Gift card burning a hole in your pocket? I get it. For me, a gift card is a lot of cash (because it basically is cash) and as soon as I get my hands on one, I immediately start thinking about how soon I can use it. And, if it’s for an online retailer? Fuggedaboutit, that card is history. Seriously, nothing makes me happier at Christmas than colleagues who give out gift cards. Lazy? Maybe. Smart? Absolutely. Here’s why: Instead of someone guessing what you might like, they’re saying, “I don’t know what you like but I know you like cash.” Uh, yes. Yes, I do.
I’m speaking from experience here since I got close to $200 in Amazon gift cards this past Christmas. Immediately, my mind thought, “The possibilities are endless!” And, then I remembered that I keep no less than 47 products in my cart at all times. Currently in my cart? A seat cushion (two, actually), refrigerator shelf liners, a travel case for my electric toothbrush, and eyelash extension shampoo. I’m about to add a few of the products below as well and so should you. Get to shopping!
Ice, Ice, Baby
Are you the type of person who seeks out the restaurants with “the good ice?” (Don’t lie to me and say you don’t know what I mean.) This ice cube tray with a lid makes 55 mini ice cubes and comes with an ice cube box and a scooper. The ice tray is flexible to make it easy to pop out your cubes and you can store them right in the included box.
Color Your World
Gift cards are a great, no-risk way to try out something new. Why? Because it’s technically not your money so if it doesn’t work out, no harm, no foul. This acrylic paint set features 24 artist-grade colors, making it a great option for artists, hobbyists, and even students. You’ll enjoy these highly-pigmented colors from the perfect cerulean blue hue to vermillion.
Get Properly Organized
If you’re the type of person who likes a place for everything and everything in its place, this air-tight food storage container set is going to make you downright giddy. For less than $30, you’ll get a tall container perfect for pasta, a medium container for snacks or cereal, two small containers for beans and legumes, and a mini container for nuts or candy. These containers also work for liquid storage, too.
Put The Kettle On
I have a glass electric kettle almost like this one and I love, love, love, love it. It boils water in a flash so you can get your coffee, tea, or broth, fixed even faster. An indicator light tells you when the water is heating and, once it reaches a full boil, shuts off after 30 seconds in case you get busy doing other things and completely forget about it.
It Puts The Lotion On The Skin
Have you ever tried to put lotion on your own back? It’s nearly impossible, isn’t it? This lotion applicator features a long, 17-inch handle to make every part of your back easy to reach. You can also use this applicator to apply sunless tanning lotion without worrying about missing a spot or winding up with a streaky finish. This purchase comes with four replacement pads.
Light Things Up
Are you missing color in your life? This 16-ft. LED strip light offers a ton of colors and the simplicity of a remote so you can change them at a whim. Want your kitchen to scream “Christmas” next year? Hosting a Super Bowl party? Just feeling blue? All of those are options here and a pre-applied adhesive makes it easy to stick anywhere.
No More Hairy Situations
If there’s one thing women don’t like to discuss, it’s facial hair. I’m not talking about beards here; I’m talking about peach fuzz on your upper lip, eyebrows, nose, chin, and cheeks. This painless hair removal tool makes it easy to zap away unwanted hair without the pain or expense of tweezing and waxing. It is fully rechargeable via USB and, while you’re shopping, grab a set of replacement heads on the same product page.
Map It Out
Got a case of wanderlust? This scratch-off map of the United States will help you chronicle your travels in a stylish and colorful way. Styled in black with gold covering each state, you can scratch your way to each colorful state as you cross it off your bucket list. The bottom of the map also includes flags from other countries so you can document your international travel as well.
Boost Your Beauty Sleep
Nothing will change your life more quickly than a better night’s sleep. And, a better night’s sleep starts with finding the right pillows. This hotel-quality pillow set is soft and supportive and works as well for side sleepers as it does for those of you who prefer to sleep on your back or stomach. Reviewers rave about how fluffy and supportive these are.
Stand By Me
If you spend much time standing, whether, at the sink, dryer, or a standing desk, you’re going to want to get your hands feet on this anti-fatigue comfort mat. This mat relieves up to 40 percent of the pressure on your knees, feet, and delicate joints in the legs and works on any type of flooring. That rich burgundy color will pair nicely with many types of decor.
