Tis the season of gift giving.
For some of us, this is a really exciting time of year.
It's the time of year where we get to go to the mall and pick out thoughtful gifts for our loved ones.
Sit on the couch and scroll and scroll and scroll on our favorite retail websites until we find the perfect gifts for everyone on our list.
And for some of us this is a really stressful time of year because gift giving is not our love language.
I am one of those people.
In fact, It's the lowest on my list of love languages.
So the holidays roll around for me and I'm like, ah, I don't want to do it.
I don't know why.
Gift giving causes me a lot of anxiety, because I want to get something for someone that they're going to use.
I really don't like wasting things.
I also don't want them to like open it and feel the pressure to react a certain way in front of me.
I don't like receiving gifts because I don't really need anything and I don't want anything.
And I don't want to react in the wrong way and have them think that I didn't like their gift.
Everything about it makes me anxious and nervous and uncomfortable.
But it is an inevitable part of the holidays for most of us, because most people expect to receive gifts.
So this year I decided to make a long, long list of ideas, not just for you, but also for me, because I need help too.
This does not come naturally to me.
This is not my love language.
So this is a list of gift ideas that I genuinely think anyone, almost anyone, would love.
And Almost anyone would use, because that's the thing about gifts.
There's nothing worse than a gift wasted, a gift that's just collecting dust in the receiver's closet.
That's a shame for everyone involved.
So this list keeps that in mind.
A lot of these gifts are genuinely useful items that are just special enough to feel exciting under the Christmas tree or in the living room of wherever, whatever holiday you celebrate, you know.
So without further ado, this is my 2025 list of gift ideas.
Let's begin.
I had this idea for something that I'm calling, you have to try this basket, okay?
Imagine this a basket like a gift basket, filled with a bunch of specific items, curated by you, that you want the receiver of the gift to try.
It's a cool idea because you can switch it up based on who you're giving the gift basket to.
Like, for example, if you're giving one of these baskets to your best friend, you might put in there your favorite lip balm, your favorite candy, your favorite coffee blend from Chamberlain Coffee, my brand.
Just kidding, but I'm not at all actually.
Your favorite book, perhaps like your favorite brand of coffee, like notebook paper and like your favorite brand of pens, like curate it, based on what you know your friend will love.
But put in it things that you've talked about with your friend before, like oh my God, I'm obsessed with this lip balm.
Or like, oh my God, I'm obsessed with this notebook that I just bought.
Curate the basket with stuff that you've discussed with this person that you've been like oh, you have to try this, but they've never gotten around to trying it.
And you know that because you're close enough with them that you know that they haven't tried it.
I think that's a really fun idea because I'm constantly talking about various things that I like.
I also do that on this podcast.
I'm just constantly doing that.
And there's something really fun about putting together a curated basket of some of those items for them to try.
Because a lot of times when someone gets recommended something they're like I'll pick that up next time I'm at the store.
And then they forget.
So it's nice to actually give it to them.
I also think that These baskets could work for someone who you don't have a lot in common with.
Let's say you're giving one of these baskets to one of your grandparents, perhaps your grandpa.
You might not have a lot in common with your grandpa, but you probably have a favorite brand of socks.
Maybe you just recently bought a new pair of amazing smart wool socks and they're just so nice and so luxurious.
Throw them in there.
Your grandpa would love that.
Your favorite book.
If your grandpa hasn't read it, Throw it in.
I don't know.
There's something very personal about a basket like this with items that you've talked about with your loved ones before.
Put them on to new stuff curated by you.
Next, I've talked about this before.
L.L.
Bean brand, or any brand, but L.L.
Bean is the one that I use.
L.L.
Bean brand toiletry bag, monogrammed.
It's like a bag.
Zips.
You know, it has a bunch of little pockets for all of your travel cosmetics and such.
Pretty boring, usually.
You know what would make it a little more fun?
Monogram.
I have three black ones and they all have my initials monogrammed on them in Times New Roman font.
White embroidery.
They're gorgeous.
They have the most perfect pockets.
I use them all.
I have all three sizes and I use them all.
I use the large one for long trips.
I use the medium one for showering at my yoga class.
And I use the small one for bringing makeup with me if I'm going out for the day and I want to have makeup with me because maybe I want to add a bit of eyeliner in the second half of the day, if I'm going to dinner or something.
I love these toiletry bags.
I've talked about them before.
And the little embroidery on there just adds a bit of personalization.
This is something that everyone could use, especially someone in your life who travels a lot.
But even...
Someone in your life who doesn't travel a lot.
Perhaps someone in your life who just wears makeup a lot.
Get them the small size and they can put their little makeup kit in there for you know little day trips or to bring to work or whatever.
It's a great gift.
Okay, moving on.
A fun or cute or aesthetic license plate frame.
A few years ago when I got a new car, I decided I was sick of having boring license plate frames.
And so I bought some funny ones online.
And there are a lot of random funny ones.
There are also some cute ones.
It's harder to find cute ones, but they exist.
They're out there.
You might have to dig a little bit.
I have one on now that says I'm speeding because I have to poop.
How funny is that?
So silly.
This is a really fun gift that most people wouldn't buy for themselves.
Like I'm weird and I bought a fun license plate frame for myself, but most people wouldn't do that, right?
That's why I think this is such a thoughtful and useful gift, because most people wouldn't think to change out their license plate frame, but then would be excited to do so if they received one.
