2025 Ultimate Gift Guide--Part 2
I’m back with Part 2! This time with gift ideas for you, for him, and for everyone else (parents, in-laws, friends, boss, etc.)—along with a new section for books. Happy gifting!
Skylight: The is the ultimate hack for working families—my family uses our Skylight calendar every single day. It automatically syncs to the calendar on your phone, has a digital chore chart, and even helps with meal planning. The large version (what we have) is expensive, but also serves as a digital picture frame. Highly recommend!
Fortessa highball glasses: We use these as our everyday glasses, and they’re great. I mostly love that they’re heavy and the texture provides grip, so they’re very difficult to spill!
Remarkable 2: I *love* my Remarkable pad. I’ve had it for over three years now and it’s my most-used office supply. I always take handwritten notes, but hate paper clutter. This is the perfect solution!
Fellow Corvo kettle: I’m a big tea drinker, and I love that this kettle quickly warms water to the exact temperature you desire. I used to have the gooseneck version, but I much prefer this one—the pour is quicker and doesn’t leak.
Cool Mom socks: Enough said 😉
Lego Modern Art set: Looking for a creative project for over the break? I love this beautiful adult Lego set.
Owala water bottle: Hands-down my favorite water bottle. It’s great for kids, too!
The Perfect Cookie cookbook: I started baking years ago, when I was in the thick of writing my dissertation, as a way to zone out and regain some sense of control (if you follow the recipe exactly, it almost always works out!) I’ve done much less of it in recent years because KIDS. But I just bought this cookbook and am hoping to make some delicious cookies together with the kids over Winter Break.
Lola blanket: These blankets are such a luxury—they’re super-soft, slightly weighted, and look so cozy draped on a couch. I have both the XL size (perfect for family snuggles) and the L (designed to keep one person super warm).
Instax photo printer: Both of my kids have Instax cameras, but since they’re so bulky they rarely get used. This year, I’m buying the photo printer so I can print directly from my phone (which translates to better photo quality, too!) Don’t forget to buy film, too.
Heated foot massager: Do you need this? No. But will you love it? Yes. If you work from home, you can even stick it under your desk for a little bit of luxury during your next Zoom-meeting-that-could-have-been-an-email.
Beats water-resistant portable speaker: Great for use indoors or out.
Solo Stove outdoor firepit: Everyone I know who owns one of these loves them.
The Food Lab cookbook: Equal parts cookbook and science lesson. My husband (who does all of the cooking) highly recommends.
Thermapen: Carrying on the cooking theme, this might be my husband’s favorite cooking tool.
Kuub: Think lawn bowling meets strategy meets “please don’t knock over the king by accident.” Players take turns tossing wooden batons to topple their opponents’ blocks, slowly working their way toward the final showdown. It’s easy enough for kids to play, too!
Goodr sunglasses: My favorite pick for inexpensive sunglasses—everyone in my family own a pair!
New York brunch: My husband’s love language is a really delicious bagel, and Russ & Daughters is his all-time favorite. Perfect for Christmas or Hanukkah brunch.
Heat-activated GameBoy mug: Perfect nostalgic gift for the 40-something-year-old dude,
Athlon Optics binoculars: High-quality binoculars for the adventure-seeking dad.
Cocktail smoker kit: Alcohol plus a blow torch? What could possibly go wrong?!?
Toilets of the World book: Bathroom humor, but make it classy.
NYTimes PuzzleMania book: Wordle, Connections, the Crossword puzzle, and more—all in one place!
Chocolate covered strawberries: Is there anything better than a chocolate covered strawberry? The answer, dear reader, is a resounding “no”. It might seem weird to buy fresh food from Amazon, but I’ve had these and they were great! Plus, it beats an Edible Arrangement (with their one dinky chocolate covered strawberry) any day.
Just the Right Book subscription: I’ve featured this before, but I love it so much that I’m featuring it again. RJ Julia is my favorite indecent bookstore, and they have a subscription service where one of their booksellers—a real, live human, not AI!—selects and mails a new book to you every month.
Tea Forte tea sampler: Beautifully packaged and delicious!
90s playing cards: Perfect for a White Elephant gift exchange.
