Totally Random But Great Gift Ideas

I’m not a lifestyle blogger unless in your lifestyle you aspire to read a lot, deal with your sore feet, and own one very amazing red coat, but I do have some ideas for gifts this year.

A FREE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

GIFT OF PODCAST: Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Craft had a great idea on their podcast, Happier, to give the gift of teaching someone how to download podcasts. It’s not hard to do, but if you’re not a tech-savvy person, then it can seem insurmountable to download podcasts. Gretchen has a link on her site that will help you create a cute certificate promising to teach someone on your gift list. You can also print off the directions from there for the person you’re helping

NOT AT ALL PRICEY BUT NICE (I THINK!)

BOOKS! So many books. I read some great stuff in 2018. (42 so far.) They are not ranked or anything, but I wrote a line or two about each one.

 

I step on this spikey green ball every night. It may seem like a strange gift, but it’s VERY useful and takes up no space at all. It helps my arch issues.

 

 

 

I love this yellow journal so much. The color makes me happy and the feel of it in my hands is just right. If you’re a notebook person, you know what I mean. I jot a few notes in it every night and it helps keep me focused for the week. I keep a really minimalist bullet journal. If you want to know more about that process, start here.

 

I absolutely love Le Pens. They are the best and I’ve tried tons of pens. I have terrible handwriting, but for some reason, I don’t mind writing with these and my chicken scratch seems more legible. According to a New York Magazine article, Le Pen is the 18th best pen out of 100

 

 

A BIT MORE $$

Foot Massager: My kids are getting this foot massager as a family gift for Hanukkah. (Yes, I’m very foot focused.) We don’t do gifts every night in our house and as the years go on, I can’t deal with so much stuff. Something like this would actually cost a lot less than a bunch of separate things for my four kids. Yes, I will make them wear fresh socks before sticking their tootsies in here.

 

Amazon links for some products are affiliate links. Books links are affiliate links to Indiebound.

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

4 Responses

  1. You’re related to the Pumpz owner?! Jealous. I love looking at their stuff, but haven’t made many purchases, its a little out of my normal life. I sent my mom a gift list per her request, but also let her know that we could skip gifts if she preferred.
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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast and newsletter about the ups and downs of adult friendship. I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a Minneapolis-based writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped. DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, The Guardian, The Chicago Tribune, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere! 

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