I don’t know how this month has flown by so fast, but Black Friday will be here next week!
And if you’re like me, you probably like to skip the frenzy of Black Friday/Cyber Monday and get all your holiday shopping done early.
Well, I’ve got good news: Amazon is already featuring tons of early Black Friday sales online so you can take your time going down your gift-giving list.
Disclosure: If you shop from my article or make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive commissions on some of the products I recommend.
Deals start Thursday, November 20 and will run through Monday, December 1.
But that’s not the only good news. As a longtime Amazon partner, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m giving away TWO $500 Amazon.com gift cards to two lucky winners so you can shop all things Amazon!
Consider this a huge thank you for reading Garden Betty, coming back here over and over, sharing my site with your friends and family, and making it possible for me to bring helpful, original content to you without a paywall or membership.
More details on this giveaway are below. Be sure to scroll all the way down to find out how to enter for your chance to win!
Quick Tip
To see all the current holiday deals, bookmark this page on Amazon, as new deals will continue to go live each day from now through Cyber Monday.
Best early Black Friday garden deals
Worx Electric Leaf Mulcher – If you missed last month’s Amazon Prime Day Deal for my favorite leaf mulcher, it’s back on sale so you can tackle that pile of fall leaves! (Pair it with this collapsible leaf bin, which fits perfectly underneath to collect all your shredded leaves.)
Instant Plant Food – I really like this houseplant fertilizer because it’s easy to store and doesn’t make a drippy mess. All you do is drop a tablet in water, watch it fizz away, and feed your plants!
Arber Organic Insecticide and Fungicide – This is a great non-toxic brand that can help you manage houseplant pests. It works on aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, thrips, and mealybugs. I actually like and use a few of their products, but this set in particular is on sale this week, so grab it!
Back to the Roots Coconut Coir – I make my own seed starting mix and part of the three-ingredient recipe includes peat moss or coco coir. I decided to buy this brick of coir for cost-effectiveness and it expanded to fill a huge tub! It worked well and that initial brick will last me at least three seasons. (You don’t have to expand the full brick at once, by the way; you can simply break off a small amount as needed.)
Wells Lamont HydraHyde Leather Gloves – My favorite gardening gloves are back on sale! They’re extremely sturdy, water-resistant, and comfortable to wear for long periods. (Get the men’s version here, which is also a steal.) Stocking stuffer, anyone?
EGO Power+ Cordless Chainsaw – That Christmas tree isn’t going to cut down itself, right?! 😉 But even if you don’t chop your own tree in the forest, this high-powered electric chainsaw gets rave reviews from my husband, who won’t even go back to a gas-powered chainsaw.
Worx 8-in-1 Aerocart – We’ve had this versatile garden cart for years and it’s a workhorse! It functions as a nice, narrow, and easily maneuverable wheelbarrow, but can also be used as a dolly to move large potted plants, boulders, heavy boxes, or furniture.
Ecowitt Wittboy Pro Weather Station – I love our weather station for monitoring the weather in our yard. If you’ve never owned one, this is a good place to start. You can eventually add other accessories (like this soil moisture meter, which transmits data to the weather station) to get a clearer picture of how your garden responds in different conditions.
Best early Black Friday home deals
Ball EasyCanner Electric Water Bath Canner – I have an older version of this canner and used it soooo much this season! I love that you can plug it in anywhere (so you’re not tied to the stove) and this new version actually has multicooker and steamer functionality, making it more useful.
Goodful Brown Sugar Savers – How have I never heard of these things for keeping brown sugar soft?! I just bought a set of these terra cotta sugar savers; I’ll use one for my brown sugar jar and the other one to help keep fresh-baked bread softer.
FEBU Swedish Dish Cloths – I use these super absorbent sponge cloths all over my house and love how effective and eco-friendly they are. They come in lots of fun prints and colors but personally, I’m partial to the black because it never shows stains. If you prefer solid colors, I also use the Super Scandi brand in gray. I’ve cut both of these dish cloths into smaller pieces for different uses—they’re so versatile.
Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Containers – I replaced all my round and mismatched plastic sets with these glass food containers a few years ago and wish I’d gotten them sooner. They’re conveniently modular for storage, the lids have held up well and I love that they’re interchangeable across containers. (There’s also a BPA-free plastic set if you prefer less weight.)
KitchenAid Pasta Roller Attachment – I just put this on my Christmas list for my husband to get me. 😄 My kids recently started helping me make pasta at home, which they looove. (Here’s an easy step-by-step guide I wrote for making pasta a while back.) I’ve been rolling out dough by hand, but I think my kids will really enjoy taking over that part of the process with this attachment.
FoodSaver Mini Handheld Vacuum Sealer – This cordless vacuum sealer actually came with the FoodSaver unit I own (this one) and I think it’s so useful that I recommend it for anyone who wants to keep food fresher (but may not have space for a full-sized unit).
You can use it to seal special vacuum-seal bags (which is so convenient, since you can get into the bag easily and then just reseal as needed) or marinate meat in minutes using the vacuum-seal containers. My FoodSaver was a game-changer this season as I was up to my ears in food that had to be preserved!
S’well Stainless Steel Salad Bowl – This is my favorite food-to-go container! I bought it last year (not on sale, darn) but it’s worth it even at full price. I like to pack salads to bring in the car with me, and this bowl has a nice big compartment in the bottom for your salad greens, and a smaller compartment on top for toppings and dressing.
S’well Glass Prep Bowls – Little bowls like these are so useful in the kitchen for meal prep or storing leftover fruits and snacks, and I especially like how they come with lids.
Hydro Flask Food Jar – I use the 12-ounce version to pack hot lunches for the kids, and really like the wider shape as it makes it easier for them to scoop out pasta and soup. I personally use the 20- and 28-ounce jars for myself, and they definitely keep hot food hot for several hours. (Pro tip: Fill with hot water first to warm the interior before you put your food in.)
Hydro Flask also makes these kid-friendly 12-ounce jars in fun colors that are taller rather than wider.
Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheets – Nordic Ware makes the best sheet pans because they never warp, even at high temps. I have a variety of sizes in my kitchen but probably use quarter sheets the most, as they make good catch-all platters for marinating meat or taking things off the grill.
Bissell Little Green Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner – This portable carpet cleaner is what allows me to have nice things with kids in the house! If you have rugs, drapes, or upholstered furniture in your home, it’s a must for spot cleaning. Read the reviews; they’re impressive!
Sony Bluetooth Speaker – My go-to portable speaker for road trips or just working in the yard. The waterproofness and dustproofness is essential, and the sound that comes out of it is surprisingly powerful.
Aura Digital Picture Frame – We bought Aura frames many years ago for my parents, my in-laws, and ourselves. They’re such a wonderful way to share family photos (we upload new ones through the Aura app, which then appear on all our frames) and the screen resolution is amazing.
My parents had a cheaper frame from another brand, and the difference in clarity and resolution was night and day. This is the perfect grandparent gift!
Anji Mountain Black Boot Tray – We don’t wear shoes in the house, so I’ve got these stylish boot trays at the front door, back door, and mud room to corral all our shoes. They really help keep all the dirt and mud off our floors!
DryGuy Shoe Dryer – This compact unit quickly dries your boots and shoes to prevent odor and moisture build-up. It’s small enough to stash in a closet or mudroom, and folds away neatly when not in use.
DryGuy Boot and Glove Drying Rack – Love to play outside? This freestanding or wall-mounted rack can dry a combination of boots, shoes, and gloves using radiant heating.
(If your whole family likes to play in the rain or snow, then you might want this larger wall unit, which I own and LOVE. It uses heated or ambient air to dry up to six pairs of shoes, gloves, helmets, jackets, or waders. I have the unit mounted in our garage. It’s an absolutely worthy investment for an outdoor-loving family.)
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights – One of our friends got these permanent “Christmas” lights and hung them on his house earlier this year. (They’re not just for Christmas though!) They look sooo good and now I want them for the side of our house! He changes the colors on his lights depending on the holiday or occasion, which I think is so fun.
