Holiday 2025 Home, Men & Women Gift Guides

Since I shared these various gift guides over the course of a few emails last week, I figured it would be helpful to have them in one place. This way you don’t have to bounce around between several emails. A few items are no longer on Black Friday sale, but most stores still have some special Cyber Week offer going on. And all of the items shared are either pieces I own or are from stores I frequent, so I can attest to their quality!

Kitchen Must Haves

Starting off with decorative items that add just a special little touch to nooks and crannies of the most important room in the house. Different textures, materials, heights and colors add visual interest and break up long counter spaces. Here are a few of my favorites!

1. Cake Platter with Glass Dome – every kitchen needs a cake stand and glass dome. The duo not only serves to hold baked goods (including donut shop donuts), but is decorative when not in use.
2. Marble Tray – I love a pretty tray to hold the salt cellar, a candle or the hand soap and lotion. A simple but significant little touch.
3. Perfect Wooden Board – these boards have the perfect shape and amount of distressing. Gorgeous leaning against the backsplash and functional as a snack board when layered with a piece of parchment paper.
4. Wine Glasses – these are the ones I love most from Target. Great price, pretty and they work great for red or white.
5. Brass Peppermill – albeit not the most have to have item on the list, but definitely one of the prettiest and great to gift for that person who seems to have everything.
6. Utensil Set  – I own these and love the sheen and color. And high quality for the price.
7. Cooking Utensils Set – because most kitchens could probably use a utensil refresh, may as well make them pretty! Add a nice tea towel for a great hostess gift.
8. Appetizer Plates I own these and use them for charcuterie boards and as decorative objects around the house. Seriously so chic and different!
9. Scalloped Baking Pan – Great for baked goods but also serving roasted veggies, stews and side dishes like scalloped potatoes or mac and cheese.
10. Bead Wood Serving Set – this exact set pictured is sold out, but this other copper set that’s linked is gorgeous!
11. Wood Riser – another item that’s purely for whimsy and decorative purposes, but I love it nonetheless. I use mine to hold my bottle of olive oil and butter crock.
12. Linnea Candles The best candles I’ve ever owned! 1000% worth the price!!

Kitchen Appliances and Tools

1. Air Fryer This is the air fryer I use every week, even though I own a fancy Breville oven air fryer. The smaller basket air fryers really do a better job of cooking things faster and with a crispier texture, if that’s what you’re going for. 
2. Epicurean Cutting Boards  – these are the only cutting boards I now use. They’re knife safe, durable, dishwasher safe and made in America.  
3. Ninja Blender So technically I own a decade old Vitamix, but since it’s a pricier appliance, I wanted to give an alternative that’s also fantastic. We love Ninja products and this is the blender we actually got our college daughter when she moved to an apartment.
4. Nonstick Pan The BEST nonstick pan I’ve ever used. I have 2 of the 10″ and 1 of the 6″ size and at least one of them gets used on a daily basis. 
5. Enameled Cast Iron Braiser My favorite pan ever!! No exaggeration. It’s pretty, the perfect size for all those 1 pan dinners I love to make, and is a great price for a quality pan. It also functions quite well as a nonstick pan and cleans up nicely. 
6. Instant Read Thermometer Thermapens are the best thermometer on the market. Simple, high quality and helps you make perfectly cooked meat every time. 
7. Olive Oil Sprayer If you follow me on Instagram you hear me talk about this $8 product all the time. It’s a double duty pourer and sprayer. 
8. Veggie Chopper Great when you have to chop A TON of veggies and legit works so well!
9. Sheet Pan Set ¼ sheet pans are so underrated. Perfect for batches of veggies and single proteins, and I swear easier to clean than ½ sheet pans lol!
10. Chef’s Knife You don’t need to own a knife block’s worth of knives if you have just 1 quality chef’s knife. This is my favorite because it works fine enough for how much I cook (I’m not a professional cook after all), and is not crazy expensive.
11. Smoothie Glasses I originally purchased these to use as photo shoot props, but I ended up loving them so much for every day use. And not just for smoothies; for pop, fizzy water, iced tea and iced coffee! Great for on the go!
12. Food Processor The food processor I got for our wedding finally bit the dust after 25 years, but you know I just went ahead and got the same model because it’s simple and gets the job done. The fancy ones overwhelmed me!
13. Magnetic Measuring Spoons  – a completely functional set that comes with several sizes compared to most measuring spoon sets that only come with 4 spoons.

Ladies Gift Guides

My gift exchange gift guides are always my favorite to put together and also tend to be reader favorites. I love these ideas for sisters, friends and hostesses and they offer the perfect balance of utility and whimsy.

