2023 Holiday Gift Guide Part 4

Gifts for ladies who lunch (or just love little luxuries), and kids under the age of 6 (vetted by the 9 moms I talk to on a daily basis)

Hello and welcome to the fourth and final(!!) part of my gift guides for 2023.

I know that many people have done so much holiday shopping already, and probably took advantage of Cyber Week sales. Every year, I aspire to be that person. I wrote about how to be that person! I created my shopping list (I even shared my list with you here!), I searched all the sales, and yet, I just never execute the way I imagine I will. I think I become so overwhelmed by the sales that I keep scrolling and scrolling — and I know I need to stop, but I also…can’t. I hope I”m not the only one who is like this!

What resulted is a few purchases from my list (I did do a pretty good job of sticking to my list!), and a ton of open tabs. And a TON of scrolling.

But man, I did feel a sense of relief when I woke up on Tuesday and knew that the sales were over. Of course, many extended for one more day, but that frantic feeling of needing to search to make sure I didn’t miss out on something amazing finally waned! Which is so silly. I literally doled out advice on how not to feel frantic about the sales, and yet, I did. Oh well. I cannot control my feelings! It’s also a good reminder that the constant overstimulation and exposure to marketing materials that we need, need, need something new has an impact, even when you are girding your loins against it!

In case you missed it, I’ve published 6 gift guides so far:

1. Gifts for the literary genius, book-lover, or aspiring writer in your life

2. Gifts for the fun-finder and group organizer in your life, who always rallies the troops to do something fun, and is always up to hang out

3. Gifts for your most loyal friend, who is a little bit quirky, and loves to take up a new hobby

4. Gifts for the introverted homebody / cozy - lover who throws a great intimate dinner party & mixes a mean drink

5. Gifts for the new or expecting mom (or parent) who could use a reminder that they are doing a great job

6. Gifts for your most fashionable friend, who has the most impeccable sense of style, a love for all things beauty, and is always authentically themselves

My original plan was to just publish one more gift guide - a silly one full of little luxuries and fun, happy things for ladies of leisure (or, if you’re like me, and aspire to be one of those women!)

But then on Tuesday morning I found my college friend mom chat blowing up as we all crowdsourced and consulted one another about our best gift ideas for our kids (15 kids ranging in age from 4 weeks to 5 years between the 9 of us!) And then I said, I should share this! And, so here we are.

So, today, the last two gift guides:

• Gifts for ladies who lunch (or, for those of us, like me, aspire to a life of leisure & lunching)

  AND

• Gifts for kids, ages 0-6, as vetted by the 9 moms I talk to daily

Gift Guide #7 - Gifts for ladies who lunch (or, for those of us, like me, aspire to a life of leisure & lunching)

A note about this gift guide - the previous gifts guides have included many little luxuries, so if you are looking for a little luxury to gift someone important in your life, don’t rule those out. The title is a little tongue-in-cheek, but it’s the type of gift you would buy when you want to gift someone just a little something, that they probably wouldn’t buy themselves. Like all the gifts, everything is under $200, and most are under $50.

Tak Tak Face Cups: These are just so fun. Gift one that she can use for her toothbrush and toothpaste, or a cup of water by her bed, or gift a couple to add to a collection.

Chrysanthemum Shaped Sauce Plate: Meant for sauces, but would look beautiful on a dresser or in a bathroom for jewelry or little treasures.

Needlepoint Pillow: Sure to make her laugh!

Flower Pot Earrings: A beautiful, long statement earring to make even the simplest outfit sing.

Alex Mill Ribbed Turtleneck: This is a versatile wardrobe item that your recipient will wear forever (and on repeat!)

LL Bean Slippers: LL Bean Wicked Good Moccasins are the best slippers on the market. Always have been. Always will be. I’ve been wearing them (not the same pair!!) since I was in high school and my friends and I wore the clog style as shoes and started a trend at our high school. I’m partial to the boot moc, but you can’t go wrong!

RPLZ Brush: This brush is designed to detangle and style. It conditions and brings shine to your hair when you use it. It was inspired by Mason Pearson, but at a MUCH lower price point, and is good for all hair styles.

Kur Nail Concealer: The perfect subtle shine for your nails that last forever and is virtually foolproof.

Earlybird CBD Gummies Sample Pack: For someone who is curious, but maybe hasn’t made the plunge yet!

