Welcome to Fit to Be Real and a little extra.
We have a holiday special for you.
Our first one ever.
I know because we did not have this podcast last Christmas season.
We started in January, so it's coming up.
I know, our one year. Isn't that crazy?
It's been one year since I texted Karli and said,
hey, I just bought all this equipment.
We're going to do this.
And I said, cool.
I'm pretty sure that was the accurate.
Sounds good. I'll do whatever you tell me to.
I think I sold.
I was trying to sell you on like why is such a good idea?
Why I wanted to do it.
And she was like, okay, all right.
Where do I have to be?
Do I get to talk about myself?
I'm in.
We are holiday gift guiding today.
Yeah, we're going to guide you through the gifts of the holiday.
Oh, yes.
And that is why we're doing this podcast.
She's a natural comes up with her own stuff.
It's amazing.
I don't even write anything down.
JK, I do. I have so much written down.
Victoria gave me a book and said write stuff down every week.
Happy freaking holidays.
I'm Victoria.
Hey, guys, I'm Karli.
Yeah, there it is.
And we have.
We have a few special things for you today. Yes.
So we did a little poll on the Instagram,
as well as forced some of our friends in these fields to text me back in the
answer to the poll because, you know, that's what you do.
So we asked teachers, nurses, a doctor, PhD of sorts of what is one good gift from
a client or a student and what is one like, let's stop doing this type of
type of give and take.
You know, there are all those gifts if you are in a profession where you are
lucky enough to be given a gift for the holidays.
So nice.
Start with that.
But there are those gifts that you're like, oh, it's either not useful or
or you get it every single year.
Yes.
Like I really don't need another one of these mugs.
Yeah.
And I think what you said was probably a better way to start.
If you're thinking of giving somebody anything that already is like the
nicest gesture.
So nice.
And whatever it is is appreciated, always appreciated that you were
thought of.
That is the whole point of gift giving.
I actually love to give gifts more than get them.
Getting the perfect gift for somebody else and watching them open it or it
being very useful for them.
That's important to me.
And when you pick it up and you're like, oh my gosh, I have to wait so long to
give this to this person.
I know.
We'll start with the teachers and we'll keep this brief, but it was just very
interesting because it's different.
I learned from nurses and doctors and stuff.
It's a very different exchange.
Well, I need to know because I'm in the market for some teacher gifts.
So this is a mix of education teachers as well as dance teachers.
That's who we, we pulled.
Because that's all we know.
Because that's who we, that's who we do.
That's who we be.
Oh my God.
Okay.
I got a yay for a candle and a nay to a couple nays for candles.
Really?
The yay was like, it's, it's a candle.
It's like, okay, if I have people over, I mean, it's very rare you get a candle that
smells really bad.
Yeah.
So, you know, yay.
But some people are like, I have, I have a drawer of candles because I don't use them
and I'm gift giving, you know, people give them to me.
Mugs.
It depends.
I agree though.
I want mugs that I like.
Is it a yay or a nay?
It's a nay.
Oh, a nay for teachers.
I want to pick out my mugs.
I have a personal attachment to like the mugs that I have.
And sometimes it's just like, it says 2023 best teacher.
Yeah.
I did receive a mug last year from a dancer with my name on it.
And it said, you know, Miss Carly with a rainbow and it said best teacher, best dance teacher
in the, in the world or something like that.
And I love it because I was, makes me think of that dancer every time I drink out of it.
But it was personalized.
It wasn't just like, Merry Christmas 2022.
Right.
So I guess it depends.
None of this is going to be helpful.
Same thing goes with like a cup, a to go cup, a turvus of sorts.
That's a nay.
Unless it's a Stanley, this one got me.
Oh God.
And I quote, things we know you found in your attic.
We know somebody said that.
Yes.
Stop it.
Brilliant.
But it's funny because I think I've done that.
I'm like, oh my gosh, I forgot I have to give this person a gift.
What do I have?
What do I have from last year that I like didn't give away or didn't open?
Yeah, they know.
I mean, I have a box of things, a box of gifts to give other people that I have been collecting
over the years.
Like if I didn't use it, why can't somebody else use it?
Yes.
But if it's been in your attic for how long and it's just your item.
So I think there's a specific bath and body works from circa 2001.
That's not in your attic.
Hopefully.
Like a decoration, like something in storage, something that like is clearly yours that
you own.
What I said.
Not what I said.
Okay.
Homemade baked goods or food in general, chocolate, candies, something like that.
That's a no.
I think I agree with that.
Now, one of the reasons is because of allergies or sensitivities.
