Our 18th Annual Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide is live! Some of the links in the article may contain affiliate links which helps us make a commission without any cost to our readers.
Welcome to our 18th Annual Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide
Check out all of our favorite things for the year, and the best of the best for gifting. We hope you find all sorts of fun surprises in our guide, and that you learn more about these amazing products that make up the holiday gift guide.
1 ACMER Ascarva 4S CNC Router Machine
The ACMER Ascarva CNC Router is the stuff DIY dreams are made of. It is a pro-level carving machine that offers ultra-high precision carving on multiple surfaces, including wood, MDF, soft metals, plastic, acrylic, epoxy, ect. Thinking back to all of the many projects we’ve done this year alone, it would have been leagues easier to make our DIYs a reality if we had the Ascarva earlier. We could have simply made the corbels we used in our mantle wall, we could have added the fun corner caps I wanted on our built-ins, and we could have saved so much money by making our own personalized art.
But, the very best thing about the Ascarva 4S is that the entire CNC machine is modular. This makes it incredibly easy to assemble, repair and update parts as often as you’d like. It comes standard with a 70W spindle for daily engraving tasks and can be upgraded to 500W spindle to tackle larger projects or harder materials. But that’s not even the best part yet. The Ascarva 4S CNC is compatible with their 5W/10W laser modules which converts the router machine into a laser engraver. Yes, you read that right. This 3-in-1 machine can truly do it all, which makes it perfect for even more projects and DIY creations.
The ACMER CNC engraving machine has a 3.5-inch touch screen and manual adjustment function in an intuitive and easy to use design. Adjustments are easy to do, and set up for each project is surprisingly simple so you can start creating right away. And, trust me, you’re going to want to start creating right away.
You can shop ACMER products on their website as well as on Amazon. Be sure to follow them on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
2 SuperMouth Ultim8 Smart Brush System
I used to think that any toothbrush was fine, and then I switched to an electric toothbrush in my 20s and saw what I had been missing. I went from so-so checkups at the dentist to being a model for perfect teeth {well, perfectly clean teeth – they have always been anything but straight}. Things were going swimmingly until I got my first cavity at age 30 due to pregnancy nutrient loss. From there, everything went downhill.
Over time I developed sensitive teeth, and even though my cavity was “fixed” multiple times, it still caused quite a bit of pain. This pain could happen anytime, but it usually happened when eating or when brushing my teeth. Sometimes when I would brush just so over the cavity, I would get a zinging pain as the toothbrush vibrated and as the bristles hit the cavity area. I had it in the back of mind that I wanted to research new toothbrush options, but I would always talk myself out of it because my toothbrush was top of the line, and that should mean it’s perfect for me, right? But, then I came across SuperMouth and I realized it might be the toothbrush, and it also might be my oral care products.
SuperMouth makes best-selling products that can completely transform your family’s oral care routine, starting with the SuperMouth Ultim8 Smart Brush System. It addresses three common issues plaguing traditional toothbrushes: ineffective brushing, overly abrasive strokes, and being unhygienic. The Ultim8 cleans 40x better than a manual toothbrush, features a patented pressure sensor to prevent over-brushing, and has a patent-pending SmartHub with dryer and UV sanitization to kill 99.9% of germs. The SmartHub also has a protective cap that doubles as a rinse cup and ensures your toothbrush is always hygienic.
If your recipient is the traveling type, the SuperMouth’s Travel SmartCase™is engineered with TSA-approved lithium batteries, and also features a UV sanitizer that kills 99.99% of germs on-the-go. It’s equipped with a charging cable and rechargeable battery and even has a dedicated space for travel-sized toothpaste and floss.
In addition to their amazing Ultim8 Smart Brush System, SuperMouth also has Nano Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste. Their toothpaste is free of harsh irritants and titanium dioxide, a chemical used to make toothpaste white. It is available in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and mint flavors – just like ice cream. Be sure and follow SuperMouth on Instagram and Facebook.
