Gift Guides 2023

Hey friend! Switching it up for this blog post…and introducing my 2023 Holiday Gift Guides! I won’t chat too long so we can just cut to the good stuff…but real quick – here’s a few things about this guide!

First of all – I have 9 guides here – Young Living Favorites, Favorites For Her, For the Home, For Him, For Toddlers (x3), For Babies, and 6 of my favorite Small Shop links! All of the guides, except for the small shop links, are affiliate links. So I will make a small commission if you purchase through my links. To which I am so grateful! I thank you for shopping through me, even if it is just something on Amazon :).

Second of all – Iet me just tell you, you are not going to find a bunch of high end items in this gift list :). So if that’s you’re style, my style may not be for you! And that’s totally fine! I like to say that I have Pottery Barn taste on a TJ Maxx budget 🙂 And speaking of budget, I am a bargain hunter! Some of the Amazon links within this guide were already hitting Black Friday deals as I was making the guide!! Others hadn’t gone on sale yet, but that doesn’t mean they won’t – so keep checking back if you’re eyeing something – it may go on sale!

Alright – let’s go! Young Living is up first!

First up, is of course my Young Living Favorites! I mean, I obviously have way more favorites than this…but these just come to mind as perfect gifts! Any of the 3 “Make a Shift” Kits (Oils, Thieves, or Ningxia) are such a great gift for literally anyone – home enthusiasts, family, someone interested in natural living, etc. And if you want even more detail on why I’m obsessed with these kits, check out my blog on them here!

The “Fresh and Festive” Bundle (kit with oils AND Thieves cleaner) is a November exclusive – but what an exclusive and amazing deal it is! Perfect for anyone who you think *might* be interested in oils or thieves, or natural living…because they get a little bit of everything!

And then just a few of my favorites from the Holiday Collection. That Blissful Lips set contains my very favorite lip balm ever – VanillaMint – plus Lavender Lip Balm (my second favorite) and Cinnamint Lip Balm! The perfect stocking stuffer, best friend, or teacher gifts! The Candy Cane Wishes body set…so I don’t have this one (I just have the original VanillaMint, which this one replaced) but it is my absolute favorite thing for my skin in the winter! I use the sea salt scrub in my bath every night, followed by the body butter! And the Simplified Trio Winter Collection. So this is a set of pre-made diffuser blends! And they are not Christmas scents – just winter inspired so they go well beyond the Holidays!

If you’re already a Young Living Customer with me, you can sign into your account and shop away! And if you’ve never shopped with me before, then I’d be honored for you to shop! Here’s a few helpful ordering tips for you:

Alright, let’s move on, shall we?? Gifts for Her!

Ok so these are all some of my personal favorites…we of course have the Heatless Curler, which if you hang around my Instagram at all, you know I’m obsessed with! I have short (shoulder length) hair, and I even have a highlight for you on Instagram as to how I use this even with short hair! And we all know how obsessed I am with my Aria Diffuser. We also all know that it’s quite pricey! Well, this is the perfect Aria Dupe! It’s definitely smaller (in circumference), but it works just as well and still holds about the same amount of water since the reservoir is deep! My mom has this and loves it so much – she’s already gifted 3 this season!

This sourdough kit is perfect for the bread lover in your life – whether they already make sourdough, or want to give it a try, it has all the tools you need! And don’t forget that dehydrated starter if they’re new to sourdough…I promise it will make their bread life 100 times easier!

Kindle! Ok I feel like there’s two sides to this – either you love your Kindle or you’re still a “book in hand” kind of person. I was the later until this went on MAJOR sale for 2022 Prime Day…I caved and bought it (I really couldn’t resist the deal) and I absolutely LOVE it. So worth the purchase! Definitely be on the lookout for this to go on sale!

Ok and how cute is this little “Humility” prayer journal? My mom has several of these and I have them on my Christmas list! It’s a 30 day ESV Prayer Journal that includes scripture, teaching, prompts, and writing space.

On a similar note – The Living Table – buy this for your best friend or your mom! One of my dearest friends gave this to me for my birthday this past year and I absolutely adore it. This is not your traditional cookbook, because it’s about cultivating community, and has so many different ideas to serve your friends and family in different ways through food and gatherings.

