your answer each year. The questions are all so different and it's fun to see what changes and what stays exactly the same as time goes on.
I like the 5 year journal with questions because it gets me thinking outside of the box, but there are different kinds of 365 journals. This one has blank spaces each day, no prompt.
If you know me you know I LOVE packing cubes. They will change your traveling world forever! Use them to keep your clothes sorted and neat. I especially like them because instead of emptying out my ENTIRE suitcase to find that one thing that I need that is of course at the bottom, I just pull out the packing cubes, find what I need, and put everything back in, in no time. I love them so much I wrote an entire blog post about them. Get your packing cubes here.
Ok, I'm not one to rave about kitchen supplies, however, this food chopper is the real deal. You might be thinking, "But Steph, I've bought stuff like this before and never use it. That's what a knife and cutting board are for." Correct. I agree. But somehow, I find myself using this food chopper all the dang time! Mostly for veggies like onions, tomatoes, and peppers, this makes the cut for things I love in my house. Get the vegetable chopper here.
Lakeshore Dry Goods is where it's at! This little company is based in Petoskey and make organic cotton t-shirt hair towels! Both Scott and I love using our own because it helps with dry time, frizz, and overall hair health. And the organic cotton is a huge bonus. Even better, I got my sister one as a gift in 2018 and she asked for a second one for her birthday in March! That's a gift-giving victory if I've ever had one. Check out what Lakeshore Dry Goods is all about and get your own hair towel!
Earth Clay jewelry is my new obsession. These little necklaces are HANDMADE AND AWESOME! From the moment I saw the detail in these babies I was hooked. Plus, the founder Grace and I are fellow SDSU grads so I'm automatically a big fan.
She has different lines available and also does custom work and earrings! Check out Earth Clay Jewelry here!
If you read this blog post, you KNOW I'm a big fan of my Contigo thermos. It's one of the few I've found that has everything I was looking for. I love the second lock feature, especially around my computer, camera, and hard drives. Get your Contigo thermos here. Mine is in white marble!
We listen to our record player daily! Sometimes we break out our favorites like Billie Holiday or Louis Armstrong and sometimes we connect to bluetooth and play something from our phones. Either way, it's a nice addition to our little cabin and tons of fun to have around. Get your Crosley record player here!
I recommend buying a subwoofer if you're going to use this as a speaker. It's going to bring in the bass and make the listening experience more enjoyable. Here's one I would recommend.
Oh books, I love em. I make it a goal to read 12 books a year and ask for a gift card each Christmas to purchase my first few to kick things off. If you're not sure what specific books to get the person in mind, a gift card to the local bookstore is always a win! We have a FANTASTIC local bookstore, McLean and Eakin that offers just $0.99 shipping. If you're looking for some of my favorite book recommendations, these are them!
If you know me you I'm a BIG TIME scarf fan. In fact, I rarely leave the house without one. I for sure always travel with one and I think they are great for so many situations. One time, there was a picture posted of me traveling without a scarf and someone called me out. Boom baby!
If you're traveling somewhere warm, check out this lighter option. If you're going to be in a cooler climate, this is the one I'd recommend!
Ok, this is another example of unnecessary kitchen item but again, something I use over and over and over, way more than I thought I ever would. Yes you can warm up water in the microwave. Yes you can warm up water in a regular pot. However, there is nothing that replaces that beautiful whistle of a ready tea kettle. Check out a tea kettle similar to ours here!
SCOTT'S 2019 GIFT IDEAS
Scott loves himself a nice pair of everyday leather boots. He's also a 5 on the Enneagram and spent HOURS researching the best, high quality, everyday boots out there. He finally chose these by Thursday Boot Company. He just got the Arizona Adobe in the Captain style and has gotten countless comments on them already!
You'll see a theme here with knives on Scott's list. They show up 3 times, all with a different purpose. Every purchase Scott makes is intentional and thought out, even his knives. This one is an everyday knife you can also have as an heirloom. The Helle knife is perhaps his favorite and handmade in Norway. He's hoping it will be in our family for a veeerrryyyy long time. This is the one Scott has but there are a bunch of different varieties they make.
Most of you know we got waaayyyy into birding this year. One of our favorite purchases was a very simple beginner, Michigan bird book. But it turns out there are all sorts of outdoor books available. Books on mushrooms, wildflowers, trees, etc. It's a great gift for that person just getting started and a fun excuse to get outside exploring!
My advice, don't go for the all inclusive master book right off the bat. Find the most basic version of the topic that covers your state and go from there. Here is our first Michigan bird book that got us started out birding!
This is partially on Scott's list for birding and partially because binoculars are awesome! We started carrying them with us everywhere, even when we travel, not knowing when we might use them. Turns out, we use them often! The best part is that you don't need fancy big ones to get the job done. We got these budget friendly Tasco's you can find here!
The Nespresso has forever changed the way we drink coffee in our house. It's like having your own barista right on your counter except you press a button and voila! This is definitely a luxury item but definitely worth it. I've never tasted coffee so well done. Get a Nespresso machine here!
Scott got into carving last year because he wanted something to do during the cold, long days of winter that didn't involve his phone. He started diving deeper into carving and made some really cool pieces! A simple drop cloth and some basswood, you can do all of your carvings inside. A fun idea for someone who likes to whittle or try new things. Scott has a few different carving knives, but here is a knife set to get you started as well as a chisel set.
If you're not into carving, that's fine! I wrote a blog post on why having a hobby is so important and a bunch of different examples. Find the hobby that's right for you and go after it!
Yes, chucky, not chunky. Chucky is like the word hygge in our house and basically means cozy. Scott is all about atmosphere and the "feel" of a place. We have a bunch of cozy blankets we keep out, around the house. Anyone can use a nice, cozy blanket! This isn't the exact one we have, but it's similar.
We designed these hats with adventure in mind! Scott and I created this design to remind you to go. Go adventure. Go explore. And surely, Get Outside. That's why we call them the GO hat. We got them made locally in Petoskey and sell them exclusively at our online shop! Get your GO adventure hat here!
Yep. His absolute favorite. These long sleeve button ups are at the top of his Christmas list again this year. They're made by Arbor Wear and are durable, comfy, and made to last. Check them out here!
And finally, the last knife of the list! You can't go wrong with a swiss army knife. The classic multi-functional tool really does do it all. We have this one with 33 functions. It sounds cliche but Scott really does use his all the time so it made the list!
There you have it! Our 2019 gift list for the end of the year! I hope you enjoyed learning more about what we're fans of and got some ideas too!
Happy, happy,
Steph
*This blog post contains affiliate links which means I might make a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you click and make a purchase.*
If you enjoyed this blog post you might enjoy these ones too!
댓글