Outside-the-Box, Delightful Gift Ideas for 2022

It’s easy to get into a rut with gift-giving, so today’s post will help you break out of the mold and discover some fun and different ideas for everyone in the family!

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Sweet Chaos Popcorn

I hope you will find a place under the tree for this decadent treat! Sweet Chaos drizzled popcorn is the best ever, and it tastes as good as it looks. Seasonable varieties this year include Pumpkin Spice, Maple Brown Sugar, Black-and-White and Vanilla Chai.

It’s also a crowd-pleaser, being gluten free and

Click here to learn more about Sweet Chaos popcorn

Pen Heaven

Designed to please the readers, writers and lovers-of-luxury in your circle of friends and family, Pen Heaven is aptly named. They have beautiful stocking stuffers for under $25, and gifts especially curated for men and women in a variety of colors, textures and styles. Many of their pens, journals, etc. can be custom engraved for a more personal touch.

The more tailored pen collection for men focuses on classic finishes with a weighty feel; for women, the designs are slim and elegant. Pair this with Crown Mill paper or a practical Filofax planner and you’ve got a classy gift that will bring enjoyment all year long.

Click here to shop for gifts at Pen Heaven
Hint: use code IM15 to get 15% off all Parker pens

The Brown Rabbit Studio

Winter journals, original oil landscapes, watercolor bookmark sets,

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1108186852/journal-winter-journal-notebook
https://www.etsy.com/listing/690086753/winter-landscape-painting-prairie

Buy a set of original watercolor bookmarks and you get 5 stocking stuffers!

Click here to shop for art-inspired gifts at The Brown Rabbit.

The Natori Congo Robe

This lovely rayon-blend robe might be the only one you’ll ever wear. This was one of my favorite Christmas gifts ever! I received the teal robe and wear it almost daily. The fabric drapes beautifully and it’s lightweight yet warm. The longer length looks very elegant and it’s easy to wash and dry. Four years later, my robe still looks great.

You can choose from 13 different colors and some are on sale for just $27.00 this year – that’s almost 50% off!

Click here to shop Natori robes with free shipping.

 

Happy Head

There are lots of thoughtful things you can give those you care about for Christmas, and TLC can be one of the best gifts. A beautiful and healthy head of hair starts with just the right shampoo, conditioner and supplements. You can get all of this in a neatly packaged gift with Happy Head’s Holiday Pack. It also includes $50 off a new subscription to their Topical Hair Growth Solution.

This bundles delivers a myriad of results: cleansing, moisturizing and growth. Designed by experts, the shampoo and conditioner are infused with argan oil, biotin, collagen, keratin, and saw palmetto to support healthy hair. And you can help the process from within with daily supplements containing nourishing ingredients like biotin, collagen, keratin, saw palmetto, probiotics, ashwagandha, and vitamins A & D.

The value is amazing, considering what most treatment plans and products cost these days, so if you’ve been putting it off because of cost, now’s the time to act!

Click here to shop for the Holiday Pack

DoubleTake Bags

My family got into pickle ball last year and even entered the local tournament. It was low stress and a fun way to get exercise! Having the perfect bag to carry all your essentials is a must. DoubleTake has the bags and totes that players rely on.

Whether pickle ball or tennis is your game, the Melbourne is a medium-sized, tote-to backpack convertible bag designed to carry an average amount of gear in a lightweight, comfortable style. It comes in a variety of sporty fade-resistant colors, and is water-resistant. The Melbourne Backpack will be your new best buddy. I love the comfy straps, premium materials and all the bright colors you get to pick from!

Click here to shop sport bags and totes at DoubleTake

New Cooking Tools

I really love the festive red color of this workhorse slow cooker by Hamilton Beach.

With an 8-quart capacity, it can feed a crowd. Use it for Christmas and New Year gatherings, or quick weeknight meals during the busy Advent season. You can even fit a chicken up to 8 pounds inside. There are three basic settings for Warm, Low and High, and the durable stoneware is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

Get it with free shipping if you have a Walmart+ membership!