So that's, I mean, you do have to be a little consider that that gift is just very general
and somebody can grab it off the shelf and just be like, oh, just give them this, which
I think is what it shows by people are like, don't don't buy it.
Don't give me something.
Yeah.
They just mess dishes.
Don't do that.
Don't.
People have their own and they're just going to re gift it from their attic to somebody
else.
And then the last for the nays, which is specifically from dance teachers, it's like foot scrubs
or foot lotions or skincare at all.
That's a very specific thing that somebody wants to put on their body.
And even though it smells good from Bath and Beyond or, but I always get those mixed
bath and body works.
Bath and body works.
Yeah.
It's, it's again, it's not personal unless you know that they love lemon or they love
pepper, you know, something specific, I guess.
But I think people when they give dancers that kind of gift, assume that we take care
of our feet and none of us do.
No, no.
So we, we aren't going to use it because we don't have the time to put a scrub on our
foot.
So just it's very thoughtful, but it's going to go unused.
Yeah.
What will be totally accepted unanimously from every single person, including the nurses
which we haven't gotten to gift cards, even if it's just five dollars to grab a coffee
anywhere.
Gift cards are like always a yay.
Every single one of them mentioned a gift card.
This was very specific.
She's a veteran teacher, you know who you are.
And she said, because I'm a veteran teacher, a Christmas piece of like decor, she said,
I'm trying to change out my Christmas stuff.
So that's always nice.
But you have to kind of want to do that to get a new piece of Christmas decor.
Like, yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Handwritten notes or anything handmade.
It's just special.
It's from the child.
I mean, if this is from a child, but that was those are a few different people said
that exact thing.
Handmade items.
I have a few little dancer ornaments that they have made me that I still have.
And mom has a million.
Oh my gosh.
That's what decorates the dance to do.
Yeah.
Because if something makes you think of that person, I think that's a yay.
Yeah.
And I think that's the last one that I made, which is the last one here from my PhD.
What's up, Tessa?
Anything that shows paying attention because it's thoughtful.
So it's not necessarily homemade, which it can be.
She said she got something in the flavor that they knew she really liked.
And it was just that specific little touch, something like that.
We got gift cards from one of our Seafitters.
This bar actually isn't open any longer, but she would give us a gift card to the bar
where we went out.
Yeah.
And we had a lot of expectations.
It's not any longer, but that to me is personal because they know we go there or that we went
there and that's the kind of gift card I'd enjoy.
And something even like that can just be here, grab a drink.
Yeah.
Five bucks.
Yeah.
It doesn't have to be like a $50 gift card.
No.
So if you have nurses in your life or you had a hospital stay or you were in the delivery
room, any type of event like it doesn't have to be for the holiday because it's a little
trickier when it comes to nurses, I think, and doctors and such.
Your gyno.
I love my gyno.
Oh, yeah.
You could give your primaries and stuff like that.
I didn't even think about that.
I always give my, you know what?
I give my chiropractor a gift card.
Oh my gosh.
I have to give him one.
Yeah, you do.
He just saved my ankle.
So even specialties like that, no personal gifts can be given for a unit.
So the trauma unit, the ICU, the ER, they're not going to take something.
Many number one, a specific gift card just for one nurse.
It has to kind of be for the floor.
Right, right.
And I didn't know that.
What they prefer and what they like are easy things to grab.
Coffee treats, one of them said she specifically remembers because it happened once and how
wonderful it was.
Shake Shack.
Oh, yeah.
They just like ordered Shake Shack for the unit.
At the same time, a different nurse said, don't get perishable food because nine times
out of 10, they don't have time to sit and eat it.
So it goes bad.
So it will go bad or, you know, it'll go bad.
So that's a 50-50, two different experiences.
So I guess it depends.
But they do like pens, which I never would have thought of.
They always go missing.
And this one specifically said when they were having their children, they would make a basket
of pens, gum, granola, mint, almonds, face masks, easy stuff to grab.
And that they would give that basket to either their specific nurses or like the floor or
whatever it was.
So I do not forget about night shift because usually if you're sending it, it's, you know,
within working hours during the day, by the time night shift gets there, it's all gone.
It's gone.
It's done.
And, you know, that shift happens every single night.
So that I just thought was interesting because I it's that's particular to like a hospital.
I think what I'm talking about.
Well, when I, if you're pregnant and you're going to have a baby soon, what I used to
do, what I did for all three of mine was when I walked in, I brought a huge cookie tray
for whoever was there.
And then after I had the baby the next day, mom would bring in a huge thing of pretzels
because it was different nurses.
