There’s nothing like finding the perfect gift for that hard to buy for friend or family member. That brings me to one of my favorite posts of the year; the Holiday Gift Guide 2018. Every year I test products to find gifts I know my family and friends would enjoy. And if they can please my picky family and friends, they’re sure to be a hit with anyone. This year’s Holiday Gift Guide includes goodies for the Cook, for the traveler, for the techie, and for the Person Who Needs To Relax. Any of these gifts are sure to earn you a place on the “Nice List.

Product samples were received. All opinions are our own.

The 2018 Holiday Gift Guide

For The Cook:

1) Crock-Pot® 8-Quart Express Crock XL Multi-Cooker-I’ve had a Crock-Pot for years to help make meal preparation easier on busy days, but the new Crock-Pot Express Crock has taken dinner prep to a whole new level. Not only can a prepare a slow-cooked meal, but I can also pressure cook, brown/sear, sauté, or steam. Better yet, using the pressure cook method I can cook up to 70% faster than traditional methods. That’s certainly a timesaver any time of year! This Crock-Pot is perfect for the days I have to cook for a crowd. It serves up to ten people. Plus, as a person who doesn’t like to do dishes by hand, I love the dishwasher-safe removable non-stick inner pot. With this Crock-Pot, I can cook everything from soups and stews to desserts like my favorite Hot Fudge cake. There’s also one-touch buttons that prepare a variety of dishes ranging from poultry to chili and a delayed start setting so meals will cook evenly while I’m away from home.

The Crockpot 8-Quart Express Crock XL Multicooker retails for $139.99.

2) Raw Spice Bar– If you’re a cook you know the importance of having quality spices in your dishes. But spices can be tricky. You might only need a small amount of an exotic spice or maybe you want to try a new spice. Maybe you’re tired of paying high prices in the supermarket for a small amount of spice that’s lost its fresh taste. If so, Raw Spice Bar is for you. The owners procure high-quality spices, toast and grind them, and ship them while they’re fresh. They’re portioned in quantities that serve 3 to 4 so you have enough for one dish.  Spices are available individually, in a “Spice of the Month” shipment, or in 3 packages of spice shipped on the frequency you desire from once a month to quarterly. You’ll find everything from individual spices like Sumac to spice blends like Mole seasoning.

Individual spices retail for $7.00.

3) Arizona Hot Sauce– I enjoy supporting small businesses whenever I have a change so I was thrilled when I found IndieGoodz.Com. They feature independent brands from across the country, making it easy to shop locally. All of the businesses support individual causes so you’re helping to give back whenever you make a purchase. Arizona Hot Sauce has been in business since 1985 producing southwestern style sauces, hot sauces, BBQ sauces, honey mustard sauces, steak sauces, and other products. The owners are committed to using environmentally friendly business practices and high-quality ingredients. You’ll be able to taste the difference in every bite. Try the hot honey mustard BBQ sauce on grilled chicken. It’s delicious.

The 5 bottle sample pack is $6.95 and the 16 ounces Texas Gunslinger Hot Honey mustard BBQ Sauce is $8.99.

For the Techie:

4) Expression ET-2750 EcoTank– Who doesn’t get tired of having to replace their ink cartridges constantly, especially if you do a lot of printing like I do? The new Epson Expression ET-2750 EcoTank is revolutionary in that it has up to 2 years of ink included in the box. Seriously, there is enough for 5,200 pages. That’s around 30 ink cartridge sets, which adds up to big savings over time. And, it continues to save money because its Energy-Star qualified and has auto two-sided printing. I’m always looking for ways to save on paper and reduce waste. If you like to print items while working on the laptop in another room, this printer is wi-fi enabled. It can also print from tablets and smartphones so you don’t have to carry the clunky DSLR everywhere. One of the best features is the built-in memory card slot so, when you are using the DSLR, you can print borderless photos directly from the computer. Cost effective and convenient. What more can you ask for in a printer?

The Epson EcoTank-All-in-One-Supertank-Printer retails for $299.99.

5) Eve Room Air Quality Monitor– When your family has breathing issues, like asthma, it’s important to know the air quality in your home. It used to be a complicated process, but thanks to the Eve Room Air Quality Monitor, it’s as easy as the touch of a button.  You’ll need an Apple product to get started; either an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with an operating system of 11.4 or later. Simply download the free Eve App and follow the simple instructions to set up your device.  The monitor itself is compact and wireless so it can be placed discreetly in any room. It’s got a long battery life too! One charge will keep the monitor powered for six weeks.  Once it’s installed you’ll be able to check on air quality, temperature, and humidity.  The air quality can be measured room by room. Even better, you can view the past conditions by hours, days, weeks, months, and years to pinpoint triggers or times when air quality is poor.  It can also be controlled remotely through Siri and Apple Watch or monitored on Apple TV.