Space heater: Years ago, a boss gave me a space heater because I was always cold in the office, and I greatly appreciated it!
Hendricks Gin cocktail cookbook: Pair this with a bottle of gin and it’s the perfect hostess gift.
TableTopics conversation cards: This version is designed specifically for grandparents and grandkids.
Murder Most Puzzling jigsaw puzzle: Spending the holidays with family? This would be a fun group activity.
Masterclass subscription: Perfect for retired parents or anyone else looking to learn a new skill.
LaNeige lip kit: My favorite lip gloss in a perfectly giftable format.
“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner: One of my very favorite books. It’s a memoir about grief after her mother’s death, explored through Korean food, identity, and the complexities of their mother–daughter relationship. It’s great as an audiobook (and I’m super picky about my audiobook narrators!). Perfect for anyone who loves emotionally rich memoirs, mother–daughter stories, or food-infused narratives.
“Everything is Tuberculosis” by John Green: John Green follows the journey of Henry, a tuberculosis patient he met, and uses that human narrative as a gateway into exploring how tuberculosis has shaped human history and reflects systemic injustice in health care. Moving and engaging. Perfect for readers who appreciate narrative nonfiction, public-health storytelling, and big-picture social commentary.
“One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle: Earlier this year, feeling despondent about everything happening in the world, I went to my local bookstore and asked for something that would simply make me happy. This is what they handed me—and they were right. It’s a warm, quietly joyful story about a woman and her relationship with her mother. Perfect for readers craving something sentimental and uplifting.
“The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal” edited by James Crews: A delightful book of poetry. I read it at the beginning of every new year. Perfect for anyone who loves brief, beautiful poems that offer reflection, calm, and a sense of renewal.
Dory Fantasmagory (series) by Abby Hanlon: If your family hasn’t discovered Dory yet, you’re seriously missing out. My daughter and I absolutely adore Dory and her big imagination—she’s mischievous, funny, and so, so real. The link includes books 1-6, but book 7 was just released last month! Perfect for early readers who love humor, adventure, and characters with huge, lovable personalities.
“Colored Television” by Danzy Senna: A biracial novelist, reeling from the rejection of her ambitious manuscript, is drawn into the world of television, where questions of identity, artistic integrity, and commercial appeal collide in sharp, satirical ways. Perfect for readers who enjoy smart cultural commentary, literary fiction, and stories about art, ambition, and identity.
“Making Motherhood Work: How Women Manage Careers and Caregiving” by Caitlyn Collins: A sociological investigation comparing how working mothers across the U.S. and Europe navigate caregiving, career, and state support, revealing how policy—not personal choice—shapes women’s everyday realities and sense of guilt. Perfect for badass working moms who want validation, solidarity, and a research-backed reminder that their struggles aren’t personal failures but the product of broken systems.
Morrigan Crow series: I think this is my favorite middle-grade series. It follows Morrigan, a gifted girl cursed to die on her eleventh birthday, who is whisked into the magical world of Nevermoor. There she must compete, train, and uncover her own powers while confronting dark forces that threaten her new home. Perfect for middle-grade readers—and for grown-ups—who loveHarry-Potter-style fantasy full of adventure and heart.
“Roman Stories” by Jhumpa Lahiri: Anything by Lahiri is always delightful, so it was a treat to read this essay collection: a set of spare, quietly intense pieces set in and around Rome, following characters—often outsiders or people in transition—as they navigate desire, dislocation, and the search for belonging. Perfect for readers who appreciate elegant, contemplative writing or anyone visiting The Eternal City.
“Good Material” by Dolly Alderton: I just finished reading this, and it was one of my favorite books of the year. This sharp, funny, and tender novel is told from the perspective of a man reeling after a breakup, trying to make sense of love, loss, and his own blind spots. Perfect for readers who enjoy witty relationship fiction, flawed-but-lovable narrators, and stories that balance humor with emotional depth.
“After the Fall” by Dan Santos: This is my go-to pick when I’m the class mystery reader. It tells the story of how Humpty Dumpty got back up again after his tumble off the wall. Perfect for every single human being, because we could all use a lesson in resilience.
