Holy moly, Internet. It’s DECEMBER. We have just a few short weeks to get all our holiday shopping done. I don’t know about you, but I have purchased exactly one (1) gift so far. YIKES. Time to get going.

In lieu of buying, I have been doing a LOT of perusing. ALL YEAR I have been bookmarking fun gift ideas and taking note when someone on my gift list mentioned something I could possibly wrap in shiny paper and put under their tree. I have ended up with far more gifts than I could ever buy, and solid ideas for most everyone on my list. And, since it was so fun last year, I thought I’d put them all together in a gift guide – and maybe you’d find some inspiration for your own December shopping.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this very eclectic mix of things that appeal to me and the specific people I love. Perhaps you will find something for someone on your holiday gift list. Perhaps you will find something you need to put on your own wish list. Or maybe, like me, you just enjoy reading gift guides in all their forms. (As per usual, some of these links are affiliate links, which means I may make a few pennies if you end up buying something.)

Let’s begin where any gift list should, with books:

1. You should definitely get the writer/reader/dog lover in your life The Friend by Sigrid Nunez, which is not only the best book I read this year but one of my favorite books of ALL TIME not to put too much pressure on it.
2. Another one of the best books I’ve read in a LONG time is Inland by Téa Obreht. It is beautifully written and obsessively researched, and it’s just so GOOD. Also, I went to a reading by the author and she is the type of person you want to become best friends with.
3. Normal People by Sally Rooney was also excellent, in an entirely different way.
4. If you’ve got book lovers on your list who prefer thrilling, plot-driven novels, then definitely consider Recursion by Blake Crouch. It’s part sci-fi, part mystery, all edge-of-your-seat excitement. And, as a fan of ALL Crouch’s work, I believe it is also his best-written book to date.
5. Or, for the detective novel set, might I recommend The Lost Man by Jane Harper? The setting – the Australian outback – is the biggest star in this book, but the characters and the beautifully crafted plot have ensured that I will buy anything Jane Harper writes.
6. Speaking of authors who are so good I will read anything they write: Sophie Hannah (whose next book comes out in February – squee!!!) released a new novel earlier this year. The Next to Die  was, per usual, excellent.
7. My friend Kristina wrote a very spine-tingling but deeply heart-wrenching book, Weight of Memory, and you can pre-order it (and read a few of the early chapters!). It’s so good, Internet.
8. For those people on your gift list who like aliens, comics, and/or witty observations of everyday human moments, you will hit the jackpot with Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet.
9. And, while Maggie Smith’s book of affirmations Keep Moving isn’t out yet, I highly recommend her book of poems, Good Bones, to tide you or your soul-of-a-poet loved one over until May.
10. In nonfiction, consider Semicolon by Cecilia Watson or Dreyer’s English by Benjamin Dreyer. I already have the Dreyer book, but I am asking for Semicolon for myself; I got it for a friend and he loved it, so now I really want it. I also put I’ll Be There for You: The One About Friends on my wish list, because it looks cute and I love Friends.

11. You could always pair one of the above books with a set of literary bookmarks from CarrotTopPaperShop.

12. And maybe this bookworm t-shirt from NinetoNone.
13. Oooooh… and this is pretty splurge-y, but I love this set of city skyline bookends. Not a huge selection of cities represented, but maybe your book lover also lives in one of these places…?
14. And any reader needs a booklight. I am strongly considering getting this one for my husband. It’s really for me, because I go to sleep before he does and wake up the instant he turns on a light.

15. Carla learned to read over the past… six months or so. Like, actually read. HOWEVER, little perfectionist that she is, she gets easily frustrated when she doesn’t know every single word instantly. Fortunately, she adores all things Piggie and Gerald because they are a) amazing and b) make her feel successful at reading by herself. For your own just-now-reading gift recipients, I highly recommend any of the Mo Willems canon, especially the Elephant and Piggie Biggie! which is essentially five books in one.

