Holiday Gift Guide

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For the last few weeks, we’ve been hearing about how important it will be to purchase gifts early this holiday season due to continued inventory delays throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m always looking for gift inspiration and my girl Tenikca from Hits With the Mrs. always comes through because she’s an early shopper. We’re collaborating today for two themes I think you all will enjoy: gifts for book lovers and subscription box ideas.

1. Gift Certificate to a Local Bookstore (Bonus points for Black or Minority-owned) Buying and shopping locally is a great way to support local infrastructures and communities. If you don’t have a Black or minority-owned bookstore nearby, you can’t go wrong with a Bookshop gift card.
2. Seasonal Book: Go ahead and add to the seasonal shelfie and add more proverbial doors to the season. Carla and the Christmas Cornbread by Carla Hall is a great new release!
3. Epic Book Subscription: Tenikca only found out this existed several weeks ago, but her kids already love it! They have ebooks, read-alouds, read to me options for every interest and phase. You can get an annual family subscription or look into the free educator program.
4. Kindle Unlimited: I’ve been a fan of Kindle Unlimited for a few years. Every time I think about cancelling, they offer a good deal. This one is on Tenikca’s kids’ list. She can’t keep up with the reading and book demand with her two, so we decided to try this for a year! In my book, it’s worth it.
5. Kindle E-reader: If e-books are your thing, these lightweight and light controlled devices make reading easy and accessible. There are lots of different versions. I’ve gone through three different Kindles and have been using a Paperwhite for the last three years.
6. Addition to Favorite Book Series: In the past year, both of our families have really gotten into book series so adding the best book or two in that series is a great gift idea! The Magnificent Makers by Theanne Griffith is the perfect place to start.

Subscription boxes are perfect for every person on your gift list! There’s something exciting about getting a package in the mail and being surprised at the contents inside. 

1. Just Like Me! Book Box – Just Like Me! was our first subscription box and it’s been so fun to see the books evolve as my little one gets older! Each box is customized with 2-3 age appropriate books that feature characters of color.
2. Because of Them We Can Box – If you’re looking for a gift that celebrates Black History 365, this is the subscription for you. Each curated box features a person or iconic moment in Black history and is filled with apparel, worksheets, and other fun swag.
3. Izzy and Liv Brown Sugar Box for Kids – With boxes for both girls and boys of various ages, Izzy and Liv provide a mixture of melanated swag on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis. Apparel, stationary, books, and beauty products are just a sample of the items in each box.
4. Jambo Books – Jambo Books is another great option to build a home library, filled with multicultural children’s books. 2-3 age-appropriate books are sent monthly. 
5. Bitsbox – Do you have a STEM lover on your hands? If so, Bitsbox is a great gift for kids ages 6-12 to engage in fun coding projects.
6. Little Global Citizens – This one is on our list because not only is it a book box, it also pairs the book with resources, crafts, and other fun activities about the represented country. 

We wanted to share a few of our favorite things to gift mom during the holiday season.

1. Spa gift card – In our book, you can’t ever go wrong with a gift card for spa services. Extra points if it is a minority-owned business!
2. Beautiful pens – We love high quality, colorful pens for note taking, list making, and planning all of the things to keep our families going. If she loves flair pens, a check out this cute personalization option from CleverGirlsCraft.
3. Devotional – Devotionals are a great gift to keep mama grounded throughout the year. There are lots of options available, but we love This Mama Prays from Shekea Moreno.
4. Digital book reader – For mamas who love to read, investing (or upgrading) her digital reader is well worth it. If you really want to splurge, check out Amazon’s latest Kindle Oasis.
5. Personalized necklace – This is a cute way to honor the special mom in your lives. I love this one from Etsy.
6. Unlimited book subscription – Whether she prefers Kindle Unlimited, Audible, or Scribd, an unlimited book subscription will give her numerous titles at her finger tips.

We can’t give gifts for moms and not provide a few options for the special men in our lives. Check out our picks for the dads we love to spoil.

1. Facial products – Dads need to take care of their skin, too! Help keep them moisturized with products filled with the best ingredients. We love this bundle from Scotch Porter.
2. Golf goods – Whether it’s a new set of clubs, extra golf balls, or a gift certificate, you can’t go wrong with helping to feed his golf habit.
3. Beard grooming products – So many men started growing beards throughout the course of the pandemic. Koils By Nature, known in the natural hair world, recently added several beard care products.
4. Socks – Instead of getting a pair of boring socks, up dad’s sock game by choosing a few printed pairs from AfriSocks.
5. Dope Dad merch – Head over to The Dad Gang to choose from their collection of Dope Dad merch. We’re partial to this apron for the grilling dads in our lives.
6. Athletic wear gift card – For the sneaker heads in your life, you can’t go wrong with a gift card to their preferred brand.

Do any of these sound like gifts the people in your life would love? Let’s chat about more gift ideas in the comments!