Because there is something fun about accessorizing everyday items.
And you'll notice I have a lot of those types of things in the rest of this list.
Okay, next.
Another everyday item that most people don't really think much about.
Most people...
Have this item just because it comes with another product, but it's not necessarily cute or interesting.
And that would be a glasses case.
Most people use glasses cases that they got from whatever brand sold them the glasses.
And those glasses cases are often really nice.
You know, like they're often pretty simple.
They just have like the brand name on the front.
They're fine, right?
But a cute homemade glasses case?
Literally go online right now and look up homemade quilted eyeglasses case or homemade hand-painted eyeglass case, and you'll find so many beautiful options.
You could even get an eyeglass case monogrammed.
Like the opportunities are endless.
But this is a daily use object that could be more fun.
And that's always a good gift.
Okay, next.
I thought a lot about what types of fashion related items are good to give.
And to be honest, not a lot came to mind because clothes are so personal.
Even a lot of accessories are personal.
There's sizing involved, material preferences, like some people find certain materials to feel irritating whatever.
It's very hard to buy clothes for people.
So you'll notice I don't have any clothes on this list.
However, I did think of a few accessories that I think could be incredible gifts, starting with a really nice simple, neutral scarf okay.
Perhaps oatmeal colored, perhaps black, perhaps cream, perhaps red, but really soft, beautiful material that can be worn time and time again.
If there's someone in your life who really loves fashion and accessorizing, getting them a forever scarf that'll match almost every outfit that they wear for the remainder of the wintertime.
That's a great gift.
I think the key is quality and material because people are so picky about knits, you know?
So you want to make sure it's soft.
An itchy scarf is somewhat polarizing.
Like some people are cool with it.
Some people are not.
I'm somebody who is not.
I cannot handle an itchy scarf.
So if you can find one handmade online, even better.
Or at a boutique, a local boutique.
Handmade is always a nice touch when it comes to a basic item, you know?
Another sort of fashion-related idea would be iron-on patches.
Specifically with... the receiver's name embroidered.
These are so cute to iron on to bags, jackets, jeans.
You can iron on a cute little name patch to literally anything and it'll add a little personal touch.
I actually have some of these patches.
I ordered them like 10 months ago and they're so cute and so special and it's so easy like to just I don't know follow the directions and iron them on.
Like it's a really easy way to personalize clothing in a way that's fun, but also aesthetic.
Like I found all of these sellers online that made vintage inspired name tag iron on patches custom.
So you can pick out the colors and the font.
It's like a cute personal accessory that again, the person receiving the gift might've never thought of before.
Cause it's kind of a Not to toot my own horn, but it's kind of a unique idea.
You could also just find cool vintage iron-on patches that perhaps relate to the person's personality.
Maybe they love traveling to New York City.
Get them a New York City patch.
Maybe they love dogs.
Get them a dog patch, you know, whatever.
Very similarly to this, you could also find very specific pins, like push pins.
They're not push pins.
What are they called?
Button pins?
Yeah, buttons, buttons.
Button pins that you can pin onto clothes and bags and jackets and whatever.
Pick out some really hyper-specific pins that match the receiver, the gift receiver's personality.
And that's another really fun idea.
It's kind of the same idea as the patch, but just a slightly different version.
You can find so many random, fun, vintage pins online. either at vintage shops or online.
I think online is probably easier because a lot of the ones in thrift stores and vintage stores these days are sort of picked through.
I feel like every time I'm at a flea market and I look at all the pins and stuff like the vintage pins, because I always look a lot of them are like, really random.
It'll be like for like a tire company.
And it's like, I don't care about that.
You know.
So like maybe go online and look up specific keywords, but I think that's a really fun idea.
Okay.
Another idea that's kind of similar to the last two charms that match the person's personality once again.
So like, for example, if the gift receiver loves Paris, you could get a little Eiffel Tower charm.
If they love their cat, you could get them a little cat charm.
If they're a Gemini, you could get them a little Gemini charm and then get a nice little chain or a little charm bracelet to attach the charms to and and give that to them.
This is a very thoughtful gift.
If someone picked out a bunch of charms for me that related to me as a person and put them on a piece of jewelry for me as a gift, I think I would cry for two days.
Because not only is it such a beautiful gift, there's something about jewelry that is just always so beautiful to me.
The craftsmanship that goes into making jewelry is so magical to me.
And my favorite charm brand, I have a favorite charm brand, the brand Helen Ficalora.
She has some amazing charms and some very hyper-specific ones.
They're not cheap, but in the world of charms, they're not bad.
And they're so well-made, and they're so intricate and so beautiful.
Okay, moving on.
This is not the most groundbreaking gift idea, but I really do think it's a good gift idea.
Coasters.
Depending on who you're giving the gift to, though.
Like coasters are a good gift for someone in your life who doesn't have coasters.
Do you get what I'm saying by this?
Like for your friend who has their shit together to a level that's like almost annoying.
It's like stop, you know, like let go a little.
OK, that's I'm honestly that friend.
I'm the friend that's like uptight and like always prepared and anxious and stuff like that.
But for the friend who maybe isn't, who's maybe a little bit more chaotic, which we love, which is fun,
That's the type of person to get coasters for, because they're putting their drinking glass straight on the table.
You know, they're staining their wood table.
Their drink is sliding off the table because they don't have a coaster like help them.
And there are so many cool coasters out there.
