I absolutely *love* to give gifts, so Christmas shopping is one of the highlights of my year.
Carefully selecting the right gift for the right person, scoring a killer deal whenever possible and even wrapping are all part of the fun.
Here are some of the things I have my eye on this year:
For kids:
- Science kits are a high priority item. Mindware has several options that appeal to all kinds of kids, but my favorite was this Lip Balm Lab.
There are also Perfume, Slime, Soap and Volcano labs available. Most of these are for kids 10 and up.
- MGM (9) is very into Minecraft, and we’re betting big (this is pricey) that we can interest him in coding with this build-your-own computer to code and play Minecraft.
- Trixie (7) is essentially a tiny version of me, and I know she would love this pillow (“I’m 99% Unicorn”), these fun rainbow laces or a stuffed narwhal.
- A game the whole family can play. I already mentioned this in my Thanksgiving recap post, but a favorite new find (via my friend A.) is Not Parent Approved, a family-friendlier version of Cards Against Humanity.
For college-aged young adults:
- Home Tees. These would be particularly good for homesick college students.
- Snacks. Last year I stocked up one nephew’s dorm room with Costco-sized versions of trail mix, Twizzlers, M&Ms, animal crackers, popcorn and other assorted junk foods that would be uniquely appreciated at 3 A.M. An excessive snack supply also seems like a good way to quickly turn your room into the go-to place on your floor. Score one for popularity.
- Individual coffee makers, like a Keurig, with at least six boxes of coffee pods. Here’s the important second part of this gift: send yourself a reminder to send more pods again in March and May. The last thing you want to do is give a kid a space-hogging appliance that he can’t afford to use.
For adults:
- Books. I still love to give them. This year I’m eyeing Abbi Jacobson’s (of “Broad City” fame) “Carry This Book,” longtime Martha Stewart Living contributor Darcy Miller’s “Celebrate Everything” (even though I rarely entertain I love the idea of entertaining), and “Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.”
- These measured wine glasses and coffee mugs from Signals made me laugh.
- A case of wine. I’ve given this gift again and again for a variety of occasions, and it’s always well-appreciated (and usually gone before the end of January).
- A magnum of wine. Magnums are the oversized wine bottles that are the equivalent of two regular bottles. If you choose something spectacular, like this Veuve Clicquot, you’ve got one impressive gift. If you buy a $6.99 1.5-liter bottle of Yellowtail Chardonnay, you’re going to be disowned.
- A wheel of parmesan cheese. Ok, this is basically a fantasy gift given its $2250 price tag, but it looks so incredible.
- Coffee or beer from a local roaster/brewery. Or kill two birds with one stone with a growler of coffee stout.
Fun things I just love:
- These. Can you detect a theme? (Sadly, these are sold out).
- Artist socks. These are also sold out, but immensely fun. They are from Signals.
