Books are something that you can never have enough of! Children love new books to dive into and they make the perfect addition to any Christmas list! This list may contain affiliate links.
Yea he is, now lets get him something good this Christmas. Camille here, Anna’s Assistant. I have compiled my favorite things I knew would be a smash on Christmas Morning for my husband! But these would work for your brother, boyfriend, husband, or coworker! This list may contain affiliate links.
This Beard kit just is so fitting, it had to be included.
Unreal amount of color options in these Beanies.
If he has been extra good or just has been begging. This Traeger Grill is probably the top gift this year and for good reason.
So many socks and they never tire of them. Stance have always been great!
Protein Powder: Probably the most practical and useful gift besides toilet paper for your man.
Portable Speakers are the GREATEST! From the pool, to the garage, to the block party…Its dang useful.
Herschel Backpacks are classic and study.
Air Pods…Do I really need to say more?
Cause we all get Hangry every now and then.
Competitive yard games!
Hoodies are an always appreciated gift over here. Adidas is the brand on his wish list this year.
Don’t miss out on this new Silcone Ring thing. We have tried a few brands and Enso has held up great!
Lets be real, I need this and I’m going to gift it so I can use it! Photo Printers for all!
Baseball Games
So, maybe you will have to suggest your kids or significant other read this post for ideas to get you for the holidays this year. Or, if you're like me, you can buy your own gifts, wrap them, and act surprised when you open it up! Those are the best gifts I've ever received/given.
Who knows what you love to wear more than you do? I love everything from The StockPlace, so I would suggest my husband or kids just go and shop out of my online shopping cart or get me a gift card. I can always find something from The StockPlace--they have great prices and clothes you don't easily find on other clothing websites.
Remind the woman in your life every day how important she is with a wall quote from LatterDayHome. I still remember all the cross-stitched wall art my mom had hung in our home when I was a child. Don't just put up anything on your walls, put up something that has meaning and words you want to remember... and your kids to remember. LatterDayHome has beautiful quotes with the option to have it framed and ready to hang!
I love to give a little sweet in all my gifts, and I love receiving a little treat even more. I always say that nothing tastes as good as chocolate you didn't buy yourself. For the Sweet makes the most delicious cookies and macarons I have ever had. When we tried their lemon cookies, my son tried shoving them in his mouth so he could eat them all before we could get more bites. That is no exaggeration, either. For the Sweet is really that good. And she can send her cookies throughout the United States.
Maybe a bit sweeter than cookies is my love for jewelry. I love little necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. My mother says you can always buy a lady purses and jewelry, for they will always fit! I purchased a Made By Mary choker a few months ago and I love how dainty but sturdy it is. Plus, it's just rad. Customize a necklace for yourself or your mother from so many darling choices at Made by Mary. Hand-stamped bars and discs that will show your style and your personality! What would you have hand-stamped on your necklace? I think I'd choose "JK, yo!" Maybe.
More clothes? Yes, always! SonnetJames makes dresses that moms can play in. How genius is that? No worrying about bra straps showing or being too short when you bend down to play with your kids. And the great part about dresses is that all you have to choose when you get dressed is ONE thing and everyone thinks you're all dressed up. Hip hip hooray for dresses. And an extra HIP for the cozy and cool look for SonnetJames dresses!
When you get pregnant, amazing things happen to your hair. You get thicker, more beautiful hair because it's not falling out as quickly. And something about the hormones makes it all shiny, too! Then you have the baby and it all falls out. And then you have toddlers and they pull it out. And then you have kids in school and you start pulling out your hair. What's a girl to do? Laced Hair Extensions are amazing because you can clip them in yourself, when you feel you need a little extra. They are beautiful hair extensions, too. I am amazed at how many women use hair extensions to fill in their lackluster hair after pregnancy. When I tried Laced Hair, I understood.
What's cuter than pajamas for kids on Christmas? Mom in her own cute pajamas, ready to take photos with the kids. I tend to wear leggings to bed or old, ratty sweatpants. I need some new cool pajamas that I wouldn't be embarrassed to have my picture taken in for all posterity to see. LazyOnes have funny pajama sets for the whole family, so everyone can look presentable Christmas morning. And every evening. I love the Flapjacks from LazyOnes.
Inevitably, there will be a time in the winter where you will want to get in a hot tub or take a last-minute vacation to somewhere tropical (I want to! Can I go?). Be ready for any swimsuit occasion with the coolest thing to ever happen to swimwear: the DoliRay Romper. Put it on over your swimsuit or buy one of their very flattering and comfortable swimsuits and jump in, play, wear it in and outside of the water. I get compliments every time I wear my DoliRay Romper, probably because I'm so confident when I wear it.