3 Venustas Heated Clothing
Does your recipient spend hours upon hours at kids’ sports, at rain-or-shine school events, and park playdates? If so, I have the perfect gift! Venustas makes all sorts of heated clothing, including an amazing unisex heated jacket that can offer up to 16 hours of warmth with partial heating or up to 8 hours with all zones heating.
It works by using 6 targeted zones {left & right chest, left & right pocket, collar, and mid-back} to keep you warm no matter what the weather. The included 5K battery powers up the carbon fiber heating elements to give you Venustas-Warm™ Heating Technology, all while preventing overheating. It has 3 adjustable heating settings for any length event and of course you can wear the coat without the heat pack installed if it’s a warm fall or spring day.
But, if you might as well bring along the battery anyway because you can even charge your phone or device with the included battery pack while keeping warm. This is my favorite feature because all of events that have me sitting and waiting for games to start and then taking photographs throughout the event really drain my phone battery. Having a battery pack in my pocket is such a game changer.
The water-resistant shell of the unisex heated jacket will keep you dry, but it also has a detachable hood if you don’t want the bulk. The 100% nylon shell provides protection against the elements, but it is also machine washable {hang dry} so you can wear it in any weather and conditions. Recharge the battery in 2.5 hours with the included cable up to 1,000 times so you can wear it for all the sports tournaments and festivals to come. It heats in seconds, providing instant warmth and also has an LCD display for checking the remaining battery life. 2 zippered hand pockets secure your items and keep your hands toasty.
Unisex Heated Jacket | Dual Control | Venustas https://venustas.com/products/heated-jacket-unisex-with-heating-areas-control-button-7-4v
To shop for Venustas heated apparel, click here. You can follow Venustas on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
4 Origin Minimalist Hybrid Wallet from Swear Brands
My son is only 15, and I’ve already bought him a half dozen wallets. How is that possible, you ask? Partially this is due to him growing and changing and therefore not wanting a Velcro wallet with TV characters. But it is also partly due to terrible quality wallets that only lasted a few years before they came undone, or the pleather started peeling, and then there was that one wallet that just got permanently sticky as the materials broke down, which I still don’t understand.
But, I just got him his very last wallet, the Origin Minimalist Hybrid Wallet from Swear Brands that promises to be your forever wallet. They ethically source all of their leather from Buenos Aires, Argentina before it’s processed in New York City to maximize yield and minimize waste. The high-quality leather will soften with each use, developing a rich patina that is even more rich than it was when new.
The Origin wallet accommodates up to 14 cards and features an easy-access ID window and a money clip to hold your cash. The result is a compact wallet for everyday carry, but with tons of features built in. This includes 6 pockets, a money clip, ID window, RFID protection, and a pull tab to conveniently access your stored cards.
I love that this is a classic wallet is heirloom quality, but it also has all the new technology, including RFID blocking to protect your valuable information and the new pull-tab feature that is sure to become classic. They know that their wallet is an investment – there are plenty of cheaper wallets on the market these days. But, like I found with the half a dozen wallets my son outgrew, sometimes investing in products with meticulous attention to detail and excellent craftsmanship is cheaper in the long run.
But guess what? It gets even better. Swear Brands proudly offers a lifetime guarantee against defects in workmanship and materials for the entire lifespan of our product. All covered repairs are free of charge and if they cannot repair it, a replacement product will be sent. You just don’t find customer service like that anymore. Trust me, none of the other 6 wallets had any guarantees whatsoever.
Check out Swear Brands on their website to see all of the premium finishes and features built in. Be sure and follow them on Instagram.
5 Gourmia 2 Quart Automatic Soft Serve Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker
As a mom, I’m always trying to figure out how we can make things ourselves to save money and control what goes into our food. This means we try to make most things ourselves, but some things have been well out of reach until just recently for us. One thing we’ve never been able to successfully do on our own is making our own frozen treats. I’ve tried so many natural ice cream recipes over the years, but without an ice cream maker, we were stuck doing a no-churn option. If you’ve ever tried that, you probably already know that the result is… fine. But, it’s definitely not anything close to traditional ice cream.
