The Gift Guide to End All Gift Guides - 2024 edish
Sometimes I offer my opinions or recommendations completely unsolicited.
This is not one of those times.
In the span of less than 48 hours, I’ve been asked for recommendations of gifts on multiple instances by friends and family, to which I happily offered my recs and then said—“hey, should I just write a gift guide?”—and everyone enthusiastically said yes, please.
So, here we are.
This is the product of spending a year compiling and taking notes of interesting, cute, niche, fun, and useful things I see online so that I can peruse my own notes app list at the end of the year when I want to buy gifts for loved ones. I’ve attempted to organize this by category and then offer recommendations for groupings of things at the bottom. All of this is done from the love in my heart and for free; I make literally no money off of this. I just love to give gifts! :)
For the Foodie
Colorful salt and pepper grinders
Colorful salt and pepper grinders are a tasteful and fun gift for a foodie in your life. These ones from Areaware (pictured above) are eclectic and adorable, but you can also check out a more neutral version at Anthro, or grab one from the MoMA design store for the design geek in your life.
Tinned Fish
Recession core but make it cute. Tinned fish (and beans!) has made a huge comeback and it def does not look like it’s going anywhere. Give a foodie in your life the gift of a pack of the trendiest set of tinned fish around from Fish Wife. Or, you can check out this sardine-only pack from Lata, this aesthetic af set of Portuguese mackerel, or just go to your local fancy grocery store and build your own set of tinned fish from canned food aisle’s offerings!
Tomato Candles
Tomato season might be over but you can help the tomato lover in your life extend those yummy tomato-y good vibes all year round with the help of a gorgeous tomato candle. Etsy has ones that look like actual heirloom tomatoes, while MALIN+GOETZ and Flamingo Estate have options that look like candles and smell like tomatoes.
Crisps and Sauces
I’m recommending my personal favorite here—the gorgeous, mouthwatering, unbelievable Fly By Jing. You can get a set of their best offerings (the sichuan chili crip and the Zhong sauce) here and just peruse their many sets and noodles and other offerings here. You really cannot go wrong and I’ll apologize in advance for the addiction.
Oven Mitts
Every time I use my oven mitts, I think “oh gee, I really need new ones” and then I pull my cake out of the oven and promptly forget to buy new ones. I’m willing to bet the bakers in your life do the same thing! Elevate their kitchen essential and buy them some cute new oven mitts! These ones from The Bees Knees are adorable, these ones are punny, these ones are aesthetic and perfect for including in an Instagram flat lay, these embroidered ones are too gorgeous to even use tbh, these patterned ones are on sale and I want them SO BAD, and these ones from Rifle Paper Co are a work of art.
For the Clothes Whores ;)
Corduroy Dad Caps
Trust me when I say this is the hat of the season. Whether you snag this chic one from Ralph Lauren, this one from Rowing Blazers, this one from Seager Co for the ramblin’ man in your life, or this one of Snoopy playing tennis for your friend who loves Snoopy and/or Challengers, you really can’t go wrong.
Cashmere Socks
This is maybe the bougiest thing in a list that is already pretty bougie but… cashmere socks really do rock. Here’s a link to the ones above! An honorable mention for Bombas socks, though, which aren’t cashmere but they are pretty great.
Lighter Hair Clip
I cannot even begin to describe how chic these are. Even if you don’t smoke, they’re still handy because a lighter is always handy. They’re conversation starters, they have unreal aura, and again—they’re just fucking cool. I have already purchased these for two different friends and I know they’re gonna lose their shit over it.
Leopard Print Jeans
Please trust me when I say these are the pants of the year. So, if you have a fashion-minded person in your life and you want to be the person who gave them the best gift ever, get these leopard print cargo jeans from Damson Madder. If you want the look for less, you can find dupes at Gap, Urban, and American Eagle.
