Are you, like me, finding yourself less than two weeks out from Christmas and still desperately texting your friends in search of gifts that are really going to impress your loved ones? My 3.5- and almost-5-year-olds aren’t yet making their wishlists on PowerPoint yet (looking at you, tween parents), but they’ve scribbled down enough keywords (“unicorn,” “Rudolph” and “cat” among them) for me to recognize that the stakes are high this year.
Plus, I have the adults in my life to think about. I’m looking for impressive skin care gifts for my mom, yet another pair of merino wool socks for my spouse, and maybe a thing or two for myself. If you’re also shopping for children and adults alike this season, check out the list I’ve come up with. I’ve tried extra-hard to make a list that feels as special as everyone you’re shopping for.
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There is nothing cuter than watching your no-longer-a-toddler-but-not-quite-big kid play charades for the first time. We got this card game as birthday gift when my younger daughter turned 3 over the summer and it’s been a riot to play. There’s very little to the game (in a good way) — you just draw a card and enact what you see. All the cards have pictures so it’s easy to play even if your kids can’t read yet.
I love this nail polish from Piggy Paint. The colors are so cute, it’s truly non-toxic — it doesn’t smell at all! — and it makes a fabulous stocking stuffer.
Though this mask by Azure contains real 24K gold, you luckily won’t have to shell out much at all to buy it for the skin care fan on your list. The mask firms, lifts and revitalizes skin thanks to ingredients like the aforementioned gold, collagen, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and more. The easy application using the tube and the fun, sparkly packaging are icing on the cake. This will be a perfect gift for my beauty-obsessed cousin.
A fellow mom in one of HuffPost’s parenting Slack groups mentioned she’d be adding this NeeDoh cube to her daughters’ stockings. Suitable for kids ages three and up, the squeezable translucent object offers a satisfying resistance due to its unique shape. “I enjoy poking in the corners, pinching the edges sharper, poking in the flat sides, compressing in one direction and then the other, etc — it’s just WAY more dynamic than a sphere,” wrote one reviewer.
A cousin of those photo viewfinders that were popular when the millennial set was growing up, these customizable flashlights can project images onto any surface. The purchase comes with a variety of stock photos, and also includes a redemption code for customizing slides with your own images, which is truly the fun part. Another weird thing about flashlights? For kids at a certain age, they’re the greatest novelty and an endless source of entertainment — and that’s without the neat-o projection capabilities.
A hardbound planner or blank journal is one of my go-to gifts, and my go-to brand for said gift is almost always Papier. The brand has seemingly endless and really beautiful cover prints to choose from, and I usually end up getting these for extended family members or coworkers when I need a foolproof option. I love this spiral-bound weekly planner option with a bold floral print. The 11-by-9 book contains weekly and monthly pages, or even a calendar view so you can see the whole year at a glance. There are also lined pages for note-taking and a section for contact information.
A friend pinged my mom group chat the other day and needed inspiration for a bigger-ticket item for her almost 4-year-old. I suggested a balance bike, which is definitely splurgier — but something like this option from Strider, that offers the option to add pedals later on, feels like a good investment that will grow with your child. The bike has 14-inch wheels and is intended for kids aged 3-6, with a weight limit of 80 pounds. The padded seat is adjustable for inseams between 16 and 23 inches to accommodate your growing kiddo.
When your child is ready to ride on their own — maybe by next Christmas — you can buy a pedal conversion kit separately.
Every time I try to get creative with gifts, the person I’m shopping for surprises me with a completely predictable request. Case in point: My spouse, who has asked for a pair of merino wool socks in a “solid, fun color.”
It‘s actually been surprisingly difficult to find a pair with a significant blend of moisture-wicking merino wool and bright, solid colors. This option from Icebreaker is made with a 60% merino wool blend and comes in the egg-yolk yellow pictured here, an aqua hue and a cool sort of persimmon color. (The color options on Amazon are a little different, FYI.)
We get a lot of mileage out of dress-up stuff, and it‘s something I definitely recommend as a gift — it’s screen-free, has a fair amount of longevity and is usually ready to be repurposed or handed down when your kids have outgrown it. Our dress-up bin is currently overflowing with princess stuff, so I have my eye on this disco-tinged dragon cape for something that’s a little less frilly or girly. The silky polyester cape is studded with gilded horns and spikes and even features cool reptilian eyes.
