Every year it seems like it gets harder and harder to find just the right gift to surprise and delight the special people in your life. And that’s why I’ve put together this gift guide! Here’s where you’ll find my suggestions for fun and practical gifts for kids, Mom, Dad, and the home. I’ll be adding more gift ideas, reviews, and idea roundups as we go, so be sure to follow along to find the perfect present!
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Gift Ideas for Kids
FDMT from Manimo carries a wide assortment of sensory solutions that help create a calm and serene atmosphere that encourages kids (and adults!) to relax, self-soothe, and self-regulate. FDMT light-up bubble tubes are the perfect sensory product to create that calming atmosphere at home. The variation in colours, moving fish, and gentle hum of the pump make them ideal to enhance any sensory space. Tubes coms in two sizes: the 28 cm Bubblebloom Mini Bubble Tube for small spaces and the full-size 82 cm Bubblebeam Bubble Tube for bigger spaces.
We also love the Jellyzen Oval Jellyfish Lamp that shows off the gentle movement of jellyfish in an oval-shaped tank that fits on your child’s bedside table. The gentle, variable light creates a mesmerizing underwater atmosphere to help kids relax and soothe themselves.
Read our review of FDMT’s Bubble Tube and enter the giveaway for a chance to win your own!
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With the Cookeez Makery Oven Playset, kids can “bake” their own surprise plush best friend. Each playset comes with a recipe box and a recipe card. Following the recipe, kids can mix the ingredients to create a dough ball, shape their dough, and add cute features to create a face and paws. The real magic happens during the baking process. After 90 seconds, the timer will “ding”, and opening the oven door reveals a warm and scented interactive plush friend in the shape of a delicious smelling baked treat. Battery-powered plush friends are highly interactive. They make different sounds and reactions when touched and squeezed. Squeeze them longer and the pet warms up!
Read our review of the Cookeez Makery Oven Playset here!
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Petsies specializes in custom stuffed pet lookalikes, 100% handmade to look just like your own pet, down to the smallest of details. Each pet lookalike is made from premium polyester furs, specialty noses and eyes, and carefully finished with airbrushing. Petsies can make a keepsake of any pet from dogs and cats to horses and rats, and you can even add a weighted option, voice recorder, or memory pouch upgrade (for ashes or other personal items). Petsies come in 3 sizes: 10″ mini, 16″ regular , and 24″ supersize.
The creation process is surprisingly easy! All you have to do is upload photos of your pet, select your customizations, and the Petsies team will do the rest. They will even send email updates throughout the entire design and sewing process. The process does take 6-8 weeks, so order early for the holidays or consider sending a gift card so your recipient can send in their photos whenever they’re ready. Petsies also carries a wide assortment of custom products like custom PJs, figurines, and golf headcovers, all featuring your pet’s adorable face!
Check out how Petsies created a lookalike pet plush of my late kitty, Sage!
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Puro Sound Lab specializes in creating volume-limiting headsets that protect kids’ hearing, all while sounding great. These sleek PuroQuiet wireless Bluetooth headphones limit music volume to 85 dB, the maximum safe sound listening level as recommended by many organizations. They can be used wired or wireless with a 30-foot range, and the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) switch turns down daily noise and background sound up to 22 dB quieter. They come in four metallic colours with a built-in microphone. My kids think they look cool, but I’m most impressed by the battery life – up to 35 hours of non-ANC playtime (23 hours with ANC) and 200 hours of standby!
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Teens will love the super bubbly Instax Mini 12 instant camera. Fully loaded with easy-to-use modes and controls, just aim and click for simply fun, instant photos every time! Designed to keep up with life, the Instax Mini 12 is ready to go with a simple twist of the lens. Twist again and you’re in Close-up mode, perfect for selfies with friends. Combined with the perfectly positioned selfie mirror, automatic flash control and Instax Mini instant photos, the Instax Mini 12 instant camera is a selfie extraordinaire. Available in 5 colours: Pastel Blue, Mint Green, Blossom Pink, Lilac Purple and Clay White.