And, then I tried a popular brand that I thought would be a great fit. But it turns out you need to pre-make the treats 24 hours in advance and then freeze them overnight in canisters {which was a pain because those big canisters only had one place they could go in the freezer to stay upright}. This basically meant we never had it frozen and ready when we actually wanted to make something. And, again, it definitely wasn’t ice cream, but it was better than our no-churn DIY recipes in the past.
Fast forward to present day, and I can now make my own frozen treats in as few as 30 minutes with Gourmia, a company I’ve loved for so many years now.
The Gourmia 2 Quart Automatic Soft Serve Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker is super easy to use with 6 one-touch presets including soft serve, slush, spiked, milkshake, frappe, and sorbet. After you select your setting you can choose your texture based on your preferences and your ingredients, and then you just let it do its thing.
That’s right, you just dump in your room temperature ingredients with no pre-freezing required and then it does the rest. In as little as 30 minutes you could be enjoying a nice frozen treat thanks to Gourmia’s built-in cooling. Once the treat is finished, you can keep it cold and ready to eat for up to 3 hours, so it’s ready for any get together or party. If more than three hours goes by and your treat gets a little too warm, just restart the cycle and it will be ready to enjoy shortly.
I love how the frozen treats taste, but what I love even more is that the kids love helping me prepare the soft serve. They help me look up Gourmia recipes as modify them to our tastes and our specific nutrition requirements and even help me choose what texture we want our treats to have. Then, when our treats are good and frozen, you can dispense them just like soft serve at the local restaurant. This part is my little one’s favorite and she’s been mastering her frozen treat serving skills, and she loves that you can even add sprinkles and more with the super cool topping dispenser. The topping warmer is for drizzling hot fudge, caramel, and other sauces onto your delicious creations and the cone holder keeps cones handy.
I bet you’re worried about cleanup, right? Because every mom knows that no appliance will be used again if it’s a beast to clean. That’s why Gourmia added a self-clean rinse cycle to make cleaning as easy as possible. They also made sure that the machine had removable parts for swift and easy cleanup. The removable drip tray will be indispensable {see what I did there?} as that’s where most of our stickiness and sprinkles has ended up when we were using the machine.
The Gourmia 2 Qt Automatic Soft Serve Ice Cream and Frozen Drink Maker is now available at Costco. You can read more about the Soft Serve machine on the Gourmia website and watch videos as well as check out recipes.
6 DETIKO Bird Feeder
When my nephew was really little, he used to scream “biiiiiird” whenever he saw any bird at all and wouldn’t stop until we all acknowledged that it was, in fact, a bird he has seen. The joke was that he could identify birds at even 11 months old, and my sister and I would chuckle at that and share memes with each other about bird identification. But, the truth was that I was getting pretty good at identifying birds, thanks to my daughter who has had a deep love of birds since she was a baby herself. Getting a smart bird feeder was something that we fell in love with when they didn’t even exist yet and were merely prototypes.
So, imagine my excitement when the DETIKO bird feeder showed up at my porch and I realized that our bird identifying days were only just beginning. The DETIKO bird feeder has 2 cameras, and can auto AI identify 2800+ birds. I love that it is solar-powered so you don’t have to worry about running electricity to your bird feeder or charging batteries.
It also has night vision, real-time alerts, the ability to share with family/friends {because, like my nephew, I believe that a bird you see should always be acknowledged by everyone close to you}.
DETlKO is a company that works hard to create intelligent cameras that connect humans, nature and technology. This isn’t just any camera in a bird feeder, it’s two 2K HD cameras with 147° wide angle that captures amazing details and an up-close peek into bird behaviors. The PIR motion detection in bird camera filters false alerts, sending real-time notifications. All-weather durability with IP65 waterproof/dustproof design that can withstand rain, snow, and extreme temperatures {-10℃ to 55℃} so you can use it year-round. In addition, the DETIKO bird feeder camera has 7-day free trial to the InstaVision AI bird recognition software that auto-generates species info cards.