If you look up unique handmade coaster.
You will find so many options, and it's it's a good opportunity to like find something unique too, because there are certain things that are boring and it's hard to find a cute or interesting version of them.
Like for example, like a trash can, like it's hard to find like a cool trash can.
Whereas like there are a lot of really cool, interesting coasters out there.
Actually, I have a great example.
One of my loved ones got me these handmade coasters that look like peanut butter and jelly.
Okay, I'll show you.
Um, they literally look like real slices of peanut butter and jelly, but they're coasters and they're so cool.
So yeah, for for the friend that doesn't have coasters yet, get them some coasters.
Or for the friend that has really boring coasters, maybe get them a fun coaster.
But also, if they already have coasters, just it's okay.
Um, Also could be a good gift for a dad.
I feel like dads don't use coasters.
I'm speaking from experience.
Maybe my dad does use coasters and I'm like, no, I feel like he doesn't.
I really feel like he doesn't, but he might be listening to this.
Well, he doesn't listen to my podcast because I call him on the phone every day and give him a podcast, an exclusive, so he doesn't need to listen.
Anyway, let's move on.
Speaking of coasters, another really cute idea is... a cup or mug or wine glass set.
This is for sort of the same type of friend that you'd get coasters for.
Perhaps you could bundle these two gift ideas together for one larger gift.
We all know that person that pours themselves a glass of wine in a coffee mug and it's like ooh, come on, romanticize life a little bit.
Well, this is the type of person that you get a glass or cup set for.
Or you know the type of person who has one coffee mug and it like has chips in it.
You know, maybe get them a mug set again.
This is another opportunity to find a cool handmade option or even like a vintage option.
I bought some vintage glassware when I moved into this house, and I don't know, there's something really fun about drinking a drink out of a special glass, And also the thing about glassware is that it's constantly chipping and breaking and I don't know.
It can be nice to have backups too.
Moving on to a unique throw pillow.
I'm talking about a statement throw pillow.
Like it's almost like a piece of art.
There are a lot of really amazing artistically made throw pillows out there, whether they have like a gorgeous beaded design on the front, or they're hand painted, or or they're like hand crocheted, or they're made out of like old scraps of like antique fabric that are super special.
Throw pillows are nice when they're just simply chic and cute, but it can be really fun to throw an interesting throw pillow into the mix.
I recently was at a vintage store and I saw this amazing, amazing throw pillow.
I didn't buy it because I think it had bed bugs in it.
I'm half kidding.
But I wanted to buy it.
It was this amazing throw pillow and it had this like dog on the front that was wearing like a cute raincoat or something.
I can't fully remember what was on it.
And it was like embroidered.
Oh, it was so cute.
But it did have bed bugs.
So you know, be careful if you do thrift or vintage pillows, because you know you might want to clean them first before you give them as a gift.
Really well,
But a unique throw pillow is could be fun for somebody who's into home decor, but maybe could use a little bit of something eclectic in the mix.
Next a jewelry box or a necklace.
Stand for your jewelry.
Loving loved one who has earrings strewn out all over their countertop.
I don't know why I'm like, all of these gifts, I'm like shitting on the people in your life.
I'm like For your messy loser of a cousin who has a messy bathroom with earrings strewn out all over the counter.
Get them a jewelry box.
It's like, why am I being so rude?
Excuse me, I've been quite rude this episode, just shitting on everyone.
But anyway, even just for your friend who likes jewelry, I could have just left it at that, but I had to completely come for your loved one's entire being.
I'm so sorry.
A jewelry box or a necklace stand can be a really helpful, useful gift that perhaps they haven't invested in themselves or not invested in but haven't indulged in themselves.
Jewelry organization is the last thing on most people's list.
Or a lot of people have outdated jewelry storage.
Like for so long I had this like little necklace collection stand or whatever.
That was way too small for the amount of necklaces that I had at the time.
I knew I needed a bigger one, but I never got around to it.
And also the one I had was really ugly.
It was like plastic.
It was flimsy.
It just like wasn't a vibe.
You know, I knew I needed to upgrade because it was something that I was using constantly.
I mean, my necklaces were on there and I was wearing necklaces a lot at that time.
I feel like a lot of people maybe have jewelry storage, but it's not something that they have updated recently.
And perhaps it's time, you know?
Moving on to a handmade vase and some dried flowers, okay?
This is so fun.
I'm gonna do this for someone.
I don't know who, but I'm gonna do this for someone.
Imagine the journey of finding the perfect homemade vase for someone.
It's, by the way, it's so, actually, it doesn't even need to be homemade.
Could be homemade, could be vintage.
There are so many cool, gorgeous, awesome vases and vases depending on how you pronounce it.
There are so many.
And so I encourage you to find a unique one.
You can go to any boutique.
I can guarantee you'll find a vase.
You know what I mean?
You'll find a vase.
I'm American.
I don't know why I call vases vases, but I just always have called it a vase.
To me, a vase doesn't feel as romantic as a vase.
And It's a receptacle for flowers and that's very romantic.
So that's why I want to call vases vases.
Anyway, so I'll be calling them vases for the remainder of the episode.
The idea of shopping around for vases for people in my life and picking out the perfect one and then from there to go to some sort of either farmer's market or a little boutique-y shop that sells dried flowers and to like pick out the perfect bouquet of dried flowers for the vase that match the vase and then to give that as a gift.