16. We’ve been really getting into some good chapter books lately, as a family. And I am lobbying hard to read Roald Dahl’s Matilda

17. This Matilda pillow cover would be a great gift to accompany the book.

18. Or maybe you know someone who would prefer a Little House on the Prairie theme? Here’s the box set of the Little House on the Prairie books.

19. And the accompanying  the pillow cover.

20. Oooh! You could also do an Anne of Green Gables themed gift! With a pillow cover…

21. And the complete set of books…

22. And if you want to go Full Anne, might I also recommend the Megan Follows TV series? I have literally never received a themed gift in my LIFE, but I also think it would be super fun!

23. Speaking of themes that I would like are universally appealing… If you know someone who likes to bake, or likes to think about baking, or likes to look at beautiful baked goods, I highly recommend the Great British Baking Show Seasons 1-5. This show (also referred to as GBBO) is SO SOOTHING. The contestants are lovely and kind and there is no drama of the type that permeates American competition shows. Also, you get to weigh in on whether someone’s Charlotte is well-baked when you have no idea what a Charlotte actually is. It’s great fun.

24. For the GBBO superfan, you could always buy a fun apron from PenCraftE…

25. Or a T-shirt from HandmadeJoyDesigns…

26. Or a cookbook. I own this one and, while I can’t say I have made a single thing from it, I really enjoy imagining that I am about to bake one of the scrumptious goodies featured inside.

27. And who says Great British Bakeoff fans are only grownups? Carla loves to bake with me, and, if she were a little younger, I would totally consider buying her this kids’ cooking set. Honestly, it’s probably GREAT for a six-year-old, but… I don’t have enough room in my kitchen for more of this stuff.

 

28. Carla has been really into magic lately, so I am considering getting her a magic kit. This one seems very similar to one I had – and LOVED – as a kid.

29. For the budding magician, a cape, hat, and bunny would also be very useful.

30. And these foam balls would be a great accompaniment.

31. This studio in a box would be wonderful for kids who have an artistic bent.

32. Maybe pair it with a great book about Frida Kahlo?

33. I have it on good authority from A Friend Who Knows Such Things that the Blinger is a hot ticket item for the first grade glitterati. (This is totally a kid-size BeDazzler, right? Anybody remember the BeDazzler craze?)

34. Another coveted item among the first graders is the Rainbow Loom. I cannot tell you how many bracelets and necklaces Carla comes home with on a daily basis. Her friends LOVE making these things (one of her friends has an ENORMOUS collection that he brought over for a playdate and his mom says he spends HOURS looming). I am leaning toward getting Carla one as well. Of course, I have to overcome my resistance to a having a million tiny rubber bands popping up all over my house first. (Her friend has an expansion pack similar to this, I think. But I would get Carla the starter kit first.)

35. Something Carla got for her birthday and LOVED was a Fairy Garden. It comes with dirt and seeds that you plant… but it has little fairy toys and furniture and stuff, too. She loved it but eventually we went away for the weekend and everything died, so we cleaned it out and will have to start again.

36. Carla has been really into journaling lately. It seems like a kindergarten/first grade kind of thing, but I bet it last a LOT longer than those two years. Especially since this is the time when kids are just learning to write. Anyway, here is a cute journal.

37. And a set of colored gel pens. I think Carla would FLIP OUT over this collection.

38. Or a really cute narwhal pen.

39. Oh my goodness. Or this journal-and-pen set that has everything a kid in Carla’s cohort could ever want: unicorns, flappable sequins, and a pen with multiple ink colors!

 

40. Carla is a huge lover of stuffed animals, and this year she went CRAZY over something called a Rainbowcorn. It’s a stuffed animal but has that “unboxing” and “element of surprise” appeal that so many kids gifts do these days. She got a big one as a gift for her cousin and loved it so much that we got her one for her birthday. And then she got a little one as a gift for something else and we just bought another little one for her Girl Scouts gift exchange. I think it’s safe to say they are popular with kids anywhere from age 3 to at LEAST 7.