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You may have heard of red light therapy as an emerging treatment for a variety of skin conditions, but did you know that it can also improve sleep? Helight is a patented sleep aid device that uses red light to help people fall asleep faster and promote a deeper, more restful sleep, while reducing the impact of exposure to blue light from screens at night as well as various sleep disorders.
Helight Kidzzz adapts the original Helight for infants and children using the same revolutionary technology, now in playful packaging designed to appeal to kids. This award-winning device emits a precise wavelength of 630 nanometers, meticulously calibrated for 14 minutes at an optimal intensity, then gradually fading out over 14 minutes for an uninterrupted, smooth transition. This 28-minute patented protocol mirrors the natural cycle of light at the end of the day (i.e., sunset), creating a biological signal to the brain that it’s time to go to sleep and start melatonin secretion.
Find out how Helight Sleep worked for me and enter the giveaway for a chance to win your own!
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The smell of Christmas cookies is in the air! The whole family can bake Christmas cookies together in preparation for Santa’s visit. This set includes real cookie cutters and cookie stamps to bake and decorate Christmas cookies. The playset consists of an Advent calendar with 24 surprises and real cookie cutters for great baking fun at home. In addition to three Playmobil figures, the set also includes a Santa Claus with sack and presents, a pony sleigh, a kitchenette with two ovens and lots of baking utensils, and a snowman.
New this year, the Magic Mixies Magic Genie Lamp creates a wish-granting Genie Mixie! Complete the creation process to unlock the Magic Ring, then use that to make a wish to meet an adorable, new friend. Just rub the Magic Lamp and watch as the Magic Mixie appears from within. The Magic Ring also reacts with the interactive Magic Mixie whenever it touches the Mixie’s forehead. Together, the interactive Magic Mixie and Magic Genie Lamp have over 60 lights, sounds and reactions to discover!
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Turn your paper airplane into a flying machine! Just attach the POWERUP 2.0 miniature engine and propeller to your paper plane and watch it soar. The POWERUP 2.0 is the perfect beginner’s kit for children getting started with aeronautics. Designed to provide over 30 seconds of flying time, its carbon fiber propeller shaft and ultra-tough rear propeller are virtually crash-proof. No matter your age, flying a POWERUP 2.0 paper airplane is a fun activity from kids to grandparents! Check out the plane in action here on Youtube.
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Adopt, love, and cuddle your very own ultra-soft plush pet from the #1 game, Adopt Me! Series 1 includes the Kitsune, Unicorn, Dog, Cow, Bee, and Octopus. Each plush pet is modeled after their appearance in the game and includes an exclusive Virtual Item Code. These 8” collectible pets range in rarity from common to legendary and are perfect for playing, cuddling, and displaying.
Got a young TMNT or skateboarding fan? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Half Pipe RC is a full-function 2.4 GHz remote-controlled vehicle built to skate smooth and imitate realistic skateboarding moves. Designed with a movie-inspired style and with their favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles riding the skateboard, the unique skateboard shaped controller makes it easy to gain speed, shift, and shred on any surface. All four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are available individually.
There’s a lot to discover in Winnie’s & Piglet’s Tree House! Toddlers can sort different items into the treetop by shape and colour to develop fine motor skills and three-dimensional thinking. A hidden slide lets the objects reappear at the bottom of the tree! Turn the small group of leaves to make noises or take the second group of leaves and convert it into a spinning top toy. Playmobil quality means this playset will stand up to rough play and can be handed down to younger siblings.
With a captivating array of vibrant shaped puzzles and uniquely whimsical puzzle pieces in animal and bird shapes, Crafthub wooden puzzles make a wonderful gift for kids of all ages! Not only are puzzles a fun family activity, they also help kids develop pattern recognition, logical thinking, patience, concentration, and fine motor skills. Each Crafthub puzzle is made from sustainably sourced wood and precisely laser cut. With over two hundred designs to choose from, you’re sure to find one that will appeal to your child, but our favourite is this cool, technicolour lion.