Boots for All Seasons

From author Lisl H. Detlefsen and illustrator Renée Kurilla comes a beautiful farm book that’s all about the boots. Follow children and their families as they care for crops and animals through all four seasons of the year, and enjoy the colorful artwork that highlights all of the different boots they wear.

Young children will love this richly illustrated hardback with easy-to-read and understand rhyming verses. Each season brings its own joys and tasks.

If you have a little one, you already know how much they love footwear! Whether it’s a new pair for themselves, or the fun of trying on Mama and Daddy’s big shoes, they sure seem to have a fascination with boots. My toddler has picked up Farm Boots over and over again this December to marvel at all the fun colors and styles. Available soon at Amazon; and please visit the author and illustrator online!

Wiley Wallaby

Here’s another unique Christmas treat for the licorice-lovers in your life. Soft and chewy Wiley Wallaby comes in surprisingly different flavors – Classic Red (strawberry), Classic Black, Watermelon, Blasted Berry, Huckleberry, Green Apple and Blueberry Pomegranate.

With less sugar than other brands, and naturally fat-free and gluten-free, you can enjoy this gourmet licorice with only a small twinge of guilt 😉

Click here to find out where to buy Wiley Wallaby licorice

 

Blue Orange Games

My family is a HUGE fan of Blue Orange Games, and with a tagline like “hot games for a cool planet,” it’s easy to see why. The sheer variety of games that they make is staggering. Games for every age, every stage and every interest.

Where else can you find an adorable pug dog game for toddlers and also a 3D planet ecosystem game for teens and adults? Blue Orange games is a fun place to shop for Christmas, year after year. Here are some of their newest games for little ones:

Tongues Out! I was so glad to find this game at Blue Orange because our family dog is a pug. Designed for ages 4 and up, this adorable memory game features squishy fidget-like pug dogs who have apparently eaten all the lollipops up! To find the culprit, gently squeeze the pug and his tongue pops out – and you must pay attention to what color his tongue is. Here’s a video of this unique little game in action!

Junk Jumble is a cute little observation game that’s very tactile and appealing to ages 6 and up. It consists of a small chest of drawers which players peek into, looking for all the items on their checklist. An engaging game that’s quick to learn and play, children will love all of the colorful little pieces and strengthen their memory and focusing skills while playing.

My boys were given the chance to try Planet and Kingdomino, which have long been on their wish list.

Kingdomino is an award-winning kingdom building strategy game which loosely follows the domino concept of lining up tiles with like terrains. Players place tiles one by one, and then game ends when each has completed a 5×5 grid. Extra points are awarded for crown tiles. It’s quick to play and quite addictive, actually! Each game is completely different with a range of strategies to choose from. And the artwork is very beautiful, giving it a really nice aesthetic.

This game is so popular that Blue Orange has created a couple of spin-offs including Queendomino and Dragomino.

Planet is truly one of the coolest games we’ve played in a while. The star of the show is a 3D 12-sided planet core, which players will fill with magnetic pentagon-shaped tiles throughout the game. The goal is to connect as many habitats (ice, water, mountain, etc.) as possible to attract certain wildlife, and thereby gain those animal cards in your hand. Each animal prefers a certain eco-system, so players have to be very careful to place the magnetic tiles in just the right way on their planet core.

With gorgeous, realistic artwork and the tactile magnetic planet in your hand, this game is a feast for the senses as well as a strategic challenge. It’s recommended for ages 8 and up and 2-4 can play.

TextNow Phone Service

Did you know that your family can have access to wireless service FOR FREE? With TextNow, you get free calls and texts with no strings attached. Whether you need an emergency cell phone, a basic phone for your teen, or just find yourself struggling to make ends meet these days, TextNow helps you to get connected and enjoy totally free wireless service.

I’ve personally worked with the folks at TextNow and they are prompt, friendly and knowledgeable. They helped set me up using a phone my friend gave me. My 99 cent SIM card arrived in the mail within days and I even got to pick my new number. We now have a phone my children can use at home to contact me when I’m out. And it costs me nothing!

