Here are the gifts that are at the top of my list this year! I love this saying when it comes to gift giving: "Some to wear, something to read, something they want, something they need." Some main focuses are quality and sustainability, variety of price points, experience over things and practicality. Many of the ideas will be Winnipeg based, but some may pertain to anywhere in the world. Hopefully you find some inspiration for your holiday shopping!

Wool base layers and socks - We're spending a lot more time outside thanks to 1000 Hours Outside and having quality outdoor base layers, like Merino wool and socks makes such a huge difference. MEC and REI have seasonal sales and sizes for the whole family. They also often guarantee their products so if something goes wrong you can replace or fix it. I currently purchase most of my and my daughter's clothing second hand and it's really hard to find technical clothing at a decent price used. Last year we purchased from Mountain Warehouse - their prices are excellent! Costco occasionally carries wool base layers. The ones I have seen are only about 20%, but could be a good option. Quality clothing should last a long time if you take care of it, so it's often worth the investment. Hats, mitts and scarves are also great options. Kids lose them all of the time and having back ups is never a bad idea.

Books - There's a book out there for everyone. I'm constantly picking up books at the local thrift store for others, especially kids. While I get most of my books from the library, every once in a while there is one I want forever. If I'm lucky, I'll find it thrifting. My next go to is the used online bookstore, ABEbooks.com or Book Outlet. Last, but not least, I'll hop on Amazon to snag it, if I can't find it anywhere else.

Experiences - I don't like a lot of "stuff" around. And chances are, most people you know don't need more stuff either. I love gifting experiences. Themea is a good one! For families, I love zoo passes. They are often less expensive than you might think. And now you can purchase a Assiniboine Zoo + Leaf experience together. Unlimited access to both! We love meeting up with friends at either location. It's nice and central in Winnipeg. Other experiences that are nice to give and receive are gift cards for local salons, museums or sports passes. Minor league sports like baseball, hockey and basketball tickets or mini packages come at a great price and are often much more spectator (and family) friendly than major league sports. Some other fun experiences include escape rooms, arcades, swim lessons, recreation centers or a local community center. I recently saw Red River Ex suggesting buying their Winter Wonderland experience as a gift. What a great idea!

Food - There are some foods that nearly everyone will enjoy and benefit from. LMNT electrolytes and Paleo Valley beef sticks are some of my faves! Costco has delicious snacking options for the whole family at great prices. I know not everyone loves giving gift cards, but receiving gift cards to local grocery stores can be so helpful! Especially when food prices have increased so much over the past few years.

Homemade - Some of my favorite homemade gifts include beeswax candles, body butter, homemade treats and sourdough

Lottery tickets - I do not gamble and I rarely, rarely bet on anything. However, growing up, my grandparents always put scratch off tickets in our stockings and we loved scratching them! I hardly ever won anything, but the memory sticks. I now enjoy doing this for my family. A piece of me feels like I'm lighting my money on fire (and I kind of am), but I love the memory. And the experience of scratching them each year is worth something, right?!

Gifting for children under the age of 2: From our experience, kids under the age of 2 don't really care what they get, they just want to be involved. Buying things that make life for a parent easier are ideal. Like previously listed, clothes and books are typically a safe bet. As are experience they can take their kids to. We have received gift cards to the zoo in the past and it was great!

Gifting for children 2 - early education: Now, the kids get what is going on and have preferences in what they do. As a mom who really doesn't like having too much stuff around, I am okay with having things that we can do. Think art supplies, games, activities with endless use like Duplo Legos, Mega Blocks and age appropriate Lego sets. We have recently been putting together our gym with a climbing wall and Swedish wall climber. We have a blast down there! When it comes to gym equipment like rings and durable floor mats, Fitness Experience has great prices.

Gifting for children 8-18: This gets even more complicated! But only because they really have preferences now. I know you likely don't want to do it, but gift cards really do give an experience. Find out the stores they love and let them shop or take them shopping! My nieces love TJ Maxx right now (Winners in Canada). They also like crafts, games and thrifting so those are viable options for us.