I’ve shared my holiday gift guide, but many of you have asked for a gift guide of unusual ideas that aren’t the normal kitchen gear, clothing, and toys. This list of gift ideas is just that… a compilation of unusual and creative ideas that your recipient definitely won’t already have! All of these gifts are practical, healthy, and usable so they won’t sit on a shelf. Give them for a wedding, birthday, or just because. As a bonus, if you live in the same house as your recipient, you can also take advantage of the health benefits of these gifts!
Top Unusual Gift Ideas
These are the gifts I’m giving to the hard-to-shop-for people on my list. I know they don’t already have these and love that they’ll get some health benefits too!
Red Light Therapy
What my mom is getting (hope she doesn’t read this!) this year. Red light therapy or photobiomodulation is shown to improve skin, increase collagen production, and improve mitochondrial function in the body. I use it daily and wanted her to be able to get the benefits too. I use a Joovv Combo light.
A Mini Trampoline
Great for the lymphatic system, as an easy way to exercise, and just plain fun! A mini trampoline (also called a rebounder) will fit in most houses and jumping on it is a great daily practice. A simple and inexpensive mini trampoline is fun for the kid (or kit at heart) on your list… and it’s healthy too!
Acupressure Mat
Your recipient can use this gift at home for a few minutes a day to improve sleep, relieve tension, and increase relaxation. This mat has over 6,000 acupressure points that press against the body to help increase blood flow to muscles in your back and neck. This can help reduce inflammation and pain while releasing endorphins. The neck pillow has 1,782 acupressure points that can reach in between the neck and shoulder, treating tension headaches and neck muscle pain at the source.
A Balance Chair
Have someone on your list who works at a desk for part of the day? Many companies are fine with switching out a chair to a more ergonomic chair even if they won’t go for a standing workstation. This balance chair combines a yoga ball and a rolling chair for a desk chair that engages the core and negates some of the harmful aspects of sitting all the way.
Full Spectrum Sunlight Lamp
For anyone who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder or daytime sleepiness, a sunlight lamp may be the answer. It has a bright full-spectrum bulb that simulates daytime, even indoors and even in the winter. This is the one I use to keep my cortisol levels healthy.
Music That Improves Health
Lately, I’ve also been loving Wholetones and am giving it to several people on my list. It’s music created at certain frequencies that help calm the brain, improve focus, reduce stress, and promote relaxation. I keep it on repeat at our house this time of year, especially their Christmas album!
Trigger Point Massage Tool
A Trigger Point Massage Tool looks like a cane but works for self-massage. It hits hard-to-reach spots and is great for releasing tension in the back. I love to use this while watching a movie (bonus if you’re sitting on the yoga ball chair too!).
Cruzee Bike
This one is only recommended for the 5 and under crowd on your list. It’s a totally new approach to a training bike. No training wheels or pedals here, just an ultra-light bike that teaches balance. Best part? Kids can carry it, put it away, and move it on their own.
The MyoByddy
I got one of these as a gift and it’s one of my favorite things now! It’s basically percussive massage meets myofascial release meets infrared heat. It feels like a mixture of deep tissue massage and fascia massage and I find it so relaxing! I love it so much, I asked for a discount for you guys. You can get $50 off the Myobuddy Pro2 and $100 off the Myobuddy Pro2 + with the code WELLNESSMAMA at this link.
CSA Membership
A great way to support local farms and give the gift of fresh veggies all year. CSA means “Community Supported Agriculture” and it means that the member is essentially sharing in the yield of the farm that year. We’ve been a member of several different CSAs over the years and loved them all. Search here for CSAs in your area to find one near you.
Squatty Potty
What could be better than the gift of good posture on the loo? The Squatty Potty became popular after its appearance on Shark Tank, its many celebrity endorsements, and its famous (and now banned) unicorn poop video. Our family has had them for years. My midwife even recommended them during my last pregnancy for better bathroom posture and to prepare for labor.
Chemex or Mushroom Coffee
I have two rules when it comes to coffee… I don’t drink it every day, and I only drink good coffee. (Except when camping, there’s something about terrible coffee when camping that’s so good!) For me, this means I only drink coffee made in my Chemex. Plus I stick to Four Sigmatic coffee or Purity coffee (use code wellnessmama for 20% off!). The Chemex is a cone-shaped glass pour-over coffee maker that makes amazing coffee without any trace of bitterness or acidity. It’s also beautiful and *almost* makes me want to drink coffee every day!
Probiotics for the Home
Sounds strange, right? Turns out our homes have a microbiome just like our guts, our mouths, and our skin. Many scientists are concerned that we give birth and live in such sterile environments that our gut microbiome can suffer. We can improve our gut bacteria in many ways, but just like I often let my babies play in organic dirt, we can also support our skin and gut microbiome by interacting with probiotics in our environment. There’s also some evidence that these beneficial bacteria can help ward off mold and odors in the home. That’s why I spray my house with a house probiotic called Homebiotic and the super-crunchy person on your list may just love this odd gift too!
A Sauna
This is definitely a gift you would only buy for someone you really really love since it isn’t cheap. There are so many benefits to daily sauna use and an at-home one is the easiest way to accomplish this. We have a two-person Clearlight Sauna and I love it because it’s my “quiet box” where I go to sweat, listen to a podcast, and get a few minutes of me time. If you want something that’s more portable and much cheaper (but still works really well), then a sauna blanket may be the perfect solution. This sauna blanket from Bon Charge is thin enough to store under the bed and has very low EMF emissions.
Puzzle Boxes
These beautiful Japanese puzzle boxes are a unique way for older kids and adults to keep valuable items safe and they’re fun to learn. You can also give them a Money Maze Puzzle Box with cash inside so they can get whatever they want.
Personalized Photo Book
I make a photo book for each of my kids every year with special memories from the past year. They always look forward to their unique memory book! I also try to make one for my parents as well. My favorites are the ones from Mixbooks.
Which of these gifts do you like? What is the most unusual gift you’ve ever gotten?