Are you in flat-out holiday shopping mode yet? I’ve been planning my first Holiday Shopping Guide for the past few weeks and decided that with all of the extended Black Friday and early Cyber Monday sales, that today was a great day to roll it out to you!
We’ve used just about every single item on this list (save the wish list items) so we can attest to the quality and usefulness of everything. Let me know if you have questions about anything but for now…shop on!!
Mohu antenna: This antenna is a cord-cutter’s dream. We canceled cable on January 1st this year, hooked up this modern-day antenna to the house, and we’re able to pull in about 15 local TV channels, including national channels like NBC, ABC, and Fox, and three PBS channels. We’ve got Netflix and Hulu as well and for $15/month, we’re never at a loss for something to watch!
sending holiday cards: I’ve been ordering our cards and party invitations from TinyPrints and Minted over the past four years and I am always completely enamored with how they turn out. Thick card stock, TONS of design options, and free envelope addressing (Minted only). TinyPrints has 40% off sitewide and free shipping discounts happening this week (use codes BLACKFRI40 – ends 11/29! – and FREESHIP49 at checkout). Both codes work together so YAY for extra discounts!
for the cook:
- Thermapen: This is by far one of my most well-used items in my kitchen. In addition to the obvious use of checking meat temperatures, I use this instant-read thermometer for making caramel, marshmallows, cooked buttercream frostings, ice cream, cream puffs, etc. My mom gifted me with the Classic model a couple years ago and she loved using it so much when she visits that I gave her one last Christmas. ThermoWorks is offering 20% off the newest model and $69 for the Classic model through Cyber Monday. Get ’em while they last!
- cast iron cook wear: Kyle is never surprised when he sees me get so excited over cast iron. It’s rugged, durable, easy to clean and care for, and food cooks like a dream in it. Lodge and Le Creuset have been my go-tos but I just landed an incredible deal yesterday on the Staub 12-inch oval roasting dish for $99 on Food52 (regular price = $236) and used the WECOME10 coupon code for $10 off my first Food52 purchase (no shipping or tax charges either!). It seems the price for this dish has dropped in the past year and Williams-Sonoma has them in a variety of color for around $99 as well. Score!
- cookbooks: Just a quick list of a few of my favorites and wish list items: (faves) The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, America’s Test Kitchen Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours, Bouchon Bakery, The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook | (wish list) Bouchon, Momofuku Milk Bar, The Ultimate Bar Book, Food52 Genius Recipes
- Williams-Sonoma GoldTouch bake wear: I have sung the praises of this bake wear line so many times in the past 7 years so all I have to say here is, “buy it.” You won’t regret spending a little extra money on baking equipment that will last you years, doesn’t warp in the oven, and continuously pumps out dozen after dozen of perfectly baked cookies. This is my #1 choice for gifts for newlyweds, new home owners, and anyone else I know who likes to bake. This whole line is 20% off through today (with free shipping!) but if you want to wait until after the holidays, it also usually goes on sale again in late January.
party and workday wear: Shopping for clothes will never be at the top of my list of favorite things to do but Annie introduced me to ModCloth a couple of years ago and if you haven’t checked them out yet, you must get over there now. From funky to classy, party dresses to everyday work staples, ModCloth has a huge variety up through plus sizes. They’re starting Cyber Monday early today with 25% off everything through 12/2. I bought the dress above for a wedding last December and I’m wearing it to death a year later.
for the coffee lover:
- Bunn Velocity Brew 10-cup with Thermal Carafe: We finally retired our Mr. Coffee (circa 1997) and after hours of research on new coffee pots, I decided on this one. All of the Bunn versions were highly rated but I liked that Bunn was known for a non-drip system which negates the bitterness and a super-hot pot of coffee in under 4 minutes. We’ve been using it for the past few weeks and can attest to all of the awesome reviews – we love it!
- 44 North coffee: My friend Lydia introduced us to this fair trade, organic coffee in Maine over the summer and we’re totally hooked. The beans are ethically sourced and are roasted in the upstairs of an historic Deer Isle, Maine schoolhouse. They have a large variety of options and ship nationally.
- fun mugs: i woke up like this | but first, coffee | best day ever
- burr grinder: We use our KitchenAid burr grinder every single day to grind our whole beans (see above) and while it runs little pricey (most burr grinders do), this one is a heavy-duty work horse and it should last forever. With 15 grind settings, you can quickly grind beans for espresso, French press, cold-brew, drip coffee, and everything in between in seconds. Check Bed, Bath, and Beyond to use your 20% off coupon on the KitchenAid or Macy’s for a big sale (through 12/22) on OXO’s new burr grinder.
deck those halls: When it comes to decorating for Christmas, I’m working on making our home not such a mish-mosh of randomly thrown together decorations. We still put up lots of meaningful and memorable items from both of our childhoods and our life together, including all of our tree ornaments but I found Balsam Hill a few years ago while looking for realistic-looking lighted garlands for our staircase and I was floored by how incredibly gorgeous and heavy-duty their garlands are. We have them lining the staircase and catwalk above the entry foyer, set atop our china cabinet in the dining room, and on the mantel. I’ve got plans to buy a few more this weekend during their major Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale to sweep across the doorways in our family room and I can’t wait to show you how this turns out!
keep cozy with LL Bean’s Wicked Good Camp Moccasins: I’ve been wearing some form or another of Bean’s Wicked Good slipper line for the better part of the past 25 years and I’ll just keep gushing about how much I love them to everyone I see. I love them so much that I keep a pair at work also to keep my toes toasty when I’m working at my desk. They’re offered in Men’s and Women’s and with 10% off (through Tuesday), free shipping, and a lifetime guarantee, you absolutely can’t go wrong.
for the DIYer:
- Makita Cordless Impact Driver: I can’t begin to tell you how often we use this tool around the house! It’s a powerful but small and light-weight drill that’s perfect for any type of DIY house project. I used it for hours (and hours) over the summer to help Kyle build our deck and it never felt too heavy.
- Olfa double-sided self-healing rotary mat: If you have a sewer, quilter, paper crafter, or fabric DIYer in your life, this is the gift for them. It’s a major time- and frustration-saver for me when it comes to cutting fabric to the correct size since it’s lined with grid measurements and the mat itself heals itself from cutting blades.
- Olfa deluxe rotary blade: This is also a must-have for any of the above mentioned crafters in your life, especially if you buy the rotary mat. Forget using scissors (I could never cut a straight line with them anyway) and go with this pizza cutter-like blade to zip through cutting layers your project materials in one shot.
Some of these products mentioned here contain affiliate links which means that I am paid a small percentage of each sale made when you use the links. I am not paid for my opinions here and I have purchased all of the items listed – or received them as gifts from family – (except for the cookbook wish list items) without compensation/reimbursement from any of the companies. Thank you for supporting the companies and products I love and for helping to support me in bringing you great content on this site.
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