If you have a casual bird lover on your list, or a bird identifying aficionado like my nephew, you will love the DETIKO. No matter your birding abilities, you will appreciate the crisp, clear footage of your backyard visitors as well as all of the high tech features that let you really observe your winged friends.
You can find DETIKO on their website as well as on Amazon. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
7 Vashon Coffee Dust
I really don’t like when I’m reading a holiday gift guide and every item on it is in the top 100 for the season. If I wanted to only decide between the well-known brands, I would just peruse the top 100 list on my own and cut out the middleman. So, for our holiday gift guide, I love when I can share a new product that I feel like some of you may not have heard of before. That searching is what led me to a company called Vashon Coffee Dust, a local-ish company that makes flavored unsweetened spice blends that you can add directly to your coffee, cocoa, tea, smoothies, ice cream, and more.
I should preface this by saying that I really, really hate sugary drinks. For me, the easiest way to ruin a coffee is by making it too sweet. Using Coffee Dust instead of sugary syrups means that I can a more subtle and full flavor to my drinks without all the sweeteners. Of course, if I did want to add some sweetness, I could always add in a little sugar, sugar alternative or honey with the Coffee Dust. The result is delicious…AND good for you.
Vashon Coffee Dust’s best seller is the Captain’s which is their original flavor. If you’re looking for a spicy variety, then the Hot Momma is the next most popular. To use Coffee Dust, you can either add it after your coffee brews, or you can add it before the brewing process {although you will use more Coffee Dust with this method}. The cocoa-based flavors {like Hot Momma and Cocoa Calm} dissolve better in hot liquids, but Coffee Dust does use VERY finely ground spices to help their products dissolve.
Here are the standard flavors available, with seasonal flavors that launch depending on the time of year. You can shop all of Vashon Coffee Dust on their website. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
8 Franklin Sports Pro Series Pickleball Bag
Who doesn’t like a good, friendly game of pickleball? Thank goodness every Washington State P.E. graduate has many, many pickleball seasons under their belts {or would that be school-issued athletic shorts elastic waist bands? IDK all the pickleball terminology yet}. We’re basically all just sitting around waiting for someone to invite us to meet them on a pickleball court nearby. That someone is my son, BTW. And, now we have the perfect bag to keep all of our pickleball gear stored so we can grab our gear and be on that court in mere minutes.
Franklin Sports’ Pro Series Pickleball Bags are designed to hold pickleball paddles, pickleballs, shoes, gear and any other pickleball equipment you need to be able to grab quickly. It is constructed with extra-large pockets to store multiple paddles, pickleballs, and more, and even comes with a separate sneaker compartment and a fleece-lined valuables pocket to safely store your phone, wallet, and keys while you play.
All of this design isn’t just a happy accident, this was all thoughtfully designed with players in mind. In fact, completing the design process for this bag took many sessions with Franklin’s pickleball pros to make sure that it had everything a pickleball player could want. They said they needed pockets, and Franklin delivered with four zippered compartments to store and organize pickleball paddles, pickleballs and other equipment as well as interior pockets to store smaller items. They said a separate shoe compartment would be perfect not just for shoes but also for a change of clothes or keeping gear separate.
A place to store phones, wallets, keys, and other personal accessories was a given, but they requested they be fleece-lined to protect valuables while you play and travel. They added one big one on the side and one small, hidden one on the back. But, the most clever addition? The Pro Series Pickleball Bags comes with removable backpack straps to convert this bag from a backpack to a duffle in seconds. No matter how you prefer to carry your gear, this bag checks that box.
