This feels like a strange post to write, but I assure you it was highly requested. Like really requested, not like when big time influencers say that everyone’s asked about their skincare routine.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I love gift lists. I keep my own, keep them for others, and encourage anyone I’m likely to buy a gift for to do the same. At first glance, a gift list sounds like a self-indulgent brain dump of everything the selfish little gremlin inside of you wants. But greed has nothing to do with my love of gift lists. For me, it’s about gifting with purpose and avoiding wasted money and resources.

An argumentative environmentalist/everyday cynical troll would argue “if you care about consumption, then don’t buy gifts at all”.

I get it, I really do. But for some people – and on some level, myself – gifting is a way of showing they care, and it’s part of a tradition. Stripping your friends and family of their desire to continue gift giving is, in my opinion, more selfish than just telling them what you actually want.

A-n-y-w-a-y. Like I said, several people asked to see what was on my gift list this year, and while I initially felt repulsed by publishing my Christmas list on the internet (don’t worry, you don’t find me on YouTube thrusting Louis Vuitton bags at the camera for a video titled ‘What I got for my birthday’ any time soon), I do think it might help you come up with purposeful gift ideas to add to yours.

Here we go. This list is actually just a list on my Google Keep that I add to throughout the year, of things I see/think of that I’d like to get. It acts as brain dump for myself when I see something cool, but come Christmas/birthday time, I just pass it on to anyone who asks. Side note: I only really do gift giving with my boyfriend’s family, as they’re a big family who do that sort of thing.

Face Halos/reusable cotton pads

Been meaning to get these for ages as I’m using the same two face cloths on rotation at the moment!

Long-stemmed champagne glasses

I love Champagne glasses that are really tall. I don’t know why.

White Vans Old Skools

Have fancied these for ages but the minimalist in me couldn’t bring myself to buy them when I have Converse. But hey, if someone else buys them for me it doesn’t count, right?!

Clarins Beauty Balm

Somehow makes you look less like shit, by magic.

Pestle and Mortar

In case I one day stop being the worst cook on planet earth.

Print of NightHawks by Edward Hopper

I saw this piece of art at the Chicago Art Institute and fell in love with it. I wanted to buy the print from the gift shop but thought I was just caught up in the tourist frenzy and decided against it. But I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

Aesop Damascan Rose Face Oil

Had a tester of this once and much like the Clarins balm it also has magical non-look-like-shit properties.

Beeswax wraps

Have been meaning to buy these for EVER.

Dry Shampoo

I can never bring myself to buy this because it’s so much cheaper in the UK. So I always try and get it as a gift.

iPhone case

When I bought my iPhone XR, I couldn’t find many cases for it, but I found that The Daily Edited do nice leather ones, so that went on the list.

Soda Stream bottles

Still using the same bottle it came with and definitely not washing it often enough, so I need some new ones to use on rotation.

Soda Co syrups

Flavourin’ up that Soda Stream addiction.

Miracle Morning book

I had this out the library but I want my own copy so I can break all the rules and draw in it/highlight/dog ear the pages. It’s definitely a read-more-than-once book.

Remarkably Organised book

Another that I’ll definitely want to annotate to my heart’s content.

You Are A Badass Everyday book

I’ve got the other two badass books by Jen Sincero, and I’d like the third to add to my collection. I’m learning that non-fiction books are actually worth owning because I often want to revisit them. Whereas with fiction, it’s incredibly unlikely that I’ll ever read them again, so I stick to borrowing those.

Google Home Mini

Yep, I’ve gone to the dark side and joined the boomers. But I’ve just been thinking that having one would be really handy for setting timers/alarms/playing music while I’m cleaning up, without having to use my phone. I’m finding myself going to set a 10 minute timer for something, and getting caught up scrolling Instagram/reading a message/generally being a piece of shit, so going hands-free with the Google Home just might bring my screen time down a bit!