Every Holiday Gift Guide From the Strategist (So Far)
Over 70 carefully curated gift guides for every single person on your list.
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Here at the Strategist, our gift-giving caps are on all year long — but now that we’re halfway throughDecember,we’re down to the wire on finding thebest holiday gifts for everyone on your list. This year, our writers and editors are going above and beyond in their quest to find presents for every person on your list: We’ve been interviewing hard-to-shop-for groups of people — liketween girls, prolifichosts, andfrequent travelers— for straight-from-the-source gifting advice and their ultimate wish lists. We’ve also prepped tons of brand-new gifts guides, which you’ll find on our site throughout the month.
Below is every single gift guide that we’ve updated (so far) this season, featuring over 200 of the most giftable, truly worth-it items from our archive. No matter who you’re shopping for this year, whether that’s your doodad-lovingdad, your wellness-obsessedmom, your ever-confusingteencousin, or your5-year-oldniece on a crafting kick, you’ve come to the right place.
If you haven’t already, you should sign up forour newsletterfor even more holiday coverage. I also suggest bookmarking this post to stay up-to-date on all of our gift guides (there’s at least one for anyone and everyone on your list), and I’ll continue to update this list with more expertly vetted, truly delightful gifts as we inch closer to the annual festivities.
And speaking of inching closer, standard shipping for pre-Christmas delivery is no longer a possibility for most retailers, and cut-offs for express options are fast-approaching (if they haven’t passed already). We’re regularly updating all of our guides to reflect this, but you should still confirm your specific arrival date before placing any order. You can also checkour brand-by-brand holiday shipping breakdownfor info about many of our most popular sellers.
Updated on December 20, 2025
We made sure all the gifts below are in stock, priced correctly, and, as of this latest update, will arrive by Christmas. For more information about holiday shipping times in general, check out ourbrand-by-brand breakdown
Jump ahead
Gifts for
Him
A gift for every man in your life, from husbands and dads to brothers and boyfriends.
Our writer Erin Schwartz has one gifting rule of thumb: “Never get too far away from something you can picture your giftee using.” But if that stills stumps you — especially if you’re shopping for one of those hard-to-shop-for dads — they recommend drawing from your observations. Say, if your dad ends every night with an IPA, get him this growler that will keep his beer cold on the way home from the brewery (as any beer nerd should). If he spends the whole day on the move, this analog wooden foot massager that’s small enough to carry around the house will be just right. But if he’s more of a bird-watcher,Top Chefenthusiast, or single-origin-only dad, Schwartz has 49 other recommendations from numerous cool dads we’ve spoken to. Find more gifts for every type of dadhere.
If you’re looking for a gift for the dad who says he doesn’t want anything, Schwartz recommends asking a few follow-up questions: “Does he have too much stuff already? Does he hate being in the spotlight while opening a gift? Does he think holidays are a psyop engineered by Hallmark to sell cards?” From there, you can decide whether he’ll be pleasantly surprised by some slipper socks, elastic shoelaces, or one of the other 23 gifts Schwartz hand-selected. Find more gifts for the dad who doesn’t want anythinghere.
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As one of the only husbands at the Strategist, senior writer Michael Zhao is uniquely qualified to find all of the thoughtful and whimsical gift ideas to help any husband feel seen by their spouse. There’s a cordless car vacuum with a host of attachments for the husband who keeps his car spotless, a full-coverage neck pillow with a built-in eye mask for the husband who can’t sleep on planes, and 80 other items guaranteed to impress him. Find more gifts for every type of husbandhere.
Before he was a husband, Zhao was a boyfriend, so he scoured our archives for all the most unusual, useful, and occasionally splurgy items you can buy the one in your life. Whether he’s acoffeesnob, abookworm, an aspiringgrill master, or a guy who likes to puzzle, you can find more gifts for every type of boyfriendhere.
As someone who reviews stuff for a living, Zhao is the guy on people’s lists who is notoriously picky when it comes to gifts. So believe him when he says, “The first rule is to determine what your recipient is really into and then go in the opposite direction.” So, if he’s really into photography, get him a deck of waterproof playing cards. Shopping for a poker fiend? Surprise him with a pocket monocular. Find more gifts for picky guyshere.