I love that this amazing pickleball bag from Franklin Sports can hold our whole family’s paddles, balls, as well as court markers and so much more. It’s roomy enough to carry it all, and it keeps everything safe in storage, in transport, and on the court with you while you play. I thought about ordering the bag in black and gold for its sleek and classic design, but then I remembered that it’s usually my son who is looking for our gear, and figured orange is guaranteed to not be lost.
To shop Franklin Sports, you can visit their website or shop Amazon. Be sure and follow Franklin Sports on Instagram and Facebook.
9 Latitude Board
I love a good charcuterie board. I love all the different flavors and textures, the fresh fruit and crackers, the sweet and savory. Unfortunately, I have a really big issue with meat and cheese being at room temperature, so I will eat off a charcuterie board for a very small window of time and then it’s gotta be put away or tossed. But, what if there was a way to chill your charcuterie while serving it?
It turns out, there is. The Latitude Board is a small family business that makes a unique teak charcuterie board with an insertable ice pack, thus allowing you to serve your favorite foods on ice without having them actually *be* on ice. The Latitude Board is basically the perfect way to balance presentation with practicality, and I’m absolutely in love.
The design of the Latitude Board is genius – it’s a hollow teak wooden serving platter that has disguised wooden panels that slide off on either end to insert a large ice pack. You simply freeze the ice pack, slide one of the magnetic panels of the side and place the ice pack inside. Then you slide the side cover back in place, so the ice pack is completely hidden. To everyone else, your charcuterie board will look like a beautiful display of fruits, meat, vegetables, and cheese, but you will know that you’re serving them well chilled and at safer temperatures.
Latitude Boards sells the charcuterie board by itself {ice pack included} or in a combination with a custom fit thermal carrier to take your charcuterie on the go. This custom carrier certainly isn’t required, but it’s an amazing addition to your charcuterie game if you take your board on the go.
Instead of having to arrive at your destination and then spend 15-20 minutes setting up your board, you can design your charcuterie at home, add ice, and then place easily in the carrier by unzipping the side panel and sliding it in instead of having to lift it and drop it into the tote. Zip it up and you’re ready to go. There’s a clear plastic panel that you can use to peek at your board on the go, and the rest of the carrier is insulated to keep your ingredients chilled and contained for the journey.
You can shop Latitude Board on their website as well as on Amazon.
10 XNITO eBike and eScooter Helmet
Safety is huge here, so I was so excited when I got an email from XNITO, the makers of an amazing eVehicle helmet that is NTA 8776 certified. The NTA 8776 certification is much safer than the CPSC standard that was created back in the 70s and is only for speeds up to 15 mph. Since eVehicles can go up to 25 mph, this higher certification means it’s safer, especially at faster speeds.
The XNITO helmet is a classic-looking helmet that is surprisingly good looking and yet still comfortable. It is fully ventilated with an aerodynamic design that has 10 strategically placed vents to provide maximum airflow. Grooved channels allow air to move inside the helmet, so you don’t arrive at your destination with terrible, sweaty hat hair. Each helmet comes with a removable fabric visor to help keep the sun out of your eyes and to add to the vintage appeal. Three different helmet sizes and a unique dial-fit system gives you the perfect fit, and the magnetic clasp is incredibly comfortable as well as being pinch-free.
The XNITO safety helmet provides enhanced protection specifically at the temple region, addressing the area where the skull bone is thinner and vital blood vessels are more susceptible to injury. It also has extended coverage at the back of the head, ensuring superior protection for the neck and brainstem, making it a top choice for those prioritizing comprehensive head safety.
In addition to all the safety features built into the helmet, XNITO also added an integrated front and rear light on the helmet for increased visibility. The rear light has three different light modes and the front light is bright enough to help you illuminate your path. The XNITO is equipped with a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours, which ends up being a really long time if you don’t ride at night very often.
You can find XNITO on their website as well as on Amazon. Right now, you can get some great Cyber Week deals and as a bonus a tree is planted for every purchase. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook to hear about all their product launches and restocks.
