Happy Thursday everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend with your families. Now that it’s December, I am sure a lot of you are trying to plan for Christmas (or continue to plan) and if you’re like me, need some ideas for what to give or make for loved ones. I decided to write this post suggesting some ideas to get for your loved ones, and stores that I personally like.
After getting an Instagram account, I discovered so many small shops and Catholic businesses that I like. I am going to list the ones that I follow or have ordered something from on here to give some ideas. This year especially, ordering from small businesses is something that can really help the owners support their families.
The first place I am going to start with is His Glory Company. They have great Christian clothing and products you can get for yourself or loved ones. They have some pro-life gear that I love, and also have some Christmas shirts too! I love the shirts that I own from them (they are really comfortable) and have gotten lots of compliments on them. If you see something there that you like, you can use code Michelle20 and get a 20% discount!
Another Christian store I really like is Brick House in the City. It is run by a woman named Lauren who designs all the shirts, and she also has some great Catholic Instagram posts. You can find women’s shirts, men’s shirts, kid’s shirts, and home and living items!
Do you enjoy thrifting? I definitely do and have discovered several Instagram thrifting accounts that I really like! If you have an Instagram account, be sure to check out @thriftingjune, @modesteverafter, @belovedandcurated, @everthrift, @simplyfound and @graceonrepeat (there are so many others, but these are my favorite!).
If you are looking for a religious gift for your loved one, here are some stores that I have purchased from before and recommend! Annunciation Designs is a Catholic store where I found and fell in love with a baby swaddle I got for Shiloh. They have a lot of other products in their store too, like stickers, banners, shirts, baby clothes, a water book for kids, etc. If you are in the market for some jewelry, I really like Telos Art Shop (She has a lot of Catholic medals and gorgeous pieces), Be Rooted Bead Company (beautiful bracelets, and you can get custom made ones too!), Giata (very nice bracelets, necklaces, and rosaries!).
Another way to support individuals this season is to look for items off of Poshmark! Anyone can create a Poshmark account and sell items they want to sell or clothes they no longer need. One of the nice things about Poshmark is that you can bargain for the item that you want and a lot of sellers offer discounts! We found some gifts for our kids here, and I’d definitely recommend it. (Check out my sister, Laura’s Poshmark account @wildflowerglow here. She has some really cute clothes and you’d be supporting her family if you find something you like on her page and decide to buy 🙂 )
Another shop I recommend is Blessed Friends Forever. We ordered baby Jesus dolls for each of our kids for Christmas presents this year, and they are so cute and she even included a lollipop with each one! She has many different Saints to choose from too.
If you have been following along with my blogposts, you know that I have mentioned praying the Rosary with @manyhailmarysatatime. The woman who runs it has a website where she sells merchandise like mugs and sweatshirts to help support the mission. You can find the link for it here.
Are you a girl mom (or mainly girl mom like me?) or do you like wearing headbands? Check out the shop Addie B. & Me for some cute headbands for adults, toddlers and infants as well as some clothes for kids as well. I got matching headbands for me and the girls from her as well as a super soft cheetah print headband I love. It’s perfect for days when I have to just throw my hair up in a messy bun (which for me with a newborn at home has been every day :P).
Books are always a good option for gifts too! Check out my helpful resources page to see what books I’ve enjoyed recently or are on my reading list. One that I have listed on there is called Meet Your Mother, by Mark Miravalle. I read this last advent and will try to reread it soon if I can. I really enjoyed it and it helped grow my connection to Mary and started to build my relationship with her.
Trying to not buy gifts or want to give something especially meaningful? Here are some cheaper options or more crafty ideas for you. Pray a Rosary for your loved one and send a prayer card letting them know you offered a Rosary for their intentions. Find out their favorite charity and make a donation in their name. Handmake ornaments for their tree (or have your kids handmake ornaments). Even just writing a letter and letting the other person know you are thinking about them can be such a great gift.
There are so many other ideas I can say or shops I can list, but it is just about time for me to get Shiloh up and ready for bed. I hope these ideas have helped!
What are some of your favorite places to get Christmas gifts for your loved ones? Or, what are some of the things you do for others instead of giving gifts? I’d love to hear your ideas!
