Letโs take a look at that holiday list, shall we? Organize Christmas menu, make sure you have enough place settings for holiday dinner, trim the tree, make the latkes, pick up cloth napkins to replace dirty old stained ones, figure out gifts for Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, Uncle, Cousin, Daughter, Son, Teacherโฆwow thatโs a lot of people!? Feeling overwhelmed? OK, hereโs something that will help: Letโs take a look at that list again: Organize Christmas menu; make sure you have enough place settings for holiday dinner, trim the tree, make the latkes, pick up cloth napkins to replace dirty old stained ones,ย figure out gifts forโฆwow, thatโs a lot of people in your life, and a lot of amazing, incredibly lucky ways to celebrate them as they will most likely be celebrating you. Yeah, yeah, yeah,ย enough with the big picture and enough with the perspective. Letโs do some shopping!
(P.S. In keeping with tradition, I ask you to read allll the way through. There just might be something in it for you.)
Beauty Boxes (Lush, $5-28) If youโve been in the Lush stores, youโve probably ogled their displays that look more like candy and cheese than beauty products. They are packaging geniuses over there and even if my girls didnโt love the sweet-smelling bath and beauty products inside their gift boxes, theyโd still be overjoyed to see one under the tree. If there is a grandparent in your life who keeps begging you โI need ideas! I need ideas!โ First, be grateful. Second, send him or her this linkย for a few pre-wrapped, canโt-go-wrong options. If you want to come up with something a la carte, start with their bath bombs, our daughtersโ favorites. (Shown above, clockwise from top left: Little Snow Fairyย gift boxย $15;ย Stardust Bath Bomb, $5.25;ย Christmas Partyย gift boxย $28; The Experimenter Bath Bomb, $9)
New York Babka (Breads Bakery,$35 for three) My dad loves babka. Which is a silly thing to say because, I mean, how can you not love babka, chocolate-swirled rolled cakes, that are spiked with cinnamon if youโre lucky. I used to pick them up for him when I lived near the Middle Eastern markets on Atlantic Avenue โ now I just pick them up wherever I wander by one that looks good. This week, it just so happened I was wandering by Breads Bakery, home to what New York magazine calls the Best Babka in New York. Sold.
American Flag Throw, (in2Green, $165) You know that aunt/cousin/in-law who disagrees with you on literally everything in the headlines lately? Well, for the time being, Iโll bet you can probably agree on this. Made from soft, washable, recycled cotton, we have them in the TV room, on the couch, in the girlsโ bedsโฆIโd say weโre officially addicted.
Keyboard Covers (Amazon, $3-$10) If your kidโs philosophy in life is โInject Fun Wherever and Whenever Possibleโ then these are for them. (And probably also for you, because, um, definitely for me.) Shown: Rainbow, but Iโm thinking Universe, Owl, and Polka Dots are good stocking stuffer options as well. (Donโt forget to search for your exact computer model; PC options also available, but not as many.)
Fates and Furies (by Lauren Groff, $28) Two givens every time I open up my Facebook feed: A post about Trump and a post about this novel, which tells the story of a marriage that takes place over two-plus decades from the perspective of the two parties involved. Itโs a National Book Award finalist and seemingly on every โBest Books of the Yearโ round-up in America. I havenโt read it yet, but itโs on my nightstand waiting patiently. (PS: Iโd be willing to bet your kidsโ teachers would be psyched to use this as an excuse not to grade more papers.)
Balance Board (Carrom, $77)ย Think of it as training wheels for a Hoverboard. And a little easier on the wallet.
YA National Book Award Nominees ($8 โ 11)ย ย Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson; The Thing About Jellyfish, by Ali Benjamin, Challenger Deepย (the winner) by Neal Shusterman. Also, Iโd be remiss if I didnโt mention that George OโConnor is out with the next volume in his epic Olympians series. This time: Apollo. (Reminder: My 13-year-old Phoebe started on the graphic novel series about six years ago, and I credit it with kicking off an obsession with mythology that lives on to this day. Donโt make me show you her Medusa Halloween costume.)
The Very Persistent Gappers of Fripย (by George Saunders, $15)ย For younger kids โ or even adults, to be honest โ this repackaged classic by George Saunders is one we canโt recommend enough. Hereโs what we wrote about it five years ago: โThe dreamscape illustrations by Lane Smith, the message about empathy and community and the importance thinking beyond yourself, the heroineโs name (Capable โ how great is that?), but really: this one, for us, is all about the writing and the humor. โShe soon found that it was not all that much fun being the sort of person who eats a big dinner in a warm house while others shiver on their roofs in the dark,โ Saunders writes. โThat is, it was fun at first, but then got gradually less fun, until it was really no fun at all.โ You want a book that gets talked about at the dinner table? This is a great place to start. Deeply wise, generous in spirit. Hard to overstate our love for it.โ Ages 5+
Leather โIngredientโ Braceletย (Delicacies, starting at $75) Why shouldnโt there be a line of jewelry exclusively for the epicure? And why shouldnโt they feature special ingredients in sterling silver? Especially when every bracelet sold will provide 20 meals to those in need throughย Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry. The company is working with a new celebrity chef (think Marcus Samuelson) every three months,to choose a charity to which to donate the proceeds. How cool is that? How cool are they?
