Even though I am terrible at giving gifts (I tend to overthink and hem-and-haw until it’s too late to get the thing I planned, and then I panic buy something else), I do put a lot of thought into gift giving. I adore poring over gift guides and bookmarking things that might work for one of the people in my life. The ideas below are all things I have considered buying for people (or, ahem, for myself), but that doesn’t mean I have bought them. I hope you find something here that is exactly right for a gift recipient in your life (or, ahem, for you).
As always, if you are a person who expects to receive a gift from me this year, please read this at your own risk.
All images below from the accompanying sites linked to in the descriptions.
Some of the gift ideas below use affiliate links, which means I get a few cents if you click on a link and buy that product.
Moose Master Game: We are always on the lookout for new games to play as a family, and this one looks fun and chaotic.
Retro Arcade Runway Basketball: My daughter’s sports coach sent this suggestion and it looks like such a great way for kids to master hand-eye coordination or practice their shooting skills during those long, dark winter days inside.
Towels for the cabin: My brother and his wife have a little cabin they use as a getaway, and I think they would love these.
House pencil sketch: As a sentimental kind of gal, I love the idea of turning your home into art.
Watercolor pet portrait: Oh my goodness, or turning your beloved PET into art!
Song lyrics sweatshirt: My hair stylist told me she got a sweatshirt like this for her husband, with the lyrics to their wedding song. I love that idea. My husband might love it less, but maybe he’d enjoy getting the lyrics to one of the songs he’s composed on a shirt?
Smart pin map: This is another suggestion from my hair stylist, and I think it would be a great way for avid travelers to commemorate their trips around the world.
100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: This book sounds like such a bucket-list builder for a travel fanatic! Or, if you know a traveler who prefers to travel around the US, this book might be a big hit.
Mini karaoke machine: I’m pretty sure this little karaoke machine has made it onto a past gift guide, but we haven’t yet gotten it for Carla and I think she’d love it, and it feels like she’ll age out of it soon.
Smug Owls game: This game has won all sorts of awards, and sounds cute and creative.
Fins: My daughter has long since grown out of her flippers for the pool, and these look like a good replacement pair.
An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark! by Florence Hazrat: I feel like a very specific type of person would get a kick out of this book; I am this type of person and I have another of this type of person on my gift list, so maybe you know one as well?
Bubble tea kit: Boba continues to be all the rage among the tween set, and this would be a fun activity for a sleepover.
The Uzzle puzzle board game: This game kind of intimidates me, but I have seen it everywhere and I’m intrigued.
The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization: This is kind of a niche book for my prepper friends, but I think it looks very cool.
Creature crash game: My daughter would LOVE this game (she’s a little obsessed with capybaras right now), even though it seems a little on the young side.
Dumbbell rack: This is something we already own, and I LOVE it; if I didn’t have one, I would want one very badly.
Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney: My daughter and I just finished listening to the first book in this series (The Face on the Milk Carton) and it was so good, we both wanted to read the second one immediately, but my library doesn’t have it!
Bad Best Friend by Rachel Vail: One of my daughter’s gift wishes this year was for “books about teens.” She read and loved Vail’s Well That Was Awkward, so I know she likes the author, and this one sounds perfect.
Princess matching game: My own little girl is much too old for this game, but I bought it recently for a friend’s four year old and it was a big hit.
Tea of the month club: Some of us love tea, and this subscription club would be delightful.
The Week Jr. subscription: Speaking of subscriptions, my daughter has been wanting this magazine for awhile now. I think I’ve persuaded her uncle to get it for her. (It didn’t require a lot of persuading; he asked for gift recommendations.)
Perfume discovery set for women: My husband has been really into perfume this year and subsequently he wants to get everyone perfume for the holidays. This discovery set comes from a very high-end fragrance company. This is the set we got for his mother.
Winter animals cards: I keep having this fantasy that I will turn into Engie and start sending people regular mail. In which case I would need some lovely notecards like these.