Here's why this is awesome.
Because it's low maintenance.
If you just get somebody a vase, it's like, okay, that's nice.
But then they have to fill it with flowers themselves.
Okay.
If you get them a vase and dried flowers, the dried flowers will last literally forever.
I've had vases with dried flowers in my house for years and they look the exact same.
So it's kind of like the gift that keeps on giving.
But also now they have a cute little piece of home decor.
How fun.
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Now back to the episode.
Okay, moving on.
To a cool clock. particularly a digital clock.
I have a few digital clocks in my house and I love them.
I rely on them because I don't know how to read a normal clock.
And if this gift is for a Gen Z yeah, I suggest that you get them a digital clock, because none of us know how to read a clock.
So wait, I have to drink out of my Stanley cup, which is honestly another good gift.
Brief intermission to say if there's someone in your life who doesn't yet have a Stanley cup, get them a Stanley cup.
Last year, or maybe two years ago, I bought Stanley cups for my cousins and they love them.
But I accidentally bought an extra one.
Like I miscounted.
And so I ended up giving that one to my dad.
He's obsessed.
He uses it every day.
My dad, he's not the Stanley cup quencher 40 ounce customer.
Usually it's moms, girly pops, you know, like, yeah.
You wouldn't think my dad would like a Stanley Cup.
He loves it.
I've gotten boyfriends on Stanley Cups.
Don't have one of those right now.
Boyfriend.
I do have a Stanley Cup, but I don't have a boyfriend.
I'm like crying.
I start crying.
No.
You'd be shocked at who actually would like and use a Stanley Cup.
That maybe isn't the stereotypical demographic.
Anyway, let's go back to the clocks.
We're talking about clocks, specifically digital clocks.
I don't know.
There are many different types of options.
You could get someone like a cool retro digital clock that they can put on their desk or something.
You could get a really beautiful wall clock that's sort of artistic.
Again, perhaps handmade or hand-painted or something.
That could be really cool.
Clocks are very useful and A lot of people don't have clocks around their house.
Could be a good gift.
Okay, next.
You know what?
I never do this.
So I'm just gonna do this.
Something from the Chamberlain Coffee website, okay?
If you're listening to this the day this episode comes out it is Black Friday tomorrow and we are having a little sale.
And we also have a new honey blend.
Honey coffee blend and honey matcha.
They are so good.
This is like my favorite product we've put out in a very long time.
And I love everything of course, but like this holds a very special place in my heart.
It's so good.
And it's here to stay.
It's not like a limited drop.
This is like a part of the collection now.
This honey flavor, it's so beautiful.
It's so light.
It's so like, it has this like essence of sweet, but it's also kind of floral.
It's so good.
But we also have like classic coffee.
We have light rose, we have medium, dark matcha.
We have gorgeous cups and And a little tote bag.
There's cute shit there.
And I hate doing this.
I really do.
But I do think that there are genuinely some nice gifts on ChamberlainCoffee.com.
And there's a little sale tomorrow for Black Friday.
So go check it out if there's someone in your life who loves coffee or matcha or little cute coffee or matcha accessories.
That's obviously not sponsored because it's my brand.
But that is the single biased gift.
Gift recommendation.
Everything else is from the fucking heart.
And that is too.
That is too, but you get what I mean.
Okay, moving on.
Niche but aesthetic but useful kitchen items.
Okay, an example would be a butter dish.
Another example would be a mortar and pestle.
Okay, if you don't know what a mortar and pestle is, it's like a little bowl with like a little mallet that you can like.
Grind spices with grind nuts, with grind nut with.
Sounds so sexual that you can absolutely pound nut with.
So, you know, like somebody in your life is into cooking, likes little things like this.
I think a really nice gift for the kitchen is something that can be left out because it's beautiful but also is useful.
I have a butter dish, mortar and pestle matching set that I got from La Croisette.
They're red.
They're classic.
They're so beautiful.
I love them.
And I leave them out.
I could tell you right now like a great gift would be, like an air fryer or like a vegetable chopper or like whatever.
But those things are very, very just simply useful.
And there's like nothing romantic about them.
So when it comes to like stuff for the kitchen, I feel like it's nice to find things that are maybe a little bit more romantic, if that makes sense.
On that note, I have a few more kitchen related items.
Now, this is a little bit less aesthetic, but I am obsessed with this thing and I do find it to be beautiful.
So just humor me.
There's a brand called Microplane that makes these handheld graters.
You can use them to grate cheese over a pasta dish.
You can use them to zest lemons.
You can use them to grate garlic into a dish.
They're very very very, very useful.
But i had just like standard ones and then i received in a pr package i don't.
I'm so sorry i don't remember from where or from who, but i received a really nice, high quality microplane master series zester.
It has a wooden handle and a gorgeous like metal, whatever.
And it's so sharp and it grates so well.
And I'm obsessed with it.
And I use it almost on a daily basis, a really nice handheld zester grater.
It sounds like an unnecessary kitchen utensil, but for somebody who's in the kitchen all the time, this is a staple.
They will use it.
And getting a really nice one that's super sharp and has like a wood handle.
You might even be able to find a brand that's not microplane.
Maybe there's a cool artisan that makes you know hand graders by hand and they like hand make the handle or something.
I don't know.
You can get creative.
But even just the microplane master series zester that I have, that's like a brand name.
That one's so good.
And it's I find it to be beautiful.