Sometimes you just need to stay inside all day long and don't want to wear those ratty sweats or even the cute pajamas. Remember how our mothers used to wear house dresses? Well, what if I told you that lounge dresses are back, but now they are stylish, modern, and just as practical? LuckyLove makes a lounge dress you wouldn't mind leaving the house in. With pockets to grab all the items around the house, or to keep your smartphone close at hand... I love anything with pockets! LuckyLove is lounge wear that is classy!
So, what are you going to get yourself for the Holidays? Any specific shop or item you have your eye on?
AnnaM
Teenagers have much more discerning taste than the little kids who are stoked to see balloons around the tree Christmas morning. My teenage kids wish lists include electronics and socks. I'm not kidding: SOCKS!
So I have to get creative and crafty to find gifts I know my kids will love that they don't realize they will love. I think I've found some winners!
Once again, the Hover King! I am not kidding when I say that this is the toy of the year. I am so excited for my kids to have a hover board they can sit on and race... with me. Hover board PLUS conversion kit makes for the coolest and smallest go kart on the market. We live in the city, so there isn't a ton of room for big go karts in our garage, so this is a triple win for us. Go check out hoverlikeaking now before their prices go up or they are sold out. Right now the entire package is a STEAL!
The LetterFolk message boards are adorable, but what surprised me most is how much my kids like making messages on these boards. My teenager likes to write celebratory messages and funny puns. My son likes to write the menu for dinner. I like it for reminders. The whole family loves to write messages on the LetterFolk boards, which wins over electronics every day!
If you have a teenage daughter or know of a teen or college-aged girl, you know about bath bombs! They are the bomb! (Oy, I just showed my age.) Shine Happy Life has bubble bars, bath bombs, body butters, and they all smell great and look amazing. I love how many look like desserts, because great baths are better than a dessert. (So I've heard!) Plus, just having Shine Happy products around will make your daughter's room smell better.
Speaking of happy girls and bedrooms, Aimee Ferre prints add the perfect touch of art and positive reminders of who they are. Aimee designs the most beautiful artwork that my daughter loves to have in her bedroom. If you think her work looks familiar, she also designed our best-selling shirts for Kids are The Worst! We love Aimee!
My son loves to cook and bake. He wakes up first every weekend and asks if he can make waffles or try a new cake recipe. Watch out, Jamie Oliver! When I saw Ashley's Fresh Fix new levoons and levups (measuring spoons and cups with an automatic level), I knew he would dig them. Perfect for the teenager who wants to cook and bake and even better for the college kid who needs to learn how to cook on their own.
I love having a little treat for my kids in their stockings. Sometimes you want something better than a candy cane. Sweet Tooth Fairy sells their cakebites to deliver nationwide. My daughter loves giving these little packages to her friends and music teachers for the holidays. It is a perfect gift for teens and for teens to give. From now until Monday, November 28, use the code KIDSARETHEWORST at thesweettoothfairy.com to get 20% off your order! Huzzah!
It might seem to soon to think about swimsuits, but there is always winter vacations, hot tubs, and Spring Break just around the corner. Rad Swim has the cutest suits for teens (and women and girls) that my daughter loves. Mix and match or choose from some of RadSwim's adorable one-piece suits. Quality swimwear at a great price, so when your teen daughter is out playing, you aren't worried that it's going to fall apart and cause embarrassment.
Adult coloring books are awesome, but have you ever wanted to learn how to do hand lettering like a professional? I know I have. My kids love to try out new handwriting and letter designs, so they will love this new creative lettering book by HandLetteredDesign. They can learn to letter AND color and spend hours off their mobile devices. Grab a few markers and you've got a great gift for any teenager!
One thing all of my kids love (and my dog, sadly) is the lip balm from It's All Good. These giant chapsticks are so soft and last a long time... unless someone leaves them where my dog can get to it. The flavors are great, they help with our chapped lips in the dry winters, and they come from a rad small company. It's All Good, indeed!
I am sure I can find socks somewhere, too. But now my kids have other things that they never knew they always wanted. What are you getting for your teenage kids?
AnnaM
I am so excited about the kids' Holiday Gift List. I want every one of these items to be under our Christmas tree for me... I mean, for the kids. For the family, whatever.
I didn't get any of my kids a hover board last year, mostly because I didn't want my kids running into walls throughout my house. Then I saw the conversion kit that turns your hover board into a GO-KART! Coolest. Gift. of the year! HoverLikeAKing sells the conversion kit AND the hover board with the kit, if you are like me and didn't get one last year. My kids are going to freak out. Especially when I beat them in races! (By the way, there are similar conversion kits out there, but this is the best deal I have ever seen. Go NOW before they sell out or the price goes up.)
