sarah's favorite things 2017
Ok, I don't know if you've noticed, but 'tis the season to start thinking about gift-giving! The Neiman Marcus's Christmas Book is out, in case you're on the market for his & hers Rolls Royces this year, and Oprah's Favorite Things list has been unveiled in grand form.
Last year about this time I told my girls to list every gift they received the year before--you know, to prove to them that the joy we get from gifts is fleeting. Unfortunately it back-fired and they remembered every. stinkin'. one. Crap.
I rack my brain every year for the best gifts to give big and small (ok, mostly small), and I've narrowed it down to a few ideas for you. If my dad was correct in saying that you should give someone something that you'd want yourself, we should be all set! However, since not everyone would enjoy a week supply of organic & raw kombucha as much as I would, I have expanded my search for your ultimate shopping success, because if you look good, I look good...and, Honey, I always want to look good.
So without further adieu, here are Sarah's favorite gift ideas for 2017:
Rich, dark, fair-trade chocolate for those on your list who need more delicious antioxidants or a mood-booster these dark months: Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, Green & Black's Dark 85%, or Cherry Republic Chocolate Covered Cherries.
A favorite local treat: Crane's frozen pies, deBoer's pigs in the blanket, Simpatico's way-darker coffee, or a bottle of your favorite wine from a local winery.
Christmas in a jar: a jar of your home-made salsa with chips, home-made granola, cookies in a jar, or chai tea/hot chocolate mix in a jar. Bonus, it's fun for kids to make!
A mixed CD that has your all-time favorite tunes on it!
Candle-ology candle or a gift to create their own candle.
A gift certificate to a favorite restaurant (good for parents), movie tickets, or both in a date-night-out set!
A picture setting for nieces or nephews. Take the little ones in your life to the local photography studio and cover the sitting fee (and some photo fees). OR, take their pictures yourself and put in a nice frame for their parents or grandparents.
Concert tickets to an upcoming show.
A diffuser with your favorite oils.
Warm hearts, cold feet? Try some smart wool socks, a cozy throw, or soft fleece pajama set.
Cute thank-you notes or blank note cards...include some cute postage stamps!
Make your own household products: One year I bought foaming soap containers and Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and made hand soap for everyone. I also made Thieves spray cleaner under the label of Sarah's Secret Super Slick Spotless Savvy Sparkling Sterile Sanitary Serum.
Home-made 100% real vanilla extract. This needs to soak for at least 3 months in a glass jar, so the earlier the better. I buy vanilla beans, cut them in half length-wise, and put 6 or so pieces in a cheap whisky. (Finding affordable beans is the hard part, I will not lie.)
Coloring pages from your favorite artist (mine is Carolyn Stich) with Sharpie markers.
Speaking of Sharpie markers, I can't get enough of the ultra fine point markers for everyday writing. That, and a nice small notebook for a purse or bag would make a nice gift for an older child or an adult.
Your favorite book that you've read this year, or your favorite children's book. (My favorite children's books include The Monster at the End of This Book, and Please Try to Remember the First of Octember.) OR, a Barnes & Nobles/Starbucks gift certificate--a perfect teacher's gift!
A play kit for the creative kids on your list. In the past I've given my girls a waitress apron, calculator, check stubs and menu folders to play restaurant; a tape calculator and a ton of bank forms (deposit slips, a bank bag, etc., from my local friendly banker) to play banker; teacher supplies (a pointer, stickers, chalk/marker board, etc.) to play school; and their own cutting board, knife, bowls, etc., to cook at home.
And, of course, the best gift of all is a shared experience with the ones you love (though not so much this for a teacher's gift, as they get plenty of time with the ones you love). For example, this year we're going to give our girls a couple gifts, and then spend Christmas break doing something special every day: going out to eat, visiting the local women's shelter, baking cookies to share, playing games, and going to see the upcoming movie "The Greatest Showman" (not to be mistaken with "The Snowman" which apparently is a horror film). Take someone you love out for coffee, to a cooking class at Fustini's, or invite them over for their favorite supper at your place, and have your kids cook and serve it with their new waitress/waiter stuff. (And then stiff them with the check at the end, to which everyone will laugh, and they'll leave a $10 tip out of sheer awkward joy.) Win-Win-Win!
Or, give the gift of time--our most precious commodity! Clean someone's house, babysit their kids, rake their lawn––it won't cost you a penny, but it will mean the world to them. In fact, this is all I ever ask of my kids (on my birthday, Mother's Day, and Christmas): Don't argue, and pick up my house! Because when you really stop to think about it, that's the gift that we'll remember--a peaceful clean house--and the feeling of being thought of and loved. Or, if all else fails, some cold, hard, cash. Because nothing says "Happy birthday, Jesus!" like handing someone a fifty.
Happy shopping friends!