I have a dear friend who has a birthday near the end of this month, and we like to exchange birthday gifts. We live far away from each other, and I think that makes it more challenging to think of gift ideas. If I were frequently at her house, or we were going out shopping or out to eat, I would constantly be collecting input: her kitchen is yellow! she likes pictures of dogs! she could use a new kitchen knife! she likes soaps that smell like treats! she mostly wears blue/purple/green! she loves caramel things! she accessorizes with scarves! she doesn’t drink coffee anymore! she likes to try new things! she loves cookies! she always picks up that cute mug but never buys it! she wears big earrings! her coin purse is boring!
But because we’re physically distant, I hear a lot about her inner thoughts and emotions, and very little about whether she drinks loose tea / is really into hand lotions / loves aqua / is always chilly / has too many notebooks / needs a new cardigan / wears stud earrings / can’t make herself spend $25 on that lipstick.
It’s okay, because we are at the stage of life where it doesn’t feel like it matters very much. I buy her some things I think/hope she might like (usually an assortment of smaller items, to hedge my bets); she does the same for me; if we fail, who really cares? We’ll donate or re-gift or whatever; and another nice thing about being physically distant is that we’re not going to notice that the picture isn’t on the wall / the vase isn’t being used / the clothing isn’t being worn / whatever. And so I consider this an entirely fun mission: find something she MIGHT like! or will at least enjoy opening!
This year I am in the mood for fresh ideas. I feel like too many years in a row I have gotten her the fun pens and the novelty sticky-notes and the book it turns out she’s already read. And YOU don’t know what she’d want any more than I would—but you’ll have a fresh batch of ideas, and also I thought this could end up being a comments section filled with ideas we ALL could use, not just for our distant friends having birthdays, but for the upcoming holidays. Just sort of GENERAL GOOD IDEAS for other people, or for ourselves. And they can be small or large, because sometimes I get her one bigger thing and sometimes I get her a collection of smaller things, and because we all probably have people at various price levels on our lists, and because we need stocking/fill-in gifts as well as main gifts.
I will mention a few things here, from things I have in various carts to consider and/or from recent orders, just to get us started:
(image from Amazon.com)
Giraffe drink stirrers. I bought these for Paul one year. They are just as whimsical/ridiculous as I’d hoped.
(image from Amazon.com)
Ponytail holders with…those bead/ball thingies. The other day we were discussing whether middle-aged women could wear scrunchies the second time they came into fashion, if those women had also worn those scrunchies the FIRST time they came into fashion, and that led me to wonder if these bobble things still existed. I AM READY TO WEAR THEM AGAIN. (I would buy them for my friend, but she has sassy short hair dyed in fun colors.)
(image from Target.com)
Meri Meri enamel hair slides. Well okay here are super cute hair clippies perfect for sassy-short-hair-dyed-in-fun-colors.
(image from Amazon.com)
Pom-pom earrings. I MEAN!!! This is stocking stuffers for six separate people right here!
(image from Amazon.com)
Vintage McCall’s Patterns notecards. I love these, but partly because I have happy memories of my mom using these patterns, and my friend does not have a good relationship with her mom, so maybe not.
(image from Amazon.com)
Flower socks. So bright and cheery!
(image from Amazon.com)
Cat sticky-notes, if I HADN’T already done too many fun sticky notes, which I have.
(image from Amazon.com)
Menopause: A Comic Treatment. This is on my OWN wish list, but I haven’t read it yet, so it seems risky to give to someone else until I have.
(image from sephora.com)
Tocca Discovery Set. I bought this for myself (If I spent $10 more on an order I’d save $10 on shipping, so it was basically FREE) (plus $10), and there was only one sample I immediately put into my “see if someone else would like this one, because I do not” pile. But I don’t know if my friend wears/likes perfume. See, that is something else I would know if we were in person more often.
(image from Target.com)
A New Day stud earrings. This is a set of three pairs of tiny, delicate stud earrings I impulse-purchased because I loved them instantly when I saw them at Target, and I had to look and look and look to make sure these were the same ones I bought, because they look so much worse when ENLARGED like this. In person the teensy circles are so tiny and delicate and sparkly! The teensy flowers are so tiny and delicate and dark! The teensy…whatever the third ones are…are so sparkly and delicate! I wear the circles and the flowers all the time! But I would never have bought them, seeing them like this. Still, she wouldn’t see them like this, she’d see them as I saw them.