Sock It To Me
I live in Florida but my feet are always cold, which is why you’re likely to spot me sporting a pair of these fuzzy slipper socks. Thick but made from a lightweight material that’s both soft and comfortable, these are great for padding around in your house or throwing on before a pair of boots. You’ll get a set of six for less than $19.
Cut It Out
Stop listening to the men in your house complaining about never having time to get to the barbershop. This cordless hair and beard trimmer takes the place of an expensive cut or trim and at just $32, will help you more than get your money’s worth after just two or three uses. This comes with eight different guards and a travel bag.
Seasoning Greetings
Keeping a salt and pepper set shouldn’t be so complicated but somehow I’ve made it that way. Do I use the cheap Morton’s set at the store? What about an inexpensive set (that’ll rust after just a few weeks)? This wooden set looks ultra-high-end with built-in grinders to get your perfect texture and a free rose gold scoop to transfer spices from their original containers to this acacia wood set.
Keep An Eye On Them
Raise your hand if you could buy gear for your little ones 24 hours a day? They require so. much. stuff. This back seat baby mirror lets you keep an eye on what your little guy or gal is doing from the front seat. Featuring a wide-angle convex mirror, it has 360-degree adjustability and shatterproof glass for the safety you expect.
Early To Bed, Early To Rise
I love my bed and I’m not exaggerating — it is literally one of my favorite places not just in my house but anywhere. You can get your bed up to snuff, too, by perhaps starting with this all-season quilted comforter. Reversible to show coordinating colors, it is filled with a siliconized gel fill and covered with soft microfiber for a night’s sleep that’s cloud-worthy.
Like Oil And Vinegar
One of my kitchen pet peeves is stuff sitting around on the counter but what’s an active home chef to do? You can at least make things look chicer and more streamlined with a bottle set that features a stainless steel rack. Complete with a collapsible funnel so you can transfer the oil and vinegar easily without making a mess.
Get That Paper
There’s nothing wrong with just buying something “fun” for yourself, O.K.? Repeat after me: There’s nothing wrong with it. This origami paper set is fun for kids and adults and features 120 sheets of really exquisite patterns to make it look like you really know what you’re doing. These origami creations are great knick-knacks, ornaments, package tags, and more.
The Right Side Of The Blanket
Chunky blankets are all the rage right now and if you have a gift card, there’s no time like the present to grab your own. This one is handmade from luxury chenille yarn, which gives the blanket an incredibly soft feel. The 50-by-60 size is large enough to wrap up in and the colors choices are highly pigmented, including forest green and turmeric yellow.
Put A Sock In It
These socks are the very definition of self-care to me and if you have problems with your feet, you’ll understand. Called plantar fasciitis compression sleeves, these work by applying firm, yet gentle pressure for plantar fasciitis, arthritis, bursitis, heel pain, and foot pain. Maintain joint stability and circulate oxygenated blood for faster recovery and faster healing and experience near-immediate pain relief.
Get A Leg Up
You can never have too many pairs of leggings … no matter how many pairs you already own. These high-waisted leggings are packed with features including a tummy control panel and pockets. Snag these in olive, black, or navy and you’ll have 95 percent of your existing wardrobe covered with comfy matching pants. (And yes, leggings are pants, no matter what your friend/partner/mom says about them.)
Coffee Talk
If you’re sick of needing multiple gadgets for one “project” in the kitchen, this all-in-one portable coffee maker is the perfect purchase. Grind, brew, pour and sip from this travel mug, which is great for folks who travel a lot for business or who enjoy spending their weekend’s camping or hiking. It includes an ultra-porous filter and a long-lasting battery.
Throw In The Towel
I struggle with kitchen towels; they’re either too thin, too thick, too absorbent, or not absorbent enough. This 15-pack of natural cotton kitchen towels promises to soothe my kitchen towel woes. These are made of strong-durable fibers, are lightweight and super absorbent but dry quickly. A total of 15 towels also gives you plenty of back-ups and the color choices are simple enough to coordinate with your existing kitchen decor.
Keep Your Cool
Speaking of towels, you’re going to want to get your hands on these microfiber sports towels, which are lightweight and absorbent and small enough to tuck in your pocket whether you’re headed to the beach or climbing the side of a mountain. Each towel also has a convenient hanging loop with a button so you can drape it anywhere, even from your belt loop.
Bubble Over
We’ve all made superfluous purchases and this bubble machine is not that. Why do you ask? Because think of all the potential uses: Birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, work events. See? Plenty of uses, just in case your partner questions why a bubble machine showed up at your house. This has two speeds and can be used with either four batteries or via a power cord.
