$500 Christmas Shopping Spree Giveaway! {& 10 of My Favorite Holiday Gift Guides}

So, what would you do with an extra $500 in your holiday shopping budget this month? 

You just may find out when you enter and win the $500 Christmas Shopping Spree giveaway that I am hosting this week with a few of favorite food blogger friends. ;)

That's right, folks. We all pitched in to help make one of your all's Christmas mornings just a little brighter and a tad bit easier on your wallet as well.  

Need a few ideas on what to spend that $500 on should you win?  Well, you are in luck, friends! I gathered up a few of my favorite holiday gift guides to share with you all today... :)

6 Holiday Perfect Cookbook Gift Sets (Updated for 2022)

If you happen to have a foodie, an aspiring home cook or baker, or a wanna be pit master on your gift list this holiday season, you are going to love this collection of 6 Holiday Perfect Cookbook Gift Sets...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

If you happen to have a foodie, an aspiring home cook or baker, or a wanna be pit master on your gift list this holiday season, then you are going to love today's post! 

I polled my food blogger friends to find out what are the must-buy cookbooks this year, and then matched each one up with the perfect gift to ensure that the your gift recipient actually puts that brand new cookbook to good use. 

Because let's face it- oftentimes when you give a cookbook for a gift, it finds it's way onto a shelf in the kitchen and then proceeds to collect dust. 

But pair that cookbook up with a baking pan set or a shiny new slow cooker, and bam! They have a little motivation to actually crack open that cookbook, am I right? ;)

Most of these cookbook gift combos I am sharing with you all today come in at under $40 making them totally budget friendly gift giving ideas, but I included a couple of splurges in this gift guide as well for those of you with more generous gift giving budgets this holiday season.

Whether you have a loved one who is looking to up their pie making game or a friend who is interested in getting in on the Instant Pot craze, I have the perfect holiday cookbook gift set for you... 

10 Gift Ideas for the Avid Hiker

From survival gear to fun keepsakes to unique hiking accessories, you are sure to find the perfect gift for that outdoorsy person on your gift list with these 10 Gift Ideas for the Avid Hiker...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

One of my highlights and biggest personal accomplishments of this past year has been my discovery of hiking and the passion that I have since developed for it. It has not only become a great way for me to reconnect with nature and to be more active, but it has also quickly become a shared passion between my teenage son and I. 

We pick a trail, do a little research ahead of time to see which parts of the trail will definitely be on our agenda, and then head out for a day of exploring and taking in the breathtaking beauty that our home state of West Virginia has to offer.

Now that I have a few hikes under my belt, I think I have a a decent grasp on what that avid hiker on your holiday gift list might want under the tree Christmas morning. ;) From survival gear to fun keepsakes to unique hiking accessories, there is something for the hiker of every level on this list of 10 Gift Ideas for the Avid Hiker...

10 Gift Ideas for the Frequent Flyer

From the organized packer to the techie traveler, you will find a little something for all your favorite jet setters this holiday season with this collection of 10 Gift Ideas for the Frequent Flyer...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

While I am not sure I have earned the title of a jet setter quite yet, I do think I have established a little bit of a frequent flyer status over the past year and a half or so. When you travel by plane, you are faced with some unique challenges and restrictions. 

After a few flights in as many months, you realize that you would like just to streamline everything as much as possible to make getting to your gate and boarded on your flight as quick, painless, and smooth as possible. 

I figured out that I hated juggling a large rolling suitcase through the airport parking lot to the shuttle while also lugging a laptop bag and a tote or purse on one shoulder. I discovered that purchasing a bottle of water once you made it out on the other side of security gets pricey. 

I found out that sitting towards the back of the plane is well, noisy and loud. And I figured out just what I needed to change and bring along with me to avoid all of these inconveniences of flying that I found irritating.