Moving on to salt and pepper grinders. not salt and pepper shakers, grinders, okay?
I personally prefer fresh cracked pepper, fresh cracked salt.
And you know, for somebody who maybe hasn't like discovered that yet, because I didn't discover that until I got older.
I used to put salt in stuff with a salt shaker.
It was like salt just already, you know, already ground down, and I would just take the salt shaker and shake it on, or like the pepper and like whatever.
There's something so delicious about fresh salt and pepper, and there are so many really beautiful, well-designed grinders out there.
Last year, I think, for Christmas I got my mom salt and pepper grinders that look gorgeous in her kitchen.
She loves olive green and She loves like simple design.
So I got her these like kind of minimalist olive green salt and pepper shakers.
She loves them.
And it's something she uses every day.
Another thing that you could get with the salt and pepper grinders is really high quality peppercorns and really high quality flaky salt or you know whatever to put in the grinders, because that's kind of an inconvenient step.
It's like you kind of got to do that almost, because if you don't, it's like getting someone a gift that's battery powered and not getting them the batteries.
You kind of want to do the full thing.
Okay, moving on.
Another kitchen item, a really special oven mitt.
An oven mitt is a boring household item.
Usually just like plain, you know, just does its job and then goes back in the drawer.
Get a cute one or even like a funny one.
Actually, a few years ago, one of my loved ones gave me an oven mitt that I think it says like something like fuck, I love cheese on it.
And it's like this little girl with like cheese on her face.
It's like very me because I love cheese.
I love that oven mitt.
It brings me so much joy.
Now, instead of pulling a pan out of the oven with a straight face, I pull a pan out of the oven smiling because of the oven mitt.
It's the little things.
I bet there are some cute homemade ones out there.
Be careful of that though, because you want to make sure it's actually heatproof, you know.
So you want to make sure that they know what they're doing.
But also like there are funny ones out there, or even just like beautifully made, interestingly designed ones.
But again, that's another example of taking a daily household item that's usually boring and making it a little bit more interesting to bring one of your loved ones a smile on their face every single day.
Mm hmm.
Moving on.
Okay, this might be kind of weird to some of you, but I don't think it's weird.
But be thoughtful about who you give this gift to.
A really gorgeous chef knife for someone who loves cooking, or even for somebody who doesn't love cooking.
Actually, this might even be better for somebody who doesn't love cooking, because it might inspire them to cook.
Because once they try a high quality chef knife, their minds will be blown.
Most people are using bad knives.
I actually use bad knives all the time.
I do have a really gorgeous, amazing chef knife, but sometimes for like random shit I will use my shittier knives.
Like I tend to save that knife for, you know, when I'm really going in and cooking something.
But like, if I need to like cut a lemon in half real quick, I'm not going to get that knife dirty because I have to hand wash it, you know.
But a really nice chef knife that's gorgeously made, has like a beautiful handle, is super sharp, which sounds violent, but it's not.
It's actually just makes the experience of cooking more enjoyable.
It is a really nice thing to have and you don't realize how bad your knives are until you use a nice chef knife.
It actually like makes the process of like chop, chopping and you know all that actually easier as well.
That's really nice.
And also you can get really beautiful ones you can pick out.
You know one with like a gorgeous knife handle that you know maybe is like a certain shade of wood that your loved one likes, or maybe it's a gorgeous like metal design or like whatever.
There's options out there that are really beautiful, and you can pick one out that matches the personality of the person that you're getting it for.
Moving on to cute dish towels.
Bless someone with the gift of a gorgeous dish towel.
And you can find really cool, unique, specific ones.
For example, dish towels that have your loved one's favorite type of flower on them.
You could find vintage quilted dish towels that were made by somebody who sews quilts.
You could get dish towels embroidered with the last name of the family of the home that the gift is going to be living in.
It's a weird way of saying that.
You get what I'm saying.
Next, another kitchen item.
I have a lot of kitchen items, but we all eat.
It's a no-brainer.
That leads me to my next one, which is a ceramic egg carton.
So I purchased a ceramic egg carton, handmade, online, I found it.
I purchased this specifically because I was going through a hard-boiled egg phase, so that I could differentiate my fresh eggs that are not hard-boiled.
And then the hard-boiled eggs could go in the ceramic egg carton so I could separate them.
But I've just come to love having it in my fridge.
Now, even if I don't need to differentiate my eggs, I'll just take the eggs out of the cardboard carton and put them in there.
Listen, is that kind of unnecessary?
Yes.
I bought it for a more functional purpose, but it is a really nice thing to have.
It looks really beautiful in the fridge.
It's nice to see all the cute little eggs out.
Also, you can see how many eggs you have when they're out like that.
If you can find one that's handmade online, that's all the better.
Moving on to a ceramic berry carton.
Imagine like a berry carton from like a farmer's market, like the classic cardboard sort of cute, oftentimes greenish fruit cartons.
I bought those as home decor fruit bowls to have out, but I've since started using them for a real reason.
What I do with them is I'll rinse all of my berries and then I take a little reusable towel and I'll put it in the bottom of the ceramic berry carton and then I'll let the berries dry for a bit and then I'll put them in there.
And then I just let them sit in my fridge like open and I can just take it out whenever, have a little berry snack and put it back.
And I mean, I think that's probably what they're made for, but I bought them as like a home decor piece at first.
I'm trying to express that to you.