More deals I’m loving (or just bought)
Merino Wool Base Layers – I can’t live without my merino layers in winter and have tried just about every brand out there. This was a new one for me and it had a great price point (even before Black Friday), so I bought the matching set a couple months ago and wow, I’m impressed. I got the heavyweight 320g version and it’s so thick, snuggly-soft, and well-made. I might have to buy another set this week! (The men’s set is on sale too.)
Kids’ Merino Wool Base Layers – Most kids’ merino layers are on the lighter end of midweight, which is sometimes not warm enough in our climate. So I was thrilled to find this set of very reasonably priced 260g merino base layers, which my kids have worn since last winter. No complaints about being cold or feeling itchy!
Amallow Grass-Fed Beef Tallow – I’ve been using this whipped tallow for my skin since last winter and love the way it feels and smells. (The orange creamsicle scent is heavenly.) It’s made in the USA from grass-fed beef tallow and organic sweet almond oil.
If you prefer a richer texture, I also use this tallow balm which is not whipped. It’s super velvety, smells divine, and a little goes a long way.
Philips Sonicare Toothbrush Heads – Do you own a Sonicare? I always stock up on replacement brush heads during Black Friday!
Welly Bandage Refill Pack – These are my kids’ favorite bandages but I love them too. We buy a new refill pack every year to restock our first aid kits. You get 200 bandages in assorted designs and sizes in this pack.
Puracy Stain Remover – This is the BEST stain remover I’ve ever used, and it’s saved our laundry the last nine years (since our first baby). It handled all those newborn messes when Tide and Shout sticks failed us, and continues to lift all kinds of stains out of our very active kids’ clothes. Don’t bother with anything else; THIS is the stain remover you want.
Puracy Laundry Detergent – We’re big fans of Puracy around here and also use the enzyme-powered liquid laundry detergent. The pump dispenser is super convenient, but more importantly, this stuff works. We bring home a lot of dirty gear after hiking, backpacking, etc. and this detergent tackles all of that while still being gentle enough for our sweaters and merino wool.
Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablets – We’ve tried a number of non-toxic dishwasher detergents and finally found a winner. We like that Blueland is free of plastics, dyes, scents, and other harsh chemicals, and these tablets are able to clean caked-on food as well as the major supermarket brands.
I’ve never noticed a film on any of our glassware or dishes. (We do use this dishwasher salt as a rinse aid and it gets everything super clean.) Blueland makes good products with clean ingredients. We also use their laundry booster (basically an Oxi Clean alternative) and want to try their multi-surface cleaner next.
SmartGames IQ Puzzles – These travel-sized games are our absolute favorite! This was the first one we bought but I have a few more on order as stocking stuffers. They’re deeply challenging yet entertaining and stimulating enough for our kids, who were 5 and 8 when they started playing with these, and even for my husband and me!
The puzzles are truly for all ages; they start off fairly easy but get progressively harder as you move through the levels. Highly recommend them for everyone!
Wireless Retro Typewriter Keyboard – I just bought this as a Christmas gift for my 9-year-old. She started learning how to type last year and has really enjoyed it, so I got her this keyboard to use with my iPad. I love the fun retro look, which reminds me of the typewriter I learned how to type on when I was in grade school! (Mine never came in cool colors like this though.)
Sony A7 IV Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera – I’m pretty bummed that the Olympus camera I’ve been using for the last 12 years to shoot all the pictures on this blog just stopped working a few weeks ago! (And its age makes it unrepairable, since the parts no longer exist.) So I finally pulled the trigger on this Sony today after a ton of research.
It’s not the newest model but it’s perfect for my needs, and I’m really excited to move to a full-frame camera after years of using the micro four-thirds format.
(Update: The Sony A7 IV just came in the mail and I LOVE IT.)
Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 Zoom Lens – Since I’m switching to a full-frame camera, I have to get all new lenses and this versatile zoom will be part of the quiver. It actually gets just as good (if not better) reviews than the Sony equivalent and is way more affordable too.
Sigma 105mm F2.8 Macro Lens – This is another lens I just bought so I can shoot all those wonderful close-up details of bugs and buds that I love so much!