According to Zhao, most brothers tend to contain elements of both brotherly archetypes: “Bumblers — affable buffoons, perpetually in need of help — and rocks — the reliable and decisive providers of said help.” So, he recommends finding a gift that plays to their strengths, whether that be playing the handyman of the house, biking at every hour of the night, or forever improving his personal record. Find more gifts for brothershere.
Gifts for
Her
Perfect presents for moms, sisters, girlfriends, and more.
When shopping for her own mother, our style writer Ambar Pardilla likes to pick out items her mom needs (but hasn’t gotten around to buying) or surprise her with something she would never,everbuy for herself. But we know sourcing the right gift for your mom might still feel like an impossible holiday mission, so Pardilla collected the best options for mothers everywhere — from products Pardilla has personallyvettedto the ones beloved by our own writers and editors, an admittedly picky group. Find more gifts for every type of momhere.
[Editor’s note: Standard Bloomingdale’s orders can take up to five business days, but you may be able to get next-day shipping for a $20 fee — check the site for specific details.]
When looking for a gift for your mother-in-law, you want to find something she’ll actually use and doesn’t already have (and it doesn’t hurt if it impresses her, too). To help you find thatjustright gift, Pardilla went through our archives for “won’t returnables,” including adupe of Dior’snail strengthener for half the price, thesleep spraywe’re all putting on our feet, and required reading for department-store regulars. Find more gifts for mothers-in-lawhere.
Similar to shopping for a husband gift, there’s no one gift that works for every type of wife. And while you know her best, Denton-Hurst says there’s a core strategy for picking a gift for her: Mix highbrow and lowbrow. Stuff a makeup bag with somefancy toothpaste. Or go foran indulgently silky sleep maskand some fuzzy socks. To make the process easier, Denton-Hurst put together an edit of more than 50 items for every type of wife. Find more gifts for wiveshere.
When it comes to finding a gift for your girlfriend, Denton-Hurst says you must “pay attention and be specific.” If she’s really gotten into late-night puzzling, go for this gold-foil-stamped puzzle. Does she patiently suffer through your snoring night after night? Some elegant earplugs should do the trick. Find more gifts for girlfriendshere.
You may have very similar tastes to yoursister(s)— or perhaps you’re drastically different. Whatever the case, it’s wise to choose a surprising item that touches on her interests or a memory you’ve made together. Following that approach, Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen compiled a list of presents — many of which are Strategist-tested and -approved by a sister or were successfully gifted to one — whether she kvetches about how hot the subway gets or loves being cozy from her head to her toes. Find more gifts for every type of sisterhere.
Given all the chaos that follows the birth of a child, Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro recommends gifting new moms anything that will make them feel more comfortable in their postpartum body. Sure, that looks like a manual silicone breast pump for some, but for others, she recommends a stainless-steel gua sha or a superlative pair of leggings for the 4th trimester and beyond. Find more gifts for new momshere.
[Editor’s note: Order from Lululemon by noon PST on December 22 for delivery by December 24.]
In the months since Brock Colyar published theirNew Yorkcover story on thenew generation of West Village Girls, discourse on the matter has lit up dozens (and dozens) of group chats and gotten brunch spots and hot Pilates classes buzzing. If you’re curious as to how the matcha-sipping, athleisure-wearing West Village Girls are enjoying the holiday season, look no further than our writer Katherine Gillespie’s guide to everything on their wish lists. Find more gifts for West Village girlshere.
[Editor’s note: Aritzia orders must be placed by December 22 for December 24 delivery. You can find information about ordering deadlines for Ulta and Sephora in ourholiday shipping guide.]
Gifts for
Tweens,Teens,&YoungAdults
Whether they want video games, beauty products, or clothes.
For Tweens
Since tween girls (ages 9 through 12) cycle between childlike interests and adult-esque sophistication, finding gifts for them can be especially fun, says Strategist contributor Youngna Park. To help you navigate this divide, she spoke to over a dozen tween girls around the country to understand what they think makesa great gift, from string lights for their bedroom to bead kits for advanced friendship bracelet-makers. Find more gifts for tween girlshere.
For many of the tristate area tweens who frequent what we call “Tween Row,” wish lists have been in progress since October. To figure out what, exactly, is on those lists, I chatted with tweens and teens — from the 11-year-olds eagerly awaiting their first Soho visit to the 16-year-olds who count attending brand pop-ups as a hobby — about the hand sanitizer, school accessories, and caffeine cashon their lists. Find more gifts for Tween Row tweenshere.