FYI, Great Pretenders is one of our favorite resources for costumes — they have such a wide variety of “looks” (firefighters, animals, etc) and I find the quality to be reliable and long-lasting. We also have their doctor set and green fairy costume and they get a ton of airtime.
One gift that I’m eyeing for my entire household is this eternally viral vacuum-mop hybrid that promises to make short work on nearly every possible variety of household mess. Thanks to a built-in sensor, the machine will automatically adjust its suction, water flow and brush speed and tailor it to whatever debris it encounters.
If you‘re even vaguely familiar with the toy landscape, you know that magnetic building toys abound and you may be constantly hearing about the popular Magna-Tiles or Picasso Tiles that are all over Amazon. These pliant construction pieces from Clixo offer similarly open-ended play potential but in a totally different medium. Each piece is made from an extremely sturdy proprietary plastic (that’s somehow also as flexible as paper) that interlocks with strong magnets, and a variety of piece shapes enable kids experiment with a variety of creations.
I’d definitely recommend these if your recipient is experiencing tile fatigue. The image here is of a larger 40-piece “Creator Pack” set, but you can get these in smaller kits at stocking stuffer prices. (We have the 15-piece “Grab and Go” set and have gotten a ton of mileage out of it.)
Flamingo Estate’s tomato-infused Roma fragrance collection has proven to be an unexpected viral favorite with HuffPost readers this holiday season. While the candle is certainly a surefire hit, I’m gravitating towards this unexpected perfume roll-on for my sister, who I’m always looking to gift with something extra-unique. The gently-spiced, herbaceous tomato scent is infused into a moisturizing safflower oil base for a luxurious beauty gift that anyone can take on the go.
We try to keep it fairly crafty in my home, and this is the drawing paper that I buy in bulk for every day use. The 9-by-12 sheets are perforated and heavy-duty enough to withstand heaps of tempera paint (although we mostly stick with good, old-fashioned markers). While it’s not the most exciting present by itself, I’d bundle it with some other art supplies to make for a comprehensive gift.
This unexpectedly stylish men’s fleece jacket comes from the Amazon Essentials brand (and not a pricey retailer like Everlane, where we’ve spotted similar styles, or even Ralph Lauren). It’s equipped with thoughtful details like a drawstring at the neck and handy thumbholes, and you can get in sizes XS-XXL and in four colors. I’ll probably snag this for my constantly-outdoors brother who loves to go camping.
I am including a second magnetic-building set for selfish reasons. A family gifted this Geomag building set to my kids while we were traveling over the summer — they loved it, of course, but over the course of the trip we lost a multitude of the pieces, so I’ve been looking to restock them. The kit we have features 25 pieces with magnets that are indeed extremely powerful. I like that they’re made from recycled plastic and offer yet another building mode in the world of magnetic components.
(PS: If you’ve read through both of these options and still just want Magna-Tiles, know that there is a really cool high-viz set for 20% off at Amazon right now. Did you know you can also get glow-in-the-dark ones?)
OK, before you call me out for spending close to $50 on 50 milliliters of product: I got a bigger size of this cleanser for my mom for Christmas last year, and she raved about how nice it was. She’s extremely low-maintenance about her skin care routine, so hearing such positive feedback from her has committed me to making the luxury organic skin care brand Tata Harper a Christmas-gifting tradition. And like… what is the holiday season if not an opportunity to senselessly splurge on your loved ones and give them things they’d never buy for themselves?
I’d rather spend this money on a small amount of something that she’ll actually use than a piece of kitchen junk that’s just going to collect dust in the pantry. Anyway, thank you for coming to my TED talk and just buy this gorgeous regenerating cleanser that uses BHA and apricot microspheres along with clay and grapefruit to remove impurities from your skin. It’s best for combination or oily complexions, and the brand recommends applying it to dry skin for best results (and to save water).
We’re unrepentant multiple-cup-a-day coffee drinkers in my household and mugs are a popular gift for people in my household. I’ve always liked the look of a glass mug, and these double-walled options from JoyJolt make for a stylish and affordable gift.
Another screen-free gift with a longer shelf life? Puzzles! My kids get really into them and it’s important that the subject matter align with their interests (which, right now, is definitely princesses). Djeco makes a ton of really beautiful ones, and I love the enormous scale and unique shape of this castle-themed one. This is an easy, affordable stocking stuffer if you’re stumped on a good gift.
