2018 Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday shopping can be so difficult especially when the holidays seem to come out of nowhere! If you’re anything like me you enjoy giving much more than receiving, that is when you know what to get. I put together this gift guide for the person in your life who may be having a bit of a tough time (or not, I think they’re all great gifts) to hopefully help you find a little inspiration along the way! These are all things that I personally have used and enjoyed and would obviously recommend.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. You can read more about my privacy policy here.

A.W.A.R.E. Necklaces: I came across this organization and instantly fell in love. They sell necklaces that represent different causes – such as mental health, cancer, domestic abuse, AND they donate 10% of every necklace sold to charity. I have the white necklace for invisible illness, such as mental illness, and love it so much! Not only is it super cute but it helps me spread my story. You can check out their website here.

Crystals & Cacti: I won’t even lie, I’m a little biased on this one because it’s my friend’s company, but I promise you the jewelry is so great! Crystals & Cacti create hand made pieces that help cultivate healing. They are beautiful and life changing! I’m obsessed with my “Keep Me Calm” bracelet and I can’t wait to get more! These are on my personal Christmas wish list! You can check out their website here. 

Books: In my opinion, you can never go wrong with gifting a good book! I love using books as an escape from reality when things get tough. If you know an avid reader, I would highly suggest getting them a subscription to book of the month. I do this and it starts my month off right. If you want to check them out you can look here.  If you would rather gift them a physical book I have a few favorites I would recommend.
If you are looking for something in the mental health world I highly suggest Jenny Lawson’s Let’s Pretend This Never Happened or Furiously Happy.
If you are looking for a good book in general, some of my favorites are: 
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
The Butterfly’s Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe
In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty 
If you need more book ideas I would be more than happy to help!

Coloring Books: Sticking to the topic of books, my next gift idea is an adult coloring book. These help distract me and keep me so calm whether I sit and color for five minutes or for an hour. Some of my favorites:
You Are Here by Jenny Lawson
Disney Dreams by Thomas Kinkade
Good Vibes: Don’t Give Up
Don’t forget the coloring tools! I have these colored pencils and they are my favorite!

Candles: My friend gave me an aromatherapy candle for my birthday last year and I have found it to be so comforting. Whenever I’m feeling stressed I just go in my room light my candle, put on some soft music, and try to calm down. These can be found most places that sell candles such as Target and Bath & Body Works. 

Puzzles: On a whim my parents bought me a puzzle for Christmas last year and to say that as a family we have become obsessed would be an understatement. I love doing puzzles because it helps distract me from my mind but it also is an activity that requires my whole body to focus on the task at hand. I’ve gotten them from Target, Amazon, a ton of places! They even have puzzles you can color now which are a new level of fun in my opinion. 

Journal: Writing in my journal is one of the things that helps me the most. Whether I’m just recapping my day or angrily hashing out my feelings, I find so much relief in writing. There are tons of beautiful journals out there plus there are some that come with prompts and ideas of what to write already in them. My journal is from Eccolo and I love it!!

Mental Health Shirt: If you are shopping for someone who is struggling with mental illness you may want to check out this shirt! This shirt was just launched by Pigletish who does a podcast focusing on mental health. I’ve already put one on my Christmas list as well! 

I hope that these ideas helped lead to some inspiration on what to get your loved ones this holiday season! I hope that you are able to not let the preparations for holidays stress you out too much and have the chance to enjoy this wonderful time of year!

Until next time.