Slippers! I go through a lot of slippers…and am pretty much constantly wearing them! These are my current faves!

Ok and last but not least is this Muslin Blanket. You know those super soft Muslin Swaddles and Baby Blankets? Yea so this is the adult version! I have the 4 layer version and it is the absolute perfect summer blanket (if you’re like me and have to be covered up at all times even when it’s hot out), but I’m really eyeing that 6 layer for an even cozier winter vibe!

Alright, let’s move on to the home, shall we?!

So I had my eye on the Little Green Machine for multiple Prime Days…and I finally caved and asked for it for Christmas last year…and I’m so glad I did! I don’t use the cleaner that comes with it, I just use my Thieves cleaner, but it works fantastic! Just this week alone we’ve used it to clean up dog pee and turkey juice that spilled in my husband’s car.

On a similar note…Black and Decker Cordless Vacuum! Another gift I asked for last Christmas…we had just been in our new house a year and I was coming off moving/pregnancy/postpartum and was needing some new systems for my house. I was intrigued by all these super nice cordless vacuums, but again, that was out of the price range! So I asked for this Black and Decker and it’s been absolutely perfect. I keep in plugged in out in our garage so it’s always charged. I only use it downstairs, so it goes from hardwoods, to our only downstairs room with carpet, to rugs, just perfectly. It has headlights?!? And it detaches to also become a hand held! Big fan all around!

Ok so this Ninja Food Processor/Blender is actually something on my Christmas List this year…I really need to upgrade my blender situation and my mom has this one and loves it!

Glass cups, bamboo lids, glass straws. I PROMISE you, it just elevates your beverage experience. Doesn’t matter what it is – it’s just a better experience out of one of these glasses!

So we have an Espresso Maker and a Coffee Maker…I’m not linking the Espresso Maker just yet because we recently had to replace our old one, and I’m still figuring this one out! But last Christmas, JT and I decided that our Christmas gift to each other was going to be to upgrade our coffee machine to this Ninja Coffee System. We were still rolling with the single pot coffee maker from our wedding registry almost 10 years ago! Still worked great, but we were just ready for an upgrade. We’ve been loving this for a year! You can make a full pot, single k-cups, brew hot or iced, and it even has a drip shut off so coffee doesn’t drip and burn!

You may laugh at all the bags…but these were both October Prime Day purchases for me! I’ve eyed them both for ever…and finally caved and got them both! I’ve already used the packing cubes twice – there’s enough for me and the boys – and they’ve been so handy! And the rainbow bags…you might ask “what would I use those for?” And I can assure you, you will find a use. Currently I have them holding floor puzzles, extra diapers + wipes for my purse, kids activities for my purse, extra diapers + wipes for the car, bandaids in the kitchen, etc. And I still have plenty more to use!

Why are men so hard to buy for? Like truly. At any rate, I enlisted JT’s help for this one. I knew he would at least give me his top book recommendations! In his words… The Reason for God is probably the most concise yet thorough apologetics book there is. Knowledge of the Holy – a simple yet profound book on the attributes of God. Pursuit of Holiness – super practical and very convicting in how to live a life honoring to God. And I actually added Gentle and Lowly (The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers) to that list as well, because it’s one of those books where you might as well highlight the whole thing. EVERYONE needs to read this book.

I’m not sure who does the picture or shelf hanging in your house, but this laser tool is seriously THE BEST. So there’s at least a good stocking stuffer for you! Every man needs this on his tool bench!

Ok so we don’t have this exact version of a sofa arm table (we actually have some JT made), but let me just tell you, they are very handy! My parents have a similar version as well (that are currently out of stock – sorry!).

And again with the house shoes. We’re big slipper people in this house!

So at this current time in my life, I feel like this is the section I am thriving in! And I will not lie, the one I’m most excited for. And also the one with amazing Black Friday deals!!

I know everyone has different views and opinions on toys…but my toddler (currently 3.5) LOVES to play. I also really love Busy Toddler – truly she’s one of my favorite people on the internet. She has SO many good toy thoughts (toys are tools!) and so many toy recommendations. So many of our tried and true toys (that made it in this guide) are at her recommendations!