These handsome gloves are made from domestically sourced deerskin leather and lined with a fluffy PrimaLoft fabric for some seriously heavy-duty warmth. They’re a worthwhile splurge for anyone who appreciates style and function. I have my eye on these for my spouse, who desperately needs a new, high-quality pair.
If the previous option was a little beyond your budget, I also really like this eclectic fleece pair from outdoor brand Cotopaxi. These warm, screen-friendly gloves are made from the brand’s beloved recycled-polyester Teca fleece and feature grippy finger pads for added functionality.
Bath bombs are extremely popular in our household, and are a very important item in my bedtime-routine toolbox in helping coax reluctant bathgoers into the tub. My kids consider them pretty novel even when they’re not embedded with surprises, so a set like this one that contains animal figurines and fact cards is just… wow. The set includes five bath bombs made from safe, natural ingredients like baking soda and epsom salts, and infused with avocado oil and ylang ylang. You can choose from themed assortments like safari, sea life and farm animals.
I’m personally at the stage in my “Gabby’s Dollhouse” journey where my children ask to watch it at every possible opportunity, so to be able to present this actual Gabby’s dollhouse on Christmas morning would be the best thing I could possibly do as a parent at this point in time. This 25-inch tall, three-story dwelling includes six dedicated rooms for friends like Mercat and Cakey (who are sold separately) and comes with 14 accessories like furniture and an all-important Gabby figurine. It’s pretty a-meow-zing.
I am extraordinarily behind in hopping on the Gazelles bandwagon, but I swear it’s because I can’t decide on a color. I see cool people wearing these all over the NYC subway in a host of bewitching colors — green, yellow, a nice clay-toned tan — and I am just stymied because I like them all. If you want to go down a similar rabbit hole, I welcome you to check out the 18 (!) options on the Adidas website. I think I’ve finally settled on these pretty blue ones with a classic white stripe to get for myself this year. With a suede upper, leather lining and translucent gum sole, these sneakers are an updated version of a design that Adidas first launched in 1979.
It wouldn‘t be a gift guide from me without a recommendation from Super Smalls — the fashion editor-founded brand is responsible for some of the coolest kids’ accessories out there. The growing product assortment is nearly impossible to choose from — especially now that it includes so many lifelike Disney goods, like the glow-in-the-dark Moana necklace pictured here — but I’ve tried to narrow down a few favorites.
Shopping writer Haley Zovickian included these gorgeous handmade home goods in a recent roundup of unexpected gifts, and I might just have to get them for myself this holiday season. Zovickian wrote:
“Inspired by traditional Armenian rug patterns, these beautiful rug coasters are a delightful way to protect your tables while beautifying them at the same time. Handwoven by artisans in Armenia but shipped out from Connecticut, the coasters are made with plant-based dyes to honor the richness of nature and sustainable design.
You also can grab the blue Kaspian mug (pictured right) to complete your gift — each stoneware mug is handmade, hand-painted and naturally dishwasher-safe.”
The retailer promises shipping lead times of up to five days, so order these now in order to get them in time for the holidays.
This fast-paced, easy-playing card game is constantly recommended in gift guides, but I’m including it here just in case you’ve missed it up until now. Everything we read and hear about this game indicates that it’s a pretty foolproof gift for a school-age kid, and a great price point if you’re looking for a stocking stuffer. It involves quick reactions to the silly string of titular words, and special cards in the deck can redirect play in unpredictable ways.
My daughter was recently gifted a chess set really similar to this one and she is weirdly obsessed with it! Now we just have to figure out how to actually play chess, but it seems like it could be a cool thing for us to learn as a family. This colorful set is made from FSC-certified wood and packaged with 75% recycled materials. You can stash your pieces in the thoughtfully designed included storage box, too.
Look, is it a little weird to gift someone something for their toilet? Maybe, but anyone I’ve ever met who has used a bidet even once before is all too happy to talk about what a gamechanger it is, so do with that what you will. Luxe Bidet’s NEO 120, the brand’s bestselling model, comes with all the tools your giftee will need to install it and has control knobs for the water pressure and different modes (including one that’s self-cleaning). With 4.9 stars across more than 6,200 reviews, you kind of can’t go wrong here (and hey, it’s definitely something they’ll use every day).
Promising review: “I absolutely love it! I have gotten several of my friends this LUXE BIDET for birthday and Christmas gifts. I cannot be without it. I do not like to go to a bathroom that does not have one, Not only does it make you feel CLEAN it saves on TP. It is an PLUS to the bathroom.” — Carolyn C.