Right.
So cookies for when you walked in, pretzels for the next day for the new shift and both
shifts would get something.
So that's what I, yeah.
That's the same thing.
That's great.
They did speak about ER nurses, which tend to not get any gifts because there's such a
fast turnover.
And you don't really have a rapport with any patients or anything like that.
But if you're going in for emergency, you don't have time to think about what to give
them.
So that's, that's a little tidbits of the ins and outs of what you're going to get for
your nurses or anybody in a specific field and your teachers.
Keep it simple.
Keep it small.
Keep it a gift card.
You know, love it.
They'll go get their own candle or their own mug or their own Christmas decor, whatever
it is.
Well, I want to add I every year I give the police officers.
I make the kid, I don't make, they enjoy it.
We walk over to, we live next to the police station.
So they walk over and they bring, last year we brought cake pops, like a dozen or two dozen
cake pops.
The year before that we brought cookies just to say thank you.
And it, it's good for the kids to give something.
I mean, they are getting so much that I like when they get excited to go give the police
officers cookies, you know, it seems so simple, but nobody does it.
And the other thing I was going to say was I, being a dance teacher, one of, this is
might be an unpopular opinion.
You know that being my kids go to Catholic school, any teacher does not get paid enough
for the amount of work that they do.
Public school teachers, Catholic school teachers, special education, dance teachers, nobody
right now gets paid enough for what they do.
There was a student every single year that gave me $20 in a card.
Just cash.
I gave me a note and gave me $20.
And I, I know that might not be a popular opinion.
I enjoyed that.
What's the difference of a gift card and a $20 bill?
Nothing except it was a nice note and a $20 bill.
Every year saying you deserve more, here's $20, spend it any way you want.
That's nice.
Yeah.
Isn't that nice?
I don't think that's unpopular.
Well, because people say don't give money because it's so impersonal, but the note was
personal.
People say that about gift cards too, but you know what?
What?
I disagree.
I like good gift cards because I save them up and then use them in like January, February.
But I also love a good $20 cash.
That's true.
But I know if you've seen my Instagram and Victoria's Instagram, she gave us this idea
a few years ago.
If you have deliveries, which we all do, I mean, Amazon rules right now.
And they are working around the clock to bring you the packages.
As I said, they are Santa's elves leave food out for them or water bottles so they can
grab it and go.
Simple stuff.
Yeah.
I went to the dollar store.
Carly gives the full size candy bars and Halloween type of things.
I went to the dollar store.
I want some iced coffee.
Oh my God.
I don't listen.
They're tired, but I also think it's nice for them to be like, oh, somebody actually
cares that we are carrying 77 boxes to your doorstep.
And in my house, they have to find the door because there's eight of them.
So we have a sign on every door saying go around to the front.
For a snack.
But do that.
It doesn't cost a lot of money and it means a lot.
My mailman gave me a note.
A thank you note last year.
So did mine.
So did mine saying thank you for thinking of me.
Yeah.
And it's not just Amazon.
It's FedEx, UPS, USPS, Amazon.
Oh my gosh.
So many.
Oh, your Instacart.
You know, anybody that delivers something to your house.
Door dash.
Yeah.
So they appreciate it.
I had someone actually combat me.
I don't know.
That's not the word I wanted.
Combat.
Yeah, that's not the word I wanted.
What?
Come at me.
Maybe.
Is that what I wanted to say?
Same thing.
It was last year because I was here.
So it was last year that I posted my, I have the same one.
I laminate it.
It's the same thing I put up every year of like, thanks everyone.
Grab something.
And their debate or their argument was that their paid workers are doing a job.
Like, are you going to do that to the cashier at the grocery store and blah, blah, blah.
And I was like, well, I could be walking into the store by myself and doing the work myself
and giving them a less extra trip how many times a week or whatever it is.
And also it's just a nice gesture and I don't really have to, like, I don't think it's a
big enough deal to get up in arms about.
I don't think so either.
And yes, they're doing you a service, but so is every service.
Every service.
And extra tip your bartender to, I mean, those bartenders, especially during events, they're
going over, over time and they're, it's so crowded.
Give them an extra five, give them an extra 10.
It goes a long way.
Yeah.
I didn't fight back.
I was like, you didn't combat back.
I did not put my combat boots on and karate chop the computer or the phone, whatever it
was.
No, it was, yeah, it was the only one I've ever gotten.
And I only post, I even posting it, but I posted maybe, you know, inspire somebody
else to do that.
But that's why I did it.
Yeah.