I didn't buy these for this purpose.
I bought them to be like aesthetic.
Moving on, another kitchen item, I can't stop.
A handmade sponge holder.
Oh, I absolutely love little things like this.
Okay.
A lot of people just keep their sponge like on the kitchen sink, just like sitting there.
That's not ideal for the sponge to dry, like it laying down like that.
It's nice if the sponge can be standing up.
I found these little handmade sponge holders online.
They allow the sponge to sort of sit up on its side and I have one that looks like a little house.
I have another one that's just like a gorgeous green color that matches my kitchen, whatever.
I love little handmade objects like this.
I actually got one for my dad that looks like a shark because he surfs, even though I don't want him to run into any sharks, but he's an ocean man and he loves sea creatures and stuff.
And so I saw a little handmade shark one and I was like, I kind of have to get that for him.
And I'm pretty sure he uses it.
So it's a very useful gift, something that most people don't have that's cool.
They either don't have one at all or they have one that's boring.
Most likely, most people.
So that's a cute one.
Okay, moving on from kitchen stuff.
Like we have to move on.
We've been on kitchen stuff for too long.
A backrest pillow.
If you have someone in your life who works from home, this would be an incredible gift.
I actually don't have one and I really, really want one, because I work around my house a lot of times.
Like for working on the couch or working in bed, I think that this is a really nice gift.
But I think the key is finding one that's cute.
I haven't really gone down the rabbit hole yet of finding the perfect one for me.
So I don't have a specific recommendation, but I really want one because I'm constantly like Folding my pillow behind me trying to get comfortable and it's just like annoying.
So a backrest pillow if you don't know what i'm talking about it's like a pillow that has like a Thick, wide back on it, that so that you can really lean on it like it's a chair, and then it has arm rests.
Another thing that you could get in addition to this would be a lap desk.
I have gone through some major lap desk phases in my life.
I'm not really in one right now because I'm not working in bed as much, because again, it's bad for morale.
But I actually want to get mine out of retirement because I think it'd be nice to have for maybe on the couch.
But there are many different types of lap desks.
Some of them are just flat so you can just put them flat on your lap.
Some have like legs on the sides so that it like sits up.
Getting like a work from home setup or just computer scrolling set up for somebody could be a really nice, useful gift.
Next, a silk sleeping eye mask.
For someone in your life who travels a lot, this is a really good gift.
I don't personally enjoy sleeping with a sleep mask unless I am traveling.
I don't need it.
I actually don't like it either because I want to wake up when the sunlight peeks through my window.
I don't want to think it's nighttime when it's 10 in the morning.
I never sleep in until 10, though.
Oh my God, no.
I would have a mental breakdown.
I can't do that anymore.
I literally can't.
Even if I go to bed late, I'm not sleeping until 10.
But anyway, for traveling it's so nice to have a really nice soft, comfortable eye mask to slip on so that you can drift into sleep.
Mine is from the brand Slip. but there are other ones out there anyway.
So, okay, let's move on quickly.
Cozy bathrobe.
You can't go wrong.
I am such a robe girl.
I know that I said that I wasn't going to put any clothing items in this list, but robes are to me, not clothes.
They're more like a blanket.
I love my Barefoot Dreams brand robes.
I have three of them and I wear all of them.
I'm not kidding.
I get use out of every single one.
I have one that has a hood for when I get out of the shower and when I'm really cold.
And then I have lighter ones that don't have hoods when I don't want the hood.
Don't need that warmth.
I think having three is excessive.
But my point of that is even if someone in your life maybe has a robe you don't know, robes will always be used.
I feel like
At least, I guess I'm just speaking...
I guess you could get me a robe and I'll use it because I love robes so much.
But I think a soft, gorgeous bathrobe, perhaps one with a hood.
Oh, my God.
Love a bathrobe with a hood.
And I think the hood would differentiate it from other robes, or one that maybe just has a cute pattern on it.
Like, I don't know, a fun, cute, soft robe.
You can't go wrong.
Moving on to a nice pair of socks.
Okay.
You could go in many different directions with this.
You could go wool socks great for the wintertime.
A bit more expensive, but really like something that they'll get good use out of, especially because they don't have to wash them as often because wool socks you don't have to wash as much.
Or you could go in the opposite direction and get like a fashion sock.
And by fashion sock I mean like a thin sock, that's perhaps like a fun color or a really chic, like luxurious sort of material, some sort of sock.
I would suggest something more on the luxurious end rather than the funny end, like a funny sock that says something funny.
That can be fun, but those types of socks are not usually as comfortable.
I feel like a really nice sock gift would be a really useful sock, whether it's a really warm sock like a wool sock, or it's a really fashionable sock that they definitely don't have in their collection yet, that they're gonna have fun styling with various outfits.
Moving on to a monogrammed or painted hairbrush.
You can find hand painted hairbrushes or monogram hairbrushes out there on the internet especially.
I have a gorgeous hand painted hairbrush that I love.
I don't really have hair right now.
I bought it when I did have hair Now my hair is so short that I don't brush it at all.
I use a comb, if anything.
But actually, you could even get a really nice engraved comb as well.
Some sort of brush comb that has some sort of personalization involved.
I think I literally can't keep saying this. but it's a basic, here I go again.
It's a basic item that now is a bit more fun because you got something more interesting, but it's true.
Okay.
Moving on to a vintage hand mirror.
Okay.