1. Pajama Pants – Anthropologie has the most comfy and stylish pajama pants, and they are worth every penny. My last pair has lasted me 5 years and still going!
2. Candle Warmer – Eliminate the fire hazard and create a warm glow in any room with this beautiful candle warmer.
3. Candle Sticks – Decorative candle sticks throughout the house are the perfect sweet and stylish touch.
4. Vanity Tray – These trays are perfect in the bathroom vanity or on a nightstand to hold jewelry, candles or supplements.
5. Clover Bracelet – Designed to resemble the Van Cleef clover, at a much more reasonable price!
6. Water Bottle – I’ve never been a water bottle stan, but Owala has changed my mind and made me a convert! I love all the great color combos too.
7. Pickleball Set – Because have you even hit middle age if you’re not playing pickleball?
8. Cool Night Pajamas Set – If you’re a middle aged woman experiencing night sweats, you’ve got to get yourself a set of these.
9. Cashmere Socks – sweet little luxury but at an affordable price.
10. Crystal Necklace – I love Bauble Bar jewelry as their pieces are always on trend, affordable and decent quality for costume jewelry.
11. Candle -Besides Linnea candles, these are my next faves.
12. Pearl Earrings – Add a touch of Ralph Lauren refinement and prep with these sweet pearl hoops.
13. Silk Pillowcase – a great price for a silk pillowcase and tons of colors offered.
14. Appetizer Plate Set
15. House Slippers – Ugg dupes at a fraction of the price of the real things!
16. Sweat Suit – I own this sweatsuit and I absolutely love it. Slightly oversized but not ridiculously so, and holds up very well to multiple washes.

activewear Favorites

1. Daydream Crew Vuori is best known for their original Daydream material, so a long sleeve shirt and their wide leg pants are fantastic to add to your collection!
2. Halo Essential Wide Leg
3. Long Sleeve Tee Actually breathable wicking material so you don’t feel gross after a long run or workout. Living in mine these days!
4. Workout Short My fave workout short
5. Workout Tank – I have several of these and they are so flattering!
6. Running FlipBelt These are so great I have them in 3 colors!
7. Garmin Watch – I just have this basic starter version but it’s got everything I need.
8. High Rise Running Short These and the ruched running short below are my two faves for running and walking. I love that they’re higher rise!
9. Ruched Running Short
10. Win Win Sports Bra the only sports bra I wear when running; so comfy and affordable!
11. Brooks Running Shoe I am a recent convert to Brooks and I’m no on my second pair of these. Very comfy and great for long runs as well as good ol’ walking.
12. Adidas Training Shoe If you don’t love the most popular gym shoe around, Nike MetCon, these are a great alternative. Love them and super stable for weightlifting, even squatting and deadlifting. 
13. Vuori Crew Socks – My kids convinced me to try crew socks since no-show socks are “out of style” and these are actually now my new favorites! Perfect length and super soft.

Beauty and Self-Care

1. Vitamin C Serum – A great daily serum made with a high concentration of vitamin c, nice scent and applies perfectly.
2. Lip Balm – Perfect hint of color, vanilla scented and flavored and super hydrating.
3. Foundation – Like a second skin, the only foundation I’ve worn for 10 years now.
4. Room & Linen Spray – Amazing fragrance, works to freshen up any room , linens, blankets and pillows.
5. Makeup Brush – Great for applying foundation or blending liquid blushes and bronzers.
6. Tinted Lip Oil – Feels like a super lightweight lip gloss with a gorgeous hint of color.
7. Cream Eye Shadow – I’ve tried many cream eyeshadows and these pots are stilly my favorite!
8. Highlighter Stick – Makes a great gift for a favorite things party or stocking stuffer.
9. Thrive Mascara – Long lasting, plumping and lengthening, nourishing and easy to remove.
10. Brightening Oil – The most luxurious and gorgeous smelling face oil. I’ve been using this daily for 5+ years and wouldn’t want to live without it.
11. Face Roller – Helps to waken up and brighten, as well as reduce swelling first thing in the morning.
12. Scalp Massager – I use this in the shower after applying shampoo and conditioner. Stimulates the scalp and helps product to really penetrate.
13. The BEST Round Brush – My hairdresser recommended this round brush last year and it’s THE BEST due to its extra long barrel that helps keep hair from tangling, and its lightweight feel.

Gift Guides for him

1. Meater My husband loves these so much he has 2! I prefer the non-techie instant read Thermapen, but he loves that the Meater connects to his phone and tells him when to pull the meat.
2. Mug Warmer – Similar to an Ember much at a much more affordable price point.
3. Shaker Bottle My son, husband and I all have one of these shaker bottles and they work SO great!
4. Pullover Hoodie – The *softest* hoodie my husband wears all winter long.
5. Baggy Sweat Pants – These are my son’s favorites for lounging around and going to the gym. Baggy but not overly so.
6. Philips Norelco – Every guy needs one of these for grooming, especially in between haircuts.
7. Sequence Giant Board Game Such a fun game, we have 2 boards!
8. Hair Clay
9. Flannel Lounge Pants

Guys gift guide for travel

1. Duffle Bag You won’t believe the price of this customized duffel bag!
2. Beats Studio Pro
3. Owala Water Bottle
4. Travel Cord Organizer My husband never goes on a trip without this and the foldable travel charger below!
5. Foldable Travel Charger – This is actually a great travel charger for anyone in the family.
6. Anker Charger – Long lasting and fast charging.
7. Toiletry Bag
8. Suitcase Scale My husband loves this gadget and it prevents those embarrassing airport situations where you’re having to unpack your suitcase to move things around at check-in!
9. Universal Adapter
10. Lite Sling Travel Bag My husband carries this anytime we travel, as he hates having keys, wallet, etc in his pockets all day. A masculine version of the Lululemon sling bag 😉

I hope you find some great ideas here to help make your holiday shopping a lot easier!