My Holiday Gift Guide!
I've selected my favorite zodiac inspired gifts, as well as my go-to wellness, skincare, and fashion products.
I’m straying from my usual teaching content this week to give you my holiday gift guide, full of zodiac inspired gifts, as well as my favorite wellness and lifestyle products. Maybe this gives you ideas for gifts you want to give others for the holidays, or it could just be items that you want to buy for yourself. Everything included on this list are either items I use consistently and love, or things that have been on my mind for a while now.
Creating gift guides and online shoppable content used to play a large role in what I did for work when I was a fashion assistant at Vogue.com in my early 20s. One of my first forays into astrology came when I pitched a zodiac inspired shopping guide, titled “How to Shop in 2018, According to Your Horoscope” which you can still find here. Doing research for that article was a huge catalyst for getting me to explore astrology further, and within a couple of weeks of writing it, I taught myself how to read my birth chart and then started reading the charts of all of my coworkers and friends. Since it’s currently Mercury retrograde, I wanted to return to these past interests, because as much as I love astrology, I also love the areas of fashion, beauty and wellness.
Also, as a reminder, you can always gift a monthly or annual paid subscription to this very newsletter.
My Book: Trust Your Timing
If I’m doing an astrological themed gift guide, I’m including my own book in it. It’s the perfect gift for someone who wants to better understand themselves and identify certain patterns they have when it comes to relationships that they would like to improve upon. The first part of the book goes over a lot of chart basics, like signs/planets/houses/aspects, before it gets into the parts of your chart that pertain to relationships specifically. The books ends with an intro to reading transits and how to time relationship activity for yourself. So great for beginners, but also helpful for intermediate students of astrology. This is also not a book about astrological compatibility, but rather about accepting yourself and using your chart placements to your advantage.
I don’t have these earrings yet, but they’ve been on my list for a while ever since I saw a friend wearing them. I love how one is the moon and the other is the sun.
I have had my Aquarius pendant from Alighieri since 2019 - my old boss gifted me one right before I left to pursue astrology full time. I recently wrote zodiac text for their product too, so if you order a necklace, you will also receive a little card with your purchase where I’ve written the traits associated with that sign.
If you really want to splurge, I am obsessed with these Sleeper cosmic printed pjs. I’ve never seen more beautiful sleepwear. I’ve also given an affordable pj option further down in this guide, but sadly they don’t have this celestial print on them.
I was given this tote bag two years in a row, by two different people, and I’ve kept both. It’s such a fun everyday bag that can fit all of your essentials.
I know I’m receiving this in my stocking this year, because I showed it to my dad and then he told me to promptly forget about it over the next month. It has a wooden stand, so it can sit on your desk, and you can easily eye it and see what phase the moon is in for each day of the month.
I’m recommending this astrology book, because it’s great to read ahead ofNew Year’s. The author gets into health practices that are good for each sign, in case you’re wanting to set a better everyday routine for yourself headed into 2025. It goes way beyond sun sign astrology too, detailing habits you may want to set based on your Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, etc signs. There is also a section in the back on health related transits.
This planner is so good for using astrology to track your days, weeks, and months, It gives aspect and planetary symbols next to each day of the month to show you what’s happening in the sky. For example, it will show you when the moon is conjunct Saturn, or when the sun is trining Jupiter. It also gives the various moon phases, and at the start of each new month it lists out the most significant transits taking place. Can’t recommend this planner enough!
I was gifted this scarf last year, and it’s fun to experiment with different ways of styling it. My go-to way to wear it is with a crewneck sweater, either wrapped around the shoulders or tied around the neck.
I really need to get back into the swing of doing regular breathwork in the morning and at night, because it changes your entire mood and is so calming. My friend, Erika, has an entire membership that you can join where she offers guided meditations, breathwork sessions, healthy recipes and access to live events. If you’re wanting to connect more with your breath and keep anxiety at bay, this is a great place to start.
I’ve tried out many different activewear brands to find the perfect fitting workout set, and I keep coming back to Beyond Yoga. Their jersey is so soft, and you never have to pause a workout to hike up your leggings. That is truly the worst feeling ever.
These are not actual drug mushrooms - I’ve sworn those off for life after a bad experience a few years ago. Alice’s mushroom chocolates have a subtle calming effect, with chocolates for focus and for sleep. I like taking the one for deep sleep right before bed. Plus, it’s super cute Alice in Wonderland type branding. You can use the code ABA15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase.
I do a lot of at home workouts, since it’s more cost effective than going to numerous workout classes in New York City every week. What’s really helped me step up my at home workout game over the past several months is having arm weights. This set comes with bars you can hold and weights you can wrap around your wrists or ankles.
Speaking of at home workouts, I like to do The Sculpt Society. I aim to do about three classes per week, and I only pay $20 a month to have access to their entire library of workouts. You can start off with beginner classes that don’t require equipment and then over time shift into more advanced classes. They also have life stages programs, which are a series of curated workouts that cater to brides-to-be, pregnancy and postnatal, or the various stages of your menstrual cycle.