Hand mirrors seem like they'd be outdated, but I actually find hand mirrors to be very useful, whether I'm doing my makeup and I want to look up close, or I want to look at the back of my head in the mirror.
I actually use my hand mirror quite frequently.
And the one I have is not that interesting, to be honest.
And I wish it was.
And that's where the inspiration for this gift idea came from.
Listen, I'm happy with my hand mirror.
It's totally fine, but it's so boring.
It's just like wooden.
I don't even remember where I got it because it's not memorable or special.
I actually might paint it, and then that will make it more interesting for me, because it's so boring right now.
You know what?
I love that idea.
You could also hand paint.
If you're an artist or you know if that's something you're into, you could hand paint a hand mirror.
But I think it could be cool to find like an antique one or something.
I think that that could be a really wonderful gift that actually would be used.
Like, I think people think they wouldn't use a hand mirror, but then, once it's on their vanity or on their bathroom counter, they actually will use it.
Moving on to something a bit naughty.
I say naughty because it's like, This is such an unnecessary thing.
But for the skincare lover in your life, a slightly unnecessary but also kind of awesome skincare device is a great gift.
Okay.
I have a plethora of unnecessary skincare devices.
And I say unnecessary because like, do I need them?
No.
No, but I use them.
I actually do use them.
I'm not like super consistent, but I go through phases with them.
And there are a few that have stood the test of time.
Like I've never gotten rid of them.
And by getting rid of them I mean like giving them to my mom, because she always takes my skincare devices that I don't want.
Number one would be an LED.
Is it an LED face mask?
Wait.
Yeah.
LED face mask.
It's like one of those scary masks that you strap onto your face and then it like puts red light or blue light on your skin.
I have one that does red light and blue light and it's three minutes and then it's over and that's it.
I've heard that the LED masks actually do do something, which I'm always very skeptical, and I'm not going to tell you all that it's changed my life, because I don't know that it has.
I can't really tell, but I don't know.
I like it, and apparently it's good for stuff like acne and wrinkles.
Not that I'm anti-wrinkle or something, or not even that I'm afraid of wrinkling, but you know it's like a nice, fun skincare activity that could be enjoyable for somebody who's like really into it.
I also have a microcurrent tool which is good for like de-puffing the face, like helping with inflammation in the face, and helps with honestly, as some might call it, snatching snatching the face, like lifting the face.
To be honest, I believe in this tool.
Again, I'm not gonna like tell you that it's changed my life, because I could be wrong and it could be placebo and I could think it's working and it's really just kind of like lymphatic draining my face.
But it's like this little electro tool that you like rub on your face and it makes your face look more awake, more alive, more snatched.
I also have a device that I got as a gift.
It's basically a wand and on the tip, it can either be really hot or really cold.
And it helps with absorbing serums.
For me, it helps with anxiety reliefs at times.
Like I like just rubbing it on my face when I'm anxious on the cold setting and it just kind of distracts me.
I love that tool.
Again, do I know that it does something for me?
No, I don't.
Okay, moving on.
Niche memorabilia from the gift receiver's favorite band, favorite movie, favorite TV show.
One of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received was, well, let me give some context.
My favorite movie is Coraline.
Actually, I have two favorite movies, Coraline and Napoleon Dynamite.
Those are the movies that I grew up watching.
They've shaped me as a person.
If you actually look at me as a person, I am Coraline, but then also Napoleon Dynamite.
It makes perfect sense.
It's so interesting.
But anyway, one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received was a handmade Coraline doll.
If you've never seen the movie, there's this handmade doll of the main character Coraline, that's made for her.
So watch the movie.
If you don't know, if you want to know more about that.
I don't want to spoil it, but someone got me a handmade Coraline doll that looked like me.
That looks like me.
I still have it.
And it's out on my coffee table in like a little shadow box.
Like I love it so much.
It is, it was such a nice gift, truly one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received.
Um, Something like that.
You know that relates to somebody's favorite movie or favorite band or whatever.
I think it means a lot, you know, when someone pays attention to your interests and the things that you love and the things that you adore.
And to come up with something thoughtful like that, wow.
You know, wow.
So take inspiration from that gift that I received that one time.
Moving on to a weird and cute and unusual stuffed animal.
I don't care if you're getting a gift for an adult and you think you need to get them something mature.
Not necessarily.
For the kid at heart in your life, like me, I love cute little unusual stuffed animals.
And I have quite a few around my house.
I think stuffed animals can be like home decor, honestly.
Maybe that's a hot take, but I have this really beautiful, cool-looking teddy bear that I bought at actually a very mature adult store, by the way, at a very chic clothing store in Los Angeles.
They were randomly selling this little teddy bear and I fell in love with it and I needed it, and it's been on my bed ever since.
Again, I know I keep saying this, but handmade, if you can find a cool handmade one, all the better.
Moving on again.
Here we go again with handmade handmade pet accessories, or just super unique pet accessories.
I have these really beautiful cat bowls and they're so gorgeous.
And I don't use them as often because, like I only have like four of them and I have to feed my cats twice a day and they have four food bowls out at once,
So like they're not always in the rotation, but I love them and they're so beautiful and they bring me joy that my cats are eating out of cute cat bowls you could find, like a cute handmade leash, or a cute little handmade collar for someone in your life who has a pet that they adore and it's their entire personality.
I mean, come on.
But maybe even just for somebody in your life who has pets and maybe doesn't romanticize it enough.