The Eve Room Air Quality Monitor retails in $99.99.

6) Chamberlain Original Clicker® Universal Garage Door Remote-Having a garage door opener is great until someone misplaces it or you need an extra. That’s where the Chamberlain Universal Garage Door Remote comes in handy. It’s easy to install and works with 90% of all North American garage door openers. It can be programmed to open two garage doors, which works well when your adult children come to visit. They can open their own garage door and yours too! Even better, it has an 800 feet range so you can open the door while you’re driving down the street and pull into the garage immediately. One of my favorite features of this remote is the availability of different colors. You can purchase it in pink, black, blue, or camo. My original garage door opener was black. I could never find it in the dark because one of the kids lost the clip and I had to lay it in my console. Now I’m able to find my blue garage door opener no matter where it gets placed in the car.

The Chamberlain Universal Garage Door Remote retails for $39.99.

For the Traveler:

7) JBL Reflect Mini 2 Headphones– If you enjoy listening to music, books, or podcasts when you’re traveling (or when you’re exercising!) then the JBL Reflect Mini 2 headphones are for you. Weighing in at only 15 grams, or about 1/3 of a pound,  these wireless headphones are designed for comfort. They’re made from lightweight aluminum so they are light but durable.  The flexible silicone ear tips have “Freebit” enhancers that are available in 3 different sizes. You can mix and match to customize your headphones for the perfect fit.  I like the 10 hours of battery life, which is great for long layovers, and the IPX5 waterproof rating. It doesn’t matter if you work up a sweat running across the airport.  The Bluetooth feature keeps you connected, allowing you to make calls and listen to music.  The reflective cable makes it easy to find in my backpack too.

The JBL Reflect MINI 2 Headphones retail for $99.99.

8) Solo NY Elite Backpack– Looking for a lightweight but durable backpack? The Solo NY Elite Backpack is perfect for travel. Weighing in at less than 2 pounds, this stylish pack has a padded interior for laptops up to 17 inches, a pocket for a tablet, and, my favorite, an internal organizer section. I used this backpack as a carryon on my last two flights and it’s easy to carry as I am running across the airport to catch a connecting flight. It fits under the seat and kept all my belongings secure.  It also has a front pocket laundry and shoe compartment so I could pack a change of clothes in case my luggage got lost in transit. Available in two colors, black and red, this sleek and stylish model can be used every day.

The Solo NY Elite Backpack retails for $86.99.

9. The Atlas Obscura Page-A-Day 2019 Calendar: Love being an armchair traveler or discovering new off-the-beaten-path places to travel? This calendar is filled with “365 days of extraordinary destinations, bizarre phenomena, and other hidden wonders.” You’ll find places all over the world that contain the weird, like the World’s Largest Cowboy Boots, standing 40 feet tall in San Antonio Texas, to the Unicorn Cave in Herzberg Am Harz, Germany. Scattered throughout the book are unique foods and beverages found throughout the world, along with wild and wacky festivals, like the Rayne Frog Festival in Rayne, Louisiana. The only thing I wish this calendar had included was pictures for every page. Still, it’s a fascinating read and you’ll be able to astound your friends with tidbits they never knew.

The Atlas Obscura Page-A-Day 2019 Calendar retails for $14.99. Affiliate link is included.

For the Person Who Needs to Relax:

10) The Slumbr Vela Pillow– Getting a good night’s sleep is an important part of staying healthy. Slumbr founders, Michelle and Heather, begin to search for the perfect pillow. Their search took them through hundreds of pillows as they tested for the most comfortable and the best quality. Finally, they developed their own pillow line of six pillows ranging from buckwheat pillows to down alternative to down pillows. You’ll begin by taking the quiz for your perfect pillow match. Last year I received a Lyra latex pillow and after using it exclusively for a year, I can attest to its comfort. I miss it when I travel! This year we received the Vela, a down+feather pillow. The interior of feathers is surrounded by a scrunchable layer of down. I’ve given this one to my son who needed a new pillow and he is enjoying the Vela as much as I enjoy my Lyra. Slumbr also has a 30 moon trial and $5 flat shipping. Get ready for better sleep today.