[Editor’s note: Ulta orders must be placed by 11:59 p.m. CT on December 18 for standard shipping, and Lululemon recommends ordering by noon PT on December 22 for guaranteed delivery by December 24.]
When it comes to finding a gift for the tween boy in your life, Park recommends homing in on their interests. Have they recently decided that science (rather than recess) is their favorite subject? Go for Randall Munroe’s big book of “serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions.” But if he can’t ever quench his appetite for adventure, a drone will help him discover new places he’s never seen before. (Just make sure he lives somewhere with enough room to fly it.)Find more gifts for tween boyshere.
[Editor’s note: You can find Barnes & Noble holiday-shipping informationhere.]
For Teens
It can feel like doing high-level math shopping for teenage girls — so writer Arielle Avila chatted with teens about which gifts they’dactuallylike to receive this holiday season (and she did some obligatory scrolling on “GRWM” and shopping-haul TikToks). From the most popular skin-care products featured in Sephora-haul videos to crafts that are indubitably adult, the list covers a range ofgift-givingcategories, including jewelry, tech, clothing, and more. Find more gifts for teen girlshere.
Video games likeNBA 2K25or the latestCall of Dutymight (predictably) be on your teen boy’s holiday list. But if he’s satisfied with his current game collection, Avila uncovered other items that will speak to your teenager, including TikTok-making tools and games that will be the star of after-school hangouts. Find more gifts for teen boyshere.
When it comes to teens, few things will delight more than a new iPhone, some sleek newAirPods, or a high-tech fitness tracker. But if that’s not in the cards this year, the next best thing is an accessory for the gadgets they already own, like an LED light to boost their TikTok fame. Find more gadget gifts for teenshere.
Finding a sweatshirt that your teen girl willactuallylike feels like a challenge as old as time. There were the Abercrombie sweatshirts of the early aughts and the Victoria’s Secret Pink zip-ups of the 2010s, but today’s “It” sweatshirts often come from small sweatshirt-focused brands with drops that sell out in minutes. To help you find the sweatshirt your teen will want to wear on their first day back from winter break, I chatted with girls from across the country about their favorites — notably, the beachy ones from Pink Palm Puff that are taking over middle schools and the oversized ones from Dandy and White Fox that are big in high schools. Find more sweatshirts for teen girlshere.
[Editor’s note: Aritzia orders must be placed by December 22 for December 24 delivery; Alo yoga shipping details can be foundhere;and you’ll need to contact White Fox Boutique directly for holiday arrival times.]
Rather than agonizing over how little you hear from the college student in your life or stressing over the stories you’re reading in the parents’ Facebook group, I suggest putting that energy into a gift that can improve some aspect of their life. If an upgrade to their Brita water pitcher and iPhone alarm clock doesn’t feel quite right for your kid, I rounded up more than 50 other suggestionshere.
Gifts for
Kids
Age-appropriate recommendations, from this season's hot toys to classic crowd-pleasers.
At 6 months old, babies are beginning to become more and more like little people, so the best gifts for infants will encourage their growth and learning through play, Ro says. To narrow the market of toys, accessories, and books, Ro spoke to child-development experts about their favorites and included some picks she used with her own kids. Find more 6-month-old-baby giftshere.
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The key to delighting 1-year-olds involves finding open-ended toys that will stimulate and surprise their growing minds, says Corsillo. When compiling our gift guide, she kept those guidelines in mind and uncovered 48 items to entertain curious toddlers while engaging all five senses. Find more gifts for 1-year-oldshere.
“The best holiday gifts for 2-year-olds are things that give them a chance to be in charge, or at least pretend to be in charge, of something,” writes Corsillo.It’s also the age when children begin to participate in pretend play, so our experts recommend gifts that let toddlers imagine themselves in the roles of adults,whether that’s with easy-to-use tempera-paint sticks or magnetic foam blocks that even work in the bathtub. Find more gifts for 2-year-oldshere.
At 3 years old, kids are finally clued in to the lead-up to Christmas andHanukkah, but they might not know which toys they’ll enjoy playing with the most. After talking to child-development specialists, toy buyers, and stylish parents, Corsillo has found that toys that encourage physical activity are best, whether your little one is the future Frank Lloyd Wright or has playroom dance parties.Find more gifts for 3-year-oldshere.
