Shit I Bought and Liked: Not Another Holiday Gift Guide...
Shit I Bought and Liked: Not Another Holiday Gift Guide...
Shitters, I gotta be real with you—my motivation to write a full-on gift guide with sections for your mom and your brother and your boyfriend and your father in law is not high. That’s not to say I don’t have a few fun ideas for you! I still do! But it feels like everybody has been putting out gift guides this year, and all the emails are feeling like A LOT. That all being said, if you’re still in need of some ideas, allow me to direct you to not one but two Very Good Gift Guides™ straight from the archives:
I still stand by every idea in those guides—2022’s was some of my best work, IMO!! Even though I don’t have a full on roundup for you this year, I still have some advice when it comes to giving good gifts. Regardless of what most gift guides would have you think, the best presents aren’t the buzzy things that show up most frequently in that year’s roundups. They’re the ones that are specific to the person you’re gifting and your relationship with them. So as you approach your holiday shopping, do your best to mine your brain for the little details.
If your Dad always send you his results from the day’s Connections puzzle, maybe you get him a pair of these tech-friendly leather gloves, so he can still text them to you when it’s cold out. If your sister sends you TikToks late night from the library, maybe you grab her this eye mask/serum combo so she can fake a full eight hours of sleep. If your boyfriend doesn’t care much for presents but loves a nice date night, maybe you skip the shopping and splurge on a cool omakase instead. If your parents complain that you don’t call enough, maybe you get them a digital picture frame and upload new photos of whatever you’re up to every week (and also maybe call).
Those are just a few examples, but it’s not a hard format to follow! If all else fails, my friend Morgan has the simple strategy of keeping a list on her phone of the things her friends/family mention liking in passing so that when the time comes, she has plenty of ideas to pick from. That probably won’t help between now and December 25th (or Hanukkah, which is already well underway), but there’s always next year!
A few other ideas while I have you:
When I’m stumped on what to give, I usually go for an upgraded version of a staple product, like luxe body care. It falls into that category of things you don’t always treat yourself to, but you’re always happy to get and that you actually use! I’ve been loving this body butter/oil duo (especially now that the heat is on full blast everywhere), and code PRIYANKA10 gets you an extra discount.
I use my Theragun Mini at least three times a week and couldn’t recommend it more for the runners/fitness enthusiasts/dads who are hard to shop for.
If you’re splurging on something sparkly, let it be this bracelet from Fewer Finer. (I also love their Double Sided Signet for a cool pinky ring moment.)
This Lulu pullover screams perfect gift for a new boyfriend to me! Pair it with the Theragun for a little something extra.
My two favorite, limited edition lip gloss shades were put in a gift set and 100% of the net proceeds are being donated. The perfect gift for a girlfriend, platonic or otherwise!
Obsessed with this grey agate crossbody for the girl who’s too cool to bring a purse to the bar (or for the one who always loses her phone…).
This is the best price I’ve ever seen for this Sonos speaker—I’d grab it for the college-age/early 20’s sibling who is definitely hosting too many pregames.
Graduated from pregames? Time for a Coravin!!! This lets you drink a glass or two of wine without opening a whole bottle—what a concept!
If you use gifting occasions to update the boyfriend’s wardrobe, this crewneck and this sweater are my picks. Depending on said boyfriend’s ability to not ruin nice things, these Brunellos might also be in the running!
You all know I feel about Bottega. This cardholder is as beautiful as it is well-made, and the leather just gets better with age.
It sounds simple, but who wouldn’t be happy to curl up with a heated blanket this time of year? It’s an inexpensive gift, but something I’d enjoy literally every single night.
Other things I’ve been loving lately: After much back and forth, I finally picked a pair of Uggs and (spoiler alert!) they’re completely different than the two options I made the paid subscribers vote on (how was I to know that the minis would cut my legs off at a very unflattering point?!!). I got a sample of this hydrating face mask by Pai and I am in love—the texture is thick and luxurious, and it didn’t break me out in the slightest. This eye mask in camel stripe is as soft as it is beautiful (and also a great/inexpensive gift idea, people!). These leggings are thicker than most of my other pairs, making them the only acceptable option for outdoor walks this time of year. This splurgey lounge set might just be my favorite Black Friday purchase this year—it needs to be felt to be believed. This set of watercolors that I found in my parents laundry room is older than some readers of this newsletter, but that hasn’t stopped me from using it to paint every birthday/holiday card I’ve given out this year (very relaxing activity, highly recommend).
Aaaaaand that’s a wrap on holiday recs! I know the season is already well underway—I hope you all are enjoying yourselves, and that you find time to rest/recharge before the start of the new year. Sending all the best wishes your way!
xo,
Priyanka