This holiday season, I won’t be bringing you quite so many gift guides—supply chain drama and all that—but I did want to share some of my favorite items in this category, starting with this ridiculously cute apron with helpful deep pockets for the cook on your list, from the brand Dusen Dusen.
A triple insulated mug for toting coffee, tea, or whatever anywhere.
This plywood Marimekko tray has a kind of Warhol-ish appeal.
This lattice pitcher reminds me of something I’d see in the home of a very stylish WASP.
These champagne flutes are attractively sculptural, and I also—as a person who breaks everything—like that they look pretty sturdy.
An old-school flip alarm clock might slightly archaic now that we use our phones to wake us up, but that’s part of the appeal, right?
The spiked exterior of this vase gives off a kind of edgy vibe, which is something vases don’t usually do.
This amazing backgammon set is from Christian Lacroix, and it makes me want to learn backgammon.
Cashmere socks are the type of gift most people would not be so indulgent as to buy for themselves, but would be thrilled to receive.
A Bella Freud candle that references the classic Christmas song by the Pogues.
Just a cute cosmetic bag for all your travel whatnots.
I have been informed by my boyfriend/roommate that we will be having a Christmas tree this year, which is something that in all my 57 years as a non-observant Jew I have never done. Is it wrong to say I’m kind of excited for that? I’ve got nothing to decorate it with, or course, but I sure do like these simple, graphic ornaments.
And maybe this wooden garland too? It also comes in a few solid-colored iterations, but I like this rainbow option.
My favorite Baggu print of the moment has made it on to these spiff tea towels.
A luxe organic waffle robe for recreating the day spa experience at home.
OK, this universal belt cable might not be the sexiest gift on this list, but I guarantee that whoever you give it to will appreciate it.
And finally: I actually really want an acacia wood salad bowl like this.
I bought myself an acacia salad bowl a few months ago and I love it. (Actually I bought two: an accidentally enormous one that I’ve ended up using as a fruit bowl and one that holds a more reasonable quantity of salad.)
I’ve had a tree for almost all of my almost 57 years and may well grab the garland!
Err, looks like I’m guilty as charged in today’s EIF episode: “When they are on my blog, they are shipping for themselves….” (But I do buy gifts for others….really!)
I love it all! A fresh Christmas tree, filled with meaningful and sentimental ornaments made by my girls when they were little (no theme trees in every room for me!), garland strung with white lights over the mantle, “candles” in the windows, and non-stop Christmas music. It brings me such joy!
Enjoy the tree! The tree is my very favorite part of Christmas! We always get a real tree. Be prepared to vacuum up a lot of needles but it’s worth it. It’s wonderful looking at the tree lit up at night. Happy Happy to all!
Enjoy the tree! As a Jew Married to a non practicing Catholic, we have had a tree for 31 years. I did the decorating, and having never had a tree (I was 33) i put the ornaments on and complained to my husband that is is really hard to get the lights on around the ornaments! He (who had been paying no attention) laughed and said …you put the lights on first! AH! The second year, I put the lights on first yay, but mentioned to a friend that it took so long to put ribbon through the ornaments to hang them. She laughed…and said, that is what ornament hooks are made for. I had never heard of ornament hooks. By year three I got it. And that is how a Jew learned how to decorate a christmas tree. And got a fun family story out of it. (obviously my husband, who grew up with christmas trees cares way less about them then me)
I’m another Jew married to a non-practicing Catholic enjoying the fun of a Christmas tree!
Excellent story!! Just the other day I put up the outdoor lights wrong and had to start over a couple of times. (You have to make sure the correct end of the cord ends up near the extension cord. I should have started in the middle … must make a note for next year … which I say every year ) The lights look nice but way amateur. Hmm.
All I can think is, how do you wash the pitcher?
I am non observant Jew as well:-)
My husband is a non observant Christian so I feel like all bets are off.
I enjoy every moment of having the tree up. Its cheerful and pretty!
Put our up yesterday where it will stay till after New Years..
Here are have a few pieces of unsolicited tree decorating advice;
1. Use a a few different size lights and a shapes (mine are always warm white)for texture.
2. Have fun and don’t worry about curating it to much. Too controlled and it looks corporate.
3. Just hang the ugly ornaments on the back! Your gonna love it.
And hang the nicer ornaments higher up where the dog can’t get them.
Ditto on the not worrying part. I hope BF is doing most of the work? And that he knows to put down a layer of plastic first to protect the floor in case of spills? Then we do a folded beach towel for traction, *then* the tree holder, then the skirt. (But you can just use a tablecloth or whatever. It is just to be pretty.) Also it is possible the dog might push it all over. I really can’t blame them for this, it is exciting. Anyhow, enjoy! I hope you-all are going for a real tree – however, now I feel bad and I hope I’m not starting something. Really, why have only one anyway?…
Lovely ideas! Thinking of the apron for my daughters. And backgammon is the best! I wouldn’t have gotten through college without the hours (days, months) of backgammon with my best friend, listening to Steely Dan and being very emo (before that was invented)
Apparently there have been EIGHT books published in the last year years on Steely Dan? Maybe that’s a gift idea for someone. There was a review of all in the LA Review of Books recently, which was an entertaining read even for those of us who are not big “Danfans.”