Sezane Paula Babies
Sezane’s Paula Babies might be the best pair of heels I’ve ever bought. They’ve got a lovely amount of heel that isn’t too big or too intimidating, they’re comfortable to walk miles in (and I have), you can wear them for hours at events (and I have), and they come in enough colors that they virtually go with everything. They are not cheap but I have also planned out the next three pairs I’ll buy. My generation will never own property but we will own great shoes—and isn’t that just so Carrie Bradshaw of us all?
Travel Shoe Bags
This is potentially thoroughly unsexy as a gift but I honestly think this is a must-have and one of those things that a person just might not think about until they have it and they realize it’s a total game-changer. Going from storing shoes in plastic bags or misc. cloth bags to having a dedicated, easily washable, and easy to store set of bags for your shoes when traveling is the best. You can find prettier ones at Calpack, but the ones above are on Amazon and cheaper and get the job done.
For the Lit It Girls/Gays/Pals
There’s plenty of people who have gotten really into reading these days and it can be tricky to pick out a book you think they’ll actually like and want to read. I’ve listed some new releases that I think the lit-it people in your life would love.
Didion and Babitz - Lili Anolik
Everything I Know About Love - Dolly Alderton (this is specifically the edition meant to be gifted)
Good Material - Dolly Alderton
The Finest Print - Erin Langston
For Him (a boyfriend/fiancé/husband/father/grandfather/uncle/any man)
A nice fucking flask
Whiskey or scotch is a classic, yes, and I’m not telling you not to get it, but chances are that he’s already got someone else in his life getting him that—or he already has a fancy Glenlivet bottle. So get him a flask. These Loteria ones from Etsy (above) are so cool and you can pick out which Mexican folk art you’d like on it. This one from Mark and Graham has got a fish on it (lol), I’m contemplating getting this one from the National Archives for myself, this one comes with a leather pouch which makes it so cool, this one comes looking like a Pantone color, and this one is bright orange ostrich leather!
ROLL! NECK! SWEATERS!
If there is a man in your life that you care enough about—either through duty or love—to buy presents for, then you have a moral obligation to get him a roll neck sweater in a natural fibre. I’m actually getting angry thinking about the state of how men dress and how they could all by looking amazing in excellent sweaters and don’t. THEY COULD ALL BE LOOKING +3 HOTTER AND THEY DON’T. I’m just going to give you links now because I’m getting too worked up to write something clever. This one is great (above), this one is great, this one has ducks, this one is L.L. Bean, this one isn’t a roll-neck but it is RL and cotton and a fisherman’s sweater so it counts. If these are out of your price range, you can find them secondhand so easily—for the love of god, learn how to use Poshmark.
A cool bedside lamp
Once again, we hit the category of things that people don’t always think about replacing or upgrading in their lives, but will always notice when they see it somewhere else as being good and cool. A bedside lamp (with a warm glow bulb) can do wonders for elevating even the most beat-up secondhand IKEA via Facebook Marketplace bedside table—hell, it’ll elevate the whole room. This one from Etsy (above) is very cool and comes in plenty of colors. This one from Meadow Blu is fun to look at, this one is stained glass and looks like a stack of books, and this one on Wayfair is minimalist and cool.
A good knife set
Not sure if it’s just a me problem or not, but every guy I’ve ever dated has had shitty knives. File that under “things people don’t think about or replace because it’s expensive and overwhelming and also they’re probably used to/don’t care about the dangers of dull knives”! If you can relate, then give the gift of having looked up knife sets for your loved ones and give them a good one. This one is similar to one I have and seems great. This chef’s knife got a very high rating from Cult Flav, and you can also pick up some sharpening stones here so they can have no excuse for dull knives.
For the Polyglot
If you’ve got a loved one with a crazy long streak on Duolingo, the gift of a premium membership might just be one of the more thoughtful holiday gifts you can give them. If your friend keeps saying they want to learn a new language, you can get them a Babbel subscription! If they’ve got some level of proficiency in a language they’re learning, you can buy them a middle-grade level book in that language, preferably one that they’ve already read or might have a copy of. If films are more their style, look up an arthouse cinema near you and take them to a showing of a movie in a language they’re learning!