Alright, here we go.

First up are two things that literally get used everyday by both my boys (3.5 and 15 months). Our “Little Explorer Sofa” from Sam’s Club – it’s a knock off of The Nugget. Just as great and effective, but at a cheaper price. In our house it’s called “The Boom,” and I truly do mean that it’s one of the best gifts we’ve ever received…you definitely have to have the space for it, but when we moved into our new house in 2021, it was the first thing I added to Hudson’s Christmas list from Grandparents! Play, wrestle, build, jump, you name it.

Second is our Tonie Box. This was actually a Christmas Gift that we asked for early this year for Hudson. We were in desperate need of a music solution that didn’t involve the TV or one of our phones (for Spotify) and. this. is. it. If we are at home, the Tonie Box is playing. Even Haddon loves to dance to it! It’s been amazing for a lot of things – the solution we were looking for, traveling, etc. But it also has been amazing for Hudson’s Quiet Time (our nap time days are gone!). Every afternoon he plays in his room by himself for about 2 hours and he listens to stories or song the ENTIRE time. He changes the tonies in and out, and he honestly may like the stories even more than the songs, which I was not prepared for! It depends on which tonies you get as to what’s on them…some are just songs, some are just stories, and some are a mix of both! We currently have 2 that are all songs, and 5 that are a mix. Cannot recommend this enough!!

Ok Melissa and Doug. Goodness, we love everything M&D, and they are having a major sale on Amazon (hopefully it sticks around through Black Friday!!) Some of these are staples in our house (pots and pans, cookie set, pizza set (although we actually have the birthday cake version)) and some are things that the boys are getting for Christmas because I truly could NOT resist the 50% off sales that Amazon has going on right now! The parking garage and car wash set came highly recommended by Busy Toddler!

Although I can’t yet speak for those two car sets, the Ice Cream Set, or Transportation Puzzle, since we don’t have them yet, Haddon also plays with all of the above on this list even at 15 months!

I wasn’t kidding when I said this was my bread and butter right now. Absolutely more of our staples!

See that Mickey Mouse Duplo Set? Uncle P gave that to Hudson 2 years ago for Christmas (so he was almost 2 at the time) and it’s still played with all. the. time. So much so that, I’m planning to get Hudson the bigger Duplo Bucket for Christmas this year!

Magna Tiles/Picasso Tiles…same situation. We’ve had these since Hudson was a baby and he literally plays with them almost every day. The big set is Picasso (generally cheaper) and the Crane Set is Magna (this set is such a hit), but they are compatible and all work together!

Drawing pad…I got this for Hudson for traveling and he absolutely loves it! Sometimes he will play with it at home, but mostly we use it for the car!

Dot Paint. What a classic from my childhood – so obviously we still dot paint around here. Looking for a non-toy gift? Dot Paints are always a hit! And generally not very messy – double win!

Ok these last two you might be thinking “what on earth?” So the water pipes are just a fantastic addition to bath time. They saved us from a very tough bath time season that we went through! And the Squigs?? Ok these were new to me too…another Uncle P gift (Christmas last year) and my boys love them! They are just the silliest little things that you can throw, build with, stick to things, etc. but the boys love them, and they’re all over my house (these were absolutely another bath toy/distraction during that tough bath season mentioned above)

Last toddler one, I promise. But if I could be a “Green Toys” ambassador…I so would. We LOVE our Green Toys. Not only are they made with safer ingredients and plastics than most other toys, but I have bought every single Green Toy that we have on AMAZING Prime deals. I’m talking I got that Recycle Truck for $6 this past Prime Day. So definitely look out for Black Friday deals on these!!

And look at me – I even found the girl versions of the Fire Truck and Dump Truck! Obviously, I don’t have girls to buy these for, but seriously, how cute is that Pink Fire Truck, the Pink & Purple Dump Truck, and the Cup Cakes??

The Car Carrier, Cargo Plane, and Camper Set were all 3 Christmas/Birthday gifts last year, and again are played with almost every day. The 3 truck set, I think was a “First Christmas” gift. Still played with. And the wagon was a first birthday gift this year for Haddon – but what age doesn’t love a wagon?? We have multiple and both boys play with them!

