My Holiday Gift Guide is HERE!
There's something for everyone in my ultra-curated gift guide - happy shopping!
Before we get into my Gift Guide, I highly suggest you pause to get yourself a favorite cozy beverage, light a fire (ahem, only if you have a fireplace, please) and put on some festive music. Let’s really lean into the season, shall we?
I make a Gift Guide every year to share things that I find beautiful and/or useful that you may want to purchase for your loved ones this year, or perhaps even for yourself. As with my previous gift guides, I only share things that I either already own and love, or would enthusiastically purchase for a loved one. I spend a lot of time curating items that I hope will enhance your life in some way (at many different price points!). I don’t believe in buying things for the sake of buying things; clutter isn’t great for our mental health or homes, and it certainly hurts the planet. Still, holiday shopping and gift exchanging is a beloved tradition, so thoughtful and intentional consumerism is my approach to this time of year.
I’ve linked to the easiest way to purchase each item (sometimes direct from manufacturer, other times from Amazon), but if you can shop small, please do so! It’s worth the extra few dollars you’ll pay to support a local business. I’ll go out on a limb and say that they need your money more than Jeff Bezos does, plus it’s much kinder to the planet.
As you probably know, I am a big advocate for spending time outdoors year-round. There’s something especially magical about gathering around a fire outside, but not everyone has a yard or a safe space to build one. As long as you have any outdoor space (a driveway, terrace or patio all work!), you can set up a Solo Stove (in free standing and tabletop sizes, both in a variety of colors) and be able to stargaze, make s’mores, or just gather with friends fireside, hassle-free.
Anima Mundi Apothecary “Relax” Bundle
If you’re looking for an alcohol-free, all-natural way to wind down at the end of the day, Anima Mundi Apothecary has beautiful organic, wildcrafted tonics, tinctures and teas to help you do just that. I take their Relax tonic most nights, and often enjoy the Blue Lotus tea before bed. This bundle includes both, and is perfect for the person on your life who could use a little more evening zen, and/or is newly sober and looking for healthier ways to decompress.
Quicker Than Quick by Pamela Salzman
Confession: I fangirl for Pamela Salzman. I think she’s simultaneously approachable and aspirational, and her recipes are SO GOOD! Her most recent cookbook is a favorite of mine, as she focuses on getting really delicious, super healthy meals on the table in minimal time (can I get an amen?). While her recipes aren’t exclusively vegan, but she offers many plant based options and adaptations to “make it vegan” in most of the recipes. Try the Chipotle Tofu Tacos, Crispy Nut Butter Chocolate Balls and Blender Power Pancakes.
If you’re looking for beautiful dinnerware at an affordable price, this ceramic pasta bowl set looks just like one of the influencer-beloved pottery brands, but for about 1/4 of the price. These are marketed as pasta bowls, but they’re also perfect for salads, grain bowls and just about everything else.
Maison Louis Marie No. 04 Bois de Balincourt Candle
This candle smells just like a chic New York City boutique hotel; it’s perfect for a cozy office or study, or for an earthier, minimalistic living room. It would make for the perfect hostess gift, too! I’m a big fan of Maison Louis Marie fragrances, partly because of their commitment to non-toxic ingredients and sustainability, but also because their products are expertly crafted and smell amazing.
LL Bean Cozy Sherpa Wearable Throw
For the person who loves to be cozy and/or is always cold, I can’t imagine anything better than being wrapped up in this Sherpa Wearable Throw on a snowy winter’s night.
Just when you thought that you couldn’t marry your love for rigatoni and your fascination with all things witchy and metaphysical, along comes The Pasta Tarot. This deck is exactly what it sounds like - tarot cards with pasta illustrations on each one, instead of the traditional/creepy Rider Waite drawings. A super cute stocking stuffer, perhaps bundled with a package of penne?
Culinary Goddess Crewneck Sweatshirt
I saw (and immediately purchased) this Culinary Goddess sweatshirt earlier in the year at Cherry Bombe Jubilee (a conference for women in food). It’s ridiculously soft, the color is spot on (though it comes in a few other colors) and the saying is simultaneously cheeky, cute and empowering. PS - This brand makes a handful of other great shirts, with sayings like, “Smash the Garlic and the Patriarchy” and “Hot Girls Eat Pasta”.
Souper Cubes are the perfect gift for anyone who loves to batch cook, lives alone, or just needs a smart way to store leftovers. They’re essentially oversized silicone ice cube trays with measurement markings and lids, so you can freeze 2 cup portions (instead of 4-6+ cup portions) of your leftover soup, grains, pasta, etc., making it much easier and faster to defrost the perfect amount of food you want to reheat, and not a spoonful more.
I love to diffuse essential oils in my home as an alternative to candles from time to time, and the Vitruvi Stone Diffuser is the best quality, most stylish option I’ve found. It comes in an array of beautiful, muted earth tones and fills the air with amazing, non-toxic, all natural fragrance. (I am partial to diffusing a blend of vanilla and ylang ylang oils).
I’m a sucker for pretty journals and notebooks, and Papier’s Wellness Journal not only comes in tons of different cover designs, but most are able to be personalized! Each hardcover journal has space for tracking sleep, meals, movement, gratitude and more, so it’s a truly comprehensive tool for living your best life. This would make a great teacher gift, and/or for anyone taking their wellness a bit more seriously in 2024.
Insulated Water Bottle Carrier Sling
This is a great gift for anyone who takes daily walks or hikes, or is headed away on a big trip that involves a lot of walking (Disney and Europe come to mind). We all know the importance of hydration, but no one wants to carry their water bottle around all day, and putting it in your handbag is not a good idea (which I learned the hard way, several times). An Insulated Water Bottle Carrier Sling will keep your bottle cool (or warm, depending on what’s inside!), and has a few zip pockets for stashing your phone, credit card or cash. Oh, and it’s cute looking, too!
A good quality chef’s knife is arguably the single most important piece of cooking equipment that you can buy, and unfortunately, many, many people are making their lives infinitely more difficult (and hazardous) by cooking with sub-par knives. The Nakano Mito Chef’s Knife is one of the best quality knives I’ve used at a very affordable price point (good knives will typically cost $150 and up; this knife is nearly half that), making it a wonderful gift for anyone who cooks regularly. It is handmade in Japan, has the most lovely olivewood handle, and is razor sharp, which will make chopping, slicing and dicing a breeze (and dare I say, fun). You can order here using my code “LAURENKRETZER” for 30% off!
I first spotted a pink salt rock lamp in a vacation rental a few years ago and could not believe what a beautiful, peachy-pink glow it cast throughout the room. I came home and ordered one for myself, and it now sits on my bedside table. Salt lamps release negative ions, which have many supposed health benefits, including improved mood, better sleep, cleaner air, and relief from allergies. Even if the health claims aren’t true, I still love these lamps for the beauty they bring to your home. They’re perfect for bedrooms, meditation spaces, or anywhere you’d enjoy soft, pretty light.