Gift Guide for 2024
Fun, fancy, cozy and delicious things for you and yours.
If you’re planning to wake up from a turkey and cider hangover on Friday and do all of your holiday shopping at once, I’ve sorted through the endless shopping sites to bring you certified Good Buys™. Feel free to mix and match between the guides below, just don’t buy your baby Fireball or your husband belly oil. Happy holidays!
For Her
Ferragus by Arpa $260. I need to write a long-form piece about Arpa Studios, the new project by Barnabé Fillion, the perfumer behind Aesop. I got their discovery kit last year and Ferragus is one of my favorites. They’re all fairly gender neutral but this one errs more feminine and smells like saffron and black pepper.
Cuyana Travel Beauty Roll $198. If your giftee travels for work a lot, this is guaranteed to make their trip better, especially if they have to put their face on at 4 a.m. to catch an early flight.
Vuori Long Sleeve Halo Essential Dress $128. I get that this dress looks hard to squeeze into, but it’s got a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants magic to it where it’s somehow universally flattering and comfortable.
East Fork Soup Bowl in Big Sky $44. This is one of my favorite dishes for handling big hot bowls of soup, which is something any lady is bound to do in the winter.
Marine Layer Boot Socks $15. Fun, goofy, comfy.
Aday Like a Boss Pullover $150. This is the best shirt for any woman who spends her days on Zoom. It looks professional, is both warm and cool at the same time, while being universally flattering.
Owala FreeSip Water Bottle $27.99. I’ve been an Owala devotee for a few years now but they’ve finally usurped the Yeti in the teen-Tiktok zeitgeist, for good reason.
For Him
Gay Candle Co. Candles $39. Made right here in Minneapolis, these are the best smelling and best designed candles I’ve found. The wooden wick crackles the whole time you light it, giving the room a campfire feeling.
Snakes of Wrath $50. This game is tactile, simple and addictive. Perfect for a long night of drinking games or sober conversation, whatever’s your pleasure.
Quince Merino Wool Sweater $99. A reasonable price for a sweater that can also function as a “shacket.”
Playstation Gift Card. My husband has reassured me that this is pretty much the best possible gift for a man.
Cook Real Hawaii by Sheldon Simeon $26. Sheldon was one of the all-time best Top Chef contestants and the garlic noodles alone will become a mainstay.
Small Batch Fireball $26. I just love that Fireball decided to make a small batch Fireball. A great gift to complement a party bucket of tiny Fireball shots.
For the Pregananny
Esker Firming Oil $40. My husband once gifted me an Esker hand soap after googling “most expensive hand soap,” and of course I became obsessed with the brand. While they do have a belly oil duo made specifically for pregnancy, I would say skip those and opt for this instead. It’s their best-smelling and nicest.
St. Agrestis Starter Packs $65. What a wild time to be pregnant … there are approximately 8,241 mocktail brands when there used to be zero. As an avid imbiber, I found these to be the best possible choice in a sea of sometimes very mediocre and expensive options. (Close runner up: Lyre’s.)
A Subscription to ParentData (Varies). Statistician and author Emily Oster has become the patron saint of pregnancy via her research that occasionally draws massive criticism from internet bullies. I used this subscription quite a bit to ease my mind on all types of fears while entering parenthood.
Beyond Yoga Spacedye Midi Jogger $82. One surprising secret of pregnancy is that some of the best maternity-wear is just regular athleisure clothes that stretch as you grow, as opposed to $190 high-end maternity leggings you’ll wear for 3 months, tops. These are bump-friendly, and great for the rest of your life.
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery $57. Did you know babies sap all the moisture from your body? This is a nice-smelling and effective way to restore some.
Quince Washable Silk Robe $99. Again, another item you’ll wear your whole life that will be a fun luxury while sporting a new bump.
Dedcool Xtra Milk $63. A cult favorite fragrance, probably because it smells like the top of a baby’s head.
For the Little One
Habbi Habbi Books and Wand $65 for wand, $20 for books. Daphne is obsessed with her Habbi Habbi books and I can’t complain because I learned how to say octopus in Mandarin from them. They offer several languages, are well-designed, hardy and fun.
Carrot Teether $4. Your kid will probably have approximately 12 teething toys, but for some reason Daphne prefers this one. She calls it her “teeth” (toothbrush). These cute ones also seemed to have risen above the pack.
SkipHop Baby Activity Center $112. We call this a “baby desk,” because it is where a baby sits to DJ, slap stars around, snack on Cheerios and conduct other important business. It is a lifesaver once your baby passes four months, and you just need to stick them somewhere to use your hands on other things. We’ve recently converted ours into a drawing desk.
Magnetic Me Jammies (Varies). If you know someone who is having a baby, this is a Nice Gift™. They’re a bit pricey, so parents might not buy them on their own, but they’re buttery soft, cute and convenient to use. A true newborn luxury.
Buckle Penguin $25. Daphne recently became obsessed with buckles, so we decided to search for stuffed animals sporting multiple buckles and found many options. The penguin skyrocketed to her second-favorite toy (after Tango, Elmo’s dog) and she gives it approximately 60 kisses per day.
Sarah’s Silks Wand $12. Toddlers love to pick up sticks and wave them around like they are wizards at Ollivanders. Why not make it even cuter with this little silk wand?
Hope this was helpful and that you get all the pecan pie and enticing coupon codes this week.