Because I didn't know to do that until you told me and you posted it.
And I was like, oh, if one other person can see my post and go, oh, I want to do that
too.
I mean, that's the way I feel like social media should actually work.
That's the point.
Like if you do something, somebody else sees you do something good, hopefully they do it.
And it's like, what is that called?
Paying it forward?
Paying it forward.
Yeah.
To be fair, I was dating a FedEx worker at the time and he was the one who said how appreciated
it is.
How appreciated they are at those little tiny gestures if they have the time to stop and
grab and stuff like that.
Right.
Which is the only reason I even really started the thing and I just love it.
I think it's so nice.
Well, that was Gunther, if you heard that episode.
Gunther was a FedEx driver and Gunther can not grab any of my snacks.
Oh, stop it.
Or my ice coffees.
Oh my God, you do not give them ice coffees.
I do.
Why are they going to go to the bathroom?
It's an ice coffee and a can.
Where are they going to go to the bathroom?
On your packages?
No, in the back?
You're going to kill their blotters.
Gunther's not allowed.
Okay, moving on.
Anyway, we are going to talk about the top five trendiest gifts or any gifts that are
trending right now in 2023.
So if you are at a loss for what to give somebody, anybody, anybody and you care about being
trendy.
Can I point something out?
Yeah.
Is this your Christmas list?
No.
Is this something you are targeting?
You know why?
I have it all because I'm so trendy.
I have most of it.
Okay.
No, I have it all.
Okay.
Number one.
And you are not going to be surprised the crossbody bag from Lulu Lemon.
Oh, yeah.
That is the number one trendiest gift.
But you know what?
I have one Lulu and the rest like knockoffs and I use them all the time.
Yeah.
I have two Lulu that Victoria bought me.
You're a Lulu.
Yeah, you're a Lulu.
And the rest you can get an Amazon dupe and kids love it.
Our age loves it.
Our mom loves it.
It's a great gift that is about 30 bucks.
So I agree with that.
Yeah, me too.
I don't know if this is a agree or disagree game, but it is now.
Okay.
I have two custom neon signs with your name or a neon sign.
Yeah.
For like your house?
Yeah.
Like in your basement.
Oh, I'm at the right house.
It has my name on it.
Yeah.
It has Dijkman in your basement.
Hopefully Dijkman's in everybody's basement.
Yeah.
Lit up.
No, but like little neon signs in kids rooms or teenagers rooms or I know people that have
them in their gyms in their basement or over their bar in their basement.
That's the number two trendiest gift.
Neon custom sign.
That's an expensive trendy gift.
It is.
Number three.
This is more geared towards women.
It is called the dry bar double shot and it is a blow dryer and brush in one.
So as you brush your hair, it blow dries your hair.
From a specific brand called Drybar?
It's called the double shot oval blow dryer from the Drybar.
Okay.
Yeah.
It's called the double shot on Wal-Mart Nordstrom and it is number three trendiest gift right
now.
Listen, fellas, you got a straight haired gal.
This is your moment.
Yeah.
Don't get it for us.
Andrew, I know Andrew's listening because Andrew has phobias about giving me gifts,
but I don't want that.
He is so scared of me and gift getting, giving.
It's a 50-50.
Partially Andrew, you kind of deserve it.
You're 50-50, Carly, you're a monster.
So there's that.
All right.
Number four.
Oh, it is the screen magnifier for your smartphone.
What?
Yeah.
So it's a little stand and a picture that you put in front of your phone and it projects
it to be like a mini TV.
So anything that you watch on your phone, it doesn't project on the wall.
It's an actual little screen and it makes your phone into a 12-inch TV.
Yeah.
Pretty cool.
Especially if you travel and you travel with kids.
Yeah.
And, or you just like gadgets.
Like it's, it's really cool.
Yeah.
Our dad is obsessed with gadgets.
All right.
Last one.
Number five.
The cross-body hydro bag.
What's that?
Yeah.
So for your Stanley, for your water bottle, or for your hydro bottle, what they're, what
is a new trendy water bottle, it's a bag for it.
So you put it in this little sack and it's got a pocketbook holder and you put it across
your body like a cross-body bag, but it's your water bottle.
And it comes in all styles, metallic, like it's like a puffy coat for your water bottle.
It's like, comes in like a little puffy cross-body bag.
I cannot, I cannot support this, but there is no cover for the top.
It's open so you can just hold it with one hand, pick it up and then drop it, but it's
on your bag.
So this has the cross-body bag and this side has the cross-body bag for your water bottle.
What are you doing with your hands?
Like you need your hands so badly.