I was given this journal for my birthday this past year, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it saved me. I have experienced so much anxiety and insomnia throughout 2024, and returning to this journal at the start and end of each day, and writing down what I’m grateful for and the little activities that brought me joy has helped me to put things into perspective. I’ve also given this journal to friends, and they’ve loved it just as much.
And for all of the journaling you might be doing, you will need a pen to go with it. Caran D’Ache recently launched their collection of celestial inspired pens and pencils, andI love the cosmic themed packaging the pen comes in.
To add some calm into your home environment, it’s fun to get a set of essential oils and then mix a few drops of the oil with water in a diffuser. It makes the whole room smell of lavender, eucalyptus, etc. Some of these scents also help to keep bugs away, which is so necessary in New York apartments.
Nothing makes a self care night feel more luxurious than lighting a really nice candle. I was recently gifted this candle in the scent “Canaan” and it smells amazing.
My absolute favorite creative hobby is doing a paint-by-number to split up the workday. I like to paint while listening to a podcast, and it’s so calming to try out all the different colors and have my hands immersed in a project and away from my phone. Brushes are included.
I got a set like this ahead of my wedding, because I didn’t want to carry a huge perfume bottle with me to Italy. I also love Diptyque’s scents, they aren’t too overpowering or sweet. You can get the preselected scents here - my favorites from the pack are Philosykos, Do Son, and Eau des Sens, or there are other options on their site or in store that allow you to select any five scents that you want.
There’s nothing better than a moisturizing lip balm that has a bit of color in it, so you don’t have to resort to lipstick, which tends to dry out my lips. These would make a great stocking stuffer.
I think the best types of beauty items to receive are those which I would never get around to buying myself. I don’t typically go out of my way to buy face masks, but when I’m given them it makes for such a fun self care night. I don’t think you could go wrong giving a set like this.
This is my all time favorite skincare mask. I got a facial done this past spring, and the facialist said you could apply this raw honey as a mask or just do spot treatments with it. My skin has never felt softer and more hydrated than it does in the couple of days after I’ve applied the Manuka. It also helps with inflammation and scarring.
I tried this lipstick shade out as a freebie I got with my Sephora order a few months back, and I was shocked by how flattering the color is. I now wear it all the time. You can apply this lipstick shade during the day, but it also seamlessly transitions to work with more dressed up outfits too.
Pretty much all of my core skincare products (serum, moisturizer, and undereye cream) are from Caudalie, and no this is not sponsored. I think a little set like this is such a good gift, because it allows you to test out different items and receiving three of something feels more special than just getting one.
I like how with oracle cards, all you need is a simple phrase to validate what you’ve been feeling. I love this moon themed deck, since the moon in astrology is all about connecting with your emotions and your intuition.
Journey of Souls by Michael Newton
This is a great book that helps you to shift your perspective and focus on the bigger picture. It offers examples of people who have had past life regressions that have taken them to their life between lives on earth. It’s interesting how so many examples mention choosing your path and the steps you go through before you feel ready to enter a new life again. If you like Brian Weiss books, you’ll like this one too.
A fun gift that you can use to clear out the energy at home. If you know of anyone moving anytime soon, this little set would be great.
My good astrologer friend, Lisa Stardust, created this deck, and on each card is an astrology term, like the houses, signs, aspects, etc, and on the back of the card is the meaning of that term. It’s such a fun way to learn the astrology basics!
This is such a powerful book about accepting yourself as you are, and also being open to connecting with people in your everyday life. It really made me look at the world differently, and it honestly felt like my heart became softer and I developed greater compassion towards people. It also helps with getting over feelings of self doubt and insecurity and facing those fears in your life. A great book to kick off 2025.
I have this tote in the dark olive color, and two of my sisters have since copied me, ordering it for themselves. This is the perfect bag to bring to work or when traveling. It holds my laptop, multiple books, and any other items I may need. Also, olive is such an underrated neutral, and I find that it’s way more versatile than black. This brand also other cute leather goods too.
My husband gifted me this robe for Christmas a few years ago, and I wear it every morning when I get out of the shower. I love the retro floral print, it’s such a pop of color that makes me happy. The robe is also very thick and warm.
This pajama brand is based in Italy, and they have a super cool store in Rome if you’re traveling there anytime soon. The sets come in a variety of colors, and they have shorts and flannel pairs too.
This is another item I use all of the time in my everyday life. Even though it’s not exactly flats weather in December/January, these are my go-to shoes throughout the entire spring and fall. I have never once gotten a blister from them, and I love throwing them on with jeans and a sweater. I have them in navy, but I also think red is a fun color.
You can never go wrong with gifting a pair of cashmere socks. They add a nice touch to winter outfits, and your feet will thank you.
I really love that Rixo star moon blouse! I lucked out and found one in my size on ebay. It's beautiful! You have great taste! 💜
I love the Body Astrology book, it guided me through 2024. By the way, if I can mention something, I love love Wild June, a Washington-based organic skin products company, and their eclipse, luna & solstice soaps, so astrology-themed!
https://wildjuneco.com/collections/soap (in case you want to sneak peek) ✨