Intentionally Ordinary Gift Guides 2024
Make intentionality and thoughtfulness a priority this year with these gift guides!
We’re back for another year of gift guides! I always consider intentionality in gift giving, quality and usefulness of the gift, and sustainability, so you know you’ll be giving something great! Most of the items in our lists are either items we already use and love or are on our list for this year.
I hope you find inspiration in these guides and joy in this gift-giving season.
Filson shirt // Beanie // Watch // Boots // Razor // Beard Oil // AirTags // AirPods Max // Mechanic scrub // Lifting straps // Portable air pump // Massager // LOTR book set // Backpack
Kindle // Kindle Cover // Book Embosser // Bookends // Funny Story // The Small and the Mighty // The Plan // Hello Beautiful // Book Journal // Book Light // No Bleed Highlighters // Audiobook Subscription to Libro.fm
Thank you so much for taking time to look over the gift guides! As a reminder, some of the links are affiliate links and earn me a small commission with your purchase. Every click is appreciated!
Intentionally Ordinary Gift Guides 2023
Find our gift guides for anyone, her, him, and kids!
We’re back again with some intentional gift guides! We’re all about shopping purposefully and buying high quality gifts that last a long time and can be used for any occasion! Though we make these gift guides around the Christmas season, feel free to reference back to these anytime (birthdays, Valentine’s Day, etc).
Everything will be linked below for easy shopping & many of the links will be affiliate links. This just means we get a small percentage back when you shop through our link — and we so appreciate it when you do! We hope you find some inspiration in these guides.
Yoto player (screen-free audio book player)ages 2+//Lovevery Montessori playkits age birth to 4 years//Tubby Todd bath bubbles & lotion//Lego set age 4+//Magnatiles age 2+//PaperPie books all ages//Sarah’s silks pretend play (check out all of the items, we love lots of different products from here!)//Montessori toy for babies//scooter (linked for 2-5 year olds, but this brand has all ages)
AirTag (for keys, wallet, luggage, etc)//ooni pizza oven//Apple headphones//cocktail set//travel bag//meat thermometer with app//merch for car guys
The Best Gift to Give your Neighbors this Holiday Season
Discover a simple and impactful gift for yourself and others this holiday season.
Just today, I was talking to a sweet mom who was starting to feel the pangs of anxiety regarding the holiday season. Halloween is days away, Thanksgiving is weeks away, and Christmas is only two months away. Shopping, travel, health, work, family gatherings, extra cleaning, cooking, and expenses are just a few things that are on many of our minds. All these extras, many that we love and some that we dread, cause us extra stress and even perhaps anxiety. And guess what? We are not alone. Many others around us are feeling the same. Other feelings around the holidays include depression and increased grief for those missing loved ones, especially during this time of year.
As we communally enter the holiday season filled with joy, laughter, stress, sadness, and so much more, we can give ourselves and one another a beautiful gift. A gift that is truly a gift as it is free and brings with it no expectation, shame, or judgment. What is this gift? It is the gift of grace.
In Christianity, grace is defined as undeserved favor. It cannot be earned; it is something that is freely given. Grace is a kindness — to ourselves and others.
For this holiday season, I would like to encourage you to start each of your days with the gift of grace first to yourself. One way you might give yourself grace is to remind yourself of the first stanza of the Serenity Prayer:
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Grace for yourself might be forgiveness for mistakes or harsh words spoken and remembering Lamentations 3:22-23:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Grace for yourself might look like remembering it’s okay to say no, and it is more than okay that your life doesn’t look like the Instagram post that sent your heart and mind into comparison and discontent.
As you give yourself grace, you can extend it to your family and loved ones, remembering they probably feel their version of holiday stress and demands.
As you continue giving yourself grace, you can extend that grace to your neighbors on the road, at the grocery stores, post offices, and other places you may frequent during the holiday season. The places where grace will be received and appreciated are unending! How about grace for your local barista, table server, gas station attendant, or salon worker? Where can you give away undeserved favor and kindness?
This season, finances may be tight, time may feel stretched, and bodies may be tired, but grace can always be given away for free without adding more stress to your life. Giving grace to yourself and giving it away to others can bring refreshment and joy to your soul.
Matthew 22:37-39 reminds us to love our neighbors as ourselves. So, this holiday season, intentionally show yourself some love by giving yourself grace and then giving it to others!
Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2023
We’ve rounded up our favorite gifts for Mother’s Day this year!
Mother’s Day is right around the corner! We’ve rounded up our favorite most used items, some gifts we’re hoping for, and some fun things we want to gift to the moms and mom friends in our lives. Use this as your own wishlist, or shop for friends and family.
Alabaster Co. Bible Books — We love using these beautifully made Bible books as study companions and as gorgeous coffee table books! I’ve linked their entire Mother’s Day gift idea page — there are so many great ideas here including various Bible book sets, a floral tote, and a bookmark.