Hanukkah pack of big fat cookies: This company intrigues me – the name is irreverent, the cookies look kind of insane, and yet I kind of want to try the Hanukkah pack???
Car duster kit: Pretty sure this idea came from Elisabeth, and I’m pretty sure I need it more than my husband does… but he would use it more.
Book box: I love the idea of getting my kid a book that comes with all sorts of bookish goodies, and this one looks particularly fun.
Chocolate tempering machine: My father makes hand-dipped chocolates every year for Christmas, and this would be much nicer than his typical bowl-inside-bowl-with-heating-pad-in-between set-up.
Geller Cup Champion sweatshirt: My Friends-loving bestie would love this, I bet.
Flight Simulator for Playstation 5: My husband was a big fan of Flight Simulator back in the early aughts, and I think he would find this PS5 version super nostalgic and fun.
Book lover box: I find it amusing that this gift set of bookish swag doesn’t include a book at all, but it’s still delightful.
Book coasters: I am always on the lookout for cute coasters, and these have BOOK PUNS.
UV blocking sun hat: When Nicole mentioned this hat (or something similar), I bookmarked it right away for my mom.
Sun protective shrug: Nicole may have mentioned this as well, and it would be great for any number of people on my gift list.
Jellyfish bookends: I have become kind of fixated on bookends this year, and these are super weird and cool (and spendy).
William Morris patterned throw blanket: I adore William Morris wallpaper patterns, and I love that you can get them on a throw!
Volleyball training equipment: Perhaps my kid – or yours?? – would practice more if there were a way to keep the volleyball from rolling away down the driveway. (I do also worry a teeny bit about her hitting herself in the face with the ball, but that might be a Me Problem.)
Half zip cropped hoodie: My kid is all about cropped and oversized sweatshirts this year. The expression on the model’s face seems perfectly seventh-grade-ish.
Perfume discovery set for men: My husband requested a few perfume discovery kits for the holidays, and this one was on the list. So was this one. Such a great way to test out high-end fragrances without spending $$$ on a single bottle.
Reading pillow and lapdesk: I mentioned this on my list of bookish gift ideas, but I’m adding it here because we got it for Carla. She’s been doing her homework on the floor of the piano room, and I think this would be much more comfortable for her!
Loop ear plugs: My love for practical gifts is legendary (if only in my own mind), and I like the idea of these cool ear plugs to help my kid tune out all the chatter in study hall.
Spoon rest: Speaking of practical, I love this very simple, very useful spoon rest.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean: I can’t remember who recently read this one (Elisabeth? Birchie? Jenny?) but it reminded me that this book has been on my TBR for years.
Flip books kit: My kiddo is a creative at heart, and I think she would enjoy making little flip books.
Flashlight gloves: I feel like I have probably linked to these before, because they seem like they would be PERFECT for my dad, who likes to repair cars and help me with home improvement projects. The only thing that’s holding me back is a concern that they seem to be one-size-fits-all.
Mashed potatoes T-shirt: When Sarah said she was getting favorite food T-shirts for her whole family for Thanksgiving, I added this to my own wish list. Mashed potatoes forever.
Travel watercolor kit: My mother is a painter and I think she would find it helpful to have a travel set she can take with her to art class and/or on vacation.
Battery Daddy: My husband got one of these for himself a few years ago, and it’s extremely useful.
Miniature bakery set: Carla is a huge fan of miniatures, and I think she would be so charmed by this little bakery set.
Dinosaur pizza bites kit: WHERE WAS THIS WHEN MY KID WAS SMALL?
Bug a Salt: While I personally am pretty adamantly anti-gun – like, real firearms obviously, but also pretend ones – I have a person on my list who would LOVE this.
Axolotl squishies: Has the axolotl trend ended? If not, these squishies are adorable.
Frida Kahlo T-shirt: I love Frida Kahlo, and this is such a great quote.
Capybara light: I love these little lamps that look like adorable sleepy critters. My kid would shriek with glee if I got her this one.