Spread Some Light
Every garage I’ve ever owned (attached to a house, of course) has been dark and dreary. I had no idea people actually bought things like this LED garage light but it makes perfect sense. Roughly 6,000 lumens provide cool white brightness and illuminate even the darkest corners of your garage or workshop while only using 60w of power to save on energy costs.
Nailed It
I do my own nails just about every weekend and I can’t stress enough how great these nail tools are. The cuticle nipper works so much better than fingernail clippers on the skin around your nails while the cuticle pusher helps create a clean nail surface ready for polish, dip powder, press-on nails, and more. At less than $9, it’s a great buy, too, since the name-brand drugstores typically want that for just one of these items.
A State Of Emergency
If you’re being a responsible adult (and, of course, you are), you might want to consider purchasing this roadside emergency kit — just in case. This set includes five LED flares, a mylar emergency blanket, battery replacement tools, a two-in-one window breaker, and a seat belt cutter escape tool. This is the type of purchase you make hoping you never have to use it (think: insurance) but it’s still good to have on hand.
Light Work
I don’t usually fangirl over light bulbs. I swear I don’t. I go to Walmart like the rest of you and typically look for the cheapest bulbs on the shelf. But, I came across these vintage light bulbs on Amazon the other day and I am enamored. Just look at how cool those look! A teardrop shape featuring an antique-style filament, these are bulbs even Thomas Edison could appreciate.
Take Your Temperature
We’re in the season of sniffles, sneezes, colds and flus — and lest we forget (and how could we?), the C-word. This digital forehead thermometer works well for everyone in the family so you can stay on top of their health and seek medical advice before it has the opportunity to turn into something more serious. It features no-contact technology and can even measure the temperature of foods or ambient room temperature, too.
Face The Facts
We’re sufficiently past “No-shave November” into a period of time I like to call, “Shave it all off Spring.” This beard bib contains beard shavings and clippings so you’re not forced to deep-clean your bathroom every time he says, “I’m going to go shave.” Two included suction cups adhere to the bathroom mirror while the other part goes around the neck, making clean-up a total breeze.
Pencil Me In
I know, I know, you probably haven’t written with a mechanical pencil since your high school days but hear me out. This kit presents a minimalist case with four sizes of lead refills and four eraser refills. Whether you’re sketching, drafting, drawing, or simply working a crossword puzzle, you can’t go wrong with this set. It uses consistent lead thickness and a non-slip ergonomic barrel.
Run With Scissors
If you’re going to make bad decisions like cutting your own bangs after a night of gossip and too much alcohol, shouldn’t you at least have a pair of scissors meant for the task? These professional shears feature a finger rest and finger inserts with precision-accurate blades and a rust-resistant finish. Reviewers love these for home haircuts and even trims for their furry friends.
Comfort-er And Joy
There’s just something about clean white bedding and this down alternative comforter is crisp and dreamy. It features corner tabs to help keep the duvet cover in place and is great for all seasons, keeping you warm in the winter and not too hot in the summer. Snag this in various colors (but that white!) for mattresses from twin to king.
Something Up My Sleeve
You guys, I must have stumbled across these calf compression sleeves 50 times while doing research for this piece so I finally broke down and included them in my list and I’m glad I did. These are compression sleeves (not socks) help increase blood flow throughout your leg muscles and offer enough resistance to give your legs extra support while exercising.
In A Flash
If you want to feel slightly less guilty for using a gift card on yourself, use part of it to grab these flashcard packs to help your toddlers learn everything from the alphabet and numbers to colors, shapes, and basic words. These come pre-punched with ring holders so you (or your little one) can flip through them easily. Toss these in the backseat for your next road trip.
Brush It Off
There’s always room for more art in your life, which could come in the form of this paintbrush set that comes with its own organizing case that has a stand-up feature. You’ll get 15 brushes for watercolor, acrylic, gouache, and oil painting, great for everyone from kids to legitimate artists. (Hey, I’m not saying your kid isn’t a legitimate artist. Don’t get testy.)
Globe Trotter
Speaking of buying things to help educate your kids, this illuminated world globe is equal parts nightlight and learning tool with easy-to-read labels for continents, countries, and capitals. This features a durable, non-tip base and a set of flashcards to help turn your kiddo into a budding geography buff. At night, light it up to help stop the “I’m not tired” bedtime wars.