In my family, we’re wish list people. I love shopping from a wish list. It takes away so much of the stress of holiday shopping because I know exactly what my people want and I can get it for them. I don’t have a wish list to buy from for everyone on my Christmas gift list (friends, my stepdad, my sister-in-law to name a few), but knowing I only need to think about presents for a handful of people makes things a lot easier. I also don’t have to worry about buying teacher gifts or gifts for postal workers/trash collectors/etc, so that makes things easier, too. And even though we’re a wish list family, I try to find a few items for my mom that she didn’t put on her wish list. That’s one of my favorite things to do!
For a while, my family was just sharing our gift ideas in a group chat but it quickly got messy. So I found an app called Giftster where you can set up wish lists, add links to the exact items you want, and keep everything neat and organized. Other people can mark items as “reserved” or “purchased” (the gift receiver will not see anything!) so you don’t accidentally end up buying multiples of something. You can even set up lists for your pets (if you’re the kind of family that buys gifts for the pets; we definitely are). It makes things so easy! (This is not any sort of paid ad – I genuinely love and use the app!)
Okay enough about all of that. Let’s get into my Christmas wish list. Here are some of the items I added to my list this year:
1) Cycling shoes ($76) – I’m attending spin class once a week now and enjoying it a lot. I have never had cycling shoes for spin (not even when I was doing Peloton) but for some reason, I find the cage pedals on the spin bikes at my gym to be really awkward. They’re hard to fit into and then I never feel totally comfortable with my foot placement when I’m cycling out of the saddle. I didn’t do a ton of research on the best cycling shoes, but chose the Tommaso Pista cycling shoes since they have over 4,000 ratings and 4.4 stars.
2) Book Lover’s Reading Challenge ($30) – I saw this reading challenge at a bookstore and loved the idea, but I didn’t feel like paying $30 for it. Onto the Christmas list it goes! There are 25 different challenges (examples: reread a favorite book, read in a place you’ve never read before, etc.) and you get a fun prize when you complete each one.
3. Stanley Quencher H2.0 Tumbler ($45) – I want to be a basic bitch (<– is that still the term?!) and have a Stanley like all of the other hydrated girlies, so I put one on my wish list. Plus, this water bottle is bigger than what I’ve been using so hopefully it’ll help me drink more water!
4. Water bottle holder ($26) – Speaking of hydration, how awkward is it to carry a water bottle around when you’re at an event or walking around a city? Very awkward. This water bottle holder makes things a lot more convenient. There’s even a zippered pouch and phone holder so I could use it as a makeshift purse if I needed to.
5) Reading tracker ($26) – Do I need yet another way to track my reading? (I use Goodreads, my blog, and a very detailed spreadsheet.) Probably not. But this one looks like something I very much need in my reading life. (This isn’t the one I put on my Christmas list—it’s sold out on the Etsy shop I linked to on Giftster—but it’s similar.) There’s a place to write reviews, list out the books I’m reading, fill in some reading challenges, etc.
6) Egyptian cotton pillowcases ($15-18) – This is the most boring thing on my wish list, but sometimes you need boring things. I want to upgrade my bedding with really luxurious sheets and pillowcases because having a decadent place to sleep feels like the dreamiest thing ever. These pillowcases have a 500 thread count and look so cozy! I asked for a set of king and queen pillowcases.
7) Reading pillow ($50) – I’m not sure why I added this pillow to my Amazon wish list, but it would be a lovely present to receive. I love how versatile it is – I can use it to prop up my legs when I’m reading or use it for extra back and neck support when I’m sleeping. It’s pretty expensive, but maybe I’m on Santa’s nice list this year.
8) Coffee mug warmer ($20) – Is there anything worse than taking a sip of coffee and realizing it’s cold? Yuck! This mug warmer would come in handy since I sometimes get distracted in the mornings and forget to drink my coffee in a timely manner!
9) Makeup organizer ($42) – I would use this fancy organizer for more than makeup, but also elastics, clips, claws, etc. I put this on my wish list because I want a way to showcase my makeup in an organized way. Right now, I keep it all hidden away in a bag in my closet. It’s not very well-organized, and I find myself a lot less apt to pull it out. This is quite the stack of drawers, but it is probably exactly what I need.
10) iPad ($300) – Do I think my family is going to spend $300 on me this holiday season? Absolutely not. But one day, my mom was telling me I needed to add more things to my wish list so I added an iPad just to be funny. My mom thinks I’m a real riot.
What’s on your Christmas wish list?
I wish my in laws were list makes but, sadly, they’re not. Everything is always last minute with them, and as someone who likes to make lists and be organised? It drives me crazy. I’ve had to be really inventive most years in my gift buying. And usually, I try to buy lots of small gifts. The only time we didn’t, was when the MiL needed a new TV so we all chipped in and bought her something she not only needed but wanted.
I hope you get your iPad! 😉
I love that you are mostly a list family. That app sounds great. I should suggest that to my in-laws – we all do lists as well.
My new tumblers I got for my bday (not that new now LOL) have a handle on the top too (as well as the side). Not as great as that cute little bag but better than just the handle on the side.
My list is mostly things I need but haven’t been buying the last two months (running shoes, heat gun, socks, paint, workout clothes) with a few silly wants (Butts on thing stickers and page-a-day calendars, silk bonnet for sleeping). My big ticket items are another digital Aura frame and … an airplane! LOL I am size Cessna 182 model S or newer. LOLOLOL
We are wish list people, too. Or I should say, my parents need a wishlist for the grandkids. There are so many of them so it’s tough to keep track of who would want what. Phil and I put a wishlist together and then I sent it to my mom and to my MIL. Phil did not realize I had put a Justin Jefferson jersey on the wishlist before I sent it to my mom. I had NO IDEA how expensive jerseys were! I forgot to cancel that item and then found out that my parents bought it for him! They think his love of football is so endearing. That is probably going to be his absolute favorite gift of the year and he’ll wear it for a long time. And then Taco can wear it, too. Although they are almost the same size right now so it probably won’t be much of a hand-me-down for him. We got a hand-me-down Bridgewater jersey from another family that our boys both wore for years, so even if JJ moves on, Paul would still wear it.
The only person that buys something for me is my MIL. This year I asked for a gift card to a restaurant for a date night!
Ooooh I love a wish list. I’m not gifted with gifting! I like to be guided when it comes to people’s tastes and what they would enjoy. I have one thing on my wish list and that is Elizabeth Strout’s new book. But there are several gifties under the tree for me, so I’m excited to see what they are. I am a very easy-to-buy for person, because I am thrilled with literally everything.
I dient grow up in a list making family and then I met the husband. It took me almost 20 years to understand that he actually prefers me getting stuff from the wishlist instead of finding something. I never feel like I show my love and appreciation but have given up doing it another way. I kept exchanging gifts every year. I hate gift making…
That said I have started doing wish lists too. My mom hates it ti but always checks them now.
Anyways that said mine stated a leather jacket and I already know I am getting one from the husband since I picked it out.