Travel shoe bag: Every time I travel, I wrap my shoes in an old plastic Target bag so that they don’t touch anything in my suitcase. Wouldn’t it be nice to have real, zip-up bags dedicated to that purpose?
Milk steamer: In my ongoing quest to get my child to consume more protein and calcium, I have encouraged her to get milk steamers whenever we go out for coffee. But how nice would it be to be able to steam milk at home???
Torani flavored syrup: My daughter likes flavored steamers, and this brown sugar cinnamon flavor sounds yummy.
Foot spa for kids: One of the hard things about having a tween is that I still want to get her FUN things, in and among all the clothes and skincare. This foot spa looks FUN. It also looks a teeny bit young for her, so I’m still waffling.
Indoorsy sweatshirt: I need this sweatshirt.
Iconic women bookend: A bookend that doubles as art and triples as encouragement? Yes, please.
Owala water bottle: I feel like every year I am buying new water bottles. SOMEDAY it will end, right? Last year was the infamous Stanley. This year, it’s the much more leak proof Owala. The best thing I did with the Stanley was get it engraved with Carla’s name, though. There are so many water bottles and so many of them get left behind, it really helps to have it personalized. Well worth the extra $10.
The Magic Words by Joseph Fasano: I used to follow Fasano on Twitter and I loved the poems he would post, from people who’d used the prompts from his book. This year, I’m getting this for my niece, who is a writer and has developed an interest in poetry.
Poetry journal: And, of course, I am getting my niece a journal in which she can write all her poems. I like this journal because it comes with refillable loose leaf paper; perhaps that will prevent her from dealing with the pervasive fear I’ve always felt about committing words to paper.
Book handbag: This purse is SO CUTE.
Resin jewelry making kit: Carla has dabbled in making resin… I hate the smell, but she really loves creating things.
Kangaroo pouch hoodie: I am pretty sure my brother needs this to lug around his cat. But it would work for any small creature. Probably not a human baby, though.
Wits and Wagers board game: My parents got this game a few years ago, and we’ve played it at Thanksgiving two years running. It’s fun and different and somehow my dad makes the best guesses EVERY time.
Butterfly kit: I’m pretty sure Carla got two separate butterfly kits over the years, and yet we never “grew” a single butterfly. Not sure why, because it would have been fun. And now we have a cat and I don’t think it would be a great plan to grow him his own snacks.
Bookstack note cards: I love these. That is all.
Sticker printer: I’ve seen these sticker printers on tons of gift lists, and I love that they are black and white so the recipient can color the stickers themselves.
Brush tip markers: These markers would be perfect for coloring in stickers.
Bookstore miniature kit: While I am not as into miniatures as my daughter is, this bookstore kit might make a convert out of me.
Cloud Nine hoodie with built-in stress ball: This was another much-requested gift from my daughter. It ships from Canada, so I’m not sure it would make it in time, but I know she would LOVE it.
Tiny baking kit: Wouldn’t it be fun to make teeny tiny baked goods?
Top with thumbholes: This is so pretty and I love that it covers the hands!
Paint your own photo: This is a fantastic way to personalize a craft for the person who loves painting!
Backyard bird journal: The older I get, the more I love birds, and I have several friends who are in the same bird-loving boat.
Adventure is out there T-Shirt: I already mentioned this shirt – and its hilarious brethren – but I keep thinking about this one. (Just in case, here is a referral code for 20% off your order: LXZ-K7BIMBF)
Baked brie board: I ordered a charcuterie board for a long-distance gift recipient and then found myself drooling over this four-pack of baked bries.
YSL Libre eau de parfum: My sister-in-law is getting this for the holidays. In a delightful coincidence, she is as into perfumes as my husband is!
Holiday gift basket: There are always a couple of people on my list who completely stump me for ideas. Either I don’t know them that well, or they already have everything. This cozy gift basket would be such a nice gift in either case.
I have more gift ideas to share, and will do my best to share them while they can still arrive in time for Christmas!
