The holidays are upon us. I hope you had a wonderful No-Nonsense November. As we luxuriate in Decadent December and Whimsical Winter (how I prefer to think of this month), I wanted to share a gift guide with you, featuring only items I've bought this year that I genuinely love and use, plus my 10 favorite charities.
Now, I know some of you keeners have already purchased all your holiday gifts, and wow, I’m impressed, but this is for everyone else. There is still time!
I’m sharing home-run purchases only, and I haven’t used any affiliate links; this is just for your benefit.
My 10 favorite charities are at the end, if you prefer to give donations to your loved ones instead of gifts.
*This gift list has images with each item, so emails will truncate it. Please open the email in your browser to see the complete list if you’re reading in Gmail or in other common mail apps.
Enjoy.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
This was my favorite novel I read this year. It won a Pulitzer Prize for a reason. Broadly giftable to anyone who reads. Mass appeal. Who cares if they’ve already read it? They can read it again. A coming-of-age novel with a male protagonist, about the human heart, about longing and betrayal, and the way life forces you to grow up.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
I find myself thinking of this book every winter. It’s a re-readable classic, perfect for colder months because it’s set in an arctic environment. Gift it to your novel-reading friends who lean left, as it involves a society where everyone can shift between genders.
Cat Country by Lao She
Cat Country by Lao She is the novel to gift to your fiction-reading, right-leaning friends. It’s a political satire about a man who crash-lands on a planet of anarchist people who, instead of being descendants of apes, descended from cats. It’s a page-turner, and though it was written in China in 1933, it feels new and works as an allegory for cancel culture and more. It can almost represent anything political that you want it to represent.
Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves
by Sophie Gilbert
One of my favorite non-fiction books this year. A must read. The perfect gift for your raging feminist friends.
Acid Christmas by Charlotte Dune
Yes, I’m plugging myself, but this works for ANYONE who reads novels because it’s so quirky and strange, and the title will make them laugh! It also has a winter snow theme, so it’s a great winter gift. I recommend the hardback version as it looks nice and the pages have a lovely black and white snow effect on them. Order online soon from wherever you buy books for it to arrive before Christmas.
Don’t Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz.
For the nerdy non-fiction readers in your midst. So much actionable insight in here, and it’s highly entertaining and funny. Great for parents, especially, as in not just your parents, but anyone on your list with children.
All things Blueprint by Bryan Johnson. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of longevity athlete Bryan Johnson. I’ve tried many of his products, and I seriously love almost all of them, aside from his protein powder, which I didn’t like, but here are my top favorites.
Blueprint Macadamia and Walnut Nutty Butter.
This macadamia nut butter is my #1 tasty treat from Bryan Johnson and would make a great gift for anyone who isn’t allergic to nuts. This also comes free when you spend over a certain amount, so you could gift someone the skincare set and keep the nut butter for yourself!
Bryan Johnson’s skincare line is actually fire. I like all of these, but the moisturizer is my favorite if I had to pick one. The moisturizer feels SO moisturizing. The packaging is ceramic and feels substantial. Great gift for any gender.
Blueprint Longevity Mix, Yuzu Flavor.
The back of the bag. I’ve tried both flavors, but I prefer the Yuzu. I add a scoop of regular creatine and drink this often as a pre-workout drink, but it’s great anytime and low-calorie.
Blueprint Blueberry Nut Mix.
Looks weird but it tastes great. When you don’t have fruit, mix this with yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, or granola, and it’s so tasty, especially with plain Greek yogurt.
Dreamy jungle duvet and satin sheets.
Even my dog loves them. 
I keep this foot massager plugged in under my bed and pull it out when I’m watching TV in bed.
Lineage Lip Mask in Berry Flavor
Mine is almost empty because I use it every day. Still, it will last you a full year. A little goes a long way.
Me in the pajamas in an Airbnb in Boston because I was cold! These are amazing, and I love them so much. Perfect for winter. Most comfortable thing you’ll ever wear.
