Buying Christmas Gifts for Myself

This December, I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. I bought Christmas gifts for myself! Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I devoted time to creating a wish list, but I jotted down some ideas and began the search for holiday bargains.

So what did I buy?

A Fitbit Watch

My first purchase was a Fitbit watch. I love to wear watches, and I know my smartphone can tell me what time it is, but I like to look down to see the time without shuffling through my purse or pockets.

For the past fifteen to twenty years (I’ve lost track of time – hahaha), I’ve worn a Timex Expedition. According to my Amazon order history, I purchased that same watch in various colors five times.

But this year, I wanted something that could track my heartbeat, sleep patterns, and encourage me to exercise. I don’t need all of the bells and whistles of an Apple Watch, and quite frankly, I don’t need to feel further connected to the internet than I already am.

So, I bought my Fitbit Sense 2 from Kohl’s for $199.99. I earned $20 cash back using an offer on my Chase Freedom Unlimited card, $60 back in Kohl’s cash, and $2.00 from Rakuten.

It’s way more than I’ve ever spent on a watch, but hopefully, it will nudge me to get off my duff and exercise more often. We’ll see what happens.

Retro Sports Jersey

Next up, a retro sports jersey. 

I know this is going to sound a little crazy, but I really, really, really want to win a prize when I take my kids to the next college basketball game. 

Do you know how arenas offer prizes to fans who dance or show their team pride? My kids and I get all decked out for sporting events, we’ve even made it onto the jumbotron several times, but we’ve never won.

I’m going all out this year with a new jersey, stickers, ribbons, and more. I love to get into the game-day spirit, whether we win or not!

I spent $30, plus the Kohl’s cash I earned from my FitBit watch, to purchase the new gear.

MacBook Pro

I spend a ridiculous amount of time on my computer. I’m always writing, combing through emails, or taking online courses. My husband thought it was time to move up from my tiny but loveable Macbook Air, but I didn’t want to ditch my old one.

I dragged my feet on buying a new computer, but when my old laptop began experiencing issues, I knew it was time.

With my husband’s guidance, I ordered a new MacBook Pro, which I love! The display is much bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than my old machine.

Watercolor Art Kits

When COVID ramped up in 2020, I homeschooled my kids for a year. I dove into reading, writing, and arithmetic but struggled with other classes like music and art. That is until I discovered Let’s Make Art.

Let’s Make Art creates in-depth videos demonstrating fun watercolor techniques. What started as a way to teach the kids about painting turned into a passion for teaching myself to paint!

I’m far from becoming a painter, but I’m having a blast trying to improve my skills. 

I bought three watercolor kits and four watercolor art boxes for $90. One art box is usually $45, so buying that much stuff seems like a good deal.

I’ll have lots of projects to work on and a couple that my youngest, a budding artist, can try out with me. 

Technical Bootcamp

Lastly, I’ve been thinking about returning to work. Of course, that topic requires its own post. I’m still deciding what I want work to look like, but I’ve been dancing around the idea of going into a tech-related position.

I know I don’t want to become a software engineer again, and I’m not sure that I want a career anymore, but I’ve been trying to decipher where my skills lie and how I can earn money and feel happy about a new position.

I signed up for a bootcamp to help me figure it out. The bootcamp is pricey, but in December, they ran an incredible deal that was too hard to pass up. If it’s useless and I hate it, I can cancel and request a refund.

The bootcamp costs $440 for the first month but will rise sharply after that. Will this help me find a job? I’m not sure. I’m looking for ways to refresh my resume after an extended absence, but I don’t know if this is the wisest or most cost-efficient way to do it.

I tried a similar course through Coursera to get a taste of what I might encounter. I completed 95% of the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate coursework in a few days, but I needed to sign up for Coursera Plus to earn a certificate.

I didn’t want to do that yet.

My Christmas List

That’s it for my Christmas list. I didn’t expect to buy anything for myself, but I’m happy I did. Did you create a wish list for yourself? Did you buy yourself anything for the holidays?

6 thoughts on “Buying Christmas Gifts for Myself”

  1. I did have a few things on my wish list this year when I normally don’t. Ear buds so I can finally get with the program lol. I was still using an old Jabra that has a lot of background noise. Then a small backpack to use for when I am out and about with the family. I ordered a fleece jacket as well but didn’t quite fit what I was looking for. I think I might just forget that one.

    As for career – I am in the same boat. I am returning to work as a former Hardware Engineer. I’m thinking some kind of project management position. I think you will be a good Software PM with your background. Being semi-retired, I need something 25-30 hours tops. Good luck in the next phase of your career!

    Reply
    • I bought a small backpack years ago before heading out to a financial conference and I absolutely love it. It’s so easy to grab and go.

      Until reading this comment I hadn’t considered becoming a project manager. I’m PMP certified though. I’ve kept my credentials up to date despite not working for so many years. Let me know what you decide to do. I can use all the advice I can get on this one!

      Reply
  2. I spotted a skirt for 50% off that I’d been wanting for months but didn’t want to pay full price for, and a friend recommended some boots that seemed like boots I could handle. I’m still trying to decide about the boots. We don’t usually do Christmas gifts for the adults, so we got a couple things we’d been wanting on sale and are calling them our gifts 🙂

    I have a wish list of tech stuff but we couldn’t make up our minds so we missed the sales. It’ll wait til next year, I suppose.

    Looking forward to what you decide about work!

    Reply
    • Do you keep an ongoing wishlist of stuff you want or did you happen to stumble upon the skirt you wanted and realize it was on sale?

      The adults in my family don’t purchase gifts either, so I honestly can’t remember the last time I received a Christmas gift. This year I figured why not buy one for myself

      I need to write a post about work, but I feel so lost thinking about it. Maybe writing down my thoughts will help me figure it out.

      Reply
  3. Having a good computer is really key to being productive. I bought a top of the line computer maybe 4 years ago and you don’t realize how over time it’s performance slowly degrades. Bought a new computer this summer and WOW, feels almost life changing.

    Reply

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