The Slumbr Vela Pillow retails for $80.00.

11) Lofton Organic Sheet Set from Saatva Dreams. Available in three colors; white, ivory, and grey, and in sizes from twin to California King, is made with a 300 count organic cotton weave that uses long staple cotton for durability. These fair trade certified sheets are more expensive than sheets found in department stores, but they’re specially designed to promote cool, comfortable, breathable sleep. Seriously. Once I discovered the difference between quality sheets and “cheap sheets,” these are all I use. I keep a set on my bed at all times. I really have seen a difference in my sleep patterns since I’m more comfortable.

The Lofton Organic Sheet Set retails from $125 for twin sheet sets to $215 for king sets. An affiliate link is used.

12) Hillhouse Naturals-was created in 1986 on a farm in Western Kentucky. The owners began by selling their products at local markets and eventually expanded their business nationwide. They still use local and natural ingredients whenever possible, even using soy from soybeans grown on their son-in-law’s farm.  Today, they have expanded to include a line of bath and body products, a line of home fragrance products, and Henry’s Favorites, a line of pet products.  Their holiday fragrance products are available in a variety of scents and will make any home smell like Christmas or Thanksgiving. The candles come in lovely glass containers can be added to a tablescape, centerpiece, or mantel display for a touch of festive cheer. I’m partial to the Fir Tree scent and the fresh spruce and orange for Christmas. The Apple Cider Bourbon is perfect for those fall and Thanksgiving celebrations. The Cashmere and Flannel candle has a masculine scent that is a great gift for students living in college dorms to help combat those stinky odors.

The 9.5 ounces two wick candle in mercury glass is $25.95 and the 12 ounces 2 wick candle in color glass is $37.00.

13) Pinhole Press Photo Gifts-Pinhole Press has some of the cutest photo gifts I’ve seen. With selections for the entire family, you can make everything from customized board books for kids to flat photo books for special memories, they’ve got you covered. I made ABC photo books for my grandkid’s and a special memories book for us. The ABC photo books are adorable, allowing me to add special photos for each letter, like R is Rio the dog. This encourages a love of reading and learning. I also loved the convenience and ease of being able to upload everything from the pictures on my computer. Pinhole Press offers more than just books. They have a selection of customized wall decor, memory games, puzzles, and desk and wall calendars. And, don’t forget the cards! You can get thank you notes, baby announcements, holiday cards, and wedding announcements. Their mission is to “share smiles with every photo gift,” and they succeeded with my family.

Board Books for Kids range in price from$19.99 to $39.99.

14) The Naked Bee Gift Set– Another product from IndieGoodz.com, the Naked Bee is produced in Elizabethton, Tennessee. This gift set includes a 2.25 ounces Pomegranate and Honey hand and body lotion and a 1-ounce bottle of Pomegranate and Honey perfume. Made with 70% organic ingredients, all Naked Bee products are Paraben-Free and contain No Propylene Glycol or Mineral Oil, No Dyes or Pigments, and No Laurel or Laureth Sulfate. This retailer supports environmentally friendly business practices and never tests their products on animals. IndieGooz.com offers free shipping on orders of $50 and over and a flat shipping rate of $5 for any order under $50. With their easy return policy and their large selection of products with everything from clothing to pet products, you’ll find it’s easier than ever to shop locally.

The Pomegranate and Honey Naked Bee Gift Set retails for $25.00.

15. Blooming Oasis Teapot-Our family has discovered a secret the British knew long ago; an afternoon tea can be relaxing. When we found TEABLOOM, we realized tea can be a beautiful experience as well. Have you heard of “blooming tea?” This process uses edible dried flowers and high-quality tea leaves, all hand-sewn by the TEABLOOM artisans, to create an experience that delights all five senses. We received the 34 oz. Glass Teapot with Loose-Leaf Tea Infuser designed from hand-blown borosilicate lead-free glass. Even though it has a lovely design, it’s more than a pretty piece to keep in your kitchen. It withstands both boiling water and ice water and is dishwasher, stove top, and microwave safe. If you prefer to use loose leaf tea instead of tea flowers, the teapot contains a glass infuser, perfect for holding the leaves. Two tea flowers are included with the teapot. TEABLOOM also offers a large selection of flowering teas, all of which are free of GMOs, cholesterol, and gluten and are sourced from family-owned farms. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving all year.

The TEABLOOM Oasis Blooming Teapot retails for $24.99/

Do you have a hard to buy for person on your list? What gifts would you enjoy receiving?