Holiday Gift ideas from a Seattle family with a pup and two nearly-teenage boys

Usually I’m more of an experience gift type person but since experiences are a little more tough to execute this year we’re on the lookout for more tangible holiday gift ideas. And I start my shopping early because it feels even better when I find a good deal on a holiday gift as well. We’re already started to collect a few things that might sell out, so I thought I’d start listing them just in case you’re looking for some of the same things too.

Counting down to Christmas with an advent calendar

I can’t help but buy an advent calendar every year to count down to the big day. Last year we went on an epic trip to London to see Christmas markets for my 40th and to find the Harrod’s advent calendar, a calendar I’d only seen online. This year my advent calendar is from Beekman 1802, the store that inspired Rose Apothecary on Schitt’s Creek. The advent calendar I ordered is now sold out but I linked to the one they still have available which seems like a fabulous advent calendar too.

The boys of course got Lego Star Wars Advent Calendars. I think they’ve been collecting them every year since they were two or three. I think this Sugarfina advent calendar would be a fun one if you are sharing with someone else because there seems like there would a few treats each day. And I’ll probably buy the hubs the Godiva advent calendar so he doesn’t feel left out. The best price on this one I’ve found is at Macys online and it’s even better if you use Rakuten.

The Advent Calendar I now have my eye on for next year is the Lady M advent calendar. I saw it too late and I already have too many but it has the most beautiful design I’ve seen so far. If you are still looking and need more inspiration, I have an Amazon Advent Calendar Shop too.

If you have a Seattle kid who loves sports these might be helpful gifts

Our guys are really into all the Seattle sports and would normally like to go to a game, but we barely even have kid sport practices right now. So they have been doing Dribble Up, a ball with an app that helps them run drills in the basement. I also found some really cool light up Tangle Nightballs at Nordstrom that would be fun for playing football, basketball and soccer. They are also really into hockey and roller hockey so I’ll be looking for all the Seattle Kraken things too. (We often find youth Seattle Kraken t-shirts at the Seattle Costco that are reasonably priced.)

Or maybe you are looking for tech gifts for your kid too?

We were recently sent some cool electric rides from Razor and the kids have been trying them out. The Hovertrax Prizma is great for darker Pacific Northwest nights because it has flashy lights. We also received an electric scooter that my guys want to add to their Christmas list now so they both can ride together.

We also bought an Apple Watch for one of our kids to see if it would help them be more independent but still stay connected (he does not have a phone) and now the other twin wants one for his Christmas present. I don’t always want my kids carrying a phone around and with the new cellular backed Apple watches, they can use the watch to talk and text so that’s all they really need. My guy recently figured out walkie-talkie mode so I’m often getting calls from where he’s playing basketball at the park through my watch too.

A not so techie tech gift that looks cool for the nearly teenage boy range is a smartphone controlled paper airplane I saw on Uncommon Goods a place I often find unique and whimsical gifts. Uncommon Goods has a paper airplane launcher that looks pretty awesome as well. And we’ve been trying out an Evil Knievel Stunt Cycle that we were sent and I think I might have played with something similar at my grandma and grandpa’s house when I was little too.

Things that you might want if you are a 40 ish year old woman like me

Has anyone fallen prey to all the Instagram ads? I have seen so many ads for this pan that now I really want an Our Place Always pan, especially with the amount of cooking I’m doing all the time these days. I resubscribed to the Core Power Yoga On Demand App and was also tempted to try Obe fitness and either would make a fantastic gift for someone who wants to do exercise more at home. I also keep seeing the Olive and June pedicure system so if I break down and buy it I’ll let you know how it goes.

I love this year’s Hearth and Hand with Magnolia home curations at Target. There is a mug that says “up and at em” a phrase that my dad always says too me but it’s pick up in stores only so I’ll probably miss it. There is also a welcome mat that says “home for the holidays” that is just so ironically 2020. Otherwise I have a whole bunch of holiday stuff in my cart from Target and even if I don’t leave my house it feels mindlessly therapeutic to shop the website and think about the holidays while the kids do online school.

Gifts for the Pup especially if it’s a Yorkie Poo too

So far the only thing Scout is getting for sure is a Pendleton pillow bed that I bought at Macy’s. (Macys’ actually seems to have really great deals on many of the things I’m buying online this year.) Scout will also get Stella and Chewy’s in his stocking (we call this stinky chickens in our house-he loves them with his kibbles but they are really stinky). And he actually needs a stocking too but I still need to find one for him.

Made in Seattle gifts

Cancelled Plans candles seem like the best kind of gift for a year like this. I have burned through so many candles and these made in Seattle candles have witty names like “I miss high fives” and “Do not Disturb.” Cave B a dreamy winery near the Gorge that I really want to visit has holiday gift boxes that include wine and other locally sourced goods. And I love the Met Market balsamic vinegar and OMG olive oil from Pike Place Market and will be buying these for gifts too. And a new Seattle-based company named Trove has been creating travel themed gift boxes that combine online experiences and a tangible gift that are so perfect for people dreaming about travel right now.

A Northwest inspired art gift idea

A Vancouver, Canada artist Anja Jane has created a deck of playing cards that features hikes from Oregon and Washington and that might be a great gift for someone in your life who loves the outdoors. She recently sent me a mountain illustration with the John Muir quote “the Mountains are Calling and I must Go” and I think it will look great somewhere in the cabin.

And Seattle has a company making reusable giftwrap

Giftwrap is always the hardest part of a gift for me and I think it’s really cool that Tokki a Seattle company is making gift bags that can be used over and over again. They also have ecofriendly candles and a few other things on their site that you could put in the bags too and when I last checked their site, they have a 12 days of deals promo going on.

I will add more to this list as we get closer to the big day but I have included last year’s Seattle gift list to help you out as well.

And for my husband?

Seriously what do we buy these husbands of ours? My list ideas end here and really now I need ALL the help. Thanks so much!*

*I now have a small idea for the hubby- I didn’t know Moira’s sleep pillow was real but it’s the Ostrich Pillow and he might need one.

(Have you already started your holiday shopping this year?)

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)