Max Out Happy

Holiday Gift Guide // Christmas 2019

I always like to start thinking about Christmas gifts far before it gets here. I love getting Christmas gifts knocked off my list and planning out things to get the people that we love! I also always have the challenge of staying within a pretty tight budget – especially now that we have a baby on the way! Giving a gift to me is a joy, and finding just the right thing for someone is like a fun puzzle to solve.

Regardless of who you’re buying for this year, I’ve rounded up some ideas as usual. Some of these are things I have and love, and some are just things I like the idea of or am planning on gifting to someone else this year!

  • Local / small business / shopping with purpose: These are always special gifts to me because you know that your money is going towards a great cause or a small business owner. If you’re in the Raleigh/Triangle area, my best friend Whitney’s husband Romain has a very talented mom/stepdad duo who run Boykin Pottery – they do all local pop-ups and have beautiful items. I also already mentioned The Yellow Bird but am linking their whole shop here, too. They are all natural and chemical-free! The Flourish Market is a shop that started from a tiny dream and is now booming to give back to those in need. Finally, The Little Market and The Shop Forward are not local businesses and you may have heard of both of them already, but they both give back to good causes and have great options for gifting.

Men are always THE HARDEST people to shop for on my list. For me, that includes my dad, brother, Andrew, and his brothers – but it is still a challenge! There are so many gift guides for men out there, but like I said last year, usually none of them really fit the guys in my life, so I have to get creative. This year I’m thinking about the following items for guys:

  • A nice pullover: Andrew loves a good pullover or vest. Columbia has an early bird sale going on and I’m sure they’ll have great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. This pullover is on sale for $29.99 right now! I got him one from Patagonia on a great sale last year.
  • Books: My dad and brother both love to read, so I always like to listen out for a book that I think would interest them or ask if they have one they’ve been wanting to add to their collection.
  • Wireless earbuds (like, truly no wires – even I would love these!) or a wireless phone charger for their desk! Another cool gadget is this waterproof bluetooth speaker for the shower/bathroom/pool, whatever! Here’s another option.
  • A tactical wallet that has card security as well as pocket knife type attachments. I thought this was pretty cool!
  • When in doubt, I find that gift cards are always great gifts for anyone. The guys in my life love Amazon, Home Depot (or your preferred home improvement store – no arguments here!), Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Kohl’s!

Happy shopping! I know there are tons of gift guides out there from all the bloggers, but every little bit helps!

2019

one of my favorite pictures from 2018

I cannot believe we are in 2019! Another new year, another time for resolutions and a new start. I agree that anytime is as good a time as any to start up something new or work towards a goal, but there’s something about the feeling of doing it with everyone else that makes you feel like you’re supported.

2018 was good to me, so it is going to be a tough year to beat. Andrew and I got married (!!!), went on our honeymoon to Jamaica, started another new school year, and bought a house! Big life changes. I got to celebrate my best friend getting married and host some events for her, and I got to spend lots of time with two of my bridesmaids’ babies! I went on a few amazing bachelorette parties, attended wonderful and happy weddings, and did all the wedding things. I also got to help renovate a playground with my Early Childhood Education students with a grant we received! I went to Chicago with my family, celebrated turning 31, and got to see a lot of baseball and football games that Andrew coached. A great year 🙂

I always make similar resolutions (see here and here for 2018 and 2017’s posts), but this year I’m really trying to be thoughtful about what is realistic and what is practical for my life in this season. Last year I did so-so with my resolutions and failed hard with my weight loss goals, so I’m really trying to stick to a few simple things this year! Here are my 2019 resolutions:

  1. Stick to Weight Watchers! I just re-joined and spent a lot of time meal planning and writing my grocery lists. I know I can do it and I hope to continue seeing progress! I have a considerable amount of weight to lose, and I want to do it the right way.
  2. Be more active.
  3. Andrew and I both want to set an early bedtime for school nights and read for 30 minutes before bed.
  4. Less screen time. This one is hard just due to society in general, but I’d really like to limit my mindless scrolling on social media. I also want to be more intentional about when my phone is out – like during meals or when I am visiting with friends or family.