41. Last year, we got Carla a cat-a-day calendar for her bedside table. We made it to mid September before we stopped looking at it, which I think is pretty good for us. I am considering getting her another one this year. I like this one because it is mini and would fit better on her nightstand.

42. One of her friends — age four — requested a globe as a gift, much to his mother’s surprise and delight. A globe is clearly a great gift at any age. I am thinking about this interactive one for Carla and/or my niece.

 

43. If you’ve got a family-with-kids-or-grandkids on your shopping list, I want to recommend Qwirkle, which is a very fun family-friendly game. It’s a distant relative of Scrabble, I’d say – you have to connect tiles based on color or shape and you get points for the number of tiles you add. Carla started really getting it at about age five but it’s challenging enough that it is actually pretty fun to play it as an adult.

44. The adults in my family really love Linkee, which is all about finding connections. You get a card with four questions, and as you ask the questions and people answer them, you have to find what links them together. It’s very fun. I wonder if Carla is old enough, at this point, to play?

45. As far as new games I’m looking at, Papercuts, which is supposedly a literary game in the vein of Apples to Apples/Cards Against Humanity, appeared on one of this season’s many gift guides and it sounds like tons of fun.

46. If you know a tea drinker who needs a gift this holiday season, might I HIGHLY recommend Tea Squared Tea? I had some of this tea in a beautiful little restaurant (Cluny Bistro) in Toronto and it was the BEST Earl Grey I have ever had. And I drink a LOT of tea. I had the pyramid tea bags, but I see that Tea Squared also offers a variety of subscription services. As a tea drinker who also enjoys getting regular presents in the mail, that sounds VERY fun.

47. And here is where I plug my favorite tea kettle. My husband got it for me as a gift years ago and I use it every day. Every. Day.

48. My husband also got me this set of polka dot mugs for some gift-giving occasion or other, and they make me happy every time I open the cupboard. They are so cheerful! And big enough for a nice, large cup of tea.

49. For the puzzle lovers, no puzzle has ever been so adored as this custom photo puzzle that I got for both grandmothers one year. Of course, the puzzles each featured an ADORABLE picture of Carla, which is what made them so special.

50. My husband is one of the puzzle lovers I referenced, and I have this puzzle on my to-buy list for him.

51. And, for the serious puzzler, you should highly consider this set of puzzle sorting trays. I got this for my husband and he uses it every time he completes a puzzle.

 

52. I got my hands on a sample of Tiffany Sheer this summer and loved it. I don’t normally wear a lot of fragrance, but this was very light and feminine without being super flowery.

53. As long as we’re talking about cosmetics (perfume is a cosmetic, right?), you might also consider this gift set of facial oils. I LOVE the skin brightening oil and use it almost daily. Well, nightly. And I have just gotten myself a bottle of the plumping oil which I’m super excited to try. Especially if you or your giftee live in a dry, cold climate, this would be such a nice treat.

54. If you are looking for another good smelling gift, I highly recommend the Nest fragrance diffuser – my husband got me one of these a few years ago and I LOVED it. This one comes with three separate fragrances – Holiday, Birchwood Pine, and Sparkling Chassis. I bet it will help your house smell like the holidays – and extend the holiday joy – for months!

55. When it comes to luxurious treats, hand cream is always on my wish list. This collection from Crabtree & Evelyn sounds like such a nice way to pamper my dry skin in the winter.

56. And as far as pampering goes, I would LOVE this overnight foot care kit. Cozy socks and nice-smelling cream? Wonderful.

57. After our recent conversation about jammies, I started looking around and fell in love with these Rachel Parcell Thermal Pajamas. So cute! I could totally see myself wearing these. Maybe not to actually SLEEP in, but as House Clothes^{TM wendiwendy}.