(image from Target.com)
Starbucks Fall Blend coffee. All the special blends taste the same to me: fall, spring, Thanksgiving, Christmas—all the same. And I will buy them EVERY TIME. There is something so happy and heartening about using the Thanksgiving blend the week before Thanksgiving, and the spring blend when you are HOPING winter is ending and the tulips will be coming up soon. This is putting me in the mood to put together a care package type gift for my friend. With the unicorn hair clippies up above, plus maybe the stud earrings, plus the nail polish I am about to mention.
(image from Target.com)
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish in Cinna-snap. I bought this to get an order up to the $10-off-$40-of-beauty-products threshold, and I am wearing it right now and I really like it. It dried quickly enough, even with two coats, that I did not manage to scuff/nick it. It’s not as brown-red as I’d expected/imagined, more of a classic deep wine red I probably already own, but I do like it. Very nice for fall/winter.
(image from Target.com)
Suave Pink Honeysuckle travel hand sanitizer. This was another of the things I basically got for free by trying to get up to $40 of beauty stuff so I could get a $10 gift card. I am still giving everyone hand sanitizer as gifts, and I wanted to try out this scent before giving it to anyone. I like it! I don’t know if you’ll like it. I’d describe the scent as a clean/soapy/fresh floral. It’s a bit rich at $1.50 for a purse-size bottle, but nice as a fun stocking stuffer. (Hand sanitizer: a middle-aged woman’s idea of a fun stocking stuffer.)
(image from Target.com)
Burt’s Bees Ginger Lime lip balm. I don’t remember where I saw this mentioned as a highly-desirable and hard-to-find flavor, but no description could make something more irresistible to me unless it was also “limited edition,” so I bought one, and I do like it. (I also love ginger lime diet Coke, which I still have not seen since the pandemic got underway. Alas.)
(image from Target.com)
Dear little mug. This is not at ALL an expensive mug (two single dollars), but I find it charming to the point of being unexpectedly touching. (Or the Nope mug is an option, too.) I would pair it with the fall Starbucks coffee above, or with cocoa, or with tea.
(image from Amazon.com)
EuroGraphics Cupcakes puzzle. I LOVE this puzzle. I am not a person who does 1000-piece puzzles, and I don’t like DIFFICULT puzzles. But this is more the kind of puzzle where you can keep snapping in pieces at a satisfying rate, and where you can be like “Dibs on the Christmas tree cupcake!” or “I’m working on all the hearts!” or whatever. Note that the background color varies, meaning this is more like seven smaller puzzles. Plus: it looks delicious. (Similarly terrific: the doughnuts version. The background color difference is less obvious, but the dots ARE different colors and give important clues.)
(image from Amazon.com)
Wool-blend cat socks. I just ordered these for Paul’s sister, who loves cats and lives in a chilly old house. (I bought the snowflakes ones for her boyfriend and also for me, because I wear a women’s size 10-11 shoe so I usually find men’s sock sizes more comfy, and because I already have/love the more colorful ones.)
(image from decomposition.com)
Decomposition books. Oh my gosh! How does anyone CHOOSE?? I would buy these for everyone in my life if I could CHOOSE which ONES to BUY.
This is weird, but a great resource if you have someone who runs goth OR is really into natural history: The Bone Room. https://www.boneroom.com/store/c293/Fossil_Dishware.html
They sell bones (the tooth variety pack can be an EXCELLENT gift for a certain kind of child). they sell these adorable small plates made out of fossils, they sell earrings with encased bits of iridescent butterfly wing. They’re usually pretty reliable about shipping, but in this era who knows. (I also love the Laura Zindell ceramics)
I love this list and it makes me want to put together some care packages. My thoughts are: you can never have two many cute sticky notes — especially if they are cats. Also, have you considered doing a little survey for each other where you let each other know your preferences. I participate in a ‘secret friend’ swap at my work and we always fill out a quick questionnaire where you provide short answers, which really helps. If I remember, it is dunkin/Starbucks, gum/mints, sweet snack/savory snack, etc. since it is short answer it is possible to add details. For instance, I always circle Starbucks but write Chai Latte tea so people know I drink tea not coffee. So maybe you can do something similar or even just do some yes/no questions or short answers. Maybe: enjoy wearing statement jewelry, love accessorizing with scarfs, proffered scent (short answer), favorite color, etc. This way you can get some idea of her preferences without telling each other what to get. You can then keep it from year to year.