So many things.
What are you doing?
I want to know.
We're using our blow dryer to blow dry our hair.
We don't, we need two hands for that.
Stay hydrated while you do that too.
It gets dry in there.
Now we're going to go through the five most popular gifts to give your friend.
A friend.
Toliana.
The number one, guess what?
I don't think anybody's going to be shocked here.
You can bring this to like, what is that called?
A white elephant?
Exchange.
Exchange or this is an impersonal gift, but also a personal gift, I think.
I know.
This isn't a game.
I'm just going to tell you.
Okay.
It's a Stanley.
Oh.
Okay.
I don't know if anybody was surprised by that.
I don't know if you know it's, you know, this person likes blue.
You're going to get them in blue.
Right.
Yeah.
It's, I mean, no one's shocked.
Everybody has a Stanley.
Everybody wants a Stanley.
And now there are so many sizes and colors.
That's the number one popular gift to give your friend.
I love that it's trending because people are hydrated.
There's no time for drama when you just have to run to the bathroom every five seconds.
I know.
So drink your water, people.
It's a healthy trend.
All right.
Number two.
A necklace with their name custom like engraved, not engraved, but it's in like cursive script
and it's their name.
That's the number two.
And I actually would like that.
I would love a necklace with all my kids names on it, but I love that kind of custom
gift.
I love that.
Would you wear it?
Oh yeah.
I've broken everyone I've had.
Yeah.
Sure.
Andrew gives me a necklace with the kids name on it every year and by March, the chain
has broken.
It has gotten caught in my hair while I'm teaching.
I don't know how much money you'd have if you stopped doing that.
So much.
Okay.
Next one.
I thought this was so cute.
It's a book called Why You're My Bestie to You From Me.
And do you ever see those books from child to mom or from mom to child or dad, like things
that you know about me or things that you love about me and you guys both fill it in
together?
So you have a book over your bestie and each page you open and it has things for you to
fill in.
What was our favorite this together?
What do you love about me the most?
I think that's such a cute gift.
Yeah.
Shut up.
I'm not getting it for you.
Trust.
If you like this, this is a great popular gift that everyone should enjoy.
Moving on.
This one I see all over Instagram, so I'm not surprised it's on this list.
Personalized Acrylic Album Cover.
What?
It's a clear frame, but it looks like an album cover and it's got you and your friend's
picture on it and your favorite song.
It looks like an album cover and it's got, I'm going to pick an in sync song.
So it'd be a picture of you and me on this clear acrylic frame and then.
Bye.
Bye, bye, bye.
And then the lyrics to that.
But that's cool.
Yeah, it's like your favorite song together.
Yeah, I like that.
For your bestie.
Next one.
Do you guys have favorite songs together?
I mean, I would, if I were to do it for you, I'd do Stacy or Rico.
Gotta be more.
True.
You know, or like Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand.
We got her Selena.
Or Selena.
We could do a wall.
Listen.
So yeah, it would be cute if you opened it.
You'd be like, aw.
Yeah.
And then you'd put it in your closet to collect dust.
No.
I would display it for all the people that don't come over.
I'm not getting you anything this year.
Yes.
Okay.
It's a long distance friendship lamp.
And it literally says you can text anytime of the day.
And that's great.
Yeah.
But how fun is it to look over and see the light like going really bright, which means
your friend who lives away from you tapped it because they're thinking of you.
And you know at that moment, your friend is thinking of you.
I've seen these.
Yeah.
I've seen these.
Yeah.
So like your friend, like I'm just thinking of Pat who's always on a cruise.
I never seen him.
Like if I looked over and my lamp was beaming, I'd be like, aw, thanks Pat.
My friends would be like, I am parenting children.
Leave me alone.
No, I don't want that, Pat.
I don't want that lamp at all for Christmas.
He doesn't have service.
That lamp would be dead.
He's on a boat.
He's in the sea.
Last one.
Victoria, this one's a good one for you guys.
It's called a homesick scented candle.
Now it sounds weird, but it's you get your friend a candle from the state where you met
or the state that means a lot to you or the town, anything.
And every time you light it, you think of your friend because that friend gave you,
I don't know, a Texas candle.
So Colleen Victoria's best friend would be like, oh, she listened to Texas, right?
Colleen and Tessa live in Texas.
Yeah.
So both of my best friends moved Texas.
So get them both a candle or they can get you a candle.
Texas, Texas.
Every time you light it, you think of your best friends.
No, I would get them Pennsylvania.
Right.
Yeah.
And have it smell like Eagle spirit and beer and Delco.