58. I already did my favorite books for adults, but I forgot about books for kids! There are a couple of new books in series Carla loves that I am putting on her “something to read” list. Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty just came out in November and Carla already owns and loves Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist and I really enjoy their messages of female empowerment and intellectual curiosity… and the excellent rhyming.

59. I see that there’s a new addition to Shannon Hale’s Princess in Black series, too: The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle. These books are a little bit more… goofy than anything else, but Carla enjoys them. And they are nice for young chapter book readers.

60. Carla has been checking out books of animal facts from her school library every week, so I am also eyeing a big book of animal facts, maybe like this animal encyclopedia.

61. My husband expressly asked for Luxardo cherries this year. I will take any help I can get in finding him a present he wants, so I will get him the cherries! You can get a two-pack from amazon, or a single bottle from Williams Sonoma if you a) want to spend less and b) can go to a Williams Sonoma or get free shipping and/or c) you are uninterested in supporting the other company I just mentioned.

62. Speaking of food gifts, one of the most successful gifts I’ve sent in recent years was the gift of cheese. If one of your gift recipients is a cheese lover, I highly recommend this Zingerman’s customizable gift basket of three cheeses and crackers. (Zingerman’s also has a quarterly cheese club, which sounds so decadent.) If you don’t want to spend quite that much on your cheese fan, iGourmet also has a cheese sampler and so does Wisconsin Cheese Mart.

63. You could always make your own cheese tray or give a cheese gift certificate – and maybe pair it with this adorable cheese tea towel from HoneyBrushDesign. Or this cheeky cheese tea towel from TickledZebra. (You know I love tea towels.)

64. Oh my goodness – if your cheese lover is a TRUE cheese head, maybe you need to give them this cheese grotto? This is totally a gift for the kind of person who already has everything.

65. Or, for the cheese lover who has everything, maybe a DIY goat cheese kit?

 

66. While looking at cheese – yum, cheese – I came across this fun gift crate for coffee lovers. It has a French press, a half pound of Illy whole bean coffee, and two of Williams Sonoma’s waffle weave towels (which I have and LOVE).

67. My coffee-connoisseur husband already has a French press. (And a fancy coffee machine. And a Chemex and an Aeropress, both of which would make excellent gifts for a coffee lover.) Anyway, I am always looking for new coffee gadgets for him, and I think this travel espresso brewer would be super cool.

68. Drinks make me think of coasters. I love these blue agate coasters from OwlKraft– but they are quite pricy. I guess that’s what makes them a good gift, because I would be hard pressed to buy them for myself.

69. Same goes for these beautiful wooden hexagon coasters by ManchesterWoodcraft.

70. Ooooh or these geode coasters from Dock6PotteryandTile. So pretty.

71. You know who else loves geodes? Carla and most of her classmates. This is not a new thing, by the way; she’s loved them since preschool – but a break-your-own geodes kit would be an excellent gift for a child of many ages. I’d say maybe 4 to 10, depending on the 4- to 10-year-old in question.

72. Another science-y kit we’ve used with great success in recent years is a crystal growing kit. It’s a fun project for kids to do with their grandparents while you are out of town, if you ask me. But definitely a very cool and semi-educational gift.

73. Also for Carla, we are strongly considering this VTech kids video camera. My only fear is that I will then become the subject of her documentaries.

74. One of the people on my gift list this year requested a new cozy blanket for her living room. I am in love with this buffalo check throw  in pretty much every color.

75. Or this plush throw  with fringe also looks very soft and cozy – and there are so many colors to choose from!

76. Ooooh – or this faux fur throw . So soft!

77. Kids need blankies too – my particular kid’s favorite blankie is from Happie Blankie. These blankets are plush on one side, satiny on the other, and come in a variety of animal shapes. Best of all, the company donates one blanket to a child in need with every purchase.

78. Now that she’s older, I would probably get Carla something a little bigger. Maybe this wearable cat blanket?

79. Or perhaps I should be shopping for a sleeping bag – even though I am so far resisting the idea of sleepovers. This shaggy head sleeping bag looks very cute and comfortable.