Oh! This is such a fun post! I love all these ideas so much. We have one of those puzzles that is vintage candy, and it is so much fun to put together. I have seen a vintage cereal one as well that I covet. I love those notecards too. I feel like I’m not being helpful here because I just love what you have posted, and I’m not giving fresh ideas, but ooooohhhhh those are fun.
I feel like this is almost cruel because this is a UK company and I’m not certain if they ship internationally. But just in case! Or for the (possibly tiny) UK contingent, I love the Spark Company so much for all my angry feminist needs.
A hoodie that says ‘Resting Witch Face’ for Halloween!
Boob socks!
A mug saying ‘Raging Feminist Killjoy’! I bought my friend this, she is a primary school teacher and it is her work mug of choice.
Notorious RBG kids t-shirt!
https://thespark.company/collections/mugs/products/raging-feminist-killjoy-feminist-coffee-mug
I clicked through out of curiosity, and it immediately offered to redirect me to their US store. Such great stuff! Thank you for sharing.
Ah I’m so glad! The stuff is really nice quality too.
They have a US site. Their version of the nope mug is fantastic.
OK, deeply weird, but do you know if she has a fireplace or firepit? One of my kids loves it when we have a fire, so I got some packets of chemicals that change the color of the flames, and it was really fun — a crackling fire, hot chocolate, flames in surprising colors. The link is to show what I mean; there are a lot of brands out there, probably tons on the PenisRocket site:
https://magicalflames.com/
WE LOVE THOSE. The kids like to wow all their friends with them. If I could I would order them in bulk.
I love ALL the socks pictured here. So very much.
Beth got those socks from her mom for Christmas or her birthday one year.
The cat ones, I mean.
I love cheerful socks and was given the flower package last Christmas. A caution, for what it’s worth: I find the real live version unpleasant — not so much cheery as garish.
Alack! I am heartbroken. Thanks for the heads up.
The Sock Dreams company has fantastic customer service and the widest variety of high quality socks I have ever seen. Wool! Toe socks! Wide calf knee/thigh highs! Cloud-patterned socks that got me recognized on a train once! Highly recommend.
Double thumbs up for Sock Dreams recommendation. I especially love their stripey thigh high/over the knee styles of socks. I’m wearing some right now!
Thank you Swistle for the decomposition book rec – I’m super picky about notebooks (spiral bound! no lines! cute cover that sparks JOY damnit!) and these look awesome. <3
Oh, this is very good intel.
For friends, I love getting letterpress calendars from Etsy. There are a lot of different kinds (plants! Animals! Birds! Bugs! Vintage bikes!) in the $25-35 range and a few that are more pricey. It’s a year-round joy turning the calendar pages each month and seeing the art.
I have never sent a Harry and David gift that wasn’t well received. It’s best if you have some idea what you’re working with (i.e. my MIL gets all fruit because I know she loves fruit) but we’ve guessed on professional gifts and still gotten enthusiastic feedback. My favorite Christmas tradition is the apple and pear package one of my husband’s clients sends us every year, which is what got me started using them.
Oh, and someone else sent us Fairytale Brownies as a thank you gift. That might be a bit much if you’re not a sweets eater, but if there are people in the house to help you they go fast!
My best friend lives an hour away and we go months without seeing each other. She has taken to sending me H&D pears because they are my fav and I try very hard to make sure she knows that IS a personalized gift even though it may not feel like it for a close friend.
Piccolinakids.com Makes the best shirts with women trailblazers on them and they now make them in grownup sizes. My daughter wore her Ada Lovelace shirt constantly until she outgrew it and I’m excited to give her a RGB and Mae Jemison shirt for Christmas. I’m thinking Santa might bring me one too.
I also received a small framed piece of art a few years ago that I just adore – mine is 4×4. Art is so personal but tiny art makes less of a statement and can be tucked on a shelf, put on a desk, hung in a little space. Mine is a sweet reminder of a dear friend and I love it. If it was full size it would be in a closet bc it’s not my style per say, but since it is tiny I always have it out. Green box art, Etsy, lots of this online.