Gift Ideas for Mom
Did you know that more than 80% of plants, and 1 in every 3 bites of food relies on bees and pollinators? Project Honey Bees is working to raise awareness about the importance of bees and their role in our ecosystem, as well as to fund research into ways to protect bees and their habitats. Project Honey Bees jewelry is ethically handmade with genuine 925 Sterling Silver and 18k gold-plated accents. Like every bee in the hive, no two are exactly alike! We love that each purchase of bee jewelry lets the recipient adopt and name a queen bee and her hive. A gift fit for a queen!
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Heat Holders hats and gloves made with HeatWeaver technology will keep Mom warm and stylish all winter long. HeatWeaver thermal lining is a luxurious, super soft, plush fur-like insulating fabric that maximizes the amount of warm air held close to the skin. We love the Bridget Cable Knit Hat with its chunky cable knit, roll up cuff, and faux fur pom pom. For the perfect cold weather set, add a pair of Heat Holders knit gloves like these Amelia Cable Knit Gloves with HeatWeaver thermal lining. And don’t forget to stock up on Heat Holders socks for winter – never have cold toes again! Free shipping on orders $75 and over.
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Mom deserves a good night’s sleep! Enough of those cheap, flimsy sleep masks with the elastic band that stretches out and slides around. The Manta PRO Sleep Mask is built to last for years. It provides true 100% blackout and puts zero pressure on eyelids or lashes for deeper, more restful sleep. The C-shaped eye cups are designed especially for side sleepers, and best of all, it’s machine washable.
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Vancouver-based studio Lover’s Tempo creates beautiful jewelry with clean lines, a sophisticated colour palette, and thoughtful textures with just the right amount of delicate detailing. We love the Shay bracelet featuring three strands of different sized links in silver-plated brass. It’s also available in gold-tone, but either way it’s a unique piece that Mom will love to show off!
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Isopia is a new beauty brand specializing in ultra-comfortable and eco-conscious false eyelashes. Their Limited Edition Holiday Gift Set has everything to make Mom feel extra special on Christmas morning! This gift set comes beautifully packaged for gift-giving and includes one pair of Iso-Gentle TOUCH lashes, one pair of Iso-Rich FROSTY lashes with festive silver glitter accents, Hold-On lash glue, gentle clip applicator, Sugarplum Fairy eyeshadow, and Enchanted bamboo charcoal soap.
If she doesn’t typically wear false lashes, it might take a minute to coordinate the glue, the lashes, and the applicator, but we love how light and comfortable the Iso-Gentle TOUCH lashes feel once they’re on. It’s almost like there’s nothing there! We also love the Sugarplum Fairy eyeshadow. This gorgeous matte lilac has great colour payoff, and it’s the perfect shade for pairing with FROSTY lashes for a glam, festive look.
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In a Chinatown housing project lives twelve-year-old Benny, his ailing grandmother, and his strange neighbor Constantine, a man who believes he’s a reincarnated medieval samurai. When his grandmother is hospitalized, Benny manages to survive on his own until a social worker comes snooping. With no other family, he is reluctantly taken in by Constantine and soon, an unlikely bond forms between the two.
At least, that’s what Yu, the narrator of the story, wants to write. The creator of a bestselling comic book, Yu is struggling with continuing the poignant tale of Benny and can’t help but interject from the present day, slowly revealing a darker backstory. Can Yu confront the demons he’s spent his adult life avoiding or risk his own life…and Benny’s?
Etsy seller The Bespoke Workshop creates beautiful personalized scenes of a bear family, each bear engraved with a family member’s name. Scenes are made from 4mm oak veneer and can be customized with anywhere from 3 to 8 bears. The Bespoke Workshop also offers wolf family and reindeer family versions!
