Let’s look at all things gifts! I’ve personally tested just about every item in this gift guide, so rest assured, you’re getting something good. In a few cases, the model that I have has been discontinued, so I’ve linked you to the current model.
Unique Gifts for the Person who Has Everything
For this type of person, I suggest focusing on experiences. These days, you can purchase a ticket to just about anything, and it’s all incredibly fun. Here are a few ideas:
VIP Passes to Theme Parks
If you’ve got someone in your life that enjoys theme parks, splurge and get them a VIP ticket. Not all parks offer this experience, so shop around.
I’ve done the VIP experience at Universal (both US locations), and LegoLand (Florida only). Zero regrets.
These passes have you explore the park with a small group of 8 – 10 people with a guide. Your guide lets the group choose most of the rides, and gets you in super fast. The walk you through the ride exit, you wait one cycle, and then hop on and have loads of fun.
My total wait time in lines for the whole day ends up being an hour or less when doing this experience. I’ll also add, as someone with a medical condition, this option is “better” for me since I’m in and out of the park in less time.
Seriously, check it out because not only do you have the ride access, you learn a lot of cool fact about the park, meet select staff, and get behind the scene tours as well. Super fun!
Note: If your budget is for regular passes, check your local Costco. They often have theater ticks and amusement park tickets available that are nicely discounted.
Race Car Driving
Some of my friends like to say I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and well, I won’t deny the accusation. I’ve done this exotic sports car experience twice, and took my kids as well. It. Was. AMAZING.
The first time I went, I was a passenger in a lovely Ferrari and man did we hit top speeds. The second time, I opted for the Dodge Hellcat experience where it’s all about the drift. Your driver whips you around corners so fast that a helmet is required. It’s WILD.
They have two options – learn to drive, or be the passenger. Personally, I have no desire to learn how to drive a stick shift. Plus, I figured if I was learning I’d be too timid to hit top speeds. Having a professional driver do all the work for me made the most sense.
Either way, if you have someone in your life that loves to go FAST, see if there’s a race track within 100 miles of your location. A lot of tracks these days offer this kind of experience and honestly, I can’t wait to do it again.
Hot Air Balloon Ride or Helicopter Ride
The outskirts of a lot of major cities often have at least one company offering hot air balloon rides with scenic views. I once had to choose between this and sky diving. I went with the later, and it was interesting for sure. Next time though, totally going for the hot air balloon ride.
Major cities often have companies that offer a helicopter tour of landmarks. It’s EPIC. Do it. You’ll also find these companies near major US landmarks, like the Grand Canyon.
Words can’t express how majestic the flight experience is, and yes, I would absolutely do it again in a heartbeat.
Lessons of Some Sort
If you know the types of things someone generally likes, or is interested in, you may be able to purchase a class or private lesson for them. In some cases, the only option will be a digital course, but hopefully you can find something in person as well.
Ceramics, glass blowing, ice skating, cooking, and baking are lessons that come to mind. If you have someone that’s gluten free in your life, these sourdough bread baking classes may be of interest.
Tank Driving Experience
This, along with a construction playground, have been on my list of things to do for a while. I can honestly tell you, most people, if not all of the people in your life, haven’t driven a tank.
If there’s someone you know that’s just impossible to shop for, this could be the perfect gift.
Misc Gifts
These are a few gifts I thought I’d mention since they don’t quite fit in anywhere else in this gift gude.
Personalized Gift Card
Rather than give someone a generic gift card to Target etc., create a cute card that’s personalized for the two of you. Perhaps you’ll take them out for an afternoon, do their shopping, or help meal prep. Essentially, create a card that’s about quality time together.
Sound Bar
If you have a friend that spends a lot of time in the kitchen, consider this Bose sound bar, or one that’s similar. I have several and LOVE them. It’s a bluetooth bar and I can take my computer around the house and listen to music on a bigger speaker when I’m in the mood.
If you go this route, look for sound bars that are a similar size to this one, since you don’t want something so huge it won’t fit in their kitchen.
Heath Ceramics
If you’ve got a friend or family member that loves to host gatherings, consider a gift card to somewhere like Heath Ceramics. I have a lot of their pieces that I purchased as seconds (heavily discounted) and LOVE them.
Even the seconds are high quality, dishwasher safe, and something you can really enjoy using when serving guests.
Clean Beauty Gift Cards
If you have a young lady in your life that’s wanting to explore makeup and skincare, but you’re concerned about the ingredients in most options, check out Bellaphoria and Good Beauty (use the code THEALLERGYCHEF to save 20%).
Not only are these two of the cleanest options on the market, they’re safe for people with extensive food allergies, and organic.
You can also find more awesome clean beauty and clean food products at Just Ingredients.
Kitchen Gifts for Kids
These are my top picks for kiddos who have an interest in helping in the kitchen, or for kids you’d like to get into the kitchen. The knives are fantastic as they can cut produce, but not little fingers.
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Delicious Treats & Food Stocking Stuffers
When selecting food-based gifts, be sure to read over the allergen information on the manufacturer’s website. Some brands that used ro produce on top 9 free equipment no longer do.
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Amazing Kitchen Gear
Here are some of my personal faves when it comes to kitchen gear. If you have a baker in your life, look up “cake stencils” for more options, or “barista stencils”. They’re so fun to use, and make very distinct designs each time you use them.
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Countertop & Small Appliances
I cannot say enough good things about each of the items in this section. The small waffle maker that makes 4 waffles is perfect if you’d like a commercial experience. The waffles are 4″ (10cm) and fir into a standard toaster. You can freeze them, then heat from frozen, just like store bought waffles.
The air fryer is hands down the best one I’ve worked with (and I’ve tried several). The large double waffle maker… game changer. And I don’t say that lightly. You can get a lot done, and there’s an audible beep so you don’t have to babysit the appliance.
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Knives
Knives are very much a personal purchase. If you’d like to gift one, get a high end knife like the ones I’m sharing, or, get the person a gift card to Williams & Sonoma and include a picture of a knife. I’ve checked out several stores, and W&S has a huge selection of QUALITY knives that you can hold before purchasing.
Personally, I held hundreds of knives and tested quite a few before settling on the ones that I have. Rather than purchase a set, I have these two, along with 6 others that I like the feel of.
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LEGO Sets
If you know me in real life, you know that I’m the resident LEGO expert. This is just a tiny, tiny, tiny selection of sets to choose from. If you’d like custom recommendations (yes, I will absolutely do that for you because LEGO), use the contact page. Tell me the age you’re shopping for, a few of their interests, and if there’s a budget. In return, I’ll let you know which sets to look at first.
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