Samyang 45mm F1.8 Lens – Just a tad wider than a nifty fifty, this compact prime lens is highly rated and said to be sharper than the Sony equivalent. With Black Friday going on, it’s an insanely sweet deal.
Montem Trekking Poles – I’ve owned these hiking poles for a couple years now and am thoroughly impressed with the quality, especially for the price point. (And I’ve previously owned Black Diamond poles.) They’re strong, lightweight, and come in a range of fun colors. I bought the purple ones! (Montem also makes these ultra affordable carbon fiber poles.)
LuminAid Solar String Lights – I love these lights for camping. This version is actually two lights in one: an area light that you can use like a lantern, and a strand of fairy lights (without the annoyingly fragile copper wire) that you can hang to illuminate your campsite.
HotHands Body Warmers – We use the smaller warming packets in our gloves and boots, but I really like these larger packets to put inside vests and jackets. They’re extremely useful for camping (especially to add extra heat in a sleeping bag), taking the dog for a winter walk, snowsports, stadium events, or emergency situations. They also make a lap warmer version!
How to enter my $500 Amazon.com gift card giveaway
This exclusive giveaway for Garden Betty readers is sponsored by @amazoninfluencerprogram. Two US-based winners will be randomly selected on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, and notified by email. Each winner will have 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
To enter this giveaway, you must:
- Comment on this post with what item(s) you’d like to give someone this holiday. (It doesn’t have to be one of my recommendations.)
- Share the post with at least one friend (the more the merrier!).
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Live in the United States.
Good luck to everyone entering and happy holidays!
I’m deeply thankful to you, my community of readers, for making it possible for me to offer these kinds of opportunities.
My daughter needs a new carhart coat. Someone stole hers at work. She works outside!
Oh my, I went crazy checking all these deals out. I added several to my cart. Leather gloves are one thing that I can’t wait to use.
I loved your national park recommendations, so looking into those to give to some friends!
I like the idea of the digital picture frames to be share among family! I also like the idea of an Amazon gift card. 😁
I have always wanted a mulched for my compost materials – would buy the Worx Electric Leaf Mulcher and a photo frame!! Thanks for all you share!
Love these gift ideas! I’m going to buy the SmartGames IQ puzzles for a friend’s daughter!
i would love to gift my mom or sister the Bissell Little Green Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner.
I saw those hand warmers and immediately thought of my brother in law who is always complaining of the cold (even tho he lives in Florida) : ) Wimpy Ha!
What I’d LIKE would be to gift my son with a house. On a practical level, it’s hard, because all us old folks don’t need, and often don’t want, anything. And, except for not being able to afford a house, my son has pretty much all he needs. Looks like books and clothes (plus vinyl music and RPGs for my son) will make up most of my Christmas shopping list.
I would LOVE to surprise my husband with a full frame camera for Christmas!! We bought a cheap starter camera a decade ago because we weren’t sure if it was a hobby we would stick with. He still loves it and an upgrade is long overdue!!!
Great selection of gifts
I’m gonna buy the glass food storage containers and the boot tray
Thank you for sharing
We really love the Merinotech brand and are planning to get more as gifts as well as for ourselves.
I’m getting one of those vehicle plug in fridge/freezer coolers for my husband who just recently began trucking. I know it will come in handy.
if win would buy propane heater
ur site is great, as is a chance to win $500 gc!
oops, forgot-would buy propane heater if win
I’d love to give my mother in law a heating pad, kiddos some toys book and craft supplies and skin care for my oldest, hubby could always use more tools for work oh and a Dutch oven for myself !
If I won a gift card, I would give my husband the warmth of a Merino.tech Merino Wool Base Layer Mens Set – Heavyweight, and, for the family, the Excalibur Electric Food Dehydrator Performance Series 10-Tray.
I would love to be able to gift a KitchenAid mixer to my mom. She loves baking and that would make her life a lot easier!
This Christmas I’d love to gift my family the Body Warmers. We are outdoor enthusiasts and love to gather friends and family around the fire pit! I can see having the body warmers in a large basket for everyone to grab as they head out to the fire.