The main reason I bought the home we are in is for the giant tree in the backyard. It even came with a crummy old tire swing, too. This year I am replacing it with the raddest swing I have ever seen: The Swurfer! A swing you can stand on and not have everyone yelling at you to sit on your pockets. Oh, was that just me? The Swurfer can be used by kids and adults, sitting or standing. It is shaped to get speed and height in any direction and has long enough rope for giant trees, if you have one. Swurfs up!
If you have sons, you know how difficult it is to find cool clothes that fit well for them. Rowen Christian offers fashion-forward denim for boys and a portion of every sale goes to charities to help children in need. Fashion with a purpose is always something I love to support--AND my boys can have great-fitting clothes, too! Hallelujah! Check out these awesome denim joggers from Rowen Christian.
We have a couple of rules about using electronic devices in our house, but one that I stick to the most is "turn it down or turn it off" for the device volume. I don't want to hear my kids' music or game soundtrack while we all hang out in the family room. Regular headphones make me uncomfortable because of the damage they can do to my kids' hearing health. Enter: Puro Balanced Response bluetooth headphones. These headphones have the most advanced noise-limiting solution on the market and are the best-sounding kids headphones available. Heavenly Peace.
Speaking of hanging out, I want a mountain full of these Rock Pillows to lounge on with the kids. When we saw the original Rock Pillows at a market a couple of weeks ago, all four of my kids made a beeline for the pillows that look like rocks. They tossed them, sat on them, threw them around, and couldn't stop talking about them the next few days. And they look cool, too! Boulder Fight!
And since we are talking about lounging, I am always looking for cool new pajamas that I wouldn't mind my kids wearing to pajama day at school. Our family elf always brings the kids a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve with a note of "good luck" for Santa's upcoming delivery. I would not mind at all if he brought us all LazyOne pajamas. They are cute, fun, and so soft. Plus, we can all match!
You know what I miss the most? My daughter wanting to play with dolls. Isn't that funny how we can miss something that used to feel like a never-ending search for the favorite doll so she can go to sleep? These gorgeous dolls from LatterDayHome are so sweet that my daughter might be getting a new one this year, anyway. Perfect for the little girl or the girl you wish were little. Maybe even the perfect doll for me, too.
What better way to remember when they were little (which might be right now for you) than with a photo book? I have never been a scrap booker, and the old photo books often took me hours to put together. Then I discovered chatbooks! If you haven't heard about them, you are in for a real treat. If you've heard about them, but never ordered a chatbook for yourself, you have to try it. They print and are delivered so fast, you'll be reliving memories with your kids before you know it. My kids can sit and look at these books for hours. They love remembering when they were little(r) as much as you do. Use the code Merry20 for 20% off your order this week!
You know what makes me smile more than almost anything? Seeing someone wearing a funny or clever shirt. It's one of the quickest ways to my funny bone, for whatever reason. StatelyType has some of the most clever and cool shirts I have ever seen. And they are super soft, too, which is a huge bonus. Whenever I wear one of my StatelyType t-shirts or sweatshirt, I get loads of compliments. My kids are all asking for the Mas Tacos shirt and I might see who is best behaved this season to get one. ;)
That's all for the Kids' List this year. There were SO many awesome gifts for kids this year and I love that this list has small businesses and brands who are hustling to be in your home. Check them out and let me know if you have other suggestions for kids!
AnnaM
When I was eight years old, I would sit in the back of my Mom’s Suburban with a ballpoint pen in hand (my microphone, obviously) and lip sync to whatever was playing on the radio. I was CONVINCED that those in the cars next to us must have thought that I was RECORDING the music right then and there. They must have been so impressed.
Thanks to Jimmy Fallon bringing lip syncing back (yup!), millions of us can once again wield our “microphones” and lip sync without fear of embarrassment.
Since I love holiday music and lip syncing and YOU love holiday music and lip syncing, I think it only makes sense to have a Holiday Lip Sync Battle. Yes? Yes!
Check out those battling HERE!
Here is how to enter:
1. Record a holiday lip sync—use any format, any amount of people, and however you want. I chose to use musical.ly, but you can record your lip sync however you like. Song must be HOLIDAY, so think Hanukkah, Christmas, New Years, SNOW, even.
2. Post a NEW video to Instagram—It must be posted from today (December 11) to the last day of battle (December 18). Your account must be set to public. I understand the need for private accounts, but for this battle, it is only fair to have all accounts be public. You can post more than once.
3. Use the hashtag #TheWorstHolidayLipSyncBattle and tag both @kidsaretheworst and @thingsaretheworst in the CAPTION of your video. Not the comments, not a DM, but in the caption.
4. Check out the hashtag and cheer on your fellow lip sync battlers with positive comments and likes. Spread the lip sync love!
But, Anna, what do I win?
Oh, dear friends, it wouldn’t be the holidays without a gift or two. And I am offering TEN winners a gift… or two. Shazam!