That’s it! All doable, all realistic, and all important for me at this time in my life. Whatever your new year resolutions are, I am sending good vibes for us all to be successful! Here’s to 2019, and 360-something more days to try to get it right!

A Christmas gift guide you can afford

I can’t believe it is already that time again – time to buy gifts for the holidays! I luckily have already gotten basically all of my/our shopping done this year, but usually I am scrambling till the end. Last year I put together this gift guide for you guys, and honestly all of that is still relevant for this year, too! I’ve seen so many gift guides out there this season, and even if some of the items are in my realm of budget, most of the items are outrageously expensive. We all deserve to be spoiled, but I can’t justify or afford spending $150 on a blanket or a cardigan for all my girlfriends. OBVIOUSLY once we win the lottery this won’t be an issue, but until then, we are on a two teacher budget so here are some nice gifts you can afford this holiday season 🙂

1. Barefoot dreams socks – I was able to find some of these for even less than this link shows, but these are hot sellers this season! They are incredibly soft and cozy, perfect for lounging around the house or sticking into some boots when it’s really cold out! The perfect cozy splurge, because I can’t afford the cardigan that is over $100!

2. Wicks for wags candles – I always personally think candles are a nice gift, because they can actually get pretty expensive and you always want to have several around! My friend Meghan got me one of these and I LOVE it. I love a gift that gives back, and this shop gives at least 10% of the money they make on candles to help animals in need. Read more about their cause here. Plus, it’s a gift from a local vendor and supports a small business!

3. Joanna Gaines Homebody design book or Magnolia Table cookbook, Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings or Hungry for More cookbooks. I have two of these, and would love to have the other two. Wonderful gifts that someone might not want to purchase for themselves.

4. Dior lip glow – I have seen this product raved about for years by different bloggers and finally bit the bullet on one during Black Friday sales to try it out. It is as good as they say it is!!! A great way to treat someone to a pretty and practical gift that they will get use out of! The perfect hint of color and intense moisture.

5. Slippers – I think a nice cozy pair of slippers is a great gift for the holidays. I like these and these!

6. Flannel pj shorts – if you get hot like I do when you sleep, flannel pants can just be too much. But I love Old Navy’s flannel boxer pajama shorts!

7. Books – Educated is the latest book I read and I am just amazed at this incredible story. I read it in two days over the weekend and could not put it down! I am dying to read Girl, Wash Your Face and Where the Crawdads Sing next. For more ideas, here’s a great list to get you thinking if you know someone who loves to read!

8. The Yellow Bird products – I have written about this company before here. All natural, chemical free products that make for wonderful gifts for anyone!

9. The Little Market is always a great place to shop for items that give back – candles, jewelry, home goods, tote bags, you name it! I love these tassel earrings and this dainty tassel necklace. Whitney got us tassel bracelets for being her bridesmaids in April, and I never take mine off! This tiny pearl necklace is also a perfect dainty piece. I also love The Flourish Market for spending money towards a good cause (local in downtown Raleigh if you’re in the area!).

I also think another great gift idea is to give the gift of a subscription box! One month, three, or whatever you can afford – they all offer different options! Some subscriptions I have used or been gifted in the past and have really enjoyed are FabFitFun, Shaker & Spoon, GlobeIn, Cloth & Paper, and Ipsy. There are also subscription boxes for pets, wine lovers, chocolate lovers, all kinds of things!

I can never find a gift that seems right for the men in my life, no matter how many different types of gift guides for men I peruse. So some ideas I actually DO like for men include flannel pajama pants, slippers, a Yeti mug if they drink coffee, a beard hair catcher for easy clean-up if they have facial hair, or a nice flannel shirt or jacket. There are all kinds of gadgets out there for men but I have seen this digital grill thermometer in a few different places, so if you have a guy that loves to fire up the grill, this is probably a great idea!

Hopefully this list at least sparks some interest or gets you thinking about some things you could get for some people you may be having trouble thinking about! Christmas will be here before you know it – I just got up my Christmas decorations over the weekend, so I’m already feeling behind!

Happy shopping!

Recently on Instagram!