Ep 14: The IBD Mom Gift Guide for This Holiday Season
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What’s on your wish list this holiday season?
Do you even have a wish list yet?
Or is it more of the same this year—find out what your kids want, find out what your spouse wants, find out what your parents, grandparents, cousins, friends, neighbors and co-workers want—and oh, it’s December 23rd, what about me?
2020 has been a rough year, dear one. You deserve pampering just as much as everyone else.
And since we know that time is never on our side, I’ve curated the whole holiday wish list for you. I’ve got 23 “must have” holiday presents for you to choose from. And yes, you can ask for all 23 if you want!
In this episode, we’re taking a giant leap into the holidays. It’s just the inspiration you need to help remind you that the holidays are about you too..
We’re talking about:
- Gifts that pamper, relax, and rejuvenate
- Gifts created with gut health in mind, but still give you what you want without compromising the fun of the holidays
- Splurge gifts every mom deserves
And so much more!
After the episode, your holiday list will be complete. No need to put yourself last this year. YOU—DONE. Now all you need is a clever way to slip the list to your partner!
Episode at a Glance:
- [04:32] Get your hands on my complete IBD Mom Gift Guide with 23 “must have” wish list items for this holiday season
- [05:03] Two amazing holiday gifts that will pamper your mind and your body and help you rejuvenate your soul
- [09:22] Gut friendly goodness that’s good enough eat this holiday season and year-round
- [17:42] A selection of gift ideas the whole family will enjoy
- [22:10] Your worth a splurge! Hot gifts that bring out the ultimate in IBD decadence
- [27:58] Healthy gifts that are full of year-round fun and function for helping your Crohn’s or colitis
- [33:05] It’s time to Do it Like a Mom– do the holidays like only an IBD mom can
- [35:07] The best way to take your IBD healing journey to the next level.
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Mentioned in This Episode:
Get my free IBD Mom Gift Guide for the 2020 Holiday Season
Links for More Information:
The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Yogurt on IBD
Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency with UV Light
Far-Infrared Therapy for Autoimmune Disorders
Enhancing Indoor Air Quality with Air Filters
The Effects of Adaptogens on the CNS
How Can Reusable Produce Bags Help the Environment?
Episode Transcript:
[Music]INTRO: You are listening to The Cheeky Podcast for Moms with IBD, a safe space for moms with Crohn’s and colitis, connect, explore powerful tools for healing and transform our lives to thrive in motherhood and in life. I’m your host, Karyn Haley, IBD health coach, integrative wellness enthusiast, and mom to three outstanding kids. After having Crohn’s disease for 30 years and working as a health advocate exclusively with IBD clients for the last 10 years, I know it’s time to bring the types of candid conversations I have with my clients out into the open. It’s our time to go on an IBD healing journey and do it like only a mom can. Let’s do this.
[music]Welcome to the podcast my friend, I’m your host Karyn Haley and it’s time for The Cheeky Podcast for Moms with IBD.
[01:01] The holidays are upon us dear one. Did you think they’d ever arrive this year? In some ways, it seems like it was just March and I blinked out of a sweat pant induced coma and now it’s December and in other ways, it feels like March and the beginning of Coronavirus’ lockdowns in my area of the world happened 5 years ago. In any case, the holidays are here, time for decorating, gift giving, enjoying as much good cheer as you can muster, eating festive holiday food (gut friendly holiday food of course)… we all know the December drill. The holidays are about giving, but today, just for today, I’m going to ask you to think about you. Yes, you, you, you. Who deserves spectacular presents more than you?
OK, maybe a few people, but you rock mama. You’ve been through a lot this year, and before you get busy with what Santa is bringing for the kiddos, holiday cards sent to loved ones, and figuring out just how your socially distant and virtual family gatherings will work for your family this year, I want you to take a moment with me today and fantasize about just what might be in your stocking this holiday season.
It’s time to put YOU first mama!
As moms, we’re always last on the list to figure out what we want this special time of year, but today, I’m hoping I’ll get those wheels turning just for you mama. Take just a few minutes and allow me to make it as easier than ever to figure out what you want to be gifted this holiday with my IBD Mom Gift Guide to the 2020 Holiday Season. I’ve scoured the internet, scoured my cabinets for my favorite things, asked other IBD mom friends what they can’t live without and came up with a list of 23 gift items to pick from and put on your holiday list. You don’t even have to worry that you don’t have the time to think about what you want because I’ve got you covered. This list of 23 IBD mom holiday must have’s is broken up into 5 categories: Products that Pamper, Gut Friendly Gifts You’ll Love, Gifts for the Whole Family (see, we can at least give them a moment’s thought), Gifts Worth the Splurge, and Health and Wellness Presents.
