The Perfect Gift
Happy Holidays! I am glad this week’s issue of Holos comes out on December 1st as I try not to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. But December is here, and it is time to think about the holidays. As I have been begun to make lists and plan, I wanted to share some gift ideas in keeping with the Holos themes of health & wellness, longevity, and living with purpose. I tried to design the list so that it can be passed along in case you want to give anyone a hint!
Happy gift giving!
The Main Event
Gifts for wellness
The start of the new year can be a great time to set some health goals, like focusing on sleep, eating better, managing stress, or moving more. As I have discussed in past posts, I am a big fan of wearables as they give me real time access to data to help me meet my health goals. I also believe in having as much information as possible as we are each our own best health advocate. While great gifts for yourself, these are also great gifts for others!
An Oura Ring. I love my Oura Ring as it allows me to track my sleep, activity, and recovery. The recovery part has been critical as it helps me make sure I am getting enough rest!
A Continuous Glucose Monitor from Levels Health. Levels Health “helps you see how food affects your health with personalized insight so you can optimize your nutrition and activity.” I have found wearing a CGM has helped me maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day.
A membership to Elektra Health, use this link for 25% off. For anyone trying to navigate perimenopause and menopause, an Elektra Health membership is like having a best friend who is a menopause expert!
Mitopure by Timeline Nutrition. This is a supplement designed to fight age related decline and support mitochondrial health. I started taking it last summer and feel I have more energy and stamina.
A beautiful nature print from here or here (the latter particularly appropriate for those who love Lake Tahoe). One study found “that just looking at still images of nature is enough “natural” stimulus to lower our stress levels.”
Gift for reflection
Taking time to reflect has been one of the most powerful practices I have implemented over the years. It helps me to understand my true feelings about situations and topics as well as make better decisions.
A beautiful journal like this one or this one. I find having a beautiful place to note my thoughts makes me more likely to journal.
Subscription to Sahil’s Curiosity Corner. This is one of my favorite newsletters. The author provides “actionable ideas to help you build a high-performing, healthy, wealthy life.” To get a sense of his work, check out this week’s newsletter. And the best part, its free!
Subscription to Waking Up. This is more than just a meditation app…I think of it more like help to optimize my entire being. I don’t have many subscriptions, but this is one I wouldn’t miss.
Gift for looking good
This year I am obsessed by vests and being cozy! And really, you can never have too many vests.
The Ashlyn vest or the Montreal vest from Anatomie, or the Wunder Puffed Crop Vest from Lululemon (get a fun color!)
A cozy waffle knit shirt, The Thermal Forever Henley, by Splendid. It comes in so many great colors.
Gift for reading
One of my favorite parts of the holidays is snuggling up with a good book.
For the non-fiction lover, Deep Work by Cal Newport is a great book about reclaiming your focus; or The Practice of Groundedness, for anyone trying to navigate the loaded topic of success; and for those interested in Stoic philosophy and applying it to modern life, this boxed set by Ryan Holiday (I love these books and keep them on my bedside table and read a few pages most nights).
For the fiction lover, The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. A great story and a beautiful book.
Stocking Stuffers
The Anytime You Drink Vitamin by H-Proof. I always keep a jar of these on hand for those times when I might have had one too many but want to wake up feeling like I didn’t.
Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm by Westman Atelier (I love it in Pipsqueak) or Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil by Ilia (my favorite color is Linger). These are my favorite lip glosses and I never leave home without one or the other!
Truff White Truffle infused hot sauce. If you like the taste of truffles, this sauce (and all their other products) are a must! This hot sauce it delicious on everything!
Burma Spice Dukkah Spice. My newest food obsession, I particularly like it sprinkled on avocado toast.
Parting Thought
I hope these suggestions help you find the perfect gift for yourself and others on your list.
To be continued…