Tula Self-Care Sunday Mask: This mask packs a punch - so moisturizing, brightening, plumping, and it doesn’t leave a weird residue. I love to wear it overnight, and always wake up feeling like my skin got the tall glass of water it needed! Something for all skin types!

The Luv Scrub: This mesh body exfoliator is AMAZING. It’s like a loofah, but with less bacteria! It’s also more exfoliating and will help give you the smoothest skin of your life! The different colors all have different meanings, so take a look a pick something significant to your recipient! The green means new beginning and growth! You can pair with a bottle of this oil cleanser (the 1L bottle will seriously last you a year) and its a winter survival guide!

Falke Socks: These are well regarded as some of the best socks around. Everyone needs a good pair of socks in winter!

Replenix Tinted Eye Cream: I have a hard time shutting up about this tinted eye cream, but it is truly magical and amazing. It gives the look of a full night’s sleep, whether or not you had one. It works for everyone! It’s not makeup, but it’s not not makeup! This is for anyone who loves simple makeup, or is not getting as much sleep as she might like!

Nadaam Beanie: I have this beanie and its amazing. Super chic, super warm, super soft. Anyone who lives somewhere cold can use a hat in the winter!

Disco Ball Tree Topper: Something so fun for her tree (or living room!).

Buxom lip plump: Another product I can’t shut up about, this lip color is the best. Nine days out of ten, this is what I’m wearing on my lips. It is formulated to react to the pH in your lips, so it produces a custom shade - in the perfect pink - your lips, but better! It’s a balm, so it is actually moisturizing (important as we enter winter!), and it has this slightly tingly feeling when you put it on. She’ll keep it in her purse and use it everyday.

Gift Guide #8: Gifts for kids, ages 0-6, as vetted by the 9 moms I talk to daily, AKA, “The Mom Chat Gift Guide”

The age ranges here are general guidelines - think of them as a “starting at” age. In most cases, these toys grow very well with kids (I’ve added out notes on this with each item), and are good for multiple kiddos to play with. Books are amazing gifts for kids of any ages. If you are looking for a book recommendation, might I suggest

MOONBOW

or

Sarah Miller

- they are the best for fresh ideas and books across so many different categories and ages.

Also, this is my two cents - what your kids (or any kids, really), want most of all is to have your attention and feel your love. A cardboard box, markers and tape can be hours of entertainment if you help them built it into a rocket ship or a boat. Make a racetrack on your floor with tape and run cars through it. Play hide and seek. Collect old toilet paper and paper towel rolls and make a marble course against a wall in your house. Do play-dough together. Come up with a silly story and turn it into a book with printer paper and a stapler. For older kids, take them to do something for a day - out for a meal, to a museum, a park or playground, shopping, a show. Take them to their local toyshop to browse for something and ask them why they land on what they pick out!

Kids Under 1: In all honestly, these kids don’t need anything! They’re not into the holiday yet. You can go for something practical, something sentimental, or something for their parents (booze).

Diaper Pouch - A pouch like this is one of my most used baby items. I have one of these for each of my kids, although I’m not sure if you can get this in time for the holidays.

Lou Lou Baker Baby Blanket - Okay, I know that every baby already has a blanket, but these are so incredibly beautiful (honestly, this whole site is a treasure trove of beautiful kid items!

Personalized Hat - Nothing cuter than a baby in an adorable hat!

Personalized Baby Plate - Something sentimental that could be hung on a wall, or kept until old enough to use a plate!

Custom Monogram Frame - With the baby’s initials or first name - and a picture of the baby from their newborn days.

Kids Aged 1-2

Indoor Balance Bike - This is a fun but hard age - super active and into exploring, but can’t do any of it alone! A balance bike is fun thing they will eventually be able to do themselves! (Also under $50).

Nod Chair - This has been a go-to gift for our kids. They can sit in it, climb on it, read in it. My kids bring theirs downstairs to watch TV in on the weekends. Sometimes even I sit in it! A tip from one mom was to see if anyone is looking to get rid of the insert on FB Marketplace, and then you just have to buy the cover! PB Anywhere Chair is basically identical!

