It’s CYBER MONDAY!!! Don’t you just cringe when you hear the word CYBER? I dunno. Maybe it’s just me. So, you’re probably going to see a TON of gift guides today. It’s Monday. We’re headed into December. Take a deep breath.  I just took 5.

If you’ve been here for awhile, you know that I do things a little bit differently re: gift guides.  I play Oprah and share some of my favorite things that I’m into this year, in the hopes that maybe they’ll be your favorites too! Everything on this list is approved by yours truly.

Now that I am looking at all of this stuff, I could call it

TRACY’S COPING MECHANISMS aka MY FAVORITE THINGS GIFT GUIDE of 2016:

1. Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Journal– This is my bullet journal. I can’t do anything without it. You’ll always find it near me and I picked orange so I could spot it from far away. I have so many black journals….they all get lost. Take this advice from a 37 year old.

2. Everything is Going to be OK– I have this cute little plate hanging up on my wall. We could all use this reminder, couldn’t we? I love this Work Hard Stay Humble plate too!

3. Tombow Pen – I LOVE THIS PEN. GET YOURSELF 20 of them. 2 for people’s stockings and then the rest for YOU.

4. Big Sur Room Spray – Last year Casey and I went on the most amazing trip to Big Sur. This room spray smells like our vacation. There’s something so magical about that area, and I love that I can remember our trip every time I spritz our room with it. I also really love their collection of incense. 

5. Leopard Vans– I love them. They go with everything…at least I think they do. They’re the first shoe I grab when I’m running errands. Definite game changer.

6. Triangle Day Bag– You know I’m always on the search for the perfect bag. I’ve been using this bag since July and I have no intentions of retiring it. It’s the PERFECT size for me for everyday use. If I am traveling or I have more to carry, I throw it in a tote. What I’ve learned about myself is that while I love bags with a LOT of a pockets, I don’t always put things back in the right place when I’m on the go, so one inner pocket is perfect for me.  Wearing this purse also has earned me quite a few compliments!

7. Mill Valley Sweater–  I’ve been living in this since I bought it in September. It’s soft like a blanket that makes this introvert feel super protected when she’s out in the world. Sometimes I catch Cooper wearing it while he’s snuggled on the couch watching cartoons. I don’t blame him….it smells like his Mama and is COMFORTABLE AS HECK.

8. Amazon Echo Dot–  Casey bought one of these for our home last month. I was reluctant and then all I had to do was say, “Alexa play Fiona Apple Pandora Station!” and it started playing one of my favorite Fiona Apple songs immediately. How do I use it most?  I set timers while I’m working in the kitchen, I ask her cooking & baking questions like how many tablespoons are in a stick of butter?  I’ll have her add stuff grocery list that I can check on my phone. But mostly, I have her put on music in the kitchen. Her name is Alexa by the way.

9. Electronic Typewriter–  I’ve been using an typewriter at my desk to type my feelings/thoughts/lists, etc. this past year. It cost me way less than going to therapy and for that I am grateful. There’s something about the sound when hitting the keys that makes me happy.

10. Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser – I think this might have been on one of my old lists, but I have reunited with my diffuser now that I need some extra humidity in our bedroom during the Winter. Some of my favorite scents to use- Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Douglas Fir, Orange & Mint. This is the perfect time of year to bust out your Thieves oil!

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO GIFT!

Stitch Fix– Get your friend a gift card so they can try the service out!

Get a 3-Month Creativebug Subscription for $1  I love being able to access great tutorials & classes on my computer. Cooper and I have taken a few classes together and it’s SO MUCH FUN.

Curated Music + Food= Turntable Kitchen Subscription Box– For the music & food lover!

Bluebottle Coffee Subscription– We have our beans delivered every other week. The beans are super fresh. We love Bluebottle!

Birchbox Subscription– If you love trying samples of perfume & beauty products, you’ll love this.

If you plan on doing any shopping online, you should sign up with EBATES because you get cash back from your purchases. They also will give you the good promo codes for shops online.  All of you have to do is login to your account and go through their website and earn. They’ll send you a “big fat check” quarterly. A lot of big online retailers are on there, so I ALWAYS make sure to see if I can get cash back from a sale. It costs nothing to sign up and you’ll love being surprised in the mail with checks!

Here are some guides from the past if you need additional ideas!

• Gift Guide from 2015
• Gift Guide from 2014
• Gift Guide from 2013
• Casey’s Gift Guide for Dudes
• Cocktail Gift Guide
• I Love Coloring Books
• Inspiring Books to Get You Drawing
• Books to Inspire

Also, if you don’t already know, I have a SHOP category on my blog.

You can check out some of my favorites things there!

HAPPY SHOPPING!