Gift Ideas From My Own Home

The more children I have, the more I like to shop online. Hustling through crowds toting three kids, hissing quiet reminders through clenched teeth to “look, but don’t touch!”, and quickly re-organizing disordered store shelves while desperately trying to maintain my inner calm is simply not my idea of a good time. I’ve realized now that I like shopping — ALONE.

At first, I only bought stuff online that I couldn’t by locally — like high-quality, non-refined coconut oil. Then I started buying things online because of how much more quickly I could get them — like books. Now, I admit that I have succumbed to buying online for convenience. Why fight bad weather, bad traffic, and ill-tempered kids?

BUT, I still want my giving to be personal. So, I buy handmade things on Etsy. Or, I buy things I already have and love so that it’s like giving people a little bit of myself. This, good readers, is that kind of post. I will introduce you to gift ideas from things we have in our home which are also available online.

For Your Woman

Several months back, I bought this Sassy Red Apron from Flirty Aprons. Flirty Aprons has a whole line of beautiful, chic aprons for women. Deciding between them all was an exercise in futility, but I eventually settled on the one pictured here. I LOVE THIS APRON! If you find it hard to imagine feeling sexy while scrubbing day-old, crusty eggs off the bottom of a pot, then you haven’t put this apron on yet while doing it.

Explore the smokin’ hot line of aprons here.
Price: $22-$35

For The Poet

This hand-embossed journal made with cruelty-free leather and unlined, hand-made cotton paper is a real gem. Not only is it gorgeous and hand-crafted, but it’s also substantial. At 5X7 and 90 pages thick, it’s the perfect size for toting along in bags or purses. This journal would probably cost you $50 or more at a local bookstore, but I’ve found it online for nearly half that.

Read user reviews or buy it here.
Price: $29.75

For The Coffee Addict

Years ago, my husband bought this Aeropress coffee maker to make espressos at home. It’s kind of like a French Press, but under more pressure so that it actually makes barista-quality espresso or Americanos one cup at a time. He uses it daily, takes it camping, and even travels with it when we visit family. By brewing at a lower temperature, the resulting coffee is far less acidic and bitter. It’s also extraordinarily easy to use and clean.

Read user reviews or buy it here.
Price: $25.95

For The Homemaker

Tired of battling fruit flies? This mesh-covered, woven fruit bowl has solved our infestation problems. It’s beautiful and sits nicely in an otherwise unused corner of my kitchen counter. We use it to store not only fruit, but also vegetables that don’t hold up well to refrigeration. It’s also stood up to going on two years of daily use, despite the fact that it’s wicker.

Buy it here.
Price: $17.95

For Earthy Sun-Loving Hippies

This little windowsill set of Italian herbs brightens the winter kitchen. The kit comes with three little stoneware containers, a 13 inch tray to set them in, organic potting soil, and the seeds of oregano, chives, and basil. Simply follow the included growing instructions, watch the seeds sprout, and nurture them into festive little plants.

Read reviews or buy it here.
Price: $24.37

For The Dreamer

These handmade, home-died cotton hammocks are made to order by a family living in the beautiful city of Merida in Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula. I kid you not. The family has been making these hammocks for many generations and now employs more than 500 other Mayan families of hand-weavers who work out of their homes.

The hammock pictured here has room for 1-3 people. The finely woven mesh is ultra-comfortable, allowing you to sit or lie down with ease. If you’ve ever tried to get in and out of a hammock with the wooden bars at the ends, you know how easy it is to tip over. These are traditionally-made, Mayan hammocks that are built to last. When you place your order, simply email or call them to customize your order completely — pick from a range of colors and materials.

Read reviews or buy it here.
Price: $63.99

(top photo by allerleirau)