Play Kitchen - This could be for any age, but the mom chat agreed, that as early as one-ish, kids play with this, and they will continue to love for years to come! If you are a small space family (like me - all our toys are in our dining room, so they have to be small enough to fit in cabinets), this is a great alternative that my kids have had for years and still love! This is another book worth perusing FB Marketplace for!

Pinhole Press Book - This is a great gift for kids of any age, but I particularly like it for a 1 year old with pictures of their family and their names. For an older kid you could make it about adventures they’ve had, or their favorite people.

Nugget Play Couch - Something fun to sit on and play with in every way imaginable! This grows with kiddos - in our chat we have kids ages 1 - 5 obsessed with their nugget.

Kids Ages 2-3

Magna Tiles - This is one of those toys where more actually is more! And you can build a collection up over years! Kids even a little younger than this will play with them, and they are very enjoyable for adults. I linked to Target, but I highly encourage getting these from your local toy shop! The Magna Tile Storage Bin is also super awesome & practical (would be great to encourage a grandparent or other relative to choose this!) This is good for siblings with a couple year age gap - they will both enjoy!

Bristle Blocks - My kids have loved these starting around 2/2.5. A fun building toy - you push the pieces together, so they are a little less delicate than blocks, and also have cool pieces that allow them to move, spin, rotate, etc. This will grow with them!

Ikea Table with Sensory Bins - This is a great table (although it may require an in person trip to Ikea to get it! And the ability to have the bins underneath is super cool. You can put the tops on the bins to use as a table, and swap out the bins for different activities (that stay contained!). Great for kids of different ages!

Squishmallow - Whatever it is about these stuffed animals, the obsession is real - to play, to cuddle, to use as a pillow!

Kids Ages 3-4

Fold Up Dollhouse - A great toy for a kid who loves to move things around, and is just getting into pretend play. The fold up aspect is nice because it doesn’t take up a ton of place (also in my experience, kids love toys they can pretend are “bags." The mom chat says that this will grow with them! According to sources, you may need to install a latch of your own to the Melissa & Doug one if you want it to actually stay closed! If your budget is higher, this is beautiful.

Train Set (Brio, Melissa & Doug, any brand!) - Our train track provides HOURS of entertainment. This is another toy where more is good. And, someone up there is looking out for parents because all the train sets on the market seem to go together - we have Brio mixing with Melissa & Doug & Manhattan toy company with no issues! If the kid already has train tracks, you can gift or add something more. Also, if you are looking to start a train set collection, I highly recommend taking a look at E-bay!

Schleich Animal Figurines -This is a great grow with you toy - when my son was around 3 he became OBSESSED with tiny figurines - to line up, to pretend with, to use with other toys (inside MagnaTile buildings, for example)

Art Suitcase - My neighbors gave this to my kids and it has provided hours and hours of entertainment for the two of them - this is a nice toy because it’s good for siblings to share. Obviously kids younger than 3 are into art, but my almost 3-year-old can put all the art supplies back into their spots & clean up this set, which is really nice, since art materials can kind of take over our house.

Kids Ages 4 - 5

Dino Builder Toys - If you have a kid that is into building things, or into dinos, this is a super cool toy!

Djego Observation Puzzles & Mudpuppy Puzzles - Puzzles are a big hit, and these observation ones are really cool - once you build the puzzle, you can search for the images within it!

Candyland - This is the perfect age to get into playing a game! If you have a 4-year-old, it might be too young, but maybe not - it’s worth a try! We are very into this game right now, it’s so fun!

Clixo - Another really cool building toy!

Legos - Classic for a reason! Legos are great for kids to build a collection of! The ones for this age group have very easy-to-follow instructions - our 4 & 5 years old spend hours following the directions!

Kids Ages 5-6

Drone - This is what my son asked for for Christmas, so hopefully it works out well!

Hess Truck - A classic for a reason! This will grow with them, but I also think this age group understands that this is a cool and special toy!

Book Making Kit - Perfect for the kid who has been working on reading and writing at school. And a fun activity to do together!

Digital Camera - Our school age kids love digital camera. This is a great one, and also takes videos. If you have a kiddo who is really into this, you could choose one that also comes with a printer that attaches to it!

Zingo Bingo - Another great board game. Technically for kids that are younger, but I think 5/6 year olds will have the most fun with it, and then your younger kids might want to join in too!

That’s it for today. Hope this guide inspires you and helps you think of someone you are shopping for this season!

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