This Gift Guide is built from real life: products I bought for myself during Black Friday, things I already use and love at home. No random filler, no “TikTok made me buy it” hype — just practical, cosy and clever little things that make everyday life easier, more beautiful, or more enjoyable.
Whether you’re shopping for your best friend, your partner, your mum… or you’re very wisely putting together a list for yourself (highly recommend), I hope you’ll find something here that feels just right for this season of slowing down, treating yourself, and enjoying the small things.
I’ve always been a bit old-school with toothbrushes – loyal to the classic manual ones and honestly not too tempted to switch. But this year I couldn’t get the idea of upgrading out of my head, especially for both me and my partner.
After my usual deep-dive research session, I ended up choosing the Xiaomi Oscillation Electric Toothbrush Pro: a purple one for me and a white one for him. What really sold me was the smart little screen – it shows the 4 brushing modes, gives feedback on your brushing habits, and uses different vibrations to tell you when it’s time to move to a new area of your mouth.
The first couple of uses felt a bit strange (my teeth were like, “what is this?!”), but I got used to it within two days. Now I reach for it every single time I brush. Unlike many models on the market, the brush head doesn’t spin in circles – it moves side to side, which feels more natural to me.
I think this makes such a thoughtful gift for anyone who wants to level up their dental care and add a tiny bit of “smart” luxury to an everyday habit.
I’ve seen water flossers all over social media, but it’s one of those things you can’t really understand until you try it yourself – how it feels, how messy it is (or isn’t), and whether you can actually turn it into a daily habit.
If you’re a faithful dental floss user and totally happy with that, you probably don’t need a water flosser on top. But that’s not the situation in my home. Flossing has never really stuck as a habit, and brushing alone (even with my new electric toothbrush) just doesn’t feel like enough anymore. That’s what finally pushed me to give a water flosser a go.
I went for this Xiaomi water flosser mainly because of the good price point and the fact that it actually looks nice on the bathroom shelf. It has 3 different modes (read: 3 levels of water pressure). Pro tip: do not start with the strongest one like I did. I accidentally used the highest setting at first and… let’s just say it was not the gentlest experience for my gums.
A few days later I realised my mistake, switched to the softest mode, and it completely changed the game. Since then it’s been really easy, quick and surprisingly satisfying to use.
If you’re looking at other brands, one thing I’d pay attention to is the size of the water tank. The Xiaomi tank is already on the smaller side, and I feel like if you go even smaller, you might end up running out of water halfway through and needing to refill mid-floss – which would make the whole routine much less enjoyable.
There are slippers… and then there are SLIPPERS. I’m a firm believer that home = slippers on. You’ll rarely catch me walking around the house without them, which also means I tend to wear through pairs pretty quickly.
This winter it was definitely time for an upgrade, so after reading way too many reviews, I landed on these furry, fuzzy beauties. The inside is unbelievably soft, they’re properly warm, and one of the things I appreciate most – they’re not slippery.
The style is a simple, classic unisex design, and honestly, I don’t know a single person who doesn’t like having warm, cosy feet. These make such a great “treat yourself” buy or an easy, feel-good gift for pretty much anyone.
For the longest time, I was manually squeezing every single lemon. And I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve probably squeezed over a hundred of them by hand – all in the name of my beloved ginger–lemon shots (the recipe is on my blog) and homemade limoncello.
Now I finally have an electric citrus juicer and honestly… game changer. What used to feel like a whole mini workout is now a super quick, almost effortless little ritual. I just press the lemon halves down, and in seconds I’ve got a glass full of juice with way less mess and way more yield than squeezing by hand.
If you love fresh lemon, orange or grapefruit juice, make a lot of citrus-based recipes, or you’re into things like wellness shots and cocktails, an electric citrus juicer is such a practical upgrade. It’s one of those “why didn’t I get this sooner?” gadgets, and a really useful gift idea for any home cook, wellness lover, or cocktail enthusiast.
Next up in my “little upgrades that make a big difference in the kitchen” category: a mandolin vegetable slicer. My main goal with it was very specific – I wanted to make homemade potato chips, and for that you really need those ultra-thin, even slices that are hard to achieve with a regular knife.
The mandolin makes it ridiculously easy: a few swipes and you’ve got a whole bowl of perfectly thin potato slices, ready for the oven or air fryer. It also speeds up prep for things like cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, onions – basically any vegetable that needs to be sliced quickly and evenly.
What I really like about this type of slicer is the design:
- it comes with a hand guard, so your fingers are protected from the sharp blades
- it has several different blades, depending on whether you want classic slices, thicker cuts or julienne-style strips
- it has a container underneath to catch everything, which keeps the process much cleaner and less chaotic
If you enjoy cooking at home, love a good crispy snack, or just want to make chopping and slicing less of a chore, a mandolin slicer is a super practical tool – and a fun gift idea for any home chef.
Now to one of the most exciting “big kid toys” I’ve added this year – the DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo Plus with DJI RC 2. This was our first ever drone, and I can safely say: if you’ve never flown a drone before, this is a really good one to start with.
We’ve travelled with it, filmed social media content for clients, and used it for our own memories too. It’s compact, easy to bring along, and as long as you follow the guide and basic best practices, you’ll be absolutely fine. We’ve had a few small crashes (rookie mistakes), but those were 100% learning moments on our side rather than anything to do with the drone itself.
If you, your partner, or a friend is into videography – whether that’s for fun, for work, or a bit of both – this makes an incredible gift. It opens up a whole new way of seeing and capturing places you love.
And that’s my Christmas round-up for this year — straight from my home to yours. If you end up trying any of these, I’d love to hear how you get on with them (and of course, if you discover a new favourite I need to know about, tell me in the comments!).
However you celebrate this season, I hope you give yourself permission to enjoy it fully: light the candles, use the “good” mug, wear the cosy pyjamas, and gift yourself little things that make everyday life feel a bit more special.
Here’s to thoughtful presents, and writing a new, cosy chapter to end the year.
Leave your thoughts or questions here!