The White Elephant in the Room
A gift guide for those who are hard to buy for
We are officially past Thanksgiving and into the holiday season. Which means it’s time for gift-buying. A few weeks ago, I shared my picks for the food-obsessed among us and this week, I’m focusing on gifts for the people who are hard to buy for—I’m talking about co-workers, distant relatives, neighbors, or anyone involved in a white elephant exchange.
These items are all things I find to be actually useful, and I think just about anyone on your list would agree.
I am a big fan of Heretic Perfume (the company that produces Goop’s infamous vagina candle). Their scents are all very unique and the packaging is sophisticated (and a little tongue-in-cheek, as evidenced by their holiday collection).
I would be absolutely thrilled to be gifted a little kit of Momofuku’s seasoned salt and tamari, which are gluten-free (so anyone on your list would tolerate them just fine) and ring in at under $20.
Even if you don’t cook often, you’ll appreciate this sophisticated, suede take on the classic oven mitt. Almost all of us use a dingy, stain-covered mitt—this is no doubt a dramatic improvement.
People will literally fight over the Stanley tumbler. It’s dishwasher-safe, BPA free, comes with a reusable straw and is covered by a lifetime warranty. It’s also just $25.
I happen to think this silver chain ear cuff by Numbering would be an excellent gift for your very cool, definitely-on-TikTok Gen Z colleague. One side serves as an ear cuff on the top of your ear and the other side has a little slot for an AirPod—so you can listen to your podcast in serious style.
What I’m watching/reading/listening to and loving:
I am the last person on earth to get deeply involved with The Crown but buddy am I ever. Every night, Tom and I settle on to the couch for our nightly episode. I drink tea while we watch it. We discuss it after. It’s become a whole …. ritual, and one that I really love.
Two big headlines hit the fashion industry this week: Alessandro Michele announced he was leaving his role at Gucci, while Raf Simons said he was shuttering his eponymous (and incredible) label.
This breakfast casserole (full of polenta, cheese and egg) is exactly the kind of thing your guests want to see on the holiday table.
Fascinating: this man is on a mission to expose sneaky price increases.
And I’ll leave you with this….