A Lodge cast iron Dutch oven with chip-resistant porcelain-enamel finish is a classic kitchen tool that looks beautiful and makes memorable meals at the same time. Broils, braises, bakes, or roasts in the oven up to 500 degrees F. Cast iron has superior heat distribution and retention, evenly heating throughout both the bottom and sidewalls of the pot. The porcelain enameled interior has a smooth finish that minimizes sticking, promotes caramelization, and resists staining. We love the gorgeous, saturated blue of this one, but Lodge Dutch ovens come in a plethora of beautiful colours!
Gift Ideas for Dad
Rocketbook brings modern digital connectivity to the timeless feel of pen to paper writing – with no more paper waste. Scan notes to the cloud, wipe clear, and reuse. The reusable, compact, and cloud-friendly design of this Fusion Planner+Notebook offers endlessly reusable calendars, weekly planners, lists, guides, and notebook pages; all powered by the Rocketbook App. Comes with everything he needs: notebook, Pilot Pen, microfiber cleaning cloth, and app.
Double Oak’s whiskey infusion kit lets Dad craft his own unique blend of spirits with 6 spices (cloves, all spice, coffee, orange peel, dried apple, cinnamon) and 3 flavours of oak wood chips (American dream, oaken barrel, and chocolate). Fill the craft bottle with his favourite spirit, add the desired flavours, let them infuse, strain, and enjoy! Works with whiskey, rum, and gin. This kit includes two 300ml craft bottles, six flavours, three flavours of wood chips, a funnel strainer, and instruction manual.
Yes, it looks funny, but this neck massager is ideally shaped to really get into those neck and shoulder muscles that get so tight after a long day of work. 8 kneading massage nodes provide deep pressure, and the infrared heat function soothes and promotes blood circulation to tired muscles. This shoulder massager has 3 levels to personalize the pressure, and the long handle straps can be used to adjust the massage position and strength.
The Fitness Bundle from StayAbove Nutrition includes two jars of Muscle 5 protein powder (two flavours of choice) and one bottle of Trim 7. Muscle 5 focuses on building muscle, while Trim 7 focuses on temporarily increasing metabolism to reduce body fat. The holidays (and New Years resolution season) is the perfect opportunity for Dad to create a new morning routine that fuels his day and gets him on track with his fitness goals.
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Inspired by outer space and engineered to defy gravity, Novium’s Hoverpen 2.0 is the world’s first pen hovering at an angle. Named in Time’s 200 Best Inventions of 2022, the Hoverpen is perfectly balanced at a 23.5-degree angle — just like the earth’s axial tilt — using physics, gravity, and neodymium magnets. Crafted with aircraft grade aluminum and zinc alloy, it’s an incredible conversation starter on Dad’s desk. Expect the pen to last and hover for up to 100 years.
Please note this book is not a joke book about Dads. It is a joke book full of Dad jokes, best described as embarrassingly bad jokes that will make the whole family wince. The first page has space for you to write a special message to Dad. This book will be a jolly old laugh for Dad, maybe not so much for you. And if he likes it, there’s a second volume!
Gift Ideas for the Home & Family
PhotoWall is a leading Swedish wallpaper and wall art company carrying gorgeous wallpaper murals, canvas prints, and posters. We especially love the children’s murals, but PhotoWall has themes to match anyone’s decor and for every room. You can even turn your own photos into custom wallpaper, canvas prints, and posters. Free shipping anywhere in the world!
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Aren’t these the cutest dryer balls you’ve ever seen? Eco-friendly, chemical-free, and reusable wool dryer balls fluff up your laundry to speed up drying time and reduce static without the waxy coating that dryer sheets leave on fabric. Made from 100% New Zealand wool and safe for sensitive skin, babies, and pets, Wooly Heroes dryer balls are carefully needle felted by hand in ethical working conditions by women in underprivileged communities. Each set contains six balls, and there are six different animal friends sets to choose from.