I definitely will buy the Organic Insecticide for my son. And there are several things that I am interested in. Thank you so much for all you do! I appreciate you.
Oh My Gosh, If money was not an issue, I would gift my Step Daughter the Ball Canner. She has been really wanting to get into canning and I think this is an easy way to “set it and forget it”
I would also gift the boot dryer to My son. His stinky soccer cleats could use a defunktify session on the dryer!
I would really love to purchase the Govee permanent outdoor lights! This would save my husband a lot of stress with having to put up and take down all the different holiday lights each year.
My wife could really use the Worx Leaf Mulcher. She works hard on her garden and composts. This would allow her to speed up her composting. That would make her very happy!!
I am gifting my mother in law a Christmas cactus, poinsettia and waxed Amaryllis bulb.
Hello, Happy Holidays to Everyone!
I would like to gift two Tunnel Arch Trellises to someone special so they can enjoy their beautiful garden this year and enjoy harvesting from their lovely plants draping artfully over their trellises.
I would love to give my mom a new garden cart with a seat! She enjoys gardening and flowers.
This Christmas I am giving Linda Ly The National Parks Cookbook to my camping buddy. So looking forward to cooking with her.
I’d love to pick up those Merino wool base layers for my kids for the winter!
Hey Linda, I plan to buy your Route 66 cookbook as a gift for friends who just spent a month driving it.
After finding the gift recommendations on your last post, Linda, I ordered the Wells Lamont HydraHyde Leather Hybrid Gloves from Amazon for my family members, a gardening friend and, of course, me. Then I purchased the Back to the Roots Organic Coir as another “me” gift. I re-potted several plants today using the Coir (which I hadn’t used before) and found it easy to use.
So…. I’ve already purchased gifts recommended by your gardening list. I appreciate your posts, Linda. I’ve found them to be very helpful with gardening questions/ideas.
Impressive! I got an electric chain saw years ago and, unlike my gas-powered saws, the chain did not stop immediately when I let up on the trigger. Chain saws are dangerous enough without that negative feature! Do contemporary electric chain saws include a break that stops the chain when the trigger is released? A great advantage of electric chain saws, aside from global warming considerations, is that they can be used indoors without producing smokey exhaust. I admit that I never got all my firewood cut to size back in the day. I’m past my chain sawing days, but other readers might appreciate this info. Almost a half-century ago I had a Christmas tree farm, and I always used a simple bow saw to harvest trees. There are lots of uses for a chain saw, e.g., removing branches broken by a load of wet winter snow, or cutting up windfalls for firewood. Even when we lived in Florida, we benefited from a little Jotul cook stove as our winter heat–it got down to as 11° F. while we lived there. I liked heating with home-grown fuel and since we had a gas stove and cooked with the Jotul, we didn’t add much more carbon to the air and enjoyed a little energy self reliance. Also, the combustion gas went up the chimney instead of into the living space, as with gas cooking. Ironically, now we live in Vermont, my wife sold all my chain saws when I was hospitalized, and now I only have a bow saw and a couple of pruning saws for outdoor use.
i loved so many of the ideas for gifting but for myself, the Sigma lensésreviews were great to go along w my camera. thanks so much. I’ll be looking these over several times!!!
Thanks for the blog with all the excellent suggestions! The typewriter keyboard and the hand warmers for jackets should be excellent gifts for my grandkids who are very hard to buy for. Wish me luck in the contest. Cheers!
I recently tried tallow and love it! will be sharing the love as stocking stuffers 🙂
Merino wool and tallow for my husband!
I will be gifting organic merino bottoms and a grounding fitted sheet to my partner this winter!
I will be gifting the pasta maker attachment to my husband for Christmas. He is SOOO into making homemade pasta this year!!
I’m planning on gifting a computer to my grandson.
I enjoy keeping up with Garden Betty. I’d like to give my daughter the Back to Roots Succulent & Cactus Mix. She tries so hard to take care of her plants, but…
Wool base layers are a gift I plan to give my son who does snow removal.