Well friends, with Halloween & Remembrance Day behind us, digging out my bins of Christmas décor, and coffee in red cups all over my social media, it’s official. The Christmas season is here. I even already have a gift for you.

I love Christmas. I love the music, the decorations, the twinkle lights, the snacks, the cheesy Hallmark movies (new life stage win: my sweet girl wants to watch them with me! Train a child in the way they should go, right?) and the chance for extra quality time with my people. My mom arrives from the West Coast in a couple weeks, and I’m in full-swing Christmas prep mode.

I’m also neck-deep in Christmas gift shopping. The present stash is growing!

For a gift-giver, there’s nothing like the moment when you find a gift and you know you nailed it. You reached the pinnacle of searching and found the perfect gift. The gift that is both practical and special, unique, unexpected, within your budget and best of all, that you remembered to wrap and put under the tree. It’s a Christmas miracle.

But what about the times when Christmas shopping goes nothing like that?

When you’re fighting to find a spot in a parking lot, wandering aimlessly around the packed mall last-minute for way too long looking for a gift.

When you and your spouse can’t agree on what to buy for your in-laws.

When you end up having to spend more money than you wanted to on something you didn’t even want to buy because you just couldn’t find anything else and you feel guilty for blowing the budget.

Or when you’re struggling to find something for that impossible person to buy for… the person who has everything, says they don’t want anything, or is incredibly picky. Usually, it’s my husband (sorry, honey).

Those are the times when I really dislike Christmas shopping and quite honestly, get a little grinchy. Anyone else?

Friends, let’s make this year different. Less stressful. More meaningful.

I reached out to some of my favourite companies and asked them to come up with some ideas for us. They really came through with gifts that are ethical, local, beautiful and affordable.

The result? A gift guide tailored to you to help take the stress out of gift buying and make you a Christmas gift hero. Bring it on, Hallmark.

I’ve had a lot of fun oohing and aahing over all of the gift ideas and pretty much want to keep them all for myself. That’s usually the sign of a good gift, right? But I won’t and am looking forward to sharing them with my friends so… watch for some great giveaways over the next few weeks. To ensure you don’t miss a chance to win, subscribe to my blog and you’ll get each post sent to your inbox.

My hope is that through this gift guide, you’ll find some gift-giving inspiration and speed up your shopping so you can spend less time stressing, and more time with your loved ones and have a less grinchy, more meaningful Christmas season.

Watch out for the first post this week!

~ Ellen

P.S. The first gift – a quick recipe guide to my personal, super-easy, sweet & salty Christmas Recipe Favourites! All of these are on heavy rotation at our house over the holidays, and they’re super easy. Download it for FREE now by subscribing here: