Tis the season for gift-giving! This post is the first of three with ideas and suggestions to help you check off your gift list, twice!

Some of the links are specific items, and some are examples of sources. I included pictures for some categories (like scarves and pajamas), but not for most.

General Ideas

Do you know anyone who owns a business, has an Etsy shop, or offers a service?

An item or gift card from them would mean a lot! It’s always good to shop small and local, but it’s even more important now.

Look on Etsy!

There are lots of lovely shops with thoughtful pieces that are unusual, frequently handmade, and can be personalized. It might take some combing, but wow the treasures that are there.

Some of my other favorite sites to browse for gifts are:

• Uncommon Goods: They offer some very unusual gifts, frequently customizable, or sustainable, or unique.

• ModCloth: Their gift guides and overall selection are so fun and quirky without being weird and unusable.

• Anthropologie: I love everything that they stock, it’s a problem.

• SnorgTees: Great selection of fun shirts to reference your friend’s favorite movie, series, or other pop culture happening.

• Museum stores like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art: Beautiful books about art, beautiful scarves designed after famous paintings, and everything else tangentially related to art.

Beauty & Accessories

As far as gifts go, it’s fun to receive something that feels like a treat, that we might not splurge on. When they’re gifts, there’s no pressure to keep up with cost per wear, and they can just be enjoyed and experimented with.

Olive & June Pedi System

This kit has everything you need to make your toes and feet extra pretty at home. It’s a very thoughtful collection that elevates and contains your at-home spa. You can gift just the tools, or include one or six polishes.

Scarves

Scarves make great gifts because they are practical and whimsical. Museum stores (like the Met or MoMA, or PMoA) are some of my favorite sources for scarves. Target also has a fun selection, including affordable silk options.

Jewelry

Mejuri or Missoma Jewelry are high quality and affordable. I see pieces from these brands all the time, and they have a variety of styles, both trendy and timeless, and quite affordable for what they are. It’s fun to give someone a piece that they might wear all the time, or feel fancy wearing for special occasions.

Face masks - for inside!

Whether you enjoy applying a mask, an easy sheet mask, or a specific treatment for your eyes or lips, there’s something for everyone. Sephora has a lot of sheet masks, as do many retailers now. Lush has my favorite fresh masks (I love Oatifix especially for my sensitive, dry skin).

Face masks - for outside!

If we need to wear face masks, they might as well be pretty, right? A lot of brands have pivoted well to making masks, and now to making them statement accessories rather than just necessary ones.

Cozy & Home

We’re all staying home more this season, so help your friends improve their experience with warm and snuggly gifts.

Cozy blanket

Everyone enjoys a cozy blanket. You can’t have too many. The limit does not exist. Extra points for upgrading someone to an electric blanket - a life-saver on a cold, cold night!

Pajamas

Cute and cozy pajamas are a fun way to feel festive and comfortable. Target (emphasis on the festive, as well as family-coordinating) and Anthro (great prints that don’t automatically look like Christmas) both have a lot of fun options.

Slippers

A good pair of slippers keep your feet warm and your floors cleaner. A really good, cute pair of slippers are a fun splurge of a gift.

Sleep mask and silk pillow case 

Help your friends get the best sleep and better hair days.

Pretty vase with felt flowers

Felt flowers are a fun way to add color to a home without having to remember to water them. The vase and the flowers are gifts that can be used together or separately. This is an especially cute option for your friends that just moved in to a new place.

Candles 

There are SO MANY great candles out there. I love getting candles as gifts because the more I have, the more likely I am to actually burn them! We gave candles as a wedding guest gift. I love the selection at Anthro, and Mrs. Meyer’s (available at places like Target and Grove Collaborative) does lovely, natural scents as well.

Ornaments 

It can take a while to get a tree’s worth of ornaments, so help your friends along! It’s fun to have gifts that remind you of a friend and specific festive season.

Always Pan 

Whether your gift-ee is a novice in the kitchen or an experienced chef, a versatile pan is a great addition to their arsenal. It appears that it won’t ship until after Christmas, but it is $50 off right now, and worth waiting for.

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Next week’s post is full of ideas for specific recipients. Have a great weekend and happy gifting!