In the interest of time, ‘cause describing just how wonderful each and every one of the gifts is, it would keep you here too long on a day when I’m sure you busy rushing in the holiday hustle and bustle, today on the podcast, I’ll be sharing my top 11 favorites. If you want to find out about the rest and get my complete IBD Mom Gift Guide to the 2020 Holiday Season, you can find it in the show notes or by going to karynhaley.com/gifts. That’s k-a-r-y-n-h-a-l-e-y.com/gifts
Are you ready to find out about some absolutely life changing fabulous gifts selected with you in mind mama?
Let’s dive in.
Products That Pamper
[05:03] First up is the category: Products that Pamper. I’ll be sharing two gifts in this category.
One of the best ways to pamper your mind and your body is by taking a relaxing, soothing bath. There’s nothing like a bath to calm your mind and help ease any aches and pains in your belly and other parts of your body. It’s a de-stress paradise. Now, baths are great all by themselves, but when you add just a couple pampering products to your bath, you take it to the experience to the next level.
IBD Mom Gift # 1
How about a bamboo bath caddy to house your essential de-stressors like candles, a book, maybe a kindle, a magazine, a luffa or a bath sponge, a cup of tea or a glass of wine. A bath caddy sits right over top your bath and puts everything you might need for the ultimate pampering bath, right at your fingertips. My hubby gave me my bath caddy for my last birthday and I now, I won’t take a bath without it. I’m addicted and you will be too. Depending on the bath caddy, you can expect to pay $30-60. I searched the internet and found a great deal for a gorgeous bamboo bath caddy from Wayfair. At the time of this recording, it’s on sale for $25.95. There’s a direct link to the caddy in your complete 2020 gift guide so go check it out there.
IBD Mom Gift # 2
Now, no ultimate pampering bath is complete without bath balms. Bath balms incite the senses with the way they fizz up and melt into the hot water, if you pick a good quality balm, they smell lovely and feel silky and smooth on your skin. Of course, many bath balms are filled with dyes, chemicals, and harsh perfumes. You know I would never recommend that to you. A while back, I was looking for welcome gifts to send to a new client I was working with and I came across this awesome set of organic bath balms made with essential oils, shea butter, coconut oil, and grapeseed oil. I knew if I was going to send it to someone, I had to try it out first (of course, right? Just doing my due diligence) so I bought the balms with a healthy dose of skepticism since I knew that not all products live up to the hype.
Well, these organic bath balms did more than deliver. They were pleasant smelling without being overpowering, they were silky without making my skin feel slimy—in fact—my skin felt smooth for the rest of the day after using these. I loved these bath balms so much and felt confident enough with the ingredients that I even let my 10-year-old use them in the bath. With bright, colorful swirls all over the balms, they were a hit with the kid set too. You’re going to love these organic, hand-made bath balms too. You can get them right at Amazon (easy peasy). When I looked over the weekend, six bath balms were only $11.99. With scents like Rainforest, Summer Dream, and Good Night… you are going to be hooked on these too. They’re the perfect gift from your kids or your spouse this holiday season. The link for these bath balms, of course is in your 2020 gift guide.
Gut Friendly Gifts You’ll Love
[09:22] Our next 2020 gift guide category is probably my favorite. It’s the Gut Friendly Gifts You’ll Love category. I’ll be highlighting 3 gifts in this category, but there’s lots more in your complete guide.
IBD Mom Gift # 3
Let’s start with the stuffer every mama will want in her stocking. Hu Chocolate. Have you heard of this company? The Hu in the brand’s name stands for human and that’s a great way to think of these chocolate makers. This company prides themselves on making the highest quality chocolate with the absolute best taste. The easiest way to describe their philosophy is by telling you what’s not in their products. There’s no gluten, no refined sugar, no dairy, no emulsifiers, no soy lecithin (something that’s in most candy bars on the market). It’s just filled with pure, no bull, real ingredients we can all pronounce.
Now, if you are on the SCD or the GAPS diet to help control your IBD, this a probably not the gift for you this holiday season, but make a note because as soon as your up ready, you’re going to want this delicious treat. If you are helping to control your IBD symptoms with a gluten or dairy free diet, even paleo, this is the ultimate treat for your holiday wish list. Although there are many types of chocolate that Hu sells like salty dark chocolate and hazelnut butter, I think my favorite flavor is their cashew butter. It’s rich and creamy and oh so scrumptious. Hu chocolate, the link to the website where you can get more information is in your 2020 gift guide.
