Gift Guide Part 3: Nice Things for Grown-Ups

For the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, friends, grandparents, co-workers, etc.

Part three is an array of picks (from me and special guest, Jacob!) that I think of as “little indulgences that improve daily life.” This is my favorite kind of gift, something that can be enjoyed any day of the week, and every time you use it, you feel a little like you’ve made it in life. These are things we’ve used and loved, things we’ve admired from afar, or objects made by artists we admire.

• Each group is ordered from least—> most expensive.

• As with previous gift guides, I don’t get any affiliate revenue off anything I recommend (aside from books from bookshop.org).

• Many of these have running Black Friday / Small Biz Saturday / Cyber Monday deals but prices below are non-sale prices.

mom and dad make a gift guide

My picks!

• La Trinquelinette Jam ($15). This sounds like an old lady present but if you sent me jars of this jam I would genuinely be thrilled. Apricot is my favorite, but you can’t go wrong with any of them.

• Boon chili oil ($19) + Black Sesame Crunchy butter ($18) from Big Night, or a few other enticing condiments.

• A gorgeous bandana ($34): by Maine-based artist, Chloe May Brown, for fashion, or for warmth.

• L.L. Bean Extra Large Everyday Lightweight Tote ($39.99). The XL part is essential! Great bag for the beach, for schlepping random kid stuff, for weekend travel!

• Le Labo Hinoki shampoo ($40), or anything from the Hinoki line, which is the kind of hair product that makes you feel like you’re at a 4-star hotel.

• A subscription to Mother Tongue ($44), for all the mothers, mothers-to-be, and mother-like figures in your life.

• Dusen Dusen tulip shower curtain ($44): a cheery shower curtain is very satisfying easy-to-upgrade home improvement.

• Pony Dream Mug from Peaches Studio ($52) is my ideal mug with an elegant matte finish and perfect proportions.

• These very cute speckled enamel tumblers ($52) that you could use for anything but we use for holding stuff in the bathroom. Pro-tip: speckles help things not look dirty.

• A 12-pack of St Agrestis Negronis or Phony Negronis ($60), which make a regular Tuesday night feel special. The “phony” negronis lose nothing by being non-alcoholic.

• A great sweatshirt: Les Gamins Women’s sweatshirt ($68) is lightweight, boxy, and comes in great colors. The Tracksmith Trackhouse hoodie ($120) is heavyweight, sporty, and incredibly lush.

• Glerups ($100), because cozy feet make for a cozier life. Devotee for life!

• These gorgeous planters ($110) from ceramicist Farrah Sit, to elevate your plant life. (+ a plant!)

• Siskin wool sweater ($137-$174): It’s genuinely hard to find an exact-right-weight wool sweater and this is the one. Beautiful, warm-but-not-too-warm, timeless design.

• Hillery Sproatt Throw Blanket ($175): The blanket everyone clamors for in our house. It’s heavyweight and just feels so good to be under.

• A gift certificate for a massage at your favorite local spot. In Brooklyn, I like Bergen Spa (no-frills but great) and Melt Massage.

• A gift certificate for a restaurant or food shop you love, like Al Badawi, La Rina, or Birds of a Feather.

Jacob’s picks!

These aren’t “for guys” per se, with the exception of the boxer briefs below. All comments below by Jacob!

• Hawkins Medium-Sized Essential Drinking Glasses ($40): Colors are great. Glass is strong. The medium size is just right — works for wine, a cocktail, or fancy bed-side glass. Good blend of thin but not-too-precious.

• Fanny Sling ($41.99)— aka the new fanny. Moment and Topo make two of my favorites. Big enough for a camera and a windbreaker, and getting your keys / wallet / phone / AirPods outta your pockets.

• This Arcteryxx hat ($45): The color ways are great. Clean and professional.

• Stockholm Pepper Mill ($46): I like pepper on everything. Most pepper mills are ugly *and* over-designed, and don’t even do their one job well. Buy a jumbo pack of Pondicherry peppercorns & skip the funnel — single-purpose tools are silly.

• Smartwool merino boxer briefs ($48): Wool underwear is plush and never smells. It took me a few decades to bother spending real money on underwear. Well worth it.

• Classic Cast Iron skillet ($50): IYKYK.

• ANKER 533 Phone Battery ($55): Wireless charging for iPhone and AirPods; thin enough; charges fast; USB-C. Basic shit.

• Chiaozza Wall Hooks ($65): Adore these oddballs. Better as wall art than hooks, in my opinion — hang them free-style on a wall that you don’t know what to do with.

• Zwilling Kitchen Shears ($80): These are the finest scissors I’ve ever held. They’re thrilling to the touch. Handsome color. Satisfying to hold. They’re strangely high-class, and last year, I gave a set to everyone in my family.

• Polaroid Instant SX-70 SONAR OneStep Land Camera M1: (Used on Ebay for around $100.) Pair it with a few packs of film from The Impossible Project and you’ve given someone a truly special object. Note: It’s worth getting one with autofocus.

• Porta-Brace Tote ($103): Why would you buy an expensive tote bag? The older I get, the more I want things that are unbeatably good versions of themselves. This is just that. Made in Vermont; comfy; utilitarian; flat-bottom; professional old-school cool if you know the brand.

• NiceFilmClub.com subscription ($199+): If you’ve got someone in your life who still shoots film, NiceFilmClub is a great resource. They sell a ton of film stocks and also process, scan, and prints — and their on-line portal is terrific. It’s easy to manage through the mail, and then comb through (+ download) your scans through their site. You can pre-pay in some gift-ready ways, too.

Find the last two gift guides here: A Gift Guide for Kids and Gift Guide for Kids: Books.

See you next week with the last of the gift guides: books! (fiction, memoir, cookbooks, short stories).