Weekend Window Shopping: Stocking Stuffers.

 Hello! We're down to the wire with the gift thing but here is a collection of fun small gifts all under $25 that would make excellent stocking stuffers because who wants a stocking full of nuts. Okay:

Gift Guide: Books, of course!

 I love getting books as gifts and love giving them as well. I've done quite a few book gift guides (here, here and here) but why not one more? 

Two Arty Books:

Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak. I suspect Maurice Sendak was a big part of a lot of your childhoods and now there's a book celebrating the art of his illustrations! I think this would be an amazing gift for the Gen-Xer in your life. 

Terry O'Neill: The A-Z of Rock ‘N' Roll. Okay, obviously I love that David Bowie is on the cover but Terry O'Neill's took amazing rock 'n roll photos of just about all the music legends. This book seems to cover a lot of ground and gets great reviews. This would be a great gift for anyone who's a rock music fan, especially a fan of 60's and 70's era music. 

Two Cook Books:

Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain. I've included this before but now I own it and it's amazing. Have I made any of the recipes? No, I have not, but I have taken his advice re. pigs in blankets, which is solid advice. It's a beautiful book and fun to read and I hear his voice in every page. 

Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food. Marianne loves this cookbook and I buy what she tells me to because she's pretty much always right. The recipes aren't super complicated and they're really delicious. This is a good one. 

Two That I Read This Year and Loved:

Lesson in Chemistry. This one is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser! It's weird and funny and a fast read. My sort-of review is here, but if you're stuck on a gift for a fiction reader, this is probably a safe choice. 

This Time Tomorrow is such a delight. I am a big fan of time travel stories and this one was deeply satisfying and has such an excellent sense of place. My sort-of review is here. Highly recommend. 

Two To Get You In The Spirit:

In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. Years ago I won a $5 off a guy when I was waxing poetic about A Christmas Story and he said he bet me I couldn't tell him the name of the book it was based on. What he didn't know is that my father was a huge Jean Shepard fan. There is a sucker born every minute and I took that guy's $5. Anyway, if you love the movie, read the book that inspired it and trust that it's amazing. (You can also buy just the Christmas story part but why? Get the whole book. It's funny as hell.) 

The Christmas Wish. I haven't read this but Marianne has, and she sent it to me because she's the best. She said it's the perfect light holiday read. A funny, holiday romance. I'm in! 

And, don't forget to check out my Christmas-y read list from last year! 

Gift Guide: Gifts For Menfolk.

Men are, to me, notoriously hard to shop for but this list includes some things that seem like they'd make good gifts for pretty much anyone, as well as some things I've actually given as gifts that were well-received. Here we go:

Do you have a dude in your life who buys all his clothes in bulk from Amazon? Just me? Okay, listen. I have it on good authority that Outdoor Voices makes excellent athleisure/comfy clothes for men and this lightweight hoodie made from their CloudKnit fabric looks like something nearly every guy would wear and appreciate. It comes in a bunch of colors and it's also on sale right now! 

This is a such normcore guy gift but it was one I gave to my dude when he was deeply into grilling but didn't have good tools. It was a hit! I am personally VERY into having the right cooking tools for the job and you can never have enough tongs, right? There's also this fancy set which looks good but I'm into those big flat skewers because they seem so much more stable than the usual skinny kind. 

For the music and/or vinyl buff, this would be a really cool gift. Hell, I kind of want it for myself even though my knowledge of punk music is medium-to-low. I just really love the art of album cover art and feel like it was a big loss when everything went digital. 

Is a toothbrush a good gift? It is when it's a Philips Sonicare. This thing is kind of amazing and life-changing and I would actually like a new one myself because I dropped mine and it broke and now I am SAD WITHOUT IT. So yeah, this might the be romantic gift equivalent of a vacuum cleaner but who cares. It's a nice gift, it comes in several levels of fancy (I mean, what) and it makes brushing your teeth a pleasure.

Okay, hear me out: LEGO for adults. Did you know this was a thing? There are also excellently cool art sets but I am quite taken with this freaking awesome pyramid of Giza set and want it for myself. This would be a really fun gift because who doesn't still want toys for Christmas? (Caveat: this might not a great gift for someone with young-ish kids because I guarantee they already have 800,000 tiny hard bits of Lego in their house and will probably murder you for introducing more.)