Instead of fancy post it notes, what about fancy note paper- the kinds that’s great for grocery or to-do lists. I love these. That and fun colored pens.
You are a wonderful gift giver. I tend to get most excited about receiving things that I cannot justify for myself, for instance Smartwool socks or Princeton watercolor paintbrushes or any other tiny fancy upgrade. However, as a gift giver, I admit it’s hard to hand someone one wee paintbrush.
To pair with that incredibly sweet mug, I enjoy the dryly funny picture book Tea Rex by Molly Idle.
Plug-in back massagers run under $40 from BB&B or Amazon and have been a hit among my friends.
If you are up for ordering from the UK, and if you too are looking for delectable milk chocolate that is not so sugary tasting, I highly recommend Hotel Chocolat. It’s the dark chocolate of milk chocolates.
I yearn for an RBG dissent collar to pair with my Tired Feminist sweatshirt from Reductress. Etsy has gorgeous ones under $30.
I would love any of the things you listed, and here’s one I’ve sent to a couple of people (It’s $30, so not cheap, but it’s beloved). It’s a hoodie blanket. Perfect for chilly fall day.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0876KH3ZN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A few ideas that are adjacent to the items you already mentioned:
– Anything written/illustrated by Liz Climo: I am partial to her daily tear-off calendar and the book, Lobster is the Best Medicine! So cute and good for any occasion.
– Book darts: I love these metallic page markers, and they come in a darling little tin.
– Silicone drink markers: we have mustaches and space invaders, and they are very fun to stick on glasses, especially because now all of our glassware is stemless, so nowhere to hang a wine charm.
– I always love nicely illustrated blank cards and stamps.
I adore Amber Share’s Subpar Parks series and have given a print as a gift that was well received. I’m seriously thinking of getting the calendar this year! https://ambersharedesign.com/collections/frontpage
https://www.uncommongoods.com/
I love this site, it’s a little more than I would spend on some people, but not bad prices for special people. I bought the free shipping for a year, it’s $19.90 but worth it for me. Check them out. I love the state ornaments, I bought one for my sister who has a cottage in Maine and the state candle for my daughter who is in another state too. Love all of your ideas.
Thanks for this! I didn’t know about their Perks membership for free shipping– I always find good gifts for people on this site, but then the shipping costs end up adding just a little too much. I might go for the membership this year and then make it my go-to for holiday and birthday gifts!
Oooh, I’ve got a good one. I love mine and it’s been extremely well recieved by a few friends. It’s a 5 year line-a-day journal. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to explain it well but each day of the year has it’s own page and each page has room for five entries. Each entry only has about 5 lines so not too intimidating or time consuming. I’ve had mine for 4 years so when I’m writing my entry for today, I can look above for my entry for that day for the last 3 years. I love seeing what I was doing last year at this time, and the year before that and the year before that. I’ve learned what I most like to read in past entries so now I write what future self would like to read. I especially like reading what I’ve made for dinner because apparently my husband is correct when he complains that I make good recipes and then never make then again. Lots of styles of covers too.
ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFMN0hRVVRMTkxVWk8mZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMTIxNTkyNkNORUJOREhXSUZTJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxODUyMTMySFk0WUFLMU9RSE5ZJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ
That link doesn’t look right so if it doesn’t work just search at Amazon for 5 year line a day journals.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-One-Line-Day-Cheng/dp/1452164606/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=line+a+day+journal&qid=1634581686&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFMN0hRVVRMTkxVWk8mZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMTIxNTkyNkNORUJOREhXSUZTJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAxODUyMTMySFk0WUFLMU9RSE5ZJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
This link should work
I love mine. I went “fancy” with the Lechttrum some lines a day journal after I finished a ten year version of the same thing. I really love this type of journal and I’ve kept one for over 12 years, so even though I think I’m not good at journaling, I’m still doing something. The first year is the least fun, but it is really great as the years add up.
Here is the one I have. They don’t have the orange I got anymore though.
https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/some-lines-a-day-the-5-year-memory-book.html
Yes! I received a five-year journal for Christmas 2018, and I love it.
Another good source for these journals is Unbound. They are a small business and make beautiful products: https://unboundplanner.com
This is a great idea! My sister has been recording in a five year journal for maybe 40 years (or longer). It has just enough space to write a significant event for the day. She lets me know when she is on the last year so I can maybe send her a new one. She is our historian.