11 The Signature Collection by Fortessa Gold Bartender Essentials Set
We’re not super fancy people here. In fact, we’ve had many of our same housewares since we were married over two decades ago. But, a few years ago we realized that a few select fancy pieces make our everyday stuff feel fancy. For instance, adding fancy barware like this makes it seem like we have fancy drinking glasses even if they are regular old cups.
The Crafthouse Signature Collection byFORTESSA draws inspiration from the Golden Age of Cocktails to take your bar to the next level. You will find them at lots of high-end housewares stores, like Williams Sonoma where they have an entire section devoted to all of the Fortessa barware and glassware.
The Signature Collection Gold Bartender Essentials Set includes a 2pc cocktail shaker, a strainer, a measurement jigger, bottle opener and a mixing spoon in gold. We’ve had a Fortessa cocktail shaker for over 15 years now and love it for its functionality but always wished it was gold and had matching accessories so we could leave it displayed in our kitchen. This Bartenders Essentials Kit is the perfect addition to our cocktail shelf, for just the right amount of fancy for our every day.
Elevate your at-home mixology with these gorgeous tools designed to enhance your cocktail experience. Each piece in The Signature Collection showcases a perfect balance of style and functionality, bringing professional quality tools and accessories to your home.
You can find Fortessa in retail as well as on their website. You can see the rest of the Crafthouse collection here and read about why it made the holiday gift guide.
12 Smithey Ironworks No. 12 Flat Top Griddle
It’s no secret that I love Smithey Ironworks and think they are the best cookware I’ve ever used. If you aren’t familiar with Smithey, they first thing you will notice is their gorgeous vintage styled pans, but what you will love is that every pan is made with the highest quality materials. Each of their pans are US made, have a lifetime guarantee, and many of them are engravable for those who want to gift a truly timeless gift to a loved one. The pans come pre-seasoned with 2-3 coats of pure grape seed oil that is applied by hand without any chemical coatings of any kind.
My new favorite piece from them is the Smithey’s No. 12 Flat Top Griddle that will easily become your new everyday essential. Its flat surface is great for the outdoor grill and pizza ovens, but I love to use it inside over the stovetop on in the oven. Smithey Ironware products are designed to be used wherever there is heat – from kitchens to campfires and more. You can cook on all sources, from gas and fire to induction and electric, and you won’t have to worry you might scratch your stovetop.
Once it arrived, I couldn’t wait to get it out of the box and use it to make some amazing meals. I was immediately impressed with the weight of the skillet upon opening it. It’s hefty and solidly built, but not overly heavy so it would be difficult to clean or store. Speaking of cleaning, because the No. 12 Flat Top Griddle is made of polished cast iron, it is incredibly easy to clean. Unlike rough cast iron, which allows food to get stuck in the crevices, polished cast iron like Smithey has a smooth surface that practically wipes clean. Even though many will tell you not to, with Smithey pans you can use soap, which I love.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t expect to hand down much of my furniture or many of my possessions to my kids. Things just aren’t made the way they used to be, and they certainly wouldn’t be called heirlooms. But Smithey hopes that your grandchildren will be happily using their cookware in decades to come. They designed and crafted every single Smithey to withstand the test of time and even become even better with age. Add engraving to the bottom of your pan and you have an instant heirloom in your family’s kitchen.
This Flat Top is also designed as a custom-fit lid for your No. 12 skillet, making the opportunities truly endless. Featuring Smithey’s signature polished cook surface, the No. 12 Flat Top is naturally non-stick and free of chemical coatings. Would it even be a holiday gift guide without Smithey? Maybe, but it wouldn’t be a good one.
Shop Smithey Ironware here and see their collection of amazing cookware. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
18th Annual Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide
Thanks for checking out our newest holiday gift guide. I hope you found some amazing presents for all the people on your list this year as well as some great deals on amazing products. So, click away and do some shopping – and let me know what items are your favorites!