Gifts that are an Experience
If what you’d like to do with a loved one is spend more time with them, then I’d recommend making a gift that’s an experience. Some ideas;
Gift them a bag of pasta, or pasta sauce, or even wine, and write out a card that says it’s a gift for one Italian dinner that you’ll cook for them at a date that works for you both! You can of course customize the item you give them to whatever meal you feel comfortable and capable of cooking. You’ll buy the ingredients, ofc, but don’t say no to dessert if they offer ;)
Plan an ideal day out for the two of you and arrange a date to do that with them! Be sure to include an activity you’re sure will interest them (a movie they’ve been wanting to see; a museum exhibit they want to check out; a sporting event for a team they love; a drive across town to their favorite bakery; a dinner at their fav restaurant), along with some fun other ones (a walk in a gorgeous park along with a packed picnic; a visit to a spa; an hour or two at a u-pick farm; tickets to the philharmonic; silent disco; a sunrise hike), and sincerely plan out the whole day. This is great because it gives you guys the gift of quality time, takes the burden off of the other person for planning, and can be completely customizable to your budget, as there’s always plenty of free and affordable experiences you can do with some planning!
Go in on a spa day package with some of your other friends if you’ve all got a mutual friend that is just… oh so very stressed and def needs it.
If you have a new parent in your life, give them the gift of “tell me what day to come over and wash your dishes, do your laundry, and cook you/buy you a meal so you don’t have to”. Tbh, do it anyways, not just around the holidays! :)
For Your Coworker or Casual Acquaintance or White Elephant/Secret Santa or the Host of the Holiday Party
If you’re in a situation where you need to give someone a gift and you don’t know them particularly well and also can’t ask what they’d like, I think the best route to go is to pick a theme that you either know they like or is generic enough that anyone might like it, and go from there. So, say your theme is “relaxation” (because I’m sure everyone needs to unwind near the holidays), you can get your giftee a nice candle, a mug, a box of caffeine-free tea, maybe bath salts/a bath melt/a bath bomb, a sheet mask, and the link to a playlist of relaxing music you’ve put together for them. All of these things can be bought at different price points to fit whatever budget you’ve got, and you can omit or add things to this list I’ve given you! The playlist can add a nice personal touch that shows you care. I’ve got some other themes/ideas below;
Holiday - a Christmas ornament, a pack or two of fun and/or quality hot coco, a wintery mug, a holiday edition of a travel mini/other small item (chapstick, lotion, water bottle, hairspray, etc
Cocktail/Mocktail - a gorgeous/nice glass (you can often thrift some!) for a specific type of cocktail (martini, Tom Collins, rocks, champagne flute, etc), a recipe print-out of a cocktail, and a type of liquor or garnish to make that cocktail/mocktail. You can easily amend this and do a bottle of wine and two nice wine glasses.
A Table - a bottle of nice olive oil or vinegar (or both!) and a set of nice cloth napkins
The Student - a set of cute mini highlighters, colorful sticky-notes, a funny bookmark, a personalized notepad or a decomposition book, and nice gel pens
One Last Note
For any of these gifts to eat the way they should eat, you must remember—presentation, presentation, presentation. If you can afford to, splurge on the nice gift wrap (I’m partial to Rifle Paper Co), ribbons, and bows, or the chic gift bags with nice tufts of gift paper sticking out of the top. If you’re on a budget, butcher paper wrapped presents with a twine bow also look incredibly nice while being really affordable. No matter what, you need to include a card that’s handwritten inside! Your giftee will appreciate it all the more and basically everyone I know saves their holiday cards. I myself will keep the cards I get and slip various ones into bags to reread sometimes if I’m out and about and need a little reminder that I’m loved :,)
I hope this was helpful! Do let me know if you end up buying any of these things or if they inspired you—or if this list doesn’t work and you want some more help! I’m always happy to brainstorm with you. I looooove to gift give.
MWAH,
Anj