The Holidays are typically a time of gifting and no matter what your style of gifting is, I can guarantee you want it to matter to the person or people you’re giving it to! For me, I’ve always thought some of the best gifts are those that enable us to be better - whether that be in line with a long time goal, New Years resolution or something in between. This year, I wanted to round up a few gifts (to give or receive) that can help someone smash their goals or realize their passions!

One - Rosetta Stone/ DuoLingo

If you or someone if your life has been meaning to learn a new language - or even brush up on one they learned in high school - this is the perfect gift to get them on their way! Learning language is a pretty common resolution for folxs this time of year and is perfect to help create connections across language, build skills & be a better human!

Two - ClassPass

I offer this suggestion with a caveat - DO NOT, under ANY circumstance offer this gift to someone who you are doing so out of “concern for their health” or thinking they need to “lose/gain/modify” their bodies. This is a gift for someone who loves sports - has been dying to learn a new athletic skill like Yoga or Barre - or who wants to try a little bit of everything while they get moving or those who travel often and like trying out local studios. ClassPass is seriously so fun and every single person I know using it has nothing but amazing things to say about it!

Three - AncestryDNA

As someone super interested in my own family history - half of which was such a mystery due to hush-hush mindsets & family passing young - this has been one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given. Previous to taking my DNA test I had done lots of research into my family tree and got back almost 10 generations to Russia so was super excited to have all the things confirmed - like how Russian and German we are! Well, I actually found out we are only a small percentage Russian but predominantly Irish, French and English! I think for someone interested in learning more about who they are, where they come from- this is a wonderful gift! That being said, this does have the ability to bring up some tricky things if a family hasn’t been honest so be prepared for that!

Four - AirBnB or Travel Gift Cards/Certificates

Got a jet setter? A loved one soon to be studying abroad or super interested on hitting the open road? Gift cards to flights, Airbnb or hotels are a surefire way to support them in all their travels this coming year! I specifically love using AirBnB for travel since it lets me meet locals, get tips on local place, activities & events and helps support families (typically) in producing some side income!

Five - The Financial Gym / Financial Coaching Membership

One of the most common resolutions or goals for people young and old is to save money or at least be better educated on money! The Financial Gym and other financial coaching programs help people learn more about money - how to save it, how to pay off debts, small but important tidbits to give you the confidence only financial security can! Again, this is not something to just get someone - I think anyone can see how rude that could be!

Six - Green Chef, Hello Fresh, etc.

Maybe you or someone in your life is interested in changing things up - learning how to cook or even interested in going vegetarian, vegan or something else! These at-home meal subscription boxes are perfect for either human and are a seriously fun way to try new things at home! Plus, most subscriptions like this typically offer deals like a certain percentage off or even a select dollar amount off making them a particularly affordable and fun gift!

Seven - SkillShare Membership

Whatever the skill, interest or hobby - SkillShare has it! From learning about photography, crafting, history, writing - anything. If you or someone in your life has been itching to find a new hobby or delve into more of their current one, you can gift them something to keep their interest & passion going long past the holiday season! Some personal favorites of mine include social media and photography centered classes or even their calligraphy lessons!

If you’re a fan of the fashion industry, better yet the diversification needing to happen in the industry or use Mega Babe, chances are you probably have heard of Katie Sturino.

Katie is a well known entrepreneur, creator of Mega Babe and an accessible and diverse fashion advocate. I personally stumbled across her through Instagram and have stuck following along with her since. She keeps it real, has precious pups and is a kick ass boss babe- win, win, win.

In her Insta stories a few weeks ago she shared some snippets from a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar. In the screen shot, she captured a quote from the article. When asked why she doesn’t like the word flattering, she responded:

“I don't like the word flattering. I've heard it so many times ("It wasn't very flattering on you"). You hear that a lot, and it's annoying because you're standing there and you love it. And what is flattering, anyway? Flattering, I think, means small, thin. I understand that it is pretty much what people have to cling to and to understand if something looks good or not, but as we go forward, I would like to find other ways we can talk about what we're wearing.”

Cue my mind being blown. I like to think that I’m constantly learning and changing but this concept hit me like a freakin train. Regardless of your size or gender you’ve probably had an exchange with “flattery” - I know I have. From growing up as a chubby girl to being curvy as a woman the “flattery”maneuver worms its way into our lives and minds quite quickly.

This quote here has stopped me in my tracks and made me think of all the times it had been used in that exact scenario- I love something but I see the person I’m shopping with and they look… not pleased? Grossed out? The list goes on but then comes the “Maybe there is something more flattering for you”. It’s like code for body shaming, a reminder your body is seen as less than or that maybe you’re a little naive for thinking someone like you could even try to pull that off. After getting pretty sad in some of my childhood body-shaming trauma I called bullshit on it. Yes- this was a huge part of my childhood and even my adult life but actually having the word to hold on to that’s done so much damage- it felt good. It feels good. In fact, it served as a mental check on how the words and phrases I use towards myself and others matter.

Flattery, like most one-size-fits-all body shaming phrases doesn’t leave many people with much but guilt, shame and all over icky feelings. Like Katie says, the phrase flattering is a way to understand “if something looks good or not” but, as she also mentions, I’ve challenged myself to think and actively change how I talk about what I’m wearing. For example, previously I may have said my jeans looked unflattering on me. In reality- unflattering meant it squeezed on my tummy, stretched tight across my thighs and as always were way too stinkin long for my short legs. Those jeans were not unflattering - they showed my body. Parts of them were not functional or the look I was going for- but why not just say that?

I challenge you to try on some clothes, look at yourself in what you’re wearing or want to wear and get past the bullshit construct of “flattering”. Clothes can be comfy, uncomfy, not practical, super fun, too long, too small, too big, not the color you wanted- but they aren’t unflattering. When you’re done that, I highly recommend checking out the interview and her page- we all needs a few more inspirational women in our lives!

The Gift Guide to Helping Someone Smash Their New Years Resolutions & Life Goals

Mega Babe with Mega Wisdom