Dollhouse (Smaland, $89)ย If you have a kid who loves nothing more than disappearing into a pretend world, I have two things to say to you: 1) Make it last as long as you can โ youโll miss listening in on their make-believe conversations soooย soooย much and 2) Look into this dollhouse. Iโve already gone into detail on how sentimentally attached I am to Lundby (I grew up with it), but anyone with a heart can appreciate the sweetness of this happy home.
Baking, (By Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, Food52, $23) Itโs the subtitle that really grabbed me here: 60 Sensational Treats You Can Pull off in a Snap. (Specifically the โin a snapโ part.) As most of you know, Food52 is a deep, rich, endless rabbit hole of recipes and inspiration, but when you need, say, something for the cookie swap thatโs tonight or the bake sale thatโs tomorrow, well, you want someone to tell you exactly what to make. Thatโs what this book is. (P.S. Did someone say Brown Butter Cupcake Brownies?)
Graphic T-Shirts (Target, $5-$15)ย Parents of toddlers, you probably only have a few more years of controlling what band will be emblazoned on their T-shirt besides Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift. Might as well make the most of it. Shown:ย Beatles andย ACDC.ย (Iโm no longer shopping in the toddler department, so I picked up an XS inย this classic for my 13-year-old. (Related: This Amazing Album.)
iBlock Cutting Board (Brooklyn Butcher Blocks, $125) Used to be you needed grooves in your cutting board to catch the filetโs juices. Now you need them to prop a tablet. (Brooklyn Butcher Blocksย canโt guarantee Christmas Delivery โ hereโs another option just in case.)
Belgian Waffle Maker (Waring, $53)ย You know how before you had kids, you used to say things like โEvery Sunday weโre going to have a real diner breakfast with waffles, pancakes, an omelet stationโฆthe works.โ By now, though, you know not to ever listen to your pre-kid self. (She didnโt know anything about Music & Me schedulesโฆor exhaustion.)ย Donโt beat yourself up! Maybe all you need is a little gear to kickstart you (or your earlier waking spouse) in the right direction. This Belgian Waffle Maker? A good place to begin.
Fatheads ($25-$140) In my day, it was the McEnroe poster thumbtacked to the bedroom wall. Today, itโs the fathead โ which, judging by my nephewโs reaction when we gave him one last Christmas โ is way cooler. And sure, while Stephen Curry (or Lionel Messi or Maria Sharapova) is never going to be a bad choice for a ginormous wall decal, did you know the company customizes them, too? In other words, whatโs stopping you from enlarging your very own midfielderโฆor ballerinaโฆor Boston Terrier? The possibilities are endless. And maybe a little terrifying.
Holiday Gift Kits (prices vary) I love this idea so much. Instead of just giving a favorite book, my friend Jodi uses that book as a starting point for a holiday gift kit. Like, for instance,ย Dinner: The Playbook (hey whaddaya know!?) would be bundled with a wooden spoon and recipe ingredients. Not surprisingly, Jodi writes the awesome craft blog Supermakeitย (you might remember her adorableย Animal Menorah) and has written two of her own books that are well worth bundling โ check out herย entire round-up.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
PS: GIVEAWAY ALERT! Delicacies, would like to give away two supercool leather bracelets to two lucky DALS readers. Just comment below to be eligible. Winners will be chosen at random. Contest ends Monday, December 14 at 5:00 PM. Good luck! UPDATE: THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. THANKS FOR PLAYING EVERYONE!
Past DALS gift guides:
Other great gift guides: Cup of Jo;ย Bon Appetit $50-and-Under;ย Ben & Birdy
Babka photo credit: New York Magazine
ย
The holiday gift kit is wonderful! We always have to buy a non-gender specific gift for the gift exchange for my husbandโs family and then you just grab a gift from under the tree. Trust me, weโve ended up with some real โgoodies.โ Ahemโฆbut I foresee putting together a gift kit this year and, maybe if Iโm sneaky enough, I can end up with my own present!
Great gift guide! Thanks for the ideas.
Great picks! Love these gift ideas!
Xoxo,
Love from http://www.trangscorner.com {a lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and food blog}
happy holidays. Thanks for the book recos.
What a great giveaway. Love the bracelets!
LOVE those leather bracelets! Great giveaway!
These are darling!! Thank you for the list!
I would love to win one of these for my daughter.
Thanks for this inspiration, you always put together great lists. And OMG, how much am I now coveting a delicate garlic bracelet?!!!! Fab.
I left my chickens in San Francisco โฆ
Sonoma, actually, but we are embracing a new life in Boulder, CO! Buff Orpingtons coming soon. Delightful bracelet! Thanks for your tireless inspiration, Jenny.
Thanks for the great gift list. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Thanks for the opportunity to win the bracelet. ๐
would love to enter, Happy Holidays.
Today is the day to sort through gifts and see what is missingโฆ and now I have ideas to tuck in the openings. Thanks.
I am looking up the bracelets right now. Love everything about them. Oh and the ya books too. My kids are readers. It is hard to keep up with new books for them!
Great ideas! I love the โhoverboard alternativeโ
Cute bracelet and very good gift guide!
Such an adorable bracelet! I always love your gift guides for the mix of food and book gift ideas โ definitely speaking my language!
All canโt miss ideasโthank you!
Love the bracelet and the cutting board is pretty cool too!
Happy Holidays to everyone!
Love the gift guide!
Those bracelets are gorgeousโฆ oh random number generator, please pick me!!!
Beautiful and fun.
Big fan of the chicken bracelet!