But I thought I like any sort of gifts that make you think of the person when you're
using them or looking at them.
I thought those were good.
I agree.
These are five gifts to give yourself that no one's going to buy for you.
I do.
I do it every year.
Yeah.
Do you?
All year long.
Every day.
Yeah.
It's amazing.
Number one, silk pillowcase.
Is that for your hair?
It's for your hair and your face.
Oh.
Wrinkles.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
Did your head slip off the pillow?
I don't love a silk pillowcase for that reason.
I slip and slide all night long.
I'd have to try it out.
I've heard about it though.
I hear it's a thing.
It's beneficial for the breakage of hair or the slowdown of wrinkles.
Sure.
We'll see.
I don't know.
Maybe we should try it.
But it's something that nobody's going to buy you.
Well, I get rid of this 11 line I have between my eyes.
No.
Your therapist will help with that.
I don't think she will.
Next one.
New sneakers.
Buy yourself new sneakers for the new year.
No one's going to buy them for you.
I did send Andrew three links and he said I don't want to buy you secrets for Christmas.
And I said, I need them.
I guess I'm going to have to buy them for myself.
Andrew, this is the moment.
This is the moment.
This is the time.
When all my dreaming scheming and dream become mine.
No.
No, OK.
No.
OK.
Moving on.
I don't know why I stopped working in theater to put sneakers on and run away from what just
happened.
But then you're going to be so excited when you come home to those new sheets you bought
yourself.
Because everybody needs a new pair of sheets, like a good pair.
Not the ones that are on sale for 16.99 at the Tarjai.
All right.
Yeah.
Get yourself a good pair of sheets.
I personally have discovered bamboo sheets.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, yeah.
OK.
I love them.
They keep you cool and they are so comfortable.
Go get yourself a pair.
But they're a price.
They're a price?
OK.
They've got a price to it.
That was it.
You can only buy yourself three presents this year.
Sneakers, pillowcase, and sheets.
Basically anything that you know somebody's not going to buy for you.
And it's those staples in your house that you don't think of.
There are also things that are very specific.
I know.
What color sheets do you want and what kind and what kind of silk pillow, silk is silk.
So that's really the only option.
But that's very specific.
So you should be the only one buying those things for yourself.
Unless you send a link of the specific thing to your husband and then they still don't
get them for you.
Yeah.
We'll see.
I'll let you know Christmas morning.
All right.
These next gift guides are for the man in your life or woman or spouse or your partner.
Let's call me a partner.
You did it all.
I know.
I'm so good at this.
You should see me for it.
It's me.
It's gifts.
OK.
I like these because these are sort of fun.
It is a food decision dice.
Shut.
Yeah.
It's a die.
But each side has like Asian food, seafood, American food, Italian food, Mexican.
So anytime that person says, what do you want to eat tonight?
You roll the dice and you have to go.
You have to go buy that.
So I had bought that.
So I love that.
I had bought a coin.
And one side said Gunther's name.
One side said my name.
Who has to make the decision?
That's a good.
That's another good one.
And you just flipped the coin.
It was a more fun person, we would have used it more.
I think I made every decision.
But I like the specific food because sometimes it's that's all you need.
And then you pick the title and you're like, oh, Mexican.
I know exactly where.
What's that meme from my favorite movie?
One of my favorite movies.
I have a few.
Notting Hill.
No.
That's one of my favorite movies.
Oh, my gosh.
Brian Gosling and notebook.
Notebook when he's like, what do you want?
And it's always like when you're asking your wife what they want for dinner, it's like,
tell me what do you want?
What?
What do you want?
It's like that.
All right.
Next one is called the I walk ultra compact power bank.
What is that?
Wait, what is that?
It is the tiniest, tiniest on the go charger.
You plug it in where you would charge your phone and it's like a little box and it's
a phone charger.
So you can be in all the time.
You're powered.
No, it's battery powered.
Okay.
Yeah.
So of course you've got to charge that before you charge your phone.
But hey, guys love gadgets.
It's a very small gadget.
You can be out for hours and be like, oh my gosh, my phone's going to die and it fits
right in your pocket.
It's like very, very tiny.
Some good gift for travel.
I walk ultra compact power bank.
Okay.
This one I love.
And I gave it to Andrew last year for Christmas.
It is the Ember temperature control smart mug.
I have one myself.
It keeps your coffee hot for hours.
Nobody likes to drink half cup of coffee, put it down and then forget about it and then
it's cold.
Yeah.
So this is a warmer.
It keeps your coffee warm.
What I don't like about it is that it's black or white.