Seriously. I. Love. Green. Toys. If you have little ones in your life, be on the lookout for these to go on sale, and know that these (although they have SO MANY MORE online) are tried and true favorites in our house!

Last guide before we get to some Small Shops…can’t forget the babies!

And what do you know…more Green Toys and Melissa and Doug 🙂

We don’t have the Green Toys Train, but I love that it also serves as a stacking set! And the plane (which we do have) is so cute with the pull string!

The two wooden Melissa and Doug toys (Stacking Cars and Train Set), I don’t have yet, but ordered this weekend at 50% off…so Haddon will be getting those for Christmas (15 months!) Although, Hudson saw the picture of the train on my computer this morning and thought that he needed it today…so he might be upset that Santa is bringing it to brother 🙂

These little silicone sets are so fun! I don’t have this exact set, but we have the cube blocks, the balls, and the stacking ring set that were all purchased individually. All were gifts for Haddon last Christmas (4 months) and have been a hit this year with him!

And while I was creating this gift guide, I might have added something else to the Christmas list…those “mold resistant” bath toys are calling my name. Because bath toys really frustrate me! So I can’t attest to those, but they look nice!

And just for fun, how sweet are these little teethers? Last year for Christmas I had a couple different themes for the boys…and while they got different things, I tried to keep the themes the same. The Helicopter teether was PERFECT for my airplane theme – and it was always one of Haddon’s favorites as a baby!

Shoooo. If you’re still with me, thanks for sticking this out! I know it’s long, but I would not post these without thought and personal recommendation as to why they are things we love and use!

And that being said, I love and so appreciate when people “shop small” with me and support me through Wellspring Home Co and Young Living, so I want to shout out to some of my other favorite small shops as well! I do not receive any type of affiliate income from these shops, just want to share the love!

Emily Lex Studio. Give me one of everything. I follow her on Instagram and seriously want one of everything from her shop. She is a water color artist out of Washington State and has the most beautiful and simplistic art work, stationary, and scripture cards, all with her beautiful water color prints. Just go follow her on Instagram and you’ll fall in love. I have all 3 of her Scripture Card sets and several tea towels. But her stationary is to die for, and I want her water color workbooks!

Freed and Flourishing Co. Some sweet friends of mine that run a beautiful online community of women. But they also have an online shop with some beautiful merchandise that supports their shop as well as select ministries and non profits! Give them a follow as well!

Allie + Ashleigh. My new favorite t-shirt shop! Ok so they typically only open up for orders once a month, with new designs each month. You can stalk their instagram for the amazing Mama-wear they create and be on the lookout for their next drop! The perfect gift for all the mama’s in your life!

Little Things with Sam. A friend introduced me to this Instagram Page and I kinda want one of everything. If you’re a Disney lover and like t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, cups, etc. You need to know about this! Definitely added some things to my own Christmas list from here!

Kate Quinn. If you know me even a little, you probably know how deep my love for KQ runs. I honestly should write a whole blog post about this – especially for boy moms. But just know that 90% of my boys wardrobe is KQ and everyone and their mother and brother needs to know about it!

Paper Pie (previously Usborne). Each October/November for the past (3? Years) I’ve hosted an Usborne (now PaperPie) Book Party! I am not associated with Paper Pie, but have a friend who is a consultant and have done a party through her each year! I love stocking up on books for Christmas gifts (and even sending for grandparents lists too!) each year, and then as a Hostess, any free books I earn, I stock up on gifts for the rest of the year (like Easter baskets or birthday gifts!). If you’re not familiar with Paper Pie, they have an enormous online catalog. And it can be overwhelming! So a few weeks ago, I ran through some of our household favorites, and it’s saved to a highlight here. The book party I linked above is open through November 30!

Wow. That was a lot. If you made it this far, you’re a champ.

And whether or not you made it this far, thank you SO much for being here and for shopping with me. It truly means so much that you are shopping with me to support me and my family.

If you’re new to this page, welcome! I’d love to get to know you more – hop on my email list here or give me a follow on Instagram and let’s be friends!

Happy Christmas Shopping!

Xoxo, Alli