Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas List

1. Give the gift of a quiet mind.

Overthinking... we [almost] all do it. All too often we think things that don't do us much good. In this book, Jon Acuff provides strategies for converting these "soundtracks" from a negative to a positive.

I'll still implementing the strategies in this book... but I think this one is going to be life changing. 

2. Give the Gift of Done

It's easy to start projects. It's rarer to finish them. With the New Year right around the corner, this is a good time to start thinking about what you'll do next year... and develop strategies to actually get them done.

Without a doubt, this is one of the most entertaining and useful productivity books I've ever read.

4. Give the Gift of Retaining Notes

These are my favorite notebooks. I keep one at my desk, and they're the  perfect size for tossing in the computer bag, so they are always handy. Any time I need to make a note, I can grab one of these and scribble away. And since the pages are perforated, if I need to keep them, I can easily tear out the page and scan it into Evernote.

5. Give the gift of writing

These are my favorite pens. I love to color code when I plan or take notes, and these pens give me 3 colors (Black, Blue, Red) plus a mechanical pencil. 

Plus, the ink flows really smoothly, so they are a joy to write with. (Use 'em with the notebooks above),

6. Give the gift of creativity

One of my favorite brainstorming tools is sticky notes. These have a full adhesive back so that they will lay flat on the wall, and an easy-peel edge to make moving them around effortless. And there's even an app so  you can snap pictures, organize, and export the notes.

7. Give the gift of learning

Is there a child in your life who would enjoy learning about penguins? This book is an entertaining yet fact-filled read for children ages 5-7. (Full disclosure: I haven't read this one, but it was written by one the members of one of my Mastermind groups, so I am sure it is great!

8. Give the gift of good coffee

Several years ago, my father-in-law took us to Italy to see where his family was from. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and while I was there, I fell in love with Italian coffee. The B&B we stayed in used a Bialetti, so we got one... and have used it almost exclusively ever since. It works great at home, but it also travels in the RV well: it's small and lightweight, and makes great coffee. What's not to like?

I've also included the coffee we've been using.

9. Give the gift of fire

I love cooking over charcoal. The food just tastes better—unless it tastes like fire starting fluid! With this handy device, you can easily build a charcoal fire without need to use charcoal doused in chemicals.

10. Give the gift of quick and easy fire

I first saw these when the had a booth across the aisle from me when I was exhibiting at the Washington Camping and RV Expo. Throughout the show, I watched them start a fire in all kinds of conditions, including floating on water. By the end of the show, I'd caved and bought some. And I was glad I did: these really simplify getting a fire started. (And yes, you can use it with the charcoal chimney above).

11. Give the gift of delicious food

I love cooking in the Dutch Oven when we camp. And this one is the perfect size for making my Dad's Wolf at the Door recipe. And it'd be great for his Blueberry Cobbler recipe if I can ever find it.

12. Give the gift of thought-provoking entertainment

This newsletter is from a member of one of my mastermind groups. To quote from the This is True website:

This is True is a weekly non-partisan news commentary feature in email newsletter form. Each issue features several short summaries of weird (but true!) news items from around the world. Each story ends with a comment — a tagline which is humorous, ironic, or opinionated (or with luck, some combination of the three).

You can start with the free version, but it's worth upgrading to the Premium version.