IBD Mom Gift # 4
Next up, under the Gut Friendly Gifts category is a cookbook. Danielle Walker’s Eat What You Love: Everyday Comfort Food You Crave: Gluten Free, Dairy Free Recipes Cookbook. Now there’s loads of gut friendly cookbooks I could recommend. I love cookbooks and I have a massive collection of gut friendly options. One day, I’ll do a podcast on all the incredible one’s out there, and when I do, you can be sure that any of Danielle’s cookbooks will be on that list. This year, in the challenging year that has been 2020, there’s no better gut friendly cookbook to jump start your IBD healing than this cookbook with its focus on what we all need right now, comfort food. Even if you’re not a cookbook junkie like me, you’re going to love trying the recipes in this gem of a cookbook. I’ve enjoyed most of them, but if I had to pick a few of my fav’s, I think they would be the Chicken ‘N’ Dumplings Soup, Thai Yellow Curry, Everything Bagels, and Banana Chocolate-Hazelnut French Toast. Mmm, mmm. Who knew you could still eat delectable comfort food like this and heal your gut at the same time? When it came to reviewing this cookbook, Hannah J., a mom in our Gut Love Community told me, and I quote, “this cookbook changed my life.” Put this cookbook on your wish list, you won’t regret it. Links and details for the book are in your 2020 gift guide. Right now, Amazon is selling it for $21.97 (hardcover).
IBD Mom Gift # 5
Finishing up the highlights in our Gut Friendly Gifts You’ll Love category is a tea company like no other. Arbor Teas. If you haven’t incorporated tea into your gut healing plan, what are you waiting for? Tea (warm or cold) is an amazing addition to help when you are in gut healing mode, especially a certain type of teas known as adaptogens. These herbal teas not only taste great, but they have healing properties that can help your gut and other parts of your body. Herbal teas like holy basil, licorice root, peppermint, lemongrass, chaga, chamomile, and dandelion root can be woven in with other herbal blends at Arbor Teas and the result is a soothing, fantastic tasting tea that aids with healing. Arbor tea is all about organic, fair-trade, and flava. Selections of their teas (and they even have sample sizes) are a great addition to your holiday list. Since different teas have different prices, I can’t give you an exact price for the tea on their site, but a quick search of their prices showed teas starting at about 20 cents a cup. Definitely check out their website. Wait until you see how beautiful tea can be. The link for Arbor Teas is in your holiday gift guide or you can search them on the web.
There’s so many other Gut Friendly gifts You’ll Love in my 2020 holiday gift guide. I can’t wait for you to check out this category when you get your holiday gift guide at karynhaley.com/gifts
Gifts for the Whole Family
IBD Mom Gift # 6
[17:42] Moving on to the gift guide category, Gifts for the Whole Family, we have some great options here for when your whole fam deserves the best. Sure, you’ll benefit the most, by why not share the gut love with your family too. The first on my Gifts for the Whole Family category is the Instant Pot. If you haven’t purchased one of these yet, now is the time. There’s sales everywhere you look. I found a great deal on an I.P. at Target—this one has the all important yogurt making feature—regular price $99.99, now on sale for $45.99. Awesome deal right?
Just in case the I.P. is new to you, it’s essentially a pressure cooker with amazing features that allow you to cook flavorful meals (just like you would in your mama’s crockpot), but with the I.P. they cook in about 30 minutes, instead of 6-8 hours in the crockpot. Our family uses our I.P. several times a week for chicken dishes, tacos, soups, hard-boiled eggs, stews, and even gluten free oatmeal. I don’t eat the oatmeal because I’m grain free, but my family does and they rave about it in the Instant Pot.
There’s no better time to buy an I.P.—it’s a gift for the whole family.
IBD Mom Gift # 7
What else can you cook in your I.P.? How about our next Gift for the Whole Family from a company called Butcher Box. This truly is a gift for everyone in your clan and you can definitely cook the meat from Butcher Box in your new I.P. Often times, I work with clients who don’t have access to a quality farm where they can get grass-fed beef, heritage-bred pork, or free range organic chicken. Just a few weeks ago I was talking to my client Cassie. She was trying to find gut healthy, quality sources of protein, but she doesn’t live near a farm where she can buy these things and her nearest health food store is 45 minutes away. I mentioned Butcher Box to Cassie and she went straight to the internet to check them out.