Heading in to winter, I’m looking out my windows and wishing I had some fun things outside to look at. A pretty bird feeder or some little wind chimes or something. My house is full of all the usual little indoor gifts, but there’s a lot of space outdoors!
There’s a chain called Wild Birds Unlimited that seems to have a lot of locations around the US. I usually go in there looking for bird seed and end up spotting a bunch of things that would make good gifts.
I’ve recently gifted pretty tea towels to some friends & family who like to cook. Unlike mugs, I figure everyone has room for 1 or 2 more towels in the drawer, and even better if you can take the opportunity to get rid of something old and fraying/stained.
I love the zipper pouches my sister gave me from Society6. They are surprisingly well made, with thick fabric and sturdy zippers, and the selection of designs is fantastic. I use mine to organize charging cables.
https://society6.com/carry-all-pouches
Hotpads are also good for that. Maybe it’s just me, but my hotpads diiiie.
Here are a few random goodies:
Sliding tin lip balms like all women of a certain age used to have as kids: https://www.tintecosmetics.com/products/wild-cherry-lip-licking-flavored-lip-balm
5-pack of eyeglass cleaners (good for stocking stuffers!): https:/amazon.com/dp/B01J4WQOZ4/
Themed tea boxes: https://www.sipsby.com/collections/tea-boxes
Mini frying pan, great for making an egg that will fit perfectly on an English muffin: https://www.worldmarket.com/product/5-inch-greenpan-nonstick-ceramic-egg-frying-pan.do
Beautiful sticker book: https://therapystores.com/products/antiquarian-sticker-book
To piggyback off the One Line A Day idea, they also make ones that are one question a day, so if you would find it hard to do a line without a prompt, this gives you a specific question to answer.
https://shopbrdesignco.com/ I love the earrings from this small shop! They are lightweight and well made.
I find myself wishing I had a coaster on my desk right now, but cute coasters aren’t something I’m likely to buy myself.
https://www.target.com/p/love-beauty-and-planet-rose-hand-cream-1oz/-/A-76628576
I like this lotion! It comes in lots of scents and while it’s expensive for the size, I can often find them on clearance in the store. I keep one in my car.
Fun picture frames are always nice!
As a pet owner I’m always tickled when I get something cute and frivolous for my pet. Depending on a friend’s sense of humor this is fun: https://www.amazon.com/Lomspk-Poop-Dispenser-Holder-Waste/dp/B07VT45ZN6
My favorite gift this year? A library of chocolate. Like, 8+ fair-trade all sorts of different brands chocolate bars. SO GOOD. Theo chocolate is probably my favorite, but there are now so many good fair-trade chocolate bars, and they are generally going to be slightly “fancier” and it is really nice.
(but also one or two Theo chocolate bars in an assorted-things gift: unlikely to go wrong)
I’m trying to do more consumable gifts – like gift certificates to favourite restaurants
I love things you can order to have photos put on (coasters! magnets! calendars! cut-out statue things!). It’s a bit more work, but I’ve done all sorts of gifts where I pull photos of people off of Facebook and use them to make gifts (so even if you’re not physically close, you could still find something cute of them or their family or whatever!).
Princess Awesome for great kid and adult clothes. I got two dresses for a friend’s baby last year and they said that they are some of the better designed and higher quality baby clothes they’ve gotten.
Magnetic nesting measuring spoons that are double ended, with one end narrow enough to fit in a lot of space jars.
I am a big fan of little luxury upgrades that people wouldn’t get for themselves. Like the expensive measuring spoons.
A good friend is having a Big Round Number Birthday this year, so she has decided to buy, via me and other friends (aka, we find stuff we think she will like, buy it for her, and she pays us back if we ask her to pay us back) 50 stitch markers for knitting and crochet. They are small and fun and cute and she doesn’t have to worry about not using the Good Ones because she is afraid to ruin them. Plus, she started this project back in the summer for a late fall birthday, so there’s a decent chance she will forget half of what has already been purchased for this project. It has been SO MUCH FUN for me, as all items have been shipped to me for safe-keeping until her birthday.