As critical thinking and motor skills sharpen around 4 years old, Corsillo says children are also becoming verbally advanced and more independent. In more practical terms, conversing with a 4-year-old feels like talking to a little person with strong preferences, interests, and an actual personality. That’s why items that encourage curiosity and creativity are ideal for these rapidly growing humans. Find more gifts for 4-year-oldshere.
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At 5 years old, kids are learning how to play in groups and what it means to cooperate — two skills they’ll use daily as they start kindergarten, Corsillo says. That’s why she rounded up tons of toys to support these milestones that will make memorable gifts while also helping these early learners expend some of their seemingly endless energy. Find more gifts for 5-year-oldshere.
“Because the transition from kindergarten to first grade brings lots of new learning expectations at school, the best holiday gifts for 6-year-olds are toys and games that encourage play for play’s sake,” says Corsillo. As such, she asked elementary-school parents, child-development experts, and toy-trend forecasters about the best gifts to give to a wide range of 6-year-olds. Find more gifts for 6-year-oldshere.
Corsillo says 7-year-olds are endlessly curious. So, when buying them a gift, your best bet is to find out what they’re interested in, whether that’s learning the difference between igneous and sedimentary, drawing everything from shapes to animals, or figuring out what, exactly, a quarter is. Find more gifts for 7-year-oldshere.
Most 8-year-olds experience a tremendous growth spurt in physical, emotional, and cognitive development. To delight and challenge their minds and bodies, Corsillo found items that will nurture their increasing need for independence and motivate them to experiment with their creativity. Find more gifts for 8-year-oldshere.
[Editor’s note: You can find Barnes & Noble holiday-shipping informationhere.]
By age 9, kids are maturing, but often in a “two steps forward, one step back” kind of cadence. Accordingly, Corsillo recommends getting them a hobby-focused gift that encompasses their combined desire for independence and apprehension about growing up. Find more gifts for 9-year-oldshere.
To engage 10-year-olds on a deeper level, Corsillo says it’s important to remember that they’re still kids who benefit from play but are also “equipped with more cognitive maturity that lets them take on complex games, crafts, and puzzles and reach new levels of expertise with whatever they are into.” Identifying what 10-year-olds actually want will largely depend on your child’s unique talents and interests, which is why we included gift ideas for an array of hobbies, from sports and drama to painting and more. Find more gifts for 10-year-oldshere.
Gifts for
ExtendedFamilyandFriends(andMore)
Grandparents, co-workers, best friends, and everyone in between.
For Extended Family
After chatting with grandparents and great-grandparents, I’ve learned that most grandparents will insist that quality time is enough, but a thoughtful present is still a meaningful way to show you care. They’ve already received decadesand decades’ worth of gifts, so I recommend leaning into their role as a grandparent or finding a little doodad that’ll help improve their life. Find more gifts for grandparentshere.
[Editor’s note: You can find Barnes & Noble holiday-shipping informationhere.]
For Friends
If you, like Goertzen, want to give your best friend a present that conveys how much they mean to you, follow her lead. Whether you’re shopping for a friend whom you’ve known since diapers or since last year, considerNikki Glaser’s migraine-relief cap, the trendiest ankle weights money can buy, or a leakproof set of magnetized travel containers. Find more gifts for best friendshere.
Whether you’re heading to a dinner party or preparing for a long-overdue visit to see family, deciding what to give a host is always challenging. To help you find the right gift for whatever kind of host you might be thanking, I chatted with the most tasteful, prolific host extraordinaires I know about their go-to gifts, whether it’s a pretty Jenga set for the host who likes a game night or a trivet for the host who’s serious about serving dinner piping hot. Find more gifts for hostshere.
For anyone
Sometimes, it just makes sense to give a truly useful gift. To make that slightly more exciting, Strategist senior kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman gathered the absolute nicest versions of everyday items, from design-forward tool kits to splurgy lip balms. Find more useful giftshere.
If you, like Strategist sleep writer Amelia Jerden, would rather not give more junk to whoever you’re playing White Elephant with, you’ve come to the right place. After combing through our archives, shopping around, and polling our colleagues, she landed on 50 truly good white-elephant gifts, whether your budget is $15, $25, or even $100. Find more White Elephant giftshere.