I normally don’t do Christmas. It’s just not my holiday. I didn’t grow up with it, have no memories or traditions, don’t own an ornament, dislike Christmas music. ‘Nuf said. Two out of three of my husbands weren’t Jewish but that didn’t change my Scroogian attitude. I like the idea of cashmere socks for a new almost boyfriend. They’re soft and cozy, close to his body, something he wouldn’t buy himself but aren’t too extravagant. This is off topic but has anyone noticed that Drunk Elephant changed its Vitamin C serum and all the reviews are terrible? WTF? Suggestions welcome.
Beauty Pie Vitamin C capsules are THE BEST! I’ve used a lot of different brands and these are functionally and aesthetically the nicest.
Too bad about the serum.
I have used the one from the ordinary and it is a little harsh on my skin. I just purchased vitamin c serum from trader joes and I am hopeful.
Mimi, The Guardian’s beauty columnist Sali Hughes has a lot of experience testing Vitamin C products. (She has melasma.) So, I wonder if browsing her instagram might be useful, in terms of collecting possible replacements.
Cool backgammon set. It’s a fun game and easy to learn. About the pitcher.. I immediately saw Jewish stars. Happy holidays and thank you so much for all you do.
My aunties are devout Muslims and go all out for Christmas with the decorations and gifts. I say have fun with it!
Not Jewish and we’ve always gotten a live tree. When we were first together we had not ornaments, but I’m kind of a magpie and always have lots of stuff (beads, ribbon, textiles, buttons, broken clocks I dunno. Stuff. ) and art supplies(hot glue, scissors glitter, sewing kit paint) . We invited all our friends over to craft wacky ornaments as our Christmas party for several years. Our creative friends’ super weird ornaments still decorate our tree 25 years later. Our kids think normal ornaments from the store are boring;)
We are the same! The crafty ones and the school kid creations are the highlights. My young adult daughters are having decorating parties for cookies and ornaments, and it makes me happy for them. Those perfectly perfect trees are pretty, but not for us.
I don’t know why it never occurred to me to make my own ornaments until reading your comment! Sounds like I have a new hobby for the next few weeks. Even though my family are atheists, Christmas was always a huge deal for us, and the biggest bummer was when I moved in my 20s and accidentally left all my childhood ornaments in a box at the old place. I went back a year later but they were gone. Nothing beats decades-old handmade random ornaments on a tree.
Trying to convince the dog that the water in the Christmas tree stand is not for her has become another full time job- granted it is not hemlock but it does not seem like a good idea. Weirdly, she loves Jingle Bells so when we sing it she trots over to be part of the fun and forgets about the water!
I am not Lutheran (Prescopalian, in fact), but I am a graduate of a Lutheran parochial school. Lutherans are the most hardcore Christmas. I have made handmade ornaments, construction paper chain garlands with Bible verses leading up to the birth, cookies, plum pudding, pralines, fudge, and Advent wreaths. I have learned the meaning of the different color candles for Advent wreaths, read the story of the Nativity in the different gospels, performed in assorted concerts, recitals, and pageants, sung “Silent Night” in German, and most importantly, have not burned anything down whilst lighting candles during the singing of “Silent Night” at the culmination of Christmas Eve services. As we speak, my best friend from parochial school is doing all of the above, and much, much more, in the capital of cream of mushroom soup country, the Midwest. Let me offer a Christmas suggestion that delighted her with its slight subversion: the fourth cookie rule. If in a fit of madness you decide to bake anything, decorate up to only three cookies per person. The rest of dough can be cut up and baked as slabs/planks. My argument is that by the time anyone is reaching for a fourth cookie, they’re not caring about how it looks. If you think about it beyond cookies, much unnecessary stress is some form of a fourth cookie.
D. Whoah! You’ve solved me. I AM the fourth cookie. /s
Kimbersam, yours is a beauty that doesn’t need to be diminished by a cookie cutter or burdened with sprinkles.
D.Morgendorffer, I’m blushing and laughing! Here’s to all of us plain cookies!
This jew never does a tree but loves loves loves holiday music and will be buying the Pogues candle in honor of one my favorite Christmas songs. Happy Holidays everyone!
So, Target made a bunch of Legos collab clothes for children. Where’s mine??? It looks very Scandi. Where’s mine?
oops, so, turns out there is clothing for adults too. In fact some of it is quite cute. But I can’t get off the housewares…
Right!?! I’d wear much of that, too!
Have fun with your tree! I love a tree for nostalgia even though I am otherwise a fairly strident atheist (I try to hold it in). The smell, the mess, the childhood ornaments… I am a sucker for ornaments as travel souvenirs too, I have a wooden kookaburra from Sydney and an owl carved out of a gourd from the botanical garden in Austin. I love adding new memories every year, I would say don’t rush to fill it too soon but think of it as a place to hold/display memories over the years. I also got wooden bead garlands one year (World Market, I believe, their selection is great every year) and I love them, like little strings of cranberries among the boughs. Have so much fun with your tree!
So…milk glass is back! My mom will be sooooo happy
Love the alarm clock idea. My mornings and nights have improved immensely after I ditched my phone to a basket in the kitchen, and now only wake up to an old-school alarm clock. Much nicer to look at, and less “noise” around bedtime!
Kim, I’m pretty sure the Christmas tree was originally a Druid symbol as a”evergreen fir to decorate their homes and brighten their spirits during the winter solstice.” So from your WASPY friend I think you’re fine.