2011 Holiday Gift Guide

Every year I have to start planning super early for Christmas. You see, my family is tricky I have 3 sets of parents to shop for, 6 siblings, 8 in-laws to shop for (siblings included), and a VERY special god-daughter to spoil. So I wanted to share with you some of the gift ideas I have been collecting all year for the ones I love – happy shopping!

Shopping for Dad’s and husbands is the worst, it is my Achilles heel for sure but this year I found some great options for the man in your life.

1. Nixon Watch: I love a nice “manly” looking watch and this one fits the bill.

2. Wireless BBQ thermometer: My Dad just got something like this and he loves it, this is a great gift for the grill master in your life.

3. Pre-paid and pre-planned dates: Obviously this would be a fun gift to give to your husband but I was thinking it could also be cool to give to your parents or in-laws.

4. Wireless Outdoor Speaker: I got this for my Dad 2 years ago and it is great, you can put them anywhere, take them camping, etc.

5. Sephora Gift Set: This is a staple “man gift” for me I have given it to Dads, My Husband, Brothers. It is great because they can try all the best selling cologne’s and then it comes with a voucher for one small bottle of the scent they like best.

6. Don’ts For Husbands Book: This book just looks rad, it is from Restoration Hardware.

7. Glove Compartment Tool Set: I know it is a little cliche to give a man tools as a gift but this sounded really useful.

8. Sam Adams Beer Glass: My husband has these and if the man in your life likes beer it is the perfect gift. These glasses are crafted in such a way as to optimize the flavor of a beer (thus the funky shape).

This category is pretty much based on me and what I want for Christmas (hehehe)but I have included a few things that I think could work for just about anyone.

1. Tory Burch Wallet: I have really been into TB lately and I love this timeless black wallet.

2. Riding Boot from Zara: You can never have too many boots (or shoes for that matter)these riding boots from Zara are TDF.

3. Initial Necklace: These make great gifts (for young and old), I love how dainty they look.

4. Moscow Mule Copper Mug: You can blame Oprah for this, ever since I saw her and Gale drink their Mule’s out of these babies I have been coveting them.

5. Beverage Dispenser: I’ve seen this used at a few parties I have been to and it looks soo cool! Not to mention functional.

6. Elizabeth and James “Fairfax” Sunglasses: it’s not like you can go around picking out sunglasses for people but I had to include a pair of these, I love the E&J line of glasses so check it out.

7. Immersion Blender: They come in all kinds of fun colors and are a total Fall / Winter necessity for making creamy soups!

8. Jcrew Bracelets: These are just too fun!

Watching kids open gifts on Christmas has to be one of my all time favorite activities. Being the oldest of 7 I am lucky that I still have a few younger siblings who believe so I still get to do the Santa Clause thing. Here are a few of my favorite gifts for “good” girls and boys:

1. Striped Teepee: What kid wouldn’t LOVE to have their very own teepee (or what adult for that matter)?! This teepee comes in 2 fabrics (one for boys and one for girls, although I like this “boy” one the best). I bet if you were feeling super craft you could even make something like this yourself.

2. Buddy Bumper Ball: I’m sorry this just looks fun, I had to use it. I know what all the Mom’s are thinking when they see this, they see tears, bonked heads, chipped teeth and the Emergency Room.

3. Animal Hand Tattoos: This is home run gift, hands-down. First of all kids of all ages love tattoos. Second of all puppet shows are awesome and a great way to get kids to use their imaginations. And at a whopping $8 this makes a great “gift exchange” with the cousins kind of gift.

4. Crew Cuts Clothing: Thanks to my lovely friend Emily I am officially obsessed with JCrew’s clothing line for kids “Crew Cuts”. They have the most adorable pieces. If I ever have a son, he WILL wear that outfit.

5. Pictureka: This is an amazing game to play with kids and is actually pretty fun for adults too. It is basically like a where’s waldo or I Spy kind of game. I have played it with kids as small as 3 and as big as 12.

6. Deluxe Fort Kit: This is a DIY gift I found on a blog where you sew this nifty satchel and fill it with rope, a sheet, flashlights, clothes pins, etc. all to construct an awesome fort.

7. Tiny Toms: These are just super cool.

8. Color Board Book Set: What better way to learn about colors than by looking at works of art from the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art?

Obviously LOLA (my goddaughter) gets her very own category. What kind of godmother would I be if I did not spoil her for Christmas?! Here are a few things I have in mind for the little lady:

1. Striped Shoes: LOLA has decided that she is going to not only start crawling but give standing up a try too. Which leads me to believe walking will be just around the corner, thus LOLA will need shoes. I intend to bond with LOLA throughout her life over shoes, they will be my “go to goddaughter gift”.

2. Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas: This is the book series I have started getting for LOLA as the main character is a super creative and fun little red headed girl.

3. The Elf on the Shelf: I have been itching to give this to her. If you don’t know the story this link will take you to a video on the main site that explains it all.

4. Under the Sea Ornaments: My Mom always gave us a new ornament each year and I want to do the same for LOLA except I am going to always do an “Under the Sea” theme.

5. Christmas Pajamas: I die. These are so cute!

6. Playskool Busy Basics Step Start Walk ‘n Ride: Every little walker needs some help at first, so this toy should do the trick.

7. Shimmer Dress from Zara: This is not a super Christmas-y dress but us red heads don’t look so great in red so I thought I would go for this one. Plus LOLA celebrates Christmaskah so the blue is appropriate. I love Zara’s baby girl clothes.

This category would be for people like neighbors, co-workers, extended family, good friends, etc. These are just a few of my go to gifts this season.

1. Zoku Pops: I think this would make a great gift for kids or adults. I know a few people who have these and they love them!

2. Mexican Train: I have been playing Mexican Train for years but we recently started playing again with friends at dinner parties and it is super fun. It is easy to play and still hold a conversation at the same time.

3. Bridesmaids: This movie is hysterical but save this movie to give to someone with a great sense of humor.

4. Kiehl’s Lip Balm: My lips are always so dry and chapped this is Kiehl’s #1 best selling lip balm and I LOVE it.

5. Sur La Table Skewer Station and Skewers: How cool are these?! Obviously these would make a great “Dad” gift but I kinda want a set too so I put this one in the miscellaneous category.

6. Desktop Ping Pong: This is silly and fun, would make for an awesome gag gift.

7. Taylor Crafts Engraved Cutting Board: You have seen these before but these cutting boards are my #1 favorite gift to give this holiday season (and Taylor Crafts just happens to be one of my sponsors, woohoo!)

8. Check Book Covers: I love things you can make yourself that cost nothing but your time and talent, these would be perfect to give to grandparents.

Well there you have it, the 2011 igoYOUgo Holiday Gift Guide. A few of my fellow bloggers have also put out some fantastic ideas so hop on over to: