gift guide : DIY shave kit and gift basket for men

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiftOfPhilips #CollectiveBias

It is my personal opinion that men are the hardest to shop for. My husband Mark will always tell me about something he wants but once he opens it on Christmas day, his mind has suddenly changed and he has decided there was something better and newer that he wanted more. I always try to get him to go outside of his comfort zone and try a new style of clothing or add some new colors to his wardrobe (he wears blue and grey all.the.time) but those items always end up getting stuffed in the back of the closet, never to be seen again and all of my money wasted!

This year, I wanted to change it up a bit and pamper him with things that he needs and wants. He has been a HUGE help with Beau and took THE BEST care of me when I was pregnant. Sometimes just saying "thanks" isn't enough so I put together this little gift basket to further illustrate my gratefulness. 

My first thought was to put together a shave kit. I knew it was the best way to pamper him (what new mom or dad wouldn't give for some peace and quiet in the bathroom?) and a new multigroom tool is the perfect mix of 'must have' and manly technology. Plus, it's the only way to put his best face forward this holiday season especially with the added responsibility and time-commitment of being a dad. Mark grew a beard after we got married and he has only been clean shaven a handful of times since then. A tiny bit of scruff has become his 'look', so the Philips Norelco multigroom 3100 all-in-one trimmer with 5 attachments was the obvious choice to start the shave kit. (It didn't break the bank, either! Just $18!)

From there, I added a touch of smell-good with humor mixed in with the 'swagger' scented body wash. Mark goes through loofahs like no one's business so this green one with a manly elastic band looked like something he would like (and need!) A little bit of gum for an emergency breath freshener and the ever-essential antibacterial hand wash were thrown in for good measure. A favorite hand towel finished off the shave kit!

To go a step further and really amp-up the gift-giving, I wanted to add in a few other 'thrills' for Mark's gift basket. I thought of this sort of as a stocking so I stuffed it with things he loves and things he needs. 

I picked up some fun boxers in different colors (the boy won't buy his own underwear. There's no telling how old some of it is!) as well as a pack of 3 nice pairs of dress socks. A tide-to-go pen is a new essential around here with all of the baby juices we see so I made sure to add that in as well. Mark is a big fan of chocolate covered almonds so I picked up a delicious looking bag of them as well as our FAVORITE (seriously, they're the best) gummy bears at Sprouts to round out the gift basket. 

It's nothing big but in our new life, it's the little things that matter. I think Mark will get a kick out of this shave kit and gift basket under the tree and I am happy knowing that none of it will end up in the back of the closet!

Unless otherwise mentioned, I picked up these items at our brand new WalMart down the street. 

If you're interested, I think the multigroom makes a GREAT gift and you can find it in the Health and Beauty area of WalMart. Mine was on the aisle with the razors and other shaving items. 

Better hurry, only 16 days until Christmas! Happy gifting!