I will also say that Hotel Chocolat’s caramel chocolates are amazing and one of the UK foods I miss the most.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/694701528/art-print-the-dog-walker-woman?ref=shop_home_active_23&crt=1&variation0=1113930745
That Etsy seller and that print are fantastic. It has been sitting in my cart for over a year, but I may have to get it this year. There are so many creative people on Etsy.
I love getting Voluspa French Cade candles. At 25 usd, it feels luxurious. I am super sensitive to smells and I love these.
I once did a gift set I call Hippy Homemaker in my head. I included bamboo toothbrushes, beeswax wrap, wool dryer balls, and a cute Swedish dish towel. You could customize it with some loose leaf tea/honey produced locally.
Is your friend a business traveler and/or someone who would appreciate some easy tech security stuff? I feel like Paul could be really helpful here. You could send a box that includes a mini router, a mic lock, and a data blocker.
I love to buy people things that are too expensive to justify buying for yourself, but that are fun little luxuries. Things under $50 but that are really nice, along the lines of your $25 lipstick example. I try to keep it to consumable things because I started to feel like I had far too much “stuff” during the pandemic and needed to purge. Some examples:
Small diptyque candles (I like to buy the 3 small candles set and then give them as separate gifts!)
Supergoop, EltaMD, or Coola sunscreen
Olaplex No 3 or No 8
Kiehls Rare Earth Face Mask
BabyFoot feet mask (gross but fun)
LemonBuzzzSoap bath bombs and soap (small woman-owned, environmentally friendly business on Etsy)
Laniege Lip Mask
Amagansett Sea Salt in different flavors (comes with the cutest little wooden spoon or you can do the sampler tin)
I’ve been doing a lot of consumable gifts because everyone I know has so much stuff and treats are always appreciated. A few favorites:
Goldbelly has loads of regional/city-specific foods and they have tons of savory (even full-meal) options as well as sweets
O&H Danish Kringle is a lifelong favorite
Spoonful of Comfort – for soups plus cozy socks and little gifts
Little Debbie has a shop on their website where you can order t-shirts, socks, holiday variety boxes, birthday boxes, etc and it is DELIGHTFUL
Penzey’s Spices – I love receiving stuff from them because I make the same tired old dinners all the time and their spice blends truly make a difference and shake things up a bit
If your friend enjoys hiking or camping, maybe a state park pass? A fun experience gift!
Maybe there are craft-people in your area selling mugs, ornaments, hats, candles, jewelry, soaps, and things like that? (In my town they appear together at markets, sell stuff in particular stores, and are active on instagram.) Handmade items just have built-in specialness!
So I hope it is not inappropriate of me to talk about the place where I work, but it’s a small NGO in Greece that has a job-creation project for refugees in which lifejackets and dinghies and other material related to the migrants arriving here gets upcycled into different types of bags (anything from wallets to totes to backpacks), which are then sold to sustain the project and create more jobs. The products made in our workshop are one-of-a-kind, and always colorful and (if I say so myself) very practical.
We ship to the US, but I’m not sure if with the shipping costs it’s still affordable – probably also very much depends on the item you choose, as some products are much heavier than others. We get orders from the US though, so at least some people think it’s worth it :) Otherwise maybe just a gift idea for the Swistle readers in Europe?
The link to our e-shop is https://lesvossolidarityshop.org/
(and Swistle, if this is inappropriate, I’m very sorry and please remove either the link or the entire comment!)
Thank you for sharing! What an incredible project.
You’re welcome! We hope to keep going as long as necessary :)
Sometimes I will browse around on Etsy for fun when I don’t have a particular gift recipient in mind and I add things to my list of favorites so that when I DO need a gift for someone I can look at what I’ve saved. There are just so many creative gifts (tea towels! Tiny enamel bowls! Clever mugs! Acrylic name nacklaces in neon colors!) there that I find it never gets old for me.
Etsy has amazing dish towels. I like to find ones that reference a city or state where they live.
The Scunci spiral ponytail holders are a revelation. They don’t pull. They get out of shape afterwards but put them in hot water and they recover.
A little change purse for the car is fun. You never know when there will be a parking meter or someone you want to give some change to.
Charcuterie board? Maybe some summer sausage that doesn’t have to be refrigerated? I recommend Volpi brand. A package of sliced Italian bread and some cute cheese spreaders or a tiny jar of apricot jam, and crackers. You can include a note: Just add cheese!