Cassie ordered her first Butcher Box, selecting their mixed box so she could try all the different cuts of meat. Last time we chatted, she told me, “Karyn, my whole family loved all the meat from Butcher Box. My kids said they had the best burgers they’ve ever had before.” That’s awesome. My family has a Butcher Box subscription too and something my hubby loves is their wild-caught salmon. He says it’s the best he’s ever had.
Butcher Box, another gift the whole family will not only enjoy, but benefit from in terms of their health as well. Love it! Butcher Box has different plans depending on what cuts of meat you’re interested in so check their website or your 2020 gift guide for more details.
Holiday Gifts Worth the Splurge
[22:10] Ok, it’s time to get decadent mama. What would you wish for this holiday season if the sky was the limit? What would you splurge for? Now don’t get worried, we’re not talking about a new car of even one of those fancy $10,000 toilet that come with a heated seat, water sprayer, motorized automatic lid, UV light integrated to break down dirt, this one is self-cleaning, and deodorizing… have you seen these? One day, I’m getting one. Doesn’t our IBD bum deserve it? Anyway, I’m not talking splurges like these. I’m talking just a little over the types of gifts we’ve been chatting about so far and here’s a couple examples to get you thinking about how you can indulge just a bit this holiday season.
IBD Mom Gift # 8
Splurge #1 has to do with green cookware. We all want to cook healthy. We don’t want cookware with chemicals or toxins that leach into our food. Plus, when you’re on a gut healing diet like Paleo, gluten free, SCD, or GAPS, it’s not a good idea to share pots and pans with the rest of your family members. You can only get them so clean. I’ve seen many an IBD mama still have symptoms after continuing to use the same kitchen tools as her non-IBD family members. When it comes to gut healing diets, especially SCD or GAPS, I highly recommend your own cookware.
Over the years, I’ve been through more green cookware than I can count. I’ve bought green pans at target, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Kolh’s… they’ve looked great in the store, but they never last long. Within a month, the “green” coating on the pan starts to chip and I’m back to square one, never saving any money because I’m always buying more pans. About a month ago, I finally decided I was done with this constant revolving door of green pans that don’t work and so this holiday, I did my research and due diligence until I found a green set of cookware I think I’m really going to love. It’s from a company called Caraway. Not only are these pots and pans green and durable, they come in super cute colors. I dare you to not find a color of this brand that matches your kitchen. I’ve done some asking around in the Gut Love Community and found a few of our moms who swear by this company and their cookware. Here’s hoping Santa remembers my Caraway cookware wish this Christmas. Right now, a set of Caraway cookware which includes a frying pan, sauté pan, saucepan, and dutch oven is on sale for $395. Not a bad price for a whole set of cookware. Links for the Caraway cookware sale are in your 2020 gift guide. Remember, that’s the guide with 23 suggestions for holiday gifts that are perfect for you, IBD mama. You can get the guide by going to the show notes, or karynhaley.com/gifts
IBD Mom Gift # 9
What’s another splurge you should ask for? It’s gotta be the smart mug by Ember. A smart mug is a tea or coffee cup that keeps your morning (or afternoon or evening) beverage warm at the temperature of your choosing, for up to 90 minutes, all with the touch of your smart device. Love that! How often has your coffee or tea gotten cold because you had to deal with the kids, or work, or had to go to the bathroom. The Smart Mug alleviates all this trouble. It comes in some really cute colors—I think the copper color is my favorite and right now, it’s on sale at Best Buy for $99.99. That’s a deep discount from the $130 I’ve seen it for before. Definitely a splurge worth asking for.
Gifts with Health and Wellness in Mind
[27:58] It’s time for our last category today, the Health and Wellness category. Our IBD is always with us, even in the holiday season. Why not ask for one of the Health and Wellness gadgets you’ve been hoping for. It’s a treat for your holiday that can help you all year round too.
One of the things IBD doctors usually pay close attention to is our vitamin D levels. It’s definitely a matter of concern since low levels of vitamin D have been linked to everything from colds to cancer. Vitamin D is especially important for IBDer’s because our levels are notoriously low. I even read a recent study with 216 participants with Covid-19, showing that 80% of these cases didn’t have adequate levels of vitamin D in their body. We’ve got to get our vitamin D levels up. I’ve definitely struggled in this area myself. I remember one lab study years ago finding my D level at 7. Just incase you aren’t familiar with number on D levels, you don’t even start to get into normal range until 30, and most functional medicine doctors like it to be more like 45. So 7, that’s drastically low.