80. Carla has been asking for cozy slippers. I like these faux fur-lined options from Boden a lot.

81. Or these unicorn slipper booties would be a big hit.

82. Or maybe these fox slippers.

83. Maybe my husband needs a pair of slippers, too?

84. One person on my gift list has requested a repeat of a gift from last year: a liquor sampler. This year, the request is for bourbon, so I am considering this New York whiskey collection . Each of the three samples is 50 ml and this is the company I used last time with (apparently) great success.

85. Or, possibly, this American bourbon tasting set . The samples are teeny (3 cl each), but there are five of them.

86. As long as we’re thinking of alcohol gifts, I wouldn’t mind receiving this gin bauble  in my stocking. Cute and fun and different!

 

87. Speaking of delicious gifts I wouldn’t mind receiving: how about a box of chocolates for someone with a sweet tooth? We used this particular chocolate company for the candy “bar” at our wedding, and the chocolates are beautiful and delicious.

88. Your chocolate lover might also appreciate this “chocolate is salad” tea towel from VintageMarketEugene.

89. Or maybe some decadent drinking chocolate?

90. And if you aren’t into chocolates (I get it), maybe a caramel sampler like this onewould be more your speed? I mean, your gift recipient’s

99. Or how about a bacon sampler? We got this for my dad one year and he loved it.

100. If your gift recipient, like me, enjoys fun decorative accents for the home, might I also recommend this plaid vase? I have been eyeing it for a long time and would LOVE it for my bedroom.

101. I have been looking for a new serving platter to replace my favorite blue one that chipped… and it strikes me that beautiful servingware makes a great gift. I, at least, find it hard to spend money on things I pull out only a few times a year, even though I want them to be nice. I rather like the uneven edges of this platter – and it’s nearly the same blue as the dish I’m replacing.

102. This oval platter is gorgeous and goes with our other blue and white dishware.

103. This matching serving bowl is also so pretty.

104. One of my favorite and most-used gifts is a lovely wooden salad bowl. This one is also quite beautiful and comes with matching salad tongs.

105. In the practical kitchen gift category, I highly recommend these mini Wilton spatulas from Joann Fabric. I use them ALL the time.

106. And – less practical, but still very useful – I have to plug the cake turntable (plus icing tips!) I bought myself for Carla’s birthday this past summer.

107. I would also enjoy some lovely hand soap and lotion, for after I’ve done all the dishes.

108. One of my friends is very eco-conscious (I admire her and try to emulate her where possible) and so I am thinking about getting her this set of bamboo utensils. She has to eat out quite a bit for her job, so I know she’d get a lot of use out of them. And they are so pretty!

109. My mother-in-law is fretting about the straw ban. She LOVES straws. So I think we will send her this beautiful collapsible stainless steel straw and cleaning kit.

110. OH! Also in the eco-friendly category is a reusable bottle. Carla got one for her birthday one year WITH HER NAME ON IT and it was seriously one of the best gifts ever. (Until she lost it at camp. Which… how???? There is one other Carla who attended her camp, and wouldn’t you know that the hot pink stainless steel water bottle you brought home wasn’t yours?) Anyway. I have a S’Well bottle like this one and I love it. If you have time, you can take it to Things Remembered and get your gift recipient’s name engraved on the side.

111. You could add a water bottle cleaning brush to your gift, too – I have one very similar to this one (but in boring grey) and it makes me feel much better about not putting my bottle through the dishwasher.

 

112. Let’s close out this gift guide with something frivolous and pretty, like this Kate Spade bangle. Do I need this? No. Do I want it? Very much yes. Perhaps so will someone on your gift list.

 

That’s it for this year, Internet! I hope you find something for everyone on your list. And if you have gifts that you are really excited about giving – or receiving – let me know about them in the comments. I love to hear about fun gifts!

Happy shopping!

For more ideas, check out last year’s gift guide, which has lots of great options!