If you want to send a charming book, I recommend The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, or The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. These are YA, but so wonderfully charming, and not at all cringey for an adult to be reading it.
This is more of a ‘one gift’ type thing, but it consists of many little packages that the recipient can choose from – it’s SO fun (as a recipient) to browse and pick what you want. I received one of these recently as a condolence gift (my husband died three weeks ago) and I had never heard of this company before, but based on my experience with them I highly recommend them for any kind of occasion.
It’s called Sugarwish, and the recipient can choose from candy, popcorn, cookie or snacks. I chose snacks, and was taken to a page with a huge array of selections (I got to choose 8 items). I have trail mix, cheese cracker mix, salted nuts, dried fruit (mango and cranberry) and caramel/toffee covered nuts sitting here in individual containers. Everything was fresh and the packages are resealable so if your recipient is like me and just a nibbler, it’s no big deal. I’m not affiliated with these people, just had a very good experience with them!
sugarwish.com
I’m very sorry for your loss.
That’s a great gift idea.
I am also very sorry for your loss. Wishing you comfort and peace.
We have a corporate Sugarwish account. I’ve sent them to many people, and they are always a hit! They even have dog treats!
Oh, Wendy, no! I mean, yes to nibbly treats, but I have been worrying about you & your husband since you posted about his illness on that He’s Not a Mind-Reader thread so very long ago.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Oh my goodness, I can’t believe you remembered – you’re right, it was quite a while ago! Thank you (and to the other commenters as well) for your kind words. It really does mean a lot.
I bought myself a disco ball from this shop early in the pandemic and I can not overstate how much joy it brings me! I have mine on my buffet near a window that gets the morning sun and simply adore the small dots of light it produces over my walls and ceiling. I’ve decided everyone needs one! (I can’t tell if the link is posting, but it’s the LivingColorfullyShop on Etsy) There are lots of sizes for various price points.
I was at a holiday gift exchange with a $15 limit and someone gave really pretty measuring cups. It’s just the kind of thing that I admire in the store but can never justify buying for myself. I would be very excited to receive something like that.
World market is a store/website that I go to for cute/pretty kitchen items that I think are universally appreciated.
– measuring cups and spoons
– utensil holder
– tea towels
Pen holders are another item that people can use for a variety of things. Typo is a store I like for novelty items like this.
I also think a small planter is a good gift since so many people have started getting into plants since the pandemic.
I will ditto that I love giving and receiving anything from Harry & David. They have more than just pears, This has become my go to site for sympathy gifts – unfortunately I have had to send some recently. I just sent my dad an ice cream variety pack for his birthday that he loved.
I also send people Garrett’s popcorn – Chicago mix. It is THE BEST popcorn in the world. I know it seems like popcorn is popcorn but trust me this is such a treat.
* I had included a bunch of links to items but kept getting an error message when I tried to post. I attempted several times so if it turns out I accidentally posted my comment several times I’m sorry.
SomeShine Kids Night Light – Rechargeable Fox Nursery Night Light with Auto-Off Timer, Safe and Durable Kawaii Lamp and Glowing Companion for Baby Feeding, Diaper Changing, and Midnight Bathroom Trips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DHVFDHT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RY0QYK4Y38YG1RYYNFE0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I bought this tiny fox light on a whim when I was searching for something that might keep him in his fucking room at night. And it’s so great! Tiny, just the right amount of light, rechargeable! Has an optional 15 minute automatic shut off timer! I ended up getting one for Bee (the pink seal), and then a couple as gifts for my teenage nieces. And then I got one for myself for night time nursing sessions! Universally adored.
I will say that the fox one’s orangy glow is nicer at night time than the brighter pink seal. It looks like some of the other options would glow white. Anyway, I’m recommending this thing for everyone!
I have no idea what your price point is, but I saw socks on there and if socks are a thought, can I recommend a subscription to the Awesome Socks Club? It’s Hank and John Green’s thing and 100% of the proceeds go to support maternal and fetal health in Sierra Leone, and the socks have fun wacky patterns and they are my favorite socks because they are so comfortable. It’s $12 a month though, and you get one pair per month.
If you are interested, you can quit the subscription any time, in case $12 per month is too much for more than X months. But you can only sign up for a subscription during a 10 day sign up period which I think has just started.
Yes: Sign up by Nov 14: https://awesomesocks.club/
So there’s an idea.