Whether you’re shopping for a small-space city dweller, a minimalist, or reformed hoarders — or if you just have a small budget — a teeny-tiny gift can punch above its weight. To prove it, Strategist contributorCaroline Weaversearched the internet for a variety of delightful gifts under ten inches (and under $40), like a minuscule bag hanger, a set of colorful pencil lead, and a tiny cabin that holds incense. Find more teeny-tiny giftshere.
As our sleep writer Amelia Jerden says, “In the cold darkness of winter, what could bring more joy than a gift that’s soft and fuzzy?” In that spirit, she gathered all of the fuzziest holiday gifts she could find, including a silly pom pom pen, a fluffy heating pad, and theAnthropologiethrow blanketemployees have been known to fight over. Find more fuzzy giftshere.
[Editor’s note: You can find Anthropologie shipping informationhere.]
Since her pregnancies, editor of the Cut’s “Sex Diaries” column Alyssa Shelasky has found she can only tolerate vanilla scents. So for those in her position — and others who simply like the sweet smell — she curated a gift guide for all things vanilla. For good measure, she even added some vanilla-tonedgifts. Find more vanilla giftshere.
[Editor’s note: Order from Nordstrom by noon EST on December 20 for two-day shipping, or noon EST on December 21 for next-day.]
Yes, a candle is a reliable, liked-well-enough gift. But instead of going for a candle, why not gift them somethingelsethat smells good? Our writer Martha Tuber suggests buying them an indulgent bubble bath or a subtle perfume that tells your recipient “I actually thought about what to get you.” Find more gifts that smell goodhere.
If you (or someone you know) just wants to crack every joint in your back for Christmas, Strategist writer Erin Schwartz found the perfect gifts. They did so by going through our archives and polling the Strategist’s achy staffers about the tools that work for them and the gifts they’d be excited to receive. Find more gifts for achy peoplehere.
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If you’re only buying gifts from one retailer this year (to limit the hassle and save on shipping costs), Goertzen recommends choosing Nordstrom, “the epitome of a one-and-done retailer.” She searched through the department store’s vast offerings to make what seems like an impossible task easy — getting everyone from your to newly graduatedbrotherto work-from-home aunt a present from the same place. And while it’s too late to order with standard shipping, you can choosetwo-day shipping by Saturday, December 20, or next-business-day shipping by Sunday, December 21, if you order before noon EST.
“Growing up, my mom did all the Christmas shopping for my little cousins at Costco, loading up a cart with toys, books, games, and gigantic stuffed animals — not to mention all the groceries for the Christmas Eve dinner we’d host every year,” says our senior writer Lauren Ro. To help you find a discounted gift for everyone on your list, she scoured the members-only warehouse for everything from a bunch of tinned fish to green Hunter boots. Find more of the best gifts from Costcohere.
If you, like Guo, believe that an assortment of small, delightful sundries bundled together can often be more fun to unwrap than a single big-ticket item, consider a subscription box. She rounded up options for just about every interest, hobby, and pastime that will keep the festive feelings going for months into the new year. Find more subscription boxes to gifthere.
[Editor’s note: None of these subscription boxes will arrive by Christmas Day, but they will keep the festivities going well into the New Year.]
Gifts for
EveryHobby
For the artist and crafter, the outdoors fanatic, the jet-setter, and more.
Food and Drink Gifts
Given the glut of new cookbooks to sort through every year, our senior kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman has taken it upon herself to round up all of the cookbooks that she thinks are worthy of gifting this holiday season. Whether you go with Rebecca Firkser’s ode to galettes, Casey Elsass’s guide to food you can bring to a dinner party, or Samin Nosrat’s latest grand œuvre,she says, “They’re a universally foolproof present, with something out there for nearly everyone.” Find more gift-y cookbookshere.
[Editor’s note: You can find Anthropologie shipping informationhere.]
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Wartzman says she counts herself in the very group of people this gift guide is intended for: an avid home cook with a lot of equipment and very distinct taste. With years of experience interviewing professionals and trying the latesttools,appliances, andingredientsherself, Wartzman says she knows a thing or two about identifying worthy gifts for home cooks (even if you don’t know your way around thekitchenat all). Find more of the best gifts for home cookshere.
As a lifelong home baker, some of my fondest Christmas Day memories include trying out whatever new tool, ingredient, or kit that appeared for me under the tree. So if you’re struggling to come up with a gift for the baker in your life, take my advice: Surprise them with something that will improve their craft, whether that’s a tool for keeping bread warm, a sturdy cake carrier, or an upgrade food scale. Find more gifts for bakershere.