The first gift is what all holidays are chock-full of and that is THE REGIFT. Straight from my home to you, I will mail you a gift currently in my home. Who needs an ugly Christmas sweater when you can have an all-year ugly sweater that I have worn two times and decided it isn’t my color? Boom! Or how about that water belt I got when I was training for a marathon and then decided I didn’t want to run anymore so I never used it? Bam! Maybe you will win the box of popsicle molds that I meant to give my sister and forgot. Blammo!
Who knows what you’ll win? Isn’t that so exciting? Isn’t that what the holidays are really about? I am excited to match my regifts to your videos.
And the second gift is legitimately cool: @babylitbooks is generously sending all ten winners a specially-made gift box with a tote, book, puzzle and ABC stroller cards. The BabyLit books have been a New York Times bestseller and are wildly popular.
Give it to your child, bring it as the best gift at the next baby shower, or if you are like me KEEP THEM for yourself because they are so adorable.
Winners will be announced December 21. Get lip syncing!
I can handle the strangers’ scoffs at holiday decorations at the mall and the Facebook status updates with an angry turkey threatening Santa Claus with a musket and the degrading words, “Back off, Fatty. Wait your turn.” (Which irks me only because the turkey is fat. Stop calling names, oh ye fowl ones!) I don’t even mind when my friends say the clichéd “every year the holidays start sooner and sooner!” (Which, of course they don’t, unless we are talking minutes sooner every year. Then, perhaps you’re right. I’m not that great at math, so I won't fight you.)
But, what I cannot handle, what I refuse to tolerate, is when my own flesh and blood start in on the chorus of decrying the commercialization and timing of Christmas. I blame social media. It’s an easy target people often use (SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE DEVIL!) and one I cringe at often because it is how I make a living. But, dude, put kids on social media even a little and they see that cynical and loathsome humor is celebrated. Kids who hate Mondays, hate school, hate preps, hate jocks, hate goths, hate commercialization, hate anything rather than showing the things that they actually like. These kids often have popular accounts and are showing similar sentiments to some of those feelings your own kids are having. Whatever, I get it. I try to tell my older kids that it is easy to be cynical, anyone can find something they don’t like and talk about it (oh, is that what I am doing in this article? nah.), but it is more difficult and wonderful if you can find things to revel in and enjoy.
My kids and I walked into Target before Halloween and saw that there were a few Christmas items already displayed. “Oh sick,” said one kid. Another joined in with, “Can’t they wait until after Thanksgiving? Why do they have to shove Christmas down our throats so early?” Oh man, who are these people I have raised from my very womb? So I said the kind of thing that I always say, “Don’t sweat it. If you don’t want to buy anything before Thanksgiving, then don’t. If it bothers you, walk away. Some of us like having it available this early.”
Here’s the truth of it all: I used to start listening to Christmas music on September 1st as a child. I am not exaggerating one bit. My birthday is the 31st of August. As soon as my birthday was over, it was the holidays, as far as I was concerned. And I loved Christmas music. My mother had old records of Johnny Mathis and Andy Williams and The Carpenters and I played those for months. The music made me happy and excited. I grew up near Phoenix, so it’s not like it got cold enough to justify a few songs here and there. Nope. I just loved the music.
I would also start making Christmas gifts for my family and friends in September as well. I would make lists of ideas for gifts and start buying the supplies with my babysitting money. I freakin’ loved Christmas. I loved going to the mall just to see the windows and hear the music playing over the loud speakers. And I still do. Except now I am all about Halloween the day after my birthday and I start the Christmas music the first of November. Because I still love it. It makes me happy and dance-y and just a friendlier chick. I am listening to acoustic Christmas as I type and I feel amazing about it. Oh, and the made-for-television Christmas movies? They are so horrible and yet I love them so much. I watch about one a week starting in November. Watched one yesterday, as a matter of fact, while I folded laundry. It was heavenly, even though I figured out the entire plot line and ending in the first five minutes. There were also a massive amount of birds chirping during a few of the winter snow scenes, which only made me love the show more.
So say what you will about Thanksgiving not getting it’s own month. I mean, who cares? I am always baffled that there has to be one or the other. I love Thanksgiving. I even decorate for it. I have one box of Thanksgiving decorations. And about fourteen boxes for Christmas. (Trees and ornaments take up a lot of storage, people!) The two holidays (and Hannukah and Kwanza and all the other end-of-year celebrations) can co-exist. As can we, the early Christmas revelers and the wait-until-after-Thanksgiving folks. If you don’t want to shop for Christmas items, walk away. If you do want to walk the aisles of ornaments and holiday cheer, come with me. Apparently I’m not teaching my kids to want to shop with me this early, anyway!
Anna
