I love giving gifts, it’s one of my love languages. I am the kind of person who takes notes when I hear someone mention something they need or want and when November hits – BAM! I am all over the Christmas lists. But let’s be real – some people are just plain hard to shop for. My husband has a hard time thinking of gift ideas so I have to drop loaded questions about things he might need. Here’s my best advice in a handy-dandy gift guide for the farmers and ranchers in your life (male and female) plus a handful of our kid’s fave things!
Gifts for Gals
- A stylish wildrag // Once the winter hits, I’m decked out in all the layers to keep the wind out. I love this teal, tan and black wildrag that could be dressed up for date night of tied up for a cold chore night.
- A cute pair of stud earrings // Black never goes out of style and these look great when your outfit isn’t visible (or you’re wearing chore clothes) but still want just a touch of bling and polish. In the winter, I’m almost always wearing a cute pair of studs to liven up my daily look.
- Sassy socks // Necessary? Yes. Lame? No. Everyone needs socks – warm, athletic, fun – so be that person who buys the necessity that has a touch of fun. I love the Blue Q socks and a good pair of woolies.
- A good, thick hand cream // Chapped and cracked hands are the worst. This is my favorite scent of thick hand cream that keeps my hands from splitting open while also smelling amazing. Bonus – there are candles, body wash and hand soap to match.
- Headphones for running // For those that run year ’round, headphones are vitally important. I’m not an earbud fan but I love headphones that wrap around and stay put. I’ve been using this style for years!
- Warm, sturdy shoes // When it’s not too muddy, these are great shoes for keeping your feet warm but also being stylish with a pair of blue jeans. They come in a wide variety of styles too!
- A fave tv show set // Whether you love comedy, drama or historical fiction – everyone can use a binge session now and again.
- Hot drinks hot, cold drinks cold // In the summer, I’m slurping iced tea and Powerade, in the fall/winter I’m guzzling Earl Grey tea. The constant is that my mug is doing its job in terms of temperature control.
- Tea towels for the farmhouse // Multifunctional in their nature, a good tea towel is sturdy but also has a fun quip or quote.
- An awesomely honest hat // This is a beef-loving household and we rep it whenever we can. I have one of these hats in purple and am buying a yellow one soon!
For this guy, I basically try to give him stuff that he will use every day or would like to have to make his life on the ranch easier.
Gifts for Guys
- Head lamps // I have to admit, although I feel pretty dorky wearing one of these, my husband has me hooked on using them for chores in the dark. A flashlight requires a hand which leaves you with only one hand to carry things. Swallow your pride and thank me later.
- A warm vest // A vest is a great layering tool when you want to be warm but also still be able to use your arms more efficiently than the Michelin man. My husband really likes the Duluth brand and this one is on sale.
- A beard/mustache trimmer // In October, the hubs embraces the scruff and is usually lasts until April. He doesn’t want to join ZZ Top, however, so a beard trimmer is a great way for him to stay polished while keeping warm in the blistering wind.
- Sharp knife with a clip // I got my husband a clip-less knife for Christmas two years ago and he lost it the very next day. So now all his knives have clips to lower the number that he goes through. The nice thing is that this one is very affordable and very sharp.
- Sturdy wool socks // These socks were well-loved in our household for many years. So well-loved, we bought more because the old ones finally got holes in them after many, many years. They come in multiple colors for the color-coordinated fellas in your life.
- Socket set // I’ve heard three jokes in the past day about 9/16 sockets going missing and I personally know that things are always disappearing on our ranch. This socket set will make the most absent-minded farmer (no offense meant!) happy as a lark. Maybe buy two.
- Slicker the better // As a rancher, there are few things I dislike more than being caught out in the rain without a slicker OR a short raincoat that doesn’t cover my legs. I broke down and bought one on of these and can attest that it’s worth its weight in gold. Covers my saddle at rodeos and keeps my legs dry in the mud!
- Drill bit set // Interchangeable drill bits for the power tool lover in your life. All kept in a handy case for safekeeping and transport.
- Not just any shop radio // The long days in the shop during the farming off season can get boring without some tunes. This radio is a double whammy because it runs off of Milwaukee batteries that work with other power tools, but also can be used to charge your phone. My husband actually has this on his wishlist this Christmas.
Bonus: Farm and Ranch Kid Gifts
You’ll notice that “warmth” is a common theme in this gift guide!
- A good book // The NFR is off and running so we’ll be reading our Short Go books quite a bit! Our daughter also loves this series and any book that involves singing.
- Cattle/horse toys // We’re partial to the red cows, as y’all know, but the great things about these is that they come in a variety of breeds and you can score the whole horse rainbow!
- Cute, warm mitttens // If you’re noticing a theme here about staying warm, congratulations! Gloves are so important to keeping kids half-way compliant while outside — if their hands aren’t frozen, they’re more likely to do as they’re told and you’ll delay any whining (in theory). We love the Kinco brand because she can put them on by herself, they’re warm and very sturdy. Buy two pair because… #kids.
- Christmas jams // I may or not have gotten these for my horse and unicorn-loving little cowgirl!
- Farm puzzles // Thankfully, it’s not hard to find farm puzzles these days and our daughter is just getting to the age where she can do the bigger piece puzzles all by herself and she LOVES these googly eye ones. We also have the dinosaur version of it too!
- A “cowmusaki tractor” // We called this little John Deere rig a tractor for a really long time but then our daughter checked cows in a Kawasaki and decided that’s what she wanted to call hers so now she has a “cowmusaki tractor.” You’re welcome for that little laugh. But in all serious, this is a great toy. It keeps her occupied while we are outside so she doesn’t disappear and she can also “help” with chores in it. It has two speeds for all driver skill levels.
- The very best steak rub for the grillmaster // Seriously, this is the best steak rub. We not only put it on steaks and burgers but also on porkchops, green beans, potatoes and more. You’ll love it!
So there you have it – now go forth and shop for functionality (emphasis on the fun)! What are some of your favorite go-to gifts for the favorite farmer or rancher in your life – what did I leave off that needs to be included?
Until next time,
~ Buzzard~
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