So it's not just the thing that the coffee or the mug sits on.
It's the mug itself.
Correct.
So you can't just put a regular mug on like whatever the pizza.
It's a specific mug and it's black and that is it or white and that is it.
But it is so good.
When you wake up in the morning, it is completely charged and you are good for at least three
to four hours of hot coffee.
And then you just charge it again and reuse.
I remember you being unhappy at this gift.
Not happy that she received it.
You loved his so much when you bought him one that he was like, oh light bulb, I will
get you one right back and she was like, can you believe she caught me this mug?
This is so stupid.
Oh yeah, I'm going to sit and warm my coffee.
Oh my gosh.
It's all she talks about.
I use it every day until that I want to use one of my personal mugs because I do love
my mug so much.
Get a temperature control coffee mug.
The Ember is very expensive.
There are a ton of different brands so you don't need to be the best.
Yeah.
Be second best.
Be mediocre.
Be mediocre is fine.
A turntable stand with vinyl records.
It's basically just a record player with records, which I am ahead of the trend because I got
that for Andrew last year and I and we, I mean, yes, we have Alexa, Google, we have a
million things that play music in our house.
It is so fun to put on a record of, I don't know, Adele.
It doesn't have to be the Beatles.
It doesn't have to be old school.
It's, you know, in sync record.
It's so fun.
It just sounds better.
There's something about it.
Putting it on and like having the needle scratch and then again, I don't know.
It's a vibe.
And it's fun to collect.
Like we got, I think I got him five records.
It was like Temptations, Lizzo, Amy Winehouse.
And listen, if you're getting this for your significant other, there is nothing better
than going to a record shop, a legitimate old time record shop in probably a city around
you.
You're going to find some gems in there and it makes such a fun day of like searching
and doing the whole thing.
So you want to do that with Andrew this year for Christmas?
We're just like a love Christmas guru podcast.
I feel like you and Andrew would really enjoy that trip together and I will be at the bar
or at the clothing shop.
The clothing shop.
Yeah.
The clothing shop.
Love a clothing shop.
Last one.
It is a scratch off card with dates, like things to do on a date.
So every time you go on a date, you get a penny, you scratch it off and it gives you an idea
for a date night.
I see.
Not a, not December 3rd.
You mean a date.
What is that?
What is that from?
April 3rd.
Miscontinuality.
April 23rd.
Oh, you need a light jacket.
No, it's not like that.
It is gives you date ideas.
Oh, I was like, that's exactly how she says it.
How rude are you?
Got it.
We're getting better and better as this podcast goes on.
But yeah, I know that every time Andrew looks at me and goes, what do you want to do?
I don't know.
What do you want to do?
Yeah.
Well, now we can roll the dice and it will always land on sushi if I roll it.
And then we can scratch off the card.
And if I don't like the date, we'll scratch off another one.
I don't think it works like that.
However, I think that's a great idea, especially for, well, I guess it goes both ways.
If you're in a new relationship, super fun.
If you're in like you, a relationship you've been with for a very long time.
If you're in a stale relationship, it's fun.
That's what you meant to say.
I'm stale.
But if you've known someone for so long and you're like, wow, we've really done all
the things.
This is a fun way to keep it spontaneous.
And no, just keep it spontaneous.
I think that's really it.
I think it's fun.
Yeah.
I think the best gifts to give anybody and what I think we both have been doing more
often is the gift of doing something, an entertainment or activity.
Like Victoria and I have been giving each other concert tickets or comedy shows or just
something to do because we don't need anything.
We have everything.
Give the gift of a memory.
Give you the gift of time.
She's making fun of it.
I'm being serious.
I'm being dead serious.
Give the gift of time.
Okay.
God damn.
What one year for Christmas you gave me pentatonic tickets?
Pentatonic.
What did I say?
Pentatonic.
I love them.
I swear.
I love pentatonic.
And it was one of the best concerts that I've been to in a really long time.
And it was so fun and it wasn't like a sweater from old Navy that, you know, or whatever.
For Carly's birthday in February, we will talk about this on the podcast because it's
going to be a thing.
We are going to see the Long Island Medium.
And that's number one, something to look forward to, which we talked about in a previous
episode and especially since it's after Christmas and it just keeps it, you know, there's something
to do.
Yeah.
And it's something that we'll remember.
And hopefully she's going to call us out because like all of our dead family members are going
to talk to us.
That's what that's the plan.
But I think those are the best gifts.
And also Carly is someone who goes to all the clothing shops.
So there really is nothing else to buy for her closet.