Perhaps
Moving on to an art supply starter pack.
Everything one might need to start watercoloring or building things with clay or whatever.
For example, if you wanted to put together like a watercolor kit.
That would consist of a watercolor brush set, a mini little watercolor kit.
I love the Windsor Newton brand ones.
And a pad of watercolor paper.
And maybe like a cute little dish for water, because you need water for watercolor.
Or for clay, there's this brand called Sculpt.
Sculpted?
S-C-U-L-P-D.
Sculpt.
This brand is...
I actually think they have gift sets of everything that you could possibly need.
It's a great beginner kit.
I actually bought it years ago and then just recently opened it up and started making things out of clay.
But this is a really wonderful gift because I think we all need to make art more, whether we're good at it or not.
I think it's good for the soul.
I think it's a good way to stop scrolling.
It's hard to find time sometimes, but having everything is the first step.
And so I think it could be a wonderful gift that could really improve the mental well-being of your loved one.
Next, a fancy journal and fancy pens.
For your journaling friend, that could be a really beautiful gift.
Especially, you could also get it engraved.
I received an engraved notebook as a gift once, and it was just such a nice, thoughtful gift.
And that paired with a really good gorgeous, slick, yummy pen.
Such a good gift.
Similarly, you could gift somebody a nice paper planner for the upcoming year.
It's the holiday season, which means the year is almost over, which means 2026 is upon us.
If you're listening to this when it comes out, start their year off right with organization.
Getting somebody a paper planner could change their year.
I haven't used a paper planner in a while, but I recently have been thinking about getting back into it because I miss it.
It was like the way I organized for so many years.
And then I kind of switched to Google Calendar.
But I've been craving the analog feeling of like writing down everything I'm doing for the day.
So I think I might add a paper planner back into my routine.
So that's that.
Moving on to a mouse pad.
I have a really fun vintage Apple mouse pad that that I got online, and I love this thing.
It's cool, it's something different.
There are so many boring just gray mouse pads out there and I don't know.
I thought the vintage Apple one was really cool, but you could find one that's more aesthetic perhaps.
Next, a bird feeder or a birdhouse.
I love birds, I love birds, and I have quite a few handmade, once again, birdhouses. in my backyard.
Unfortunately, no birds have moved into them yet.
It's so heartbreaking, but maybe one day.
But it doesn't even matter that no birds have moved in yet, because I just love the way that they look so much that it almost doesn't even matter if a bird's in there yet, you know.
But if you really want the birds to come for the receiver of the gift, then perhaps a bird feeder and a big bag of food.
Which leads me to my next outdoor item. which is a wind chime.
My dad actually brought this up because I was brainstorming with him some ideas.
I was like, I have this list of a bunch of gift ideas, but I want to, I don't know.
Do you have any ideas?
And he was like, I want a wind chime.
And I was like, do people want wind chimes?
I kind of want a wind chime too, but is that weird?
And he was like, no, wind chime.
So take it from my dad, a wind chime.
I love the sound of a wind chime.
It's so peaceful.
It's so relaxing and they can look really beautiful.
So consider a wind chime.
Next, a board game.
I love board games, especially during the winter months.
It's so fun to have board games around.
If you want my recommendations, I would say Ticket to Ride is one of my favorite board games.
Kind of a less popular one, but so much fun.
Lots of strategy, a little bit of luck, but like not really.
It's definitely strategy, which I like.
I love Clue.
Clue is so fun.
I love Yahtzee.
Yahtzee is a phenomenal game.
Kind of clunky to learn in the beginning, but then once you get it, you'll be obsessed.
Easy if you play poker though, because I think there's terminology that matches with poker, I think.
Somebody told me that.
Those, I think, are my favorite games.
Perhaps chess.
I struggle with chess.
It's fun, but it's like, oh my God.
But if you like chess, chessboard.
And then, last but not least, my final idea is If there's somebody on your list who truly has everything and you're like I don't even want to get them another material thing like that kind of grosses me out the thought of it, because they literally have everything.
Donate to charity in their name.
Somebody did this for me once and I was like that is the nicest, most thoughtful, most perfect thing I could ever ask for, because I don't need stuff like me personally.
I don't need stuff.
I don't want gifts.
I'm good.
I think, for someone who has everything, either a really, really thoughtful niche-specific gift like Coraline doll, like I mentioned earlier, or donating to charity in their name.
I think that's a really wonderful idea.
And when someone did that for me, I was like, this just changed my brain chemistry forever.
I didn't even ever think of this as an idea.
And that's it.
That is my 2025 gift guide.
I hope that this was helpful.
It actually helped me.
Like I...
I feel prepared now to go shopping for gifts this year.
I feel ready.
I have a lot of ideas, probably too many, and hopefully you feel the same.
I really hope this was helpful.
It's the holiday season, you all, and I'm just sending you all holiday cheer.
I really am.
Thank you for listening to this episode.
If you enjoyed it, new episodes every Thursday and Sunday.
You can watch on YouTube and Spotify and listen literally anywhere you get podcasts.
Anything Goes is on social media at anythinggoes.
I'm on the internet at Emma Chamberlain and my coffee company is in the world and on the internet at Chamberlain Coffee.
I love you all.
I appreciate you all.
And I'll talk to you very soon.
Yay.
Can't wait.
Talk to you then.
Bye.
Love you.
Bye.