If you’d like to add on data, TextNow offers that, but I just think it’s pretty amazing that they offer mobile service for FREE to those who need it. With its ad-supported free service, TextNow is committed to keeping people connected.

Give the gift of communication this Christmas and free yourself from the worry and hassle of monthly phone bills.

Click here to get free wireless service from TextNow

Two Rivers Coffee K-Cup Assortment

The huge coffee assortment my husband got me for Christmas last year was a gift that kept on giving, for weeks and weeks! The Two Rivers assortment contains 40 coffee pods in   and costs less than $20! It arrives on your doorstep within just a few days with FREE Amazon Prime shipping.

Compatible with Keurig coffee machines, this variety pack contains maple, chocolate, cinnamon, chocolate vanilla, vanilla, hazelnut and other flavored coffees.

Click here to buy the 40-Count Coffee Assortment from Two Rivers

 

Semper Smart Games

If you’d like to put some educational games under the tree this Christmas, I have two very whimsical suggestions – Blobby’s Pizza and Full of Bull from Semper Smart Games!

Blobby’s Piece teaches and reinforces fractions, decimals and percentages as monsters eat their way to victory. We love the game components which include a realistic guest check book (just like they use at restaurants), vibrant monster cards and a box with magnetic closure to hold everything. There are varying skill levels which means nearly everyone in the family can play this game. The goal is to build pizzas out of fraction cards and get the highest total bill.

If you love bluffing games, Full of Bull is for you. Test your mental math skills by using multiplication, and a little bit of guessing and bluffing, to come out on top of the betting. All of the pieces, including dice and chips and writing instruments, are neatly contained in a bright red cup. Any child who’s learning the time tables, or already has them mastered, will really like this fast-paced, high stakes game!

Grab Blobby’s Pizza and Full of Bull
with free Prime shipping!

Let’s Play House Cleaning Set

Every Saturday we do a big family clean-up, and I’ve noticed that our toddler loves to imitate what everyone is doing. So this Christmas, she’s getting the Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House Cleaning Set. What really sold me on this cute and sturdy set was that everything stores neatly on the wooden hanging rack.

Get the Let’s Play House Cleaning Set for 56% off!

Give Cloth Diapers a Try

This Christmas you can nurture someone’s pioneer spirit with a full set of cloth diapers. Nicki’s has budget-friendly options that include covers and inserts and all-in-ones. You can also shop diaper bags and other essential baby gear.

There’s also an amazing deal from Cotton Babies right now – get the Elemental Joy all-in-one diapers for just $5.00 each!

Click here to shop cloth diapers at Nicki’s.
Click here for the $5 diaper at Cotton Babies.

Rising Sun Baby Care

From the islands of Japan come a very unique gift indeed – gentle exfoliating washcloths and body towels made from a finely textured fabric that won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin. It gently cleans, exfoliates and rejuvenates, and is machine washable. Elevate your bath and enjoy a Japanese spa-like experience! Everyone can enjoy Rising Sun cleansing towels – babies, toddlers, teens and parents. They are individually packaged and make nice stocking stuffers or a unique addition to personal care gift baskets. I’m gifting one to my teenage daughter this year!

Click here to shop at Rising Sun

Saint Nicholas Book Sale at TAN

Books are always welcome at Christmas – or any other time, for that matter! I want to share with you a couple of beautiful titles that TAN has published which are apropos for this time of year.

Meditations on the Holy Angels is a luminous spiritual classic by Saint Aloysius Gonzaga.
The Imitation of Saint Joseph focuses on the quiet presence that led the Holy Family. Learn more about this “just man” who was privileged to die with Mary and Jesus at his side, and who is revered as the protector of the Universal Church. The green deluxe leatherette binding makes this book an extra special gift at Christmas.
The Sermons of Saint Francis de Sales for Advent serve as perfect daily devotional in the days leading up to Christmas, and beyond.

Shop the Saint Nicholas sale
with books as low as $1 and $2