And Andrew would appreciate one less item to have to put into their walking closet, which
is now not a walking closet.
I love clothes.
I don't know how many ways to say it.
I collect clothes and wear the same sweatshirt and sweatpants every single day.
So it's an issue I have.
But if Victoria gives me more entertainment and activity presents, I'll get to wear said
clothes out.
See it is full circle.
Win-win.
I am just helping the circle of life in the Dykeman house.
Maybe I'll get you a neon sign to remind you.
I forgot what I was saying.
We do have a neon sign.
We bought it.
It was thousands of dollars.
It says see fit.
I'm good for the neon signs.
I also bought you a Dykeman home theater sign because they have this theater.
Yeah, it's in the corner on the floor.
Do you know what?
Many, many years ago, did I give that sign?
I'm just going to, we're going to just put this out there.
Every single year, our mom asks for one thing and every year we don't give it to her.
And maybe this year we will.
She just says, can I, don't get me gifts.
I don't want anything.
I don't need anything.
I need somebody to come over and hang pictures.
I need somebody to come over here and put the wires away from the TV.
I want somebody to clean up, you know.
Can you please do the wire thing?
She's been asking you guys for so long since you moved there and ruined it.
I know.
And I'm tired of hearing about it.
We don't live there anymore.
We don't live there anymore, guys.
But you got a little bit.
But you got out of the house being like, yeah, we'll fix that.
Let's just move out first.
And then you never fixed it.
And she asks for it every year because no one hates anything more than a bunch of wires
coming out of the bottom of your TV.
But those are the kind of gifts that I think are very valuable is the gift of your time
and your, whatever your talent is, really.
But don't ask us for our talents because we don't have the time.
I don't think this episode is helping anyone.
I've just made it more confusing.
Gift giving doesn't have to be hard.
Just make it personal, make it fun.
And literally, if you learn nothing else, don't take the candle or the fuzzy socks from your
attic and give them to anybody.
Spring for the $5 gift card.
Honestly, $5 goes a long way.
And if you don't have that, a handwritten note.
Yes.
Honestly.
A handwritten note on a theme paper doesn't even have to be a store-bought card.
And that will go a long way.
It's been quite a wild couple of years.
And so just telling someone that you see them or you appreciate them and you care about
them is really probably the most priceless gift you could do.
Oh, man, you wrap that up in a bow and you send it on its way.
How?
How am I the single one?
That's really what I want to know.
She just put it in a little package and she put that bow on it.
She sprinkled some sparkles on top so that it gets all over your rug when you open it.
Oh my God.
Have you seen Love, actually?
Yes.
It's one of my favorite movies.
He's buying the jewelry for his mistress.
But he's buying the jewelry and he is just putting all the little, I think he puts a
sprig of herbs in the bag.
Yeah.
I think it's going to be a great Christmas.
Yeah, you're the worst.
Well, all jokes aside, I think all of your five in all different categories options are
really good.
Thank you.
I think they're helpful.
And I think if you are stuck on that one item that you haven't, I don't, have any of
you started Christmas?
Have you started Christmas shopping?
I am done.
Shut up.
I am done.
I'm not doing it this year.
I am.
I'm completely done.
No way.
I usually get it done.
I said this to somebody in class the other day.
I do do get it done.
I said it to Sarah.
I said, I usually get it done super early.
How do you feel that we are now attaching you to do do?
Anyway, keep going.
I usually get it done super early.
And then because of that, shoot myself in the foot because I continue to buy all season
long because I'll go into a store and be like, oh, gosh, that's super cute.
But I had already been finished for weeks.
So I don't know the right way to do it.
But yeah, I'm done.
Are you actually done 100?
100 percent.
But I will continue to buy.
That was my question.
I haven't even started.
I think that's the better way to go because you won't continue to buy throughout the
season unless you have self control, which I don't.
So yeah, I haven't even started, but that's fine.
I'm going to use this list and I'm going to get you everything that you said that you
didn't want on it.
And that's that's what I'm going to do.
So hopefully this helped you out as well.
Remember it is always a good gift to just be kind and to be giving in not just monetary
ways this season and every season.
And you are always fit because it always fits to be real.
And you are always allowed to get your sister a little extra.
No.
For legal reasons, we have to tell you that this podcast is meant for entertainment and
educational purposes only.
We are not healthcare professionals for all of your health, wellness, fitness and self
care needs, please refer to the medical professional in your life, your primary care physician,
your therapist, a certified coach, whoever it may be.
And then let us know what they say because I guarantee we need to know it too.
Okay.
Bye.