Catholic Woman Gift Guide

If you are anything like me, you are already thinking ahead for Christmas, and maybe doing some preparations in advance.  One thing I like to do ahead of time is purchase gifts so I can actually relax and reflect during Advent.  I find the stores to be the most anti-Advent atmosphere around!  I had so much fun putting together a list of 100+ no-toy gift ideas for kids, and  a gift guide for Catholic men, I thought I would whip together a Catholic Woman Gift Guide.

While I’d like to focus on Catholic gifts in this post, I also included some other ideas to help you with the not-so-Catholic people on your list.  Shall we begin?

Catholic Woman Gift Guide

A Touch Catholic…

A Beautiful, Well-made Rosary

We all have those cheap plastic rosaries and they serve their purpose quite nicely.  But, holding a beautiful rosary that can be proudly displayed when not in use might be one of the most perfect gifts for the Catholic woman.  I treasure the I beautiful rosary I received from my sponsor when I joined the Church.  You’ll find tons of rosaries on Amazon in wide price range, but I love the handmade ones found on Etsy.  The handmade option tends to be pricier, but they also are much more beautiful, unique, and special.

Rosary Holder or Hanger

There are so many beautiful options when it comes to storing your rosary.  There are decorative boxes, intricate pouches, and hangers.  If you are handy, scour Pinterest and find some ideas for creating a DIY rosary hanger.  If not, check out Amazon’s supply of rosary storage options!  There are also unique antique and personalized options available on Etsy.

Rosary Abacus

I saw these the other day and fell in love with them!  Aren’t they clever?  I love to say my repititious prayers as I go about my daily chores, and this abacus would be a perfect aid for my prayers.  And it’s beautiful too!

Catholic Inspired Jewelry

Maybe the Catholic lady in your life has a devotion to a particular saint.  What about a saint or Miraculous Medal necklace?  Again, you can find a host of medal necklaces on both Etsy and Amazon.

• Chaplet Bracelets
• Medal Necklaces
• Medal Bracelets
• Crucifix Necklace

Crucifix

Can a Catholic home ever have too many Crucifixes?  I am slowly trying to get one in each room, so I always love receiving one as a gift!

Statues

I’ve enjoyed finding little corners to stick Catholic statues throughout my home.  Start with the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph and then branch out into your other favorite saints.  They always make a great addition to the feast table!

There are some VERY reasonably priced statues on Amazon, but if you want something extra special, consider the vintage statues on Etsy.

Religious Images

Use caution here!  There are cheesy religous prints and then there are beautiful, timeless pieces that any woman would be happy to have in her home.  The icon prints from JuniperPlum (available on Etsy) are ones that I deem gift worthy!

Garden Statuary

I finally got a Mary statue this May for my garden (The one pictured is not the one I have.  It appears the one I have is no longer available!).  Turns out, she is a little small, so she spends a lot of time on our feast table.  Make sure you go big when purchasing a garden statue.  Besides the Blessed Mother, a St. Francis statue makes a great Catholic lawn ornament.

The Magnificat

This is an awesome gift because you can give it every year.  I’m always so happy to have my subscription renewed by my in-laws.  This little book helps us live in rhythm with the liturgy and focuses our prayer time.  It is the perfect devotion when life is just plain crazy.  Plus, I love reading about the highlighted saints!

Catholic Books:  The Bible, Study, and Spirituality

Books, books, books!  Oh, how I love thee!  The RSV New Testament Study Bible is a great purchase if you don’t already have one in your home.  From there, books that make good gifts for the Catholic woman in your life should be catered to the lady you are gifting.  Maybe books on spirituality would be more appreciated than books on apologetics.  It all depends on her personality!  Just don’t make the mistake of gifting a book that you want!

Here are some posts to visit if you need some book ideas:

Bible Study Resources for the Everyday {Catholic} Mom

Busy Mama’s Guide to Catholicism

10 Books that Shaped my Conversion

The Perfect Catholic Planner

You know I love my planner!  If the lady you are gifting is the organized type, a Catholic planner would be perfect for her. And it even comes in a Traditional Latin Mass version and half size too!  Find the one that best suits your Catholic woman’s tastes!

Good Catholic Music

In my opinion, good Catholic music needs to be beautiful and reverent.  I’m not into the music on the local Christian station.  When I can’t tell if the artist is singing about God or their boyfriend, it bothers me.  If you like that kind of music, good for you, but it is definitely not my cup of tea.  Husband and I have struggled to find casual religious music.  Here are two winners that are produced by Catholic artists.

• Collin Raye’s His Love Remains
• Luke Spehar (every CD is a winner and we own them all!)

Religious Order Products

So many religious orders produce stellar products to help support themselves.  Most of these products make the perfect gift!  There is such a variety, you are sure to find something for any man, woman, or child on your list!  Here are a couple of roundups of various religious orders that sell products.

• List of Religious Order products from A Nun’s Life
• Product List from Crunchy Cradle Catholic

I have given gifts from several religious orders with always great results!

Catholic Courses

Along the lines of learning about the faith, there are lots of good courses available online for the Catholic who wants to go even deeper.  Following are several I found using Google, although I can’t vouch for either of them.  It is definitely something to look into further if you think your Catholic giftee would like them!

• My Catholic Faith Delivered
• St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
• The Avila Institute (I have heard great things about this one!)