IBD Mom Gift # 10
With vitamin D levels being so important, supplementation is something many IBDer’s do. One thing I’ve gotten into lately as well as supplementing is Light Therapy. A Light Therapy Lamp is another way to help increase your vitamin D levels and it can also help with seasonal affective disorder which is a mood disorder that affects many in the winter months when we get less sunlight. I love my Light Therapy Lamp. I use it daily and it has been fantastic for my D levels. Of course, this is one of those gifts you’ll want to check with your doctor about first, but if you get the go ahead from your doc, check out the one I’m sharing in your 2020 gift guide. It’s the same one I have, and the price is right for this holiday season.
IBD Mom Gift # 11
We’ve made it to our last IBD Mom gift suggestion for today and it’s another one for the health and wellness mama in all of us. Our last gift idea is a Far-Infrared Light. Have you heard of the healing benefits of an infrared sauna? They are fantastic to help promote a good night’s sleep, release toxins from your body, improve circulation, relaxation, and lowering inflammation. Ding, ding, ding… lowering inflammation and removing toxins sounds perfect for us IBD mamas doesn’t it?
The unfortunate thing about infrared saunas is their cost—like in the thousands. Definitely another option on my bucket list of “one day.” But while we’re waiting for the infrared sauna, we can still reap it’s benefits with a far-infrared lamp. They’re much more affordable and you can use your lamp to directly target the area where you need it most. I’ve used the very lamp I’m sharing with you in your 2020 gift guide for years and it’s been really helpful for me. Again, since this is in the health and wellness space, you’ll want to check with your doctor first, but if it’s a go, add this one to your Christmas list. It’s a winner.
That’s a wrap on your IBD Mom Gift Guide for the 2020 Holiday Season. Today we focused on 11 of the gifts from the list, but there’s 23 of them waiting for you, all at the click of your mouse. Head on over to karynhaley.com/gifts to get the complete list with links to all the best prices I found as of today. You can also grab that list by going to the show notes.
And now, let’s do it like a mom.
[33:05] This is the most important piece of information I want to leave you with today. No matter what’s on your holiday gift list, make sure you have one. Not just one for the kids, the cousins, your spouse, friends, and parents… Your list! You are deserving too and you don’t need to come last on the list. Mama needs some pampering too. Hopefully, some of the ideas we talked about today will get your gears turning on what’s possible for you. Make those wishes known to your family—drop a little note in your spouse’s hand or leave your holiday list on the refrigerator. And, of course, let me know what you ask for will ya? Email me at hello@karynhaley.com and tell me what’s on your holiday gift list. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Until we chat again, I’m wishing you a cheeky and healthy IBD journey!
[34:30] Thank you so much for joining me today and for listening to today’s episode. When it comes to IBD, I know there’s a lot of resources out there, and I’m truly honored that you chose the Cheeky Podcast to get your IBD information today. If you found this information helpful, please give us a rating and review. It helps other moms find the podcast and see what we’re doing over here to help IBD moms everywhere. And if you feel called feel a call to do it, share this podcast with an IBD mom who you know could really use an uplifting message today, ’cause that’s what we’re all about over here at the Cheeky Podcast.
One last thing, if you’re still with me, and if you are, you’re definitely my kind of gal. We have to get to know each other better. If you’re tired of living on the hamster wheel of IBD with all the ups and downs between flares and remission, if you’re struggling to get control of your abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea and other troubling IBD symptoms, go to my website. It’s karynhaley.com, and my mom had to be just a little bit different, she spelled my name with the Y. So it’s K-A-R-Y-N H-A-L-E-Y.com and schedule your very own free 30-minute IBD root cause trouble-shooting session with me where we discuss the challenges you’ve been having, we set goals to help you move forward, and we talk about how we can work together to help you get your life back. It’s a power packed 30 minutes. You don’t have to live in IBD status quo. There’s so much that can be done to transform your life so you can thrive in motherhood and thrive with IBD. I’ve seen my clients walk this path and it gives me so much joy to take that journey with them.
My entire coaching practice is run online, so you never have to leave your house and you never have to get out of your jammy or yoga pants for us to work together. You know I’m wearing them to. If you’re ready to take your first amazing step towards healing, I’m ready to chat with you. Schedule your free 30-minute IBD root cause trouble shooting sesh today at karynhaley.com. Click on the work with me tab and I’ll see you soon. It’s important to note that the information in this podcast and in this episode is for general information purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The statements made in the Cheeky Podcast for moms with IBD, either by me or my guests, is not intended to diagnose, treat, to cure, or prevent any disease. Before implementing any new treatment protocols, do yourself a favor and consult your physician first.
Thank you so much for listening, for being here, for saving this space for us to spend some time together. Until we chat again, I’m wishing you a cheeky and healthy IBD journey.