If you happen to already have a frequent flyer on your nice list or have a loved one on your holiday gift list that is planning on embarking on quite a bit of plane travel in the next year, then this list of 10 Gift Ideas for the Frequent Flyer is for you! :) 

You will find a little something for everyone here- the obsessive packers, the frugalistas, the techies, and those frequent flyers who just like to sit back, relax, and enjoy their flight...

15 Foodie Gifts for the Star Wars Fan (Updated for 2023)

Whether you are a huge Star Wars fan yourself or you happen to have one on your holiday gift list this year, you are going to love this collection of 15 Foodie Gifts for the Star Wars Fan...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

Who else is excited as I am for the release of The Last Jedi next month?

Having been born in the late 70's, I grew up watching the Star Wars trilogy. The heroic tales of Princess Leia, Luke, Han Solo, & Chewbacca were intertwined throughout my childhood. 

In the late 90's, the Star Wars trilogy was revisited & remastered and I anxiously awaited the release of each one at the movie theaters. Then in the mid-2000's came the prequels. 

We finally had the back story of Luke & Leia's parents. We found out how Darth Vader came to be. It was revealed just why Obi-Wan & Yoda went into seclusion. And we also got a few things that we didn't bargain for or ask for (ahem.. Jar Jar Binks, lol). 

Fast forward to 2015, and we now have a whole new generation being introduced to the magic of Star Wars. I took my daughter to the theater to see both The Force Awakens & Rogue One, and we are already making plans to see The Last Jedi in a few weeks. 

Whether you are a huge Star Wars fan like myself or you happen to have one on your holiday gift list this year, you are going to love this collection of 15 foodie gifts for the Star Wars fan! 

I mean, what hardcore Star Wars fan & foodie isn't going to love a pair of light saber chopsticks or Death Star shaped waffles?? ;)

15 "Hop"pening Gift Ideas for Craft Beer Lovers (Updated for 2023)

Whether you have a craft beer lover, a home brewer, or a self-proclaimed beer snob on your gift list, they will be sure to appreciate these 15 "Hop"pening Gifts for Craft Beer Lovers...

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**Prices listed for each item listed may vary.

I don't know about you all, but I definitely have a few craft beer lovers on my gift list this holiday season. (I just may be a self-proclaimed beer snob myself. ;) ) 

Whether you have a home brewer you are shopping for or a friend that just has to check in every beer that they drink on the Untappd app, you are definitely going to appreciate the gift guide I have put together & am sharing with you all today.








I scoured Amazon to find the best gift ideas (with free 2-day Prime shipping!) for your brewery touring, hop seeking friend or loved one. Yep, I did all the hard work for you all. 

I only ask that you click on & use the links below to purchase that perfect "hop"pening gift (see what I did there?) that happens to catch your eye below. ;) Yes, they are affiliate links. And yes, I get a small kickback at no extra cost to you. It's a win-win.

6 Hands-On History Museums to Visit in Anderson County, TN

These 6 Hands-On History Museums in Anderson County, Tennessee really bring the history of this southern Appalachian region & its people to life...

This post was created in partnership with Adventure Anderson County. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

The Anderson County area in eastern Tennessee is a region with a rich & diverse local history. From the early days of Appalachian living to the coal mining disasters & wars to it's place in history as one of only 3 secretive & heavily guarded locations of the Manhattan Project during World War II, Anderson County is a history buff's dream come true. Drawing on its role as a pivotal player in the country's & the region's history, this area is home to many amazing museums & historical locations.

During our visit to Tennessee earlier this summer, my family & I got to experience 6 hands-on history museums that really brought the history of Anderson County & its people to life. These museums encouraged its patrons to touch, to explore, to ask questions, & to really immerse themselves in the historical narrative of eastern Tennessee. 

I firmly believe that now more than ever it is important for families to visit places of historical significance and to explore our nation's past & to have these pivotal conversations about where we have been as a country, where we are as a country, & in which direction we would like to head in as a nation now.