When in doubt, Wartzman recommends gifting food. In her eyes, there’s an appropriate pick for every occasion: in-shell peanuts that actually taste like really good peanut butter, smoked salt for the friend still making their way through the Maldon bucket you bought them last year, and all-out showstoppers like a gift box with all the kitchen and bathroom items from Flamingo Estate. Find more gifts for gourmandshere.
Sports and Outdoors Gifts
Writer (and resident travel expert) Katherine Gillespie says the best gifts for frequent travelers are often the most practical. Along with interviewing flight attendants and travel agents about what they recommend, Gillespie collected highly giftable yet functional items from ourTravel 100, which features our absolute favorite pieces of gear for all sorts of trips. Find more travel giftshere.
When shopping for someone who loves music, it’s easy to go thefan giftroute. But what do you buy someone who doesn’t obsess over one artist and rather has a calendar packed with shows? The answer, according to Jerden, is the rightgear, fromactually comfortable earplugsto a portable charger. Find more gifts for concertgoershere.
As a lifelong runner who competed as a Division I track-and-field and cross-country athlete for TCU and UC Berkeley, Goertzenknowswhat makes a good gift for a runner. Over the last year, she’s tested a range of running gadgets and collected gear recommendations from other avid runners, coaches, andStrategist staffersto curate a list of gifts that capture some of that “runner’s high” feeling. Find more gifts for runnershere.
[Editor’s note: Lululemon’s holiday-delivery info can be foundhere.]
It’s no secret that Pilates is everywhere this year. So whether you’re shopping for the aspiring Solidcore instructor or West Village girl on the prowl for some post-class matcha, there’s no gift too small. After all, in New York,a single class will often run someone upwards of $45, so anything from a foldable mat to some silk scrunchieswill go far in supplementing their practice. Find more Pilates giftshere.
Beauty and Wellness Gifts
If the hair-care fanatic in your life is like our beauty writer Dominique Pariso, they probably already own anAirwrapand have a shower that’s bursting at the seams with products. To help you find something that will both surprise and delight them, she interviewed hairstylists and beauty experts and sifted through our archive for gifts to give to the selective hair-care hobbyist, from the do-it-all spray four Strategist writers swear by to international flyaway fighters. Find more hair-care giftshere.
Anyone shopping for a wellness person — whether they fall into the “clean beauty,” health-supplement, or fitness bucket — knows it’s hard to figure out exactly what gift will fit into their highly specific lifestyle. To help you, Avila spoke to a panel of folks in the wellness space, including nutritionists, acupuncturists, writers, and yoga instructors about the gifts they’d give their own wellness-obsessed friends, like a natural alternative to paraffin-based candles or old-school headphones for the anti-Bluetooth folk. Find more wellness giftshere.
As the Strategist’s resident stationery freak, Pariso compiled a list of gifts for anyone on your list who illustrates their gift tags, looks forward to opening a fresh planner on New Year’s Day, and never forgets to send a thank-you card. Find more stationery giftshere.
Gifts for
EveryBudget
Whether it’s $10 or $100, we’ve curated lists by price.
In the eyes of our deals editor Sam Daly, the only thing better than giving a good gift is giving a goodgift that you got onsale.To help you out, she found a few dozen things on sale that would make thoughtful gifts, including a crossword book for beginners, a French multipurpose oil, and a relaxation-enhancing pillow mist. Find more gifts on salehere.
If you’re unsure about the whole stockings thing, consider it from Ro’s perspective: “When else do you get the chance to collect a bunch of small tchotchkes whose only purpose is to delight (and perhaps distract them from prematurely opening gifts waiting under the tree)?” To help you fill the stocking to the top, she gathered 20-plus stocking-size toys, games, stuffies, and treats for little kids and tweens alike. Find more stocking stuffers for kidshere.
Non-boring stocking stuffers might sound like an oxymoron, but Guo rounded up a slew of affordable and useful gifts — which are all small enough to fit inside a holiday-themednovelty sock. She thought of small delights for every type of person, from the brother who needs his caffeine fix to the preschooler who’s an avid puzzler. Find more non-boring stocking stuffershere.
