We write about hundreds of products every week. Here, in our version of the Sunday circular, we’ve plucked some of our recent favorites — and given the time of year, just about everything here will make a truly excellent gift. In this week’s roundup, we’ve got the Lands’ End sheets Rachel Antonoff (and Nancy Meyers’s family) can’t live without, the custom business cards one writer gave as a birthday gift to their 96-year-old grandmother, and the old-world art that keeps appearing on the open shelves of tasteful kitchens. If you want even more inspiration, check out our list of over 60 gift guides that we’ve written this year, with hundreds of gifts for any person on your list.
A stuffed frog that’s on our deals editor’s wish list …
Our writers and editors spend all year curating gifts for others, so we turned the tables and asked what they’d like to receive. Our picks range from practical items (a new suitcase and an upgraded travel mug) to trendier fashion pieces (a limited-edition pair of Sambas and a Pierrot-esque collar). But this Jellycat plush is at the top of our deals editor Sam Daly’s list. (She also wouldn’t be opposed to a sun or moon from the brand’s Amusable collection.)
… and a French mushroom knife that our senior editor is gifting
We also have hard-to-shop-for family members and friends — and our senior editor Ailbhe Malone always struggles to find a gift for her “ever-so-slightly granola brother-in-law. He likes to go camping in Scotland with just a tarp and is into foraging for fungi and making ‘vegan’ smoked salmon.” Her pick is this Opinel knife, which comes with a little brush that’s specifically meant for cleaning those foraged mushrooms.
A rose-scented hand cream for hardworking health-care workers
Our holiday gifting columnist Amy Sedaris shared her final recommendations this week — for a group of spunky health-care workers (who likely wash their hands a lot). She recommends snacks — such as dark-chocolate-covered pretzels from Li-Lac or Bonilla a la Vista canned potato chips — but this tube of rose-scented hand cream will also be great for their dry hands.
Decorative dish towels for holiday party hosts
Our kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman went deep to find the best kitchen towels — but we were struck by these printed ones from Geometry. They look nice, and are available in dozens of patterns for every holiday, making them a great Secret Santa gift or host gift. They’re also absorbent enough to dry hands thoroughly, and according to recipe developer and food writer Grace Elkus, hers haven’t worn down in the wash.
Rachel Antonoff’s sateen sheets for holiday house guests
Refresh your spare room ahead of upcoming festive gatherings with the supersoft sheets Rachel Antonoff calls “just as lovely” as the pricier Frette ones she’s slept on. You’ll be able to wash them at any temperature without the stress of ruining expensive sheets, Antonoff says. (These Lands’ End sheets are also beloved by Annie Meyers-Shyer, along with her mom, Nancy Meyers.)
Custom business cards that made one 96-year-old grandmother smile
Picking the right gift for a grandparent can be tricky — especially if you’re shopping for your 96-year-old grandmother who runs a gallery out of her garage. But Strategist writer Erin Schwartz (whose grandma we’re speaking of) decided on these simple and monochromatic custom business cards: “She gives them to everyone who visits, and she’ll also slip one into greeting cards,” Schwartz says.
A curved hook that releases Simon Rex’s hips
Anyone with muscle tension (which is basically everyone) will appreciate this “hip hook” that Simon Rex uses to relieve his lower-back pain caused by sitting all day long. Rex says there’s a simple technique to using the tool: “You lay your psoas area onto this hook, and then you turn the hook, and it releases the front of your hips.” While it feels painful at first, users will slowly be able to “totally surrender,” and “it will fucking open it all up.”
A teeny-tiny log cabin that’ll turn your home into a “cozy winter wonderland”
Rather than stuffing regular-size gifts into your suitcase, why not downsize and gamify your holiday shopping? Caroline Weaver found the best teeny-tiny gifts, such as this miniature log cabin for a friend who wishes they had a real log cabin. “Paine’s classic balsam-fir incense is best burned in this tiny log cabin, where the smoke billows out of its chimney,” Weaver says.
A dupe for NuFace’s conductive gel (to pair with the giftable microcurrent device)
If you’re shopping for someone who can’t shut up about their NuFace, consider treating them to some gel. Strategist writer (and resident beauty expert) Tembe Denton-Hurst uncovered dupes for the brand’s expensive conductor gel, like this no-frills aloe vera. Denton-Hurst’s esthetician friend Sydney Utendahl suggests the formula because it’s hydrating and has a gel-like consistency that allows the device to glide smoothly over the skin. It’s also only $15 for 24 ounces (for reference, ten ounces of NuFace Gel is $80), so your recipient can slather it on without thinking much about it.
An oil painting to spruce up your kitchen ahead of the holidays
Take a cue from our favorite interior designers and add an oil painting to your kitchen. “I really, truly believe in a kitchen that feels more like a room than just a kitchen,” interior designer Leanne Ford told Chantel Tattoli, whose been seeing these in lots of stylish homes (like here, here, here, and here).
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