Honestly, socks are kind of a boring gift but hiking socks from Bombas? They are really good and kind of fun. I have a pair and I've definitely given a pair as a gift so there you have it. ALSO, Bombas x Cotopaxi Merino wool hiking socks are also a thing! They are really pretty nice looking and if you know someone who's a Cotopaxi fan that's a win-win, right? This is starting to feel desperate. 

A few honorable mentions: This Field Notes National Parks set of little notebooks, This elastic band wallet makes a great stocking stuffer, and if all else fails, Bacon of the Month club. 

Gift Guide: Under $100 Gifts For Your Bestie.

First, my apologies for gendering these guides so hard - you know your people, so grain of salt, please! 

This is a list of under-$100 gifts geared towards your best friend, sister, mom, work wife, etc. Also, these would make great gifts for ME JUST SAYING. Okay:

Marianne keeps telling me about the Nécessaire samples she's gotten and how good they are and I'm like, LALALAALAA I CAN'T HEAR YOU because I don't need another expensive bodycare brand in my life but I also kind of do? SO. This brand is supposed to be amazing and the body wash (which comes in some amazing scents and also unscented) seems like the kind of special thing that you might not buy for yourself, but it would be a great gift. Throw in one of my favorite shower scrubber thingies and you'll be a legend. Ooh, there's also a set with the body serum and lotion! That looks good too. 

I know I bang on about Quince a lot but do not sleep on Quince jewelry, y'all. They have such nice things at amazing price points! For an easy under-$50 gift, this gold vermeil eternity necklace gets rave reviews. For something in the 14K gold range, these cabochon opal studs are SO pretty and still under $100! Also, I now have two of these little 14K gold solo mini hoops and I love them. 

Okay, real talk. I want this Simplehuman travel mirror for myself but haven't pulled the trigger yet. My old light-up travel mirror just died and it was kind of a space hog anyway, so this seems like a good solution, right? And it's also just a nice thing to have when you want to inspect your pores at the molecular level. Just me? Anyway, if your bestie travels a lot, I'll bet this would make a great gift. 

I'm going to do a whole big gift guide of just books, but couldn't resist including this Andy Warhol Polaroids book for your modern art/pop culture lover because oh my God, I love everything about this. In general, I love getting art books as gifts because they seem like such a luxury purchase but I also love anything in the pop culture/art realm and this covers a lot of bases. 

A few years ago Marianne and I gave each other Stackers jewelry boxes (review here) and they were a hit. Starter sets are just under $100, but it's kind of a hard thing to buy for someone when you don't know what their jewelry box situation might be. Marianne also gave me a little travel jewelry box that isn't on the site anymore but the current version is more compact and zips around and seems like the perfect travel accessory! Buy your lady friend a piece of Quince jewelry and stick it in this travel box with a bow on it. Congrats, you are done. Yay. Oh, also, they have a very nifty tech cable organizer that would honestly be a great gift for anyone who travels. 

Okay, I'm just going to say it. If you give someone a pair of Vuori Performance Joggers and they don't like them? That person is a monster. I'm totally kidding, but listen, these are still my #1 favorite around-the-house-but-still-cute lounge pants and they are soft as kittens. (I do wish they had extended and tall sizing but they don't listen to me.) These would be an outstanding gift for a dude as well. Just saying. 

I talked about this amazing stuff last year but here it is again. Marianne gave me this Dior Creme Abricot nail cream which is definitely something I wouldn't have bought myself but I love it. I get very dry, brittle nails and terrible sad cuticles in the winter months and this weird, slightly sticky but very effective potion helps a ton! Plus, the packing is very fancy and rich-lady minimalist and looks very nice on my bedside table. 

I recently got a new phone and immediately ordered a new Burga phone case because they are not only very, very good cases, they are also freaking gorgeous. So many patterns and colors to choose from! I personally love the ones that look like slabs of stone (I went with this one) but they also have a new zodiac collection that's really cool. This would make a great gift (they come beautifully packaged) and I also suggest a matching ring holder. Bonus: you can get $20 off your first purchase through my link (full disclosure: I get credits with each purchase.)

BUY THIS: Books Make Great Gifts.

 Nearly every year I post a gift guide that's all books because I am old fashioned and I think books make great gifts. I tend to read (and gift) mostly novels, because that's what I like the most - a good story. I've talked about most of these on the blog already, but here is a selection of my favorite books from the past year or so:

Longbourn by Jo Baker
This is one for Jane Austen fans! Longbourn is a servant's retelling of Pride and Prejudice though, really, Longbourn is just the setting for a totally separate story while the action from Pride and Prejudice is happening in the background. It's really quite satisfying and I loved the writing.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles
I read this last year and was floored by how GOOD it is.  It's a post-civil war novel about an elderly widow who's tasked with returning a young orphan to her family after she was "rescued" from the Indian tribe who kidnapped her. The writing is beautiful and the characters are compelling. It's an adventure tale, suspenseful but also touching.  (PS. I know that the movie version just came out and while I love the casting of Tom Hanks, I can tell from the trailer that they've changed the story. Please read the book first. 

Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes 
Jojo Moyes is one of my go-to writers for when I need a comforting, easy read. This is a book of short stories, though the main story, Paris for One, is length and the rest are easy to dip in and out of. If you miss traveling like I do, check this one out. 

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
This is not a book for everyone but it was, by far, the best thing I read this year. It's in parts a love story, a fantasy novel and a mystery, with several different narratives. It's also a book for people who love books! It's weird and sometimes goes to places that you're not sure you'll come back from, but somehow all makes sense in the end. This is a great story to really fall into and I didn't want it to end. 

The Ocean and the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Another fantasy novel, surprise! I read this a few years ago on my friend Kate's suggestion because she thought I'd like it. And really, you can trust Neil Gaiman for a really good story. This one is a dark fairy tale that focuses on memory and the powerlessness of childhood. 

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
A classic! Definitely read this if you haven't already. My mother gave me for my birthday years ago and I re-read it every so often because it's just fantastic. It's the adventures the Mortmains, and eccentric family living in genteel poverty in a decaying castle during the 1930s. Hijinks ensue and there's a really good dog as well. 

That's all I've got for today! Some of my other favorite books can be found here and here.

Gift Guide for: Procrastinators.

Are you a procrastinator? I DEFINITELY AM So today's gift guide is for you and it's just going to be Anthro today because they have (up to) 50% off gifts, free shipping at $50+ and are claiming delivery by 12/24 for the next three days. Anthropologie clothes don't always work for me but I LOVE the gifty stuff. Here are my suggestions:

Agate coasters are the kind of thing you don't buy for yourself, but would be delighted to own.

Heh. How can you not love this little cutie? 

Aw crap, my favorite mug now comes in a very goth black version that I like A LOT. Shove it full of tiny cookies and some fancy tea bags and it's a gift! 

I love a fancy candle and these are so pretty! Pair it with these adorable matches I found at Target 

and you're good to go.

This is quite the elegant little charging station that I kind of want for myself. 

FOCUS THIS IS NOT FOR YOU (but it could beeeee)

I pack my lunch every day and would LOVE a clever packable cutlery set to throw in my lunch box...

Which brings me to this, which is not on sale but oh my god, I've seen this lunch bag in person 

and really love it.

Pretty earrings and you don't have to wrap a thing. Done and done. 

I was given one of these little emergency kits a few years ago and it definitely came in handy!

I believe I was singing the praises of a good hair turban recently...

This oil diffuser looks like a fancy little lamp or something. So pretty!

I am a fan of the Rifle prints and this travel wallet is so GOOD.

This little palette is a great starter set for RMS products.

And if you're really stuck, everyone likes bougie hand cream, right?

Gift Guide For: Treat Yo' Self

Things worth buying on Treat Yo Self day, according to Donna: "clothes, fragrances, massages, mimosas (and) fine leather goods." Tom was partial to cashmere socks. 

I am down with ALL OF THIS. Listen, I know that Treat Yo' Self day is in October but you are probably shopping for every goddamn person in your life (including, possibly, people you don't really like) so why not buy yourself a few treats too? You are worth it. Here is a list of suggestions, loosely based on Donna and Tom's picks. as well as some stuff I would like to buy for myself. The only rule - it can't be too practical! Let’s do this:

This Lulu Frost necklace that's making me craaaaazeeee. And it's on sale!  

Fine fragrances! I've finally found my Le Labo fragrance, now I just have to buy it. 

Hear me out on this one. Kate and I saw this dress IRL and it is surprisingly beautiful. I'd wear it with a long layer underneath but how lovely to swan around a holiday party all shiny and regal? 

Ugh, so pretty and too small to be practical BUT WHO CARES TREAT YO SELF!

Sadly, this is sold out in larger sizes but I LOVE the idea of a long-sleeved sequin tee. I mean. 

Cashmere socks! This travel set is Sofia cashmere which is bunny soft and kind of silly.

FINE LEATHER GOODS! I really want another leather jacket in an odd color and 

All Saints always seems to deliver. 

Dean Davidson is my labradorite kryptonite. Want.