An UnboxBoardom board game subscription box delivers a brand new board game right to your door on a quarterly, bimonthly, or monthly basis. Games range from family board games to strategy board games to party board games. The recipient can choose from 3 different games each mailing, so there’s never a worry about receiving a game they’re not interested in. And because UnboxBoardom want everyone to be able to enjoy the fun and excitement of playing board games, for every 10 new board game subscription box signups, they donate a board game to an organization that helps kids who can’t afford one. Currently UnboxBoardom is only available in the US, but we hope they’ll bring this great idea to Canada soon!
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We love a hand-knitted chenille throw blanket for the couch or to drape over the foot of the bed. Soft chenille yarn is warm and buttery soft, hypoallergenic, and machine washable. The open, chunky weave lets air circulate so you can snuggle without overheating.
Bring the whole family together to watch movies on the big screen — at home! This full HD movie projector can be used for a home theatre, backyard movies, video games, pay per view, photos, and for work presentations too. Features built-in stereo speakers, native 1080p, 12000: 1 contrast ratio, and can also support 4K video. Interface includes HDMI/ USB/ AV/ Audio Out 3.5mm. Compatible with smartphones/ tablets/ PC/ TV/ laptop/ USB sticks/ PS4/ DVD players/ TV Box, etc. (Due to app copyright, Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu can only connect via laptop, Chromecast, wireless dongle, TV stick, or Roku.)
Stocking Stuffers
Magnetic bookmarks are lightweight and so easy to carry and store. Just fold the bookmark around the page that you want to mark. The magnets ensure it won’t fall out, and they won’t rip your page either. These adorable black cat bookmarks come in a pack of 12 so you can mark several pages and/or books with minimal bulk.
Crayola Bath Dropz transform bathwater into your child’s favorite colour. The tablets fizz and dissolve in the bathwater, leaving the water a fun, vibrant hue. Each pack comes with red, yellow, and blue tablets. Combine tablets to create secondary colours like orange, green, and purple. Fragrance-free, non-staining, and non-toxic, these are a great way to encourage kids to get in the tub!
Is that toast? A fireplace? A peace sign? With these trendy, soft, super-sensory plush toys, anything and everything can be a BumBumz. Whether your kiddo is a retro-rocker, a football superfan, or a veggie-aficionado, there’s a BumBumz for every stocking!
These cute replacement AirPods cases are compatible with 3rd gen AirPods. We like this set of 3 cases to mix and match: Gatorade bottle, Taki Fuego chips, and Hubba Bubba BubbleTape.
800 Pound Gorilla is a new game for 3-6 players from the creators of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. It’s a wild ride of fast-paced action, hilarious phrases, and bananas flying left and right. Spin the spinner, grab bananas and coconuts, but watch out for the gorilla! When the spinner lands on a gorilla, players must race to claim the right-size gorilla, but finding it isn’t as easy as it seems. With its easy-to-learn rules and quick 10-15 minute gameplay, the 800 Pound Gorilla is perfect for family game nights, gatherings, and parties.
It’s a ballpoint pen. It’s a touch screen pen. It’s a fidget toy! When you’re not writing, this modular pen can be taken apart and the parts rearranged into anything your imagination desires. The set comes with thirteen magnetic rings, two touch screen pen tips, two large steel balls, eight medium steel balls, two small steel balls, two pen caps, pen clip, pen tip, and two pen refills.
This affordable set of makeup brushes is perfect for applying a wide range of makeup products. Includes powder brush, flat top Kabuki brush, foundation brush, blending brush, highlight brush, concealer brush, eyeshadow brush, eyebrow brush, eyeliner brush, and lip brush. The bristles are made from soft, 100% cruelty-free synthetic hairs, and the handles are solid wood. This set comes with a sleek leather-look brush holder to store and sort your brushes. Great for traveling too!
Disclosure: I received samples to facilitate this post. This page contains some affiliate links. This West Coast Mommy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you.