The cutest goods from Chalk Full of Love — we LOVE all things CFL! We could honestly link half the site for you & highly recommend browsing around (especially the mugs and candles!). But I will leave you with the link for this adorable Mama hat that I wish I owned.
Essential oil roller bottles — we love these floral scents, they would make a great gift for anyone who appreciates these lovely scents found in nature!
Hu chocolate — satisfy mom’s sweet tooth with our favorite naturally sweetened, vegan & paleo friendly chocolate bars! This links to an 8-pack (wouldn’t that be fun to try??) or swing by your local Sprouts or Whole Foods & find them in the candy aisle.
Jewelry we use and wear every day — I’ve had my Made By Mary jewelry ever since my girls were born, and I’ve loved the quality and style of these pieces. I’ve gifted these before and I’m currently eyeing some new rings to add to my collection. I’ve linked the birth flower necklace — this piece is a great way to celebrate your kids!
Skin care pampering set — I’m always looking to up my skin care regimen and recently found this set! I’m loving the mineral boost, it’s silky and super nourishing. Any mama would love to make every night a spa night with these!
Cozy jammies are always the answer — I’m always on the look out for a good pajama set and I’m in love with this cozy but perfect for spring/summer set! Comes in lots of different colors!
Mom’s favorite drink — we love matcha, but gifting your mom’s favorite coffee or tea (or cocktail & wine, let’s be real) would make her day!
Valentine’s Gift Ideas
We’re rounding up some fun gift ideas for women, men, and kids this Valentine’s Day!
I love any excuse to celebrate love and to give gifts, how about you? Today we’ve rounded up a few ideas to gift your friends, significant others, and kids for Valentine’s Day. Check it out!
Citrus Body Bar - any bath essentials make fabulous Valentine’s and Galentine’s day gifts! We love this citrus bar from Beauty Counter! (if you don’t already shop with a consultant, please select Alisa Jeffus during check out! I’d appreciate your support!)
Gourmet Mexican Vanilla - this is hands down the best vanilla we’ve ever baked with! This gift would be perfect for the baker in your life!
Pajamas - always pajamas! Comfy, cozy, cute. You just really can’t go wrong with gifting yourself or your bestie with a pair of these ultra soft Valentine’s jammies.
Live-in tank - I bought myself this tank & high rise undies set years ago and I’m still obsessed with them! Classic cut, perfect for light weight jammies or to wear during the day/under your clothes.
Candles - I’m also a huge fan of gifting candles (and gifting them to myself too), I have my eye on this Palo Santo candle from Chalkfull of Love in their Valentine’s collection. Check out their mugs and other fun items too!
Romance novel - know a bookish gal who’s looking for her next book? Grab a fun romance novel! I’ve linked one of my favorites - The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. I’ve loved reading this author along with Taylor Jenkins Reid, Abby Jimenez, Carley Fortune, and Ali Hazelwood.
Valentine’s books - books about love, friendship, and sharing are always a great idea, and make the best gifts for kids this time of year. I created an idea list of my favorite PaperPie reads I think kids of all ages will love!
Pajamas - I love gifting my girls pajamas for almost every holiday. Its such a cozy way to celebrate! Our favorite, softest sets come from Plain Jane. We’ve bought multiple pairs for each girl now because we just love the quality!
Bath bubbles - in addition to pajamas, I also love gifting bubbles for every holiday! We’re big fans of Tubby Todd and love all of their scents. Bath bombs would be a fun gift too!
Butterfly wings - I love open ended dress up play and my girls love it to! Grabbing a toy where they can use their imagination is always a great gift! We love this one from Sarah’s Silks!
Kid’s garden bed - start the spring off right with this kid sized garden! They’ll have so much fun getting their hands dirty during planting, watering their plants, watching them grow, and then eating what they’ve grown!
Personalized puzzle - my daughter just learned how to spell her name and I know she’d love putting together this personalized puzzle all day long.
Ember coffee mug - we love this mug that keeps itself warm! Now his coffee will never get cold.
Comfy beanie - we love shopping Patagonia for their sustainability practices, so we always turn to them for outdoor gear and clothes. We love this one to keep your SO warm!
No bleed highlighters- is your partner an avid reader? These highlighters are AMAZING! They don’t bleed and come in aesthetically pleasing colors (read: not obnoxious). You have to check these out!
Gym equipment - support your guy’s fitness goals with these gym essentials or grab some equipment for a home gym! We love this brand!
We hope this list inspires you if you’re giving gifts for Valentine’s this year! Experiences make wonderful gifts as well, so if you’re going gift free, I hope you find a fun way to celebrate your love for your spouse, partner, friends, and kids!