2011 Holiday Gift Guide

Thanksgiving is over – now it’s time to shop! As a busy mom it’s hard to spent tons of time combing through stores, but you still want yo look like you’ve endlessly toiled away finding the perfect gift. To that end, here are our top picks of presents this Holiday season.

Typically, we comb our past posts for gifts for moms but we are changing things up a bit. This year we think moms need help buying for all the important people in their life. We have gone through all the products we have reviewed on Smart Mom Picks as well as our sister sites Smart Mom Style and Modern Home Modern Baby to find the very best stuff. You can also check our our other site Smart Mom Deals for awesome savings on great products this holiday season.

Now, are those fingers ready to do some shopping? I hope this list makes you feel empowered and not overwhelmed. You’ll find a short description of each gift idea and a link to read more and find where to buy it.

We’ve created categories of gifts to make it easier to hone in on exactly what you need, so if you don’t want to read through the entire guide feel free to check out any of the sections:

Sisters/Great Friends
The Guy in Your Life
Grandparents
Teenager/20-Somethings
Babies/Toddlers
Tweens
Host/Hostess

Sisters/Great Friends

1. Priceless Prints $75.00

In my family, all of us sisters (by blood or marriage or friendship) seem to have had babies at the same time. So now, at gatherings, we all chirp on about our new broods, which, since we’re all in the same situation, is super fun. I’m loving this Priceless Prints pendant charm necklace that has a fingerprint as the charm. I secretly like the idea of all of us sisters having the same necklace, but one that is unique as our kids’s fingerprints.

The pendants are made of solid silver and are also available in 22 karat gold. Here’s our full story on Priceless Prints.

2. Peace Love Mom Apparel $20.00

A t-shirt and jeans. Nothing easier. Sometimes, though, the mommy uniform can be so boring right? Well, give this burnout t-shirt from Peace Love and Mom and all of a sudden your best girlfriend will look like a hip momma. Or your Deadhead sistah can chill out in her Greatful Mom shirt. Even under a cool sweater, this tee is pretty awesome. I, personally like the long sleeve versions, but you can check out our review for more info and styles.

3. Flirty Aprons $30.00

Looking good in the kitchen! Even for a non-cook, these aprons are fun AND functional. There are so many styles – look here for our top picks. I like the Little Black Dress.

The Guy in Your Life

1. Scratch off World Map $34.00

Originally, we reviewed this wall map in terms of teaching kiddos about the world, like where Grandma lives or how far away Disney World is. And this illustrates how big the world is quite well.

It’s a wall map that works like a lottery ticket. Say you’ve been to a country and you want to mark it off, you simply scratch the gold foil paper off to reveal the country underneath. Much better than push pins, right?

2. 3 Gun Vase $50.00

I know, guys don’t really do the flower thing. BUT. Maybe he would if given a vase made of guns?!? This from our round up on gifts for those hard to shop for people. OK, I’m only half way serious with this, but the idea makes me smile. Probably not good for a household with kiddos, but there might be a guy out there who this would be perfect for.

3. Bottle Opener by Brendan Ravenhill $20.00

The coolest. Bottle opener. Ever. It’s a scrap of wood with a bent nail. I think most handyman men may even look at this and think, “I can do that!”

Here’s our full review.

Grandparents

1. Verterra Paper plates $5.00

Yes, I did just recommend buying Grandma paper plates. But hear me out. Grandma may not like having to clean up after dinner, right? Or she may get a little anxious with your little ones and her good dinnerware? Just guessing. So here’s the answer…gorgeous, PAPER plates that you can in good conscience throw away after dinner (or as the case may be, your toddler may throw during dinner). Just an idea. You can get these at most Whole Foods or natural food stores. You might want to write out a little explanitory note with the gift, though.

2. PhotoBin scanning $99.00

A bit pricey, but this is a great idea that’ll bring all sorts of memories rushing back, and memories are priceless, right? PhotoBin takes all your old photos (and slides, because it’s Grandpa we’re talking about and way back when, he used slides remember?) In return you get scans of everything and can order photobooks, calendars and such. Why would Grandpa like scans when he can’t even use the computer? Well, he might just like the books better, but I’m guessing that having the peace of mind that his memories are safe and sound will make him happy.

3. Easy Canvas Prints $30-40

Your photos on canvas, like a painting. Basically, you can create art with you pictures. In fact, if you happen to get scans of old photos (see above) then you could really get creative. Of course, pics of the grandkids work great, too!