“There are arguably more gift guides than ever before now that every Substacker, influencer, and influencer’s cousin is publishing a roundup of some kind or another,” write the minds behind this year’s print gift guide, Hilary Reid and Jeremy Rellosa. While some might see it as too much competition, we took it as a challenge: to unearth gifts that feel even more special, more unusual, more deranged, like a paper clip that can hold your pen and a marble sponge holder. Find more carefully selected gifts under $50here.
Buying a standout gift doesn’t have to break the bank, especially in this economy. To prove it (and help you shop for everyone on your list), I combed through all of our gift guides to pull together a list of 50 of our favorite items under $50 — all of which have also been best sellers among our readers this holiday season. Find more top-selling gifts under $50here.
For those with a higher budget, our print gift guide included other delights plucked from the Strategist hive mind, like Ada Boni’s classic cookbook, the banana-scented balm that Prada added to its lip-balm collection this year, and a Kindle upgrade from Kobo. Find more carefully selected gifts under $200here.
[Editor’s note: Kobo recommends ordering with express shipping by December 21 for on-time Christmas delivery.]
Gifts that
MightSellOut
The most sought-after items of the year that will go fast.
“Something tailor-made for your recipient, whether it’s emblazoned with their initials, embroidered with an inside joke, or printed with a fond memory, can go a long way toward making them feel especially loved,” says our writer Kitty Guo. So she gathered some of the most delightful custom gifts you can buy online, including this custom phone case and a teeny-tiny charm from Catbird. Find more personalized giftshere.
[Editor’s note: Catbird’s charms are ready to ship, checkour guidefor shipping deadlines. Maison de Sabre orders that are placed before 2 p.m. daily are prepared and dispatched on the same day. And Beyond Memories orders placed before 6 a.m. ET will ship the next day — though we still recommend checking each site for specific holiday shipping timelines.]
Strategist senior writer and parent Liza Corsillo has spent the past several months attending toy fairs, testing the newest toy releases, and interviewing toy-industry experts about the most popular gifts this year. As it turns out, Furby and Magna-Tiles aren’t going anywhere. Find more of this year’s hottest toyshere.
TheSecret Strategistteam works hard all year long to answer questions like “Whichclogs are cool chefs wearing?” and “Is there a chic way to carry your bag while on a bicycle?” They compiled all the curious giftable items they’ve come across this year in a guide full of things they’d be excited to give and thrilled to receive. Read the rest of the gift guidehere.
[Editor’s note: Order from Saks Fifth Avenue by 12:59 p.m. ET on December 18 for free delivery by December 24.]
Gifts For
TastefulPeople
We asked 20 notable people about their gifting philosophies, gifting nightmares, the best gifts under $25, and much more.
If you’d like to become a better gift giver, follow Kate Berlant’s words of advice: “Don’t make it about you.” Accordingly, both her go-to gift under $25 (this exfoliating sea-salt soap) and the most practical gift she’s ever received (these unstoppable kitchen scissors) happen to be ones that’ll improve just about anyone’s life. Read the rest of her gifting advicehere.
According to Josh Hart, an American Express gift card counts as a good gift so long as you’re not giving it to your significant other. But if you’re looking for something more material, he recommends this wine that he says is “one of my go-togoodwines.” Read the rest of his gifting advicehere.
[Editor’s note: Heitz Cellar recommends ordering with express shipping by December 18 for on-time Christmas delivery.]
“My favorite gift to give is something that solves a problem or that they didn’t know they need but that is also delightful,” Ana Gasteyer told us. Typically, she goes for a practical product that’s a bit elevated, like a Paul Smith umbrella, an enamel tea kettle from Le Creuset, or a cashmere beanie from Naadam. Read the rest of her gifting advicehere.
If you’re still stumped, take Bunny Williams’s advice: “Don’t guess. Give something practical.” And according to her, something practical means some Emily Dickinson, linen napkins, or remarkably rare seeds. Read the rest of her gifting advicehere.
[Editor’s note: Williams Sonoma recommends ordering with express shipping by December 19 for on-time Christmas delivery.]
Kim Hastreiter says to cut it out with the tchotchkes. “The worst thing on earth is to be given a stupid gift, a gift that has no understanding of who you are,” she told us. So take the time to think about what little treasure they’ll actually appreciate, whether that be a life-changing book, charming gold earrings, or a nice set of mixing bowls. Read the rest of her gifting advicehere.
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