It's about that time of year again! I absolutely love the holidays, but let's face it - thinking of the perfect gift can be stressful. This year I've compiled a list of some of my favorite things as well as some of the items that are on my Christmas Wish List this year that would make the perfect gift for your health-conscious loved ones. These products range from $8-$700 and include beauty and fitness products, cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, and health-tracking technology. I hope you love them as much as I do!
I spent a long time searching for a daily SPF for my face because I was very picky about what I wanted. Specifically, I wanted one that was SPF 30 or greater (I once had a dermatologist tell me that anything less than 30 was basically pointless), wasn't greasy, worked well under makeup, and was made of mostly natural ingredients. After trying several different products, I found this one from Origins and have been using it every day since. It is slightly tinted with a very light coverage to help smooth out your complexion. Personally, I do wear a little bit of a different moisturizer underneath it because I feel like it sits better on my skin when I do. Once I put it on, I wait about 10 minutes to let it soak in and then apply my makeup.
I started using this bath body brush a few months ago and absolutely love it! It makes my body soap lather perfectly and the bristles are soft but not too soft. I also love that it is hand-made in Sweden!
I would definitely say that I am a hot tea addict, and I have loved the Harney and Sons brand for a long time. I actually received this specific blend as a Christmas gift from a friend last year, and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite teas. I cannot recommend it (and pretty much all of the other Harney and Sons tea blends) enough for you or your tea-drinking loved ones!
When it comes to cooking, anything Mediterranean immediately catches my attention. I absolutely love this cookbook which is filled with delicious recipes from the Chef at one of my favorite NYC restaurants (The Smile). Sadly, The Smile closed down their main location during COVID, but I can still eat some of the delicious food from this cookbook and pretend I am back there.
One of my main health goals this past year has been to focus more on stretching and recovery, which included using a foam roller. I'll be honest, I defintiely have a love-hate relationship with my foam roller because it can HURT, but I do feel SO much better afterwards. If you aren't familiar with foam rolling, it is essentially like getting a massage because it really helps loosen up some of the knots in your muscles.
One of my favorite types of workouts is pilates, and I usually use ankle/wrist weights to help bump up the resistance. There are a ton of different brands and price points, but this is definitely one of the most popular ones out there right now because of how comfortably they fit and their stylish design.
This past year I invested in a pair of blue light filtering glasses.
Phones, computer screens, televisions, tablets, and more all emit blue light, which not only causes eye fatigue, but may be associated with eye damage. Blue light glasses have a coating on the lens that helps prevent some of these blue light waves from reaching your eyes. The research is kind of conflicting in terms of how effective these glasses are at reducing long-term damage, but I can personally say that my eyes do not feel as fatigued at the end of a work day when I am wearing these glasses than if I have not.
I also love this particular brand because DIFF Eyewear partners with an international organization called Sightseers to provide eye exams, surgeries, and other vision-related procedures and medical interventions to people in developing countries around the world.
I have been in the market for a new pair of waterproof hiking boots, so I did a lot of research on various brands and have landed on these classic Danner boots for my Christmas wish list. They have a ton of really good reviews and amazing features that I think will make them perfect for hiking. I tried them on in-store recently and they were so comfortable!
In addition to being a tea lover, I am also a cappuccino girl. I invested in this coffee bean grinder last year after extensive research on several different ones, and I love it! There are multiple different settings regarding how fine or coarse you want your coffee, it is easy to clean, and looks great on your counter compared to so many other coffee grinders.
I have included the Vitamix blender in all of my holiday gift guides so far because I just love it so much! I have had mine for probably 6 or 7 years and use it just about every single day. It is definitely an investment, but in my opinion it is so worth it! I have never used another blender that worked as well. Click here for the link to the model that I have.
I saved the best for last! I have had my eye on the Oura Ring for quite a while, and am planning on getting it as a gift to myself this year. This incredible smart ring has the technology to track your activity, sleep quality, body temperature (and therefore more accurately predict when you will start your period or if you may be getting sick), heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and so much more. It also comes in several different colors/metal tones. I have several friends that have the Oura Ring and absolutely love it. I can't wait to get mine!
I hope this gift guide has given you some ideas to kickstart your holiday shopping! Please comment below if you have any questions or know of any other products you think I should try out and possibly feature in the future! Happy Shopping!!!