Teenager/20-Somethings

1. iGift $0.99

If you have a person in your family whose eyes and fingers are glued to their smart phones, then check this out: iGift Thanks. It’s an App that sends ‘Thank You’ notes. Imagine, instead of procrastinating the teen in your life can send instant thank you notes.  You simply take a pic, add a frame around the pic and send thanks in seconds. Plus, it’ll upload to Facebook or Twitter. Now, I’m thinking the mom in you might appreciate this more than the kid who gets it, but still, it could be a tongue in cheek way to nag

Here’s what we said about it in our review.

2. Rock-It Speakers $50.00

Your teen will DIG this. Seriously. I’m not sure you will in the long run, but still, it’s a pretty cool gift. Rock-It turns anything (!) into a speaker. Imagine, your kid (or kid brother) can turn a water bottle, cereal, microwave, CD case or even a plastic bag into a speaker. Literally. Anything. I have no idea how they do this. But talk about cool.

Are you a little confused as to what this is? I know I had to see it in action to get it.

3. Retro Cool iPhone Case $20.00

This is a tricky one because teens (or 20 somethings) might have a different interpretation of cool than you do. Just guessing on that. But, I’d definitely take a stab at a unique iPhone case as a gift because, well, these are kind of awesome. I like the Mixed Tape Retro 70s look. Or, the Etch-a-sketch.

Here are a few more we found this year. Playboy bunny anyone? (Maybe that’s for the bachelor in your extended family, no?)

Babies/Toddlers

1. Infant Ballerina Tights $18.00

Nothing is more adorable than baby feet, so it’s kind of a shame to cover them. But, cover them we must lest they get cold. What better way than in ballerina tights and slippers?

2. Sharon Montrose baby animal prints $25.00

For the nursery, these prints are stunning. Any mom, of any aged baby I’d imagine, would go bananas over these adorable faces. Here are a few more cheeks you’ll want to pinch. I think the $25 for an 8 x 10 is totally reasonable, unless, of course, you fall in love with so many little ones that you can’t but help but buy a ton.

3. Little Passports $12.00

More for the older toddler, but Little Passports is a game where kids can ‘travel the world’ from their very own home. Your kid gets a pen pal who travels around the world who then sends back (through regular mail no less) neat souvenirs, activities and even adventure letters.

4. Rileyroos $ 32.00

Shoes. Adorable. Developmentally appropriate for teeny tiny feet. It’s never too early for shoes! You can read the full write up here.

Tweens

1. Superhero Gold wings for shoes $22.00

Got a lightning fast kid you can’t catch up with? How fun are these wings? They attach to any shoe through the laces, so it is easy to transform any shoe (even hook and loop closures) into magic. Read all about it here.

2. An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton $11.00

The author is awesome, puts awesome stuff out into the world and – get this – even gives away one book for free with every book sold. Awesome. (Oh, and if you’re overdosing on ‘awesome’ you gotta hear the author speak. He reinvigorates that word with a childlike enthusiasm!)

3. Harajuku Mini for Target by Gwen Stefani $4-$60, depending on how wild you go

It’s all the rage now, this guest designer gig for places like Target or H&M. Gwen Stefani made an adorable collection for Target and anything she/they are offering would make a great present. A whole outfit, certainly, but also an accessory for like, $4.

Host/Hostess

Going to a holiday party – especially one with kids – and don’t know what to bring?  Here are a few ideas.

1. Kusmi Tea $15.00 give or take,

It’s beautifully packaged, delicious, and reasonably priced for a little ‘happy’ gift. But watch out, you can get a little crazy with this stuff it’s so good. I wrote a long winded write up on Kusmi a while ago, I love them so much!

2. Go the F*#k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach $9.00

This is ONLY and I mean ONLY for a hostess with a) a sense of humor b) a kid who doesn’t sleep and c) a secret place for hiding books that are not meant for the ever-awake kid to read. This book cracks me up because sadly I would fall into the category I just outlined. As would my sis, who laughed so hard at this she nearly peed her pants! (Sorry, sis, I had to tell).

3. GloLites $15.00

Candles, any candles, are great hostess gifts. In fact, you can pick up super cheap candles at just about any grocery store. But, I’m recommending these because when you light the wick the entire candle glows! Pretty lovely. I wrote about them this summer, channeling my late evening summer night feeling, but candles work any time of year.

Tagged as: Best Gifts for Babies, Best Gifts for Grandparents, Best Gifts for Husbands, Best Gifts for Moms, Best Gifts for Toddlers, Best Gifts for Tweens, Gift Guide