Every year, my husband asks me what I want for my birthday or for Christmas. I notice that the older I get, the harder it becomes to put together a fantastical gift wish list because I’m too caught up on the idea that we should be spending money on things we actually need or could make good use of – rather than us spending a bunch of our hard-earned cash on silly gifts (no matter how much I enjoy getting lots of nail polish).
I put a lot of thought into it this year and I think I’ve come up with a pretty good gift guide for those wanting to be a little more responsible with their wish lists… a gift guide for adultier adults.
Quick Links
Robot Floor Cleaner | Proper Knife Set | TV Stand for Married People | Fireproof and Waterproof Lock Box | Wine Decanter | Bath Sheets | Drink Coasters | Instant Pot | Tire Inflator | Hydrating Face Cream
Robot Floor Cleaners
I recognize that automatic or robotic floor cleaners are not cheap. Depending on what brand and model you choose, you could be looking at spending upwards of $200-$1000. But just hear me out. This tops my gift guide for adultier adults because I recognize the insane amount of time and energy I spend every week trying desperately to keep up with the pet hair of 4 cats and a high-shed dog. #NoThanks
It’s an investment, for sure. But just think of the things I could be doing instead of constantly vacuuming and/or mopping my hardwood floors…
- Playing with my 4 cats and dog
- Netflix binging
- Sitting on my patio, drinking tea
- Napping
Ya know… totally responsible stuff.
A Proper Knife Set
Can one ever really own too many knives? Yes, yes they can… when you have bits and pieces of like 5 different knife sets (some of which you didn’t buy yourself and don’t know where they came from). If you’re in your early 30’s like we are, chances are that you’re in the same situation. You have knives. Heck, some of them are even pretty okay. But you don’t really have a complete knife set and you probably fish around a drawer looking for knives that reasonably match when you have company.
TV Stand for Married People
Our TV stand has been the brunt of many a “bachelor furniture” joke in our home. Do you have the stereotypical glass and metal frame TV stand in your living room? It’s okay… we totally don’t judge you for it. I don’t even know where Jeremy got this thing. Like, I’m pretty sure there’s a bachelor furniture store somewhere just full of single guys who need stuff to sit on or put their stuff on.
It’s not even all that practical. It looks dusty in 2.5 seconds, doesn’t really hold anything useful, and it just doesn’t look nice. Imagine if you could replace it with something that actually holds your movie selection, or maybe even your extra game controllers (ya know, for the geeky adults who may be reading). Sounds pretty freaking sweet, right?
We replaced ours this year and sold the old one to bachelor in need. This isn’t the exact one we have, but it fits the bill for a proper TV stand for married people.
Fireproof and Waterproof Lock Box
Okay being really real with you here. If you’re in your 30’s or older, chances are that you have some pretty important paperwork that you need to protect: Birth certificates, social security cards, marriage license, mortgage agreements, etc. It’s no longer enough to put it in a random desk drawer and hope for the best.
Buy a Lockbox that’s both fireproof and waterproof so that you can keep important documents safe and have that peace of mind. Don’t give yourself stress wrinkles over something you can totally control.
Wine Decanter
Did you know that wine is actually really amazing if you oxygenate it properly? Yeah, my mind was totally blown too. Apparently you’re not supposed to open a bottle of wine and then immediately drink it – it’s nowhere near as delicious as it can be after time spent in a wine decanter. Let your wine breathe and you too can sound all hoity toity when you can pick up on and talk about the distinct flavors in your wine. Apparently it tastes of more than just “drunk grapes”.
Bath Sheets
Who are we kidding here? Those towels you bought are cute and maybe they were even really affordable, but how functional are they really? Life’s too short to not be able to properly cover your hoo-hah and your butt simultaneously. Invest in some bath sheets. They are much longer and cover up all your bits. Now you know the secret to being snuggly and comfy after a shower.
Drink Coasters
This isn’t a frat party… Put your drinks on nice, ceramic coasters so that your cold beverage doesn’t leave a yucky ring on your coffee table. You can even buy some totally custom drink coasters that are just as fun are they are functional.
Instant Pot
Because it’s already 6pm, your kids are screaming for dinner, you forgot to take that chicken out of the freezer, plus you’re totally out of the running for Mom of the year if you feed them pizza or fast food one more time this week.
I love this thing. It’s one of the best wedding gifts we received. I use it often because the food tastes like it’s been in a slow cooker all day when it’s really only been about 30 minutes. Buy an Instant Pot and spend less time cooking dinner.
Tire Inflator
Adulting means not getting stranded when your tire is losing air pressure (or having to pay for air at a gas station). Do yourself a favor… buy a Cordless Power Inflator Kit. Especially here in South Carolina where it’s like 80 degrees at noon, and 40 degrees by 10 pm, we need to put more air in our tires to help keep the tire pressure level.
We’re huge Ryobi brand fans in this family. I love them because they mostly use the same battery pack, so no matter what product you buy, it fits! Jeremy and his oldest brother have a whole range of Ryobi brand tools that they borrow back and forth.
Hydrating Skin Products
Girl, you are not getting any younger and it’s time to start getting serious about your skin care. Even if you live in a humid climate like I do, skin hydration is important. Consider investing in a skin hydrating face cream. Some of my favorite ones aren’t even terribly expensive – especially since a little can really go a long way.
If you live in a more dry climate, consider asking for some hydrating face masks as well. They are like a big water bomb for your face.
What’s on your list?
What adultier adult item is on your gift wish list? I’d love to add to my own list, so give me ideas in the comments.

Pin or Pin Not… There is no Try.
Enjoyed this content you did? No use of The Force required… Just click the button below to pin this content so that other Jedis (and Siths too!) can enjoy this blog post as well.
CLICK HERE TO PIN IT