Catholic Conferences

If your budget and season of life allows, a Catholic conference can be a real boost of faith.  Husband and I have so enjoyed watching the Steubenville Conference talks available on Youtube, and would love to make it there someday.  Together we have attended the Christ Our Life Conference in Des Moines, which is also a great conference if you are in the Midwest.  Google your area and “Catholic Conference” if you aren’t aware of any.

DIY Retreat Day

If a conference isn’t in the budget or schedule, the Catholic lady in your life can still benefit from a day or hour away to pray and discern.  Make up a “coupon” of sorts and a retreat bag to gift them.  The retreat bag might contain a Bible, notebook, pens, rosary, other spiritual reading, snacks, and water bottle.  Volunteer to watch their kids and encourage your giftee to go to a local park or church and not come back until they are good and ready.  If you want to be more fancy, gift them an overnight at a monastery.   The best part about this gift is the price tag – FREE!

For the Homeschooling Mama…

Books on Homeschooling, Raising Godly Children, and Having a Godly Home..

While I love books, I try to be discerning in the books I keep around our home.  I only keep books that I will read over and over again.  Here are my favorite books on Catholic homeschooling and topics that seem to be of interest to the Catholic homeschooling mother.  I can recommend these with my whole heart!  They have earned their permanent spot on my bookshelf with good reason!

Need more book ideas?  Check out my Busy Mama’s Guide to Catholic Homeschooling for more resources that might make the perfect gift!

School Bell

This may sound silly, but having a school bell helps mama feel all official as the educator of her children.  It is also a gift the kids will love!  My children LOVE to ring my bell when school begins.  You can check out the supply on Amazon, but I encourage you to go with the beautiful antique bells on Etsy.  They have so much more character, are well made,  and are quite reasonably priced.

A House Cleaning

This gets pricey, but most homeschooling mamas I know would love to have a professional house cleaning (myself included).  I think this would be a great gift for a husband to give to his wife if it is in the budget.

If a professional cleaning job is not in your budget, plan on doing the house cleaning yourself!

Time alone…

The best thing about homeschooling is spending time together as a family.  The worst thing about homeschooling is spending every minute of every day together.  Offer to take the kids for a day (or more!).  The cost of this one is FREE!

For the Trendy Mama…

A Fix…Stitch Fix that is!

Does your lady like to be well dressed, but she rarely has the time or inclination to go shopping?  Or maybe you would love to give her something to wear but just don’t trust yourself to pick something out.  Wrap up gift card to try out StitchFix, an online styling and buying program that ships clothes (specifically chosen for you) straight to your door!

As a frugal minded gal, I shied away from Stitch Fix for a long time.  However, I’ve found the time I have to browse the clearance and thrift racks has greatly decreased and after several years of neglect, my wardrobe was in real need of revamping.  Stitch Fix has helped me clear my closet of things I like just so-so and helped me streamline my wardrobe with well-made, well chosen pieces.  It has been a win-win!  You can even tailor your “fix” to your budget by scheduling “fixes” less frequently and asking for lower priced items!  (Here is a more detailed post about my Stitch Fix experience.)

The Trendy Diaper Bag/Purse

I have a leather bag that is almost identical to the one pictured above (mine no longer seems to be available).  I LOVE my big ole bag and so will the lady in your life.  I can get so much in this bag (diapers, wipes, change of clothes, water bottles, toys, wallet, etc.) that it functions as a perfect diaper bag, yet, I get compliments on it wherever I go!  A purse organizer is also a perfect tag-along gift – I love mine!

Several things to look for when shopping for a bag.

• Go big (make sure there is room for all the stuff she totes around!)
• Wide base (this prevents it from toppling over when you set it down)
• Lots of pockets (keeps all that schtuff organized!)
• The right kind of handles (This is a personal preference.  I like to be able to sling mine over my shoulder.)
• Buy up and get real leather (A well-made, classic, leather bag will serve you for years to come!)
• Get a purse organizer!  (I love to grab my purse organizer and quickly switch bags if I need to.  I can quickly throw all the essentials in a backpack if we are going hiking without unpacking my whole bag!)

For the Fit Mama…

I shared with you a while ago why I threw away all my fitness DVDs.  Since then I’ve been on a quest to find some more modest workout resources.  Here are a few that I’ve been enjoying.  I think the fitness/health minded lady in your life will like them too!

Ballet Beautiful

I finally bit the bullet and got a Ballet Beautiful DVD after many readers had encouraged me to give it a try.  The Verdict:  Perfect!  I haven’t been super disciplined about using it, but I have already seen an immediate improvement in my posture.  Even though I have exercised fairly consistently my entire life, I really struggled to complete the workout.  The instructor, Mary Helen Bowers, while still in tightly fitted clothes is in full leotard.

Fit2B membership

Another awesome option for your modestly fit lady is a membership to Fit2B.  This business is catered toward moms with focus on the diastisis recti (an abdominal condition that often manifests in women, especially those with multiple births).  It is also family friendly.  You don’t have to watch scantily clad ladies jump around in their bikinis!

What would you add to the Catholic Woman’s Gift Guide?

(Some of the above links may be affiliate links!)

Other posts you may like:

Gift Guide for your {Catholic} Man

100+ Ideas for a No-Toy Christmas

Busy Mama’s Guide to Self Education:  Catholicism

10 Books that Shaped my Conversion