Alright boys, breaking down a list for you. I will say I did my due diligence of “crowd sourcing” to make sure these weren’t totally lame. A little bit of everything no matter what he’s into.

1 // Nixon Sentry Watch: $150 I will say, I bought this as a gift for my boyfriends birthday a few years back and he STILL wears it almost everyday. It’s minimal, classy, but still casual enough to go with just about anything. I’m also a huge fan of Nixon in general, so I knew I had to pick out one of their watches.

2 // SOG Twitch ii Knife: $85 (with the wood handle) If there is one thing I’ve learned from dating an “outdoorsman” these last 3+ years, is that he can always use a good knife. So yes, this one took some research and making sure I just wasn’t throwing on a knife that “looked pretty with it’s wooden handle”. This one is legit — I asked. Whether it’s for camping, hiking, tackling industrial to-do lists, or even acting-out wannabe Bear Grylls’ sidekick fantasies, this straight edge, drop point, folding knife is perfect.

3 // Baxter Shave Kit from Ward & Co: $70 When I worked at my old design job, I worked mainly on a women’s skincare line — and I learned along the way, that men do not shop in the same way that women do when it comes to products like this. Women are “goo-hoarders” (i.e. I bet if you looked in your bathroom right now, there are probably 3-4 more bottles of lotion that you do not need) so we’re always apt to try new things, whereas men find a product they like and stick with it. This one is a great one to stick with. Comes with a close-shave formula, after shave balm, and badger hair shave brush.

4 // Skull Candy Aviator Headphones: $119 Music buff in your life? Let him rock out in this stylish pair of musical earmuffs. Compared to the graffiti, neon pink stuff that Skull Candy is usually putting out, these have pretty great reviews, on both style AND sound quality.

5 // Stanley Vacuum Mug: $25 Perfect for all sorts of travel. We have a few around the house and I can confirm that they do indeed keep coffee warm (even when you’re outside for 4+ hours). Pair it with a Snow Peak Titatium Flask perhaps and you two can be camping a la Bailey Irish Cream Coffee in no time. Just make sure you don’t mix gifts 2 and 5 too wildly.

6 // Marled Socks from JCrew: $16.50 Easy gift for this season especially. However, they’re lightweight enough to be worn year round.

7 // Magazine Subscription: $12 — $32.99 Okay, so I know at first this just seems like stocking stuffer idea, but getting an entire subscription to a magazine is A GREAT GIFT. Guys, most subscriptions are CHEAPER than just buying 2 magazines off the shelf. It’s stupid (legitimately unintelligent) to NOT do a subscription. I know most guys won’t take the time to get online and subscribe, so why not do it for him? Tyler and I are lucky that we read the majority of the same magazines (Seattle Met, Dwell etc.) but on occasion he has “his magazines” that I don’t really care for ….and I really do love how his eyes light up when a new issue of Field and Stream comes in. Also, most of these have a “digital” subscription, so if you’re not wanting a bunch of mail, you can get it sent to your email for a kindle or iPad. Here are some links for Dwell, Fast Company, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Men’s Health, Popular Science, Seattle Met, GQ, GOOD, & Popular Mechanics.

8 // Filson Norton Sound Pullover Fleece: $160 Stylish, practical, warm, and well made. Filson is an amazing store (they do have a walk-in store in Sodo in Seattle) that prides itself on great outdoor clothing. Think Carhart meets Pendleton meets Nordstrom. I love more than 80% of the stuff in that store, and although yes it’s on the pricier side, its amazing quality. Treat him to something nice. :)

Like I promised, more goodies regarding the holidays. YAY! So, for the next few weeks I’m going to be sharing a series of gift guides I’ve created for both him, her, pets, & even stocking stuffer ideas. To start it off — a gift guide for that leading lady in your life…or maybe that sister that you just can’t ever seem to shop for. Ranging from smaller gifts to splurges, this hopefully gives you a few ideas!

1 // Madewell Leather Tote:  $168 If you’re anything like me, you like a good leather product and any sort of bag (I constantly tell myself I need LESS bags and/or smaller ones) but I like carrying the whole world with me wherever I go, so I love a good sized tote. And now ever since getting a dog, I find myself also needing a plethora of things for him as well — carrying a leash & poop bags in style? Sure. This one from Madewell is sure to last years.

2 // Clinique Lash Volumizing Mascara: $16 Before you think it’s weird to buy make-up (specifically mascara) for a female in your life, let me introduce you to Clinique’s Lash Volumizing Mascara…just the best stuff ever. And with it being a bit more spendy than your typical drug store find, it makes a great gift. She won’t be mad, I promise.

3 // Sosie Leonce Scarf: $29 If you’re always striking out trying to buy clothing for a gal, try an accessory. Still a great, thoughtful gesture, but not as specific as say a sweater. She’s bound to wear it and if you choose a fabric that’s a bit more versatile, like this one, you can find her wearing it all year.

4 // JCrew Glass Point Earrings: $30 Cute earrings. Reasonably priced. Diamonds are so 2012. Done and done.

5 // Mast Brothers Chocolate: $40-44 for 5 bars  GREAT, and I repeat, GREAT gift for those women in your life that perhaps are the “perimeter gift receivers”…you know, the people in your life that are important, but you don’t want to spend a ton on, especially since you don’t know their personality all that well. Your boyfriend’s sister? Your manager? The lady that walks your dog? Enter Mast Brothers Chocolate. Yes, I know, it’s $40 for the set of 5, but a single chocolate bar goes a long way. Boom, 5 gifts in 1. And they are wrapped in the most well designed, luxurious package and oh, so tasty. Sigh.

6 //  Oh My Deer Print: $12 The thing about us girls is that we love to plaster our walls in pretty things, verses, sayings. Chelsea Petaja is an amazing artist (wife to a phenomenal wedding photography, Tec) and I’m so in love with her prints. This one in particular is my favorite. Give her an 8×10″ framed print!

7 // Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook $16.99 on Amazon For the foodie in your life. Looking for great recipes that aren’t super heavy and can be eaten all year? I LOVE this cookbook. I just gifted it to my sister as well. The recipes are simple, pure, and taste amazing. Note, a lot of these recipes are vegetable-based which isn’t necessarily why I bought it, but I find myself being drawn to meat-based dishes (love savory things) so this forced me to think outside the box. Delish!

8 // Mod Dot iPhone 5 BackUp Battery from Anthropology:  $38 Um, if this isn’t the coolest thing ever, I’m not sure what is. A PORTABLE back-up battery for your iPhone. When juice is running low, just pop this bad boy in, and it can give your phone up to 50% charge like that. When it’s done, plug it in again, and use it over and over. I know when I’m traveling there are times when I just can’t find an outlet, so this would be a great alternative for when I’m in a pinch.

9 // Instagram-Friendly Book from Artifact Uprising: $16.99 for the 5×5″, 4o pages If there’s one thing in this life that I’m full supporter of, it’s capturing, storing, and revisiting memories. Life is so dang short my friends, and we let work, demanding social expectations, and deadlines get the better of us. And that little techy phone you have in your pocket I’m sure gets more attention than anything else, am I right? I know of a ton of people who take millions of photos but never DO anything with them. Artifact Uprising has done an amazing job of getting your photos “off your device and into your life” with very well-designed books & prints. Why not make a book of your most recent trip? Take all those iPhone photos you have of you and your girl, or you and your friends, or you and your parents (you KNOW they would love that) and make something tangible? Best. Gift. Ever.