And omg it seems that they’re sold out online, so you’ll have to get them on eBay or find a knock off…
Dr. Jarts’ Cicapair™ Intensive Soothing Repair Cream
Ok, this is expensive, but hear me out…. It’s worth it, and it makes a nice gift for someone who appreciates the finer things in skincare. Works for any gender. While the Bryan Johnson moisturizer I mentioned earlier is good for everyday use, this repair cream is great for when you’re feeling damaged from too much sun, cold weather, wind, etc. I’ve reordered it probably 10 times over the years. Can’t live without it. Good for people with reddish skin or rosacea, especially. Can also buy it on Amazon.
I don’t wash my face without these. They’re so soft and luxurious. For $14, it feels like you’re worth 14 million. I gift them annually to women in my life.
This suitcase I use all the time. (It says 1-3 days… I use for 2-week trips.)
This suitcase holds so much stuff; it’s unreal, and it fits in the overhead and feels very durable, looks chic. I’ve used it as my only luggage even for 2-week trips.
Bagsmart 6 set travel compression cubes.
These work perfectly with the above suitcase to make it hold EVEN MORE STUFF.
Snail mucus travel set.
Don’t knock it till you try it. My travel nanny friend turned me onto these. They’re great for travel, especially going from hot to cold, extra moisturizing, and a little goes a long way, so the small bottles last multiple trips. Can get it at Target, Amazon, etc.
It’s under $7, and the caption says, “There will be many times when you are happy and happy.” Which is ridiculous, and it makes me happy every time I read it.
In practical travel terms, this holds SO much, yet when you expand it, you can see everything you brought with you. I use it for toiletries, medication, makeup, etc.
Kate Spade Shabbat Set.
Side-note, the new iphones really take amazing photos! These are beautiful and elegant and not super expensive. There are two items, and I’d pair them together, or you could gift just one. The Kiddush cup and the candle set.
Side note, Kate Spade's sale page has some decent jewelry prices for gifting to your honey pies and making them think you spent more than you did…
Feldi Studio Rainbow Sherbert Menorah.
This is a fun, psychedelic menorah fit for eight crazy nights. Pair with rainbow candles.
My accountant gave me these after I turned my taxes in, and now I use any excuse to send them to friends. LIKE CRACK. SO GOOD. Can gift to any religion, but I’ve just noticed that my Jewish girlfriends REALLY love them.
Thanks for reading! If you didn’t find anything on this list, you can check out my MBTI-inspired book gift guide from last year.
The gift list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some charities. If you’d like to donate in someone’s honor, these are my favorite charities. I’ve had direct benefit or interactions with these charities, and I believe in them. Everyone has their pet causes, but these are the groups I personally donate to.
CARD Center for Autism and Related Disabilities
I personally benefit from this charity as they are contracted by the county where I live to support autistic people and their families, and they provide support to all autistic students in the public school system in South Florida.)
Stanford Autism Center for Research
As far as I can tell, they’re doing the most and best research on autism in the US.
I attended their autism conference this year and really appreciate their research and efforts to understand and support the condition.)
This organization supports some of my girlfriends from the mothers of autistic kids group I’m a member of by helping them care for their disabled children, including overnight respites.
Protection and humane treatment of wild animals. There is also a UK version. You can earmark money for certain projects and animals. I used this group to give to a specific project I wanted to support that was fighting corruption around poaching in Cameroon.
My aunt and 1/2 Hawaiian cousins are involved in this charity, and it supports Hawaiian people and Hawaiian culture.
A friend worked for this organization for years, so I got a front row seat to their many projects. They support Canadian women finding jobs after difficult circumstances.
LAGA The Last Great Ape Organization
A friend founded and runs this group. He also wrote a great book. They protect African wildlife from poachers and provide community education around poaching. I trust the founder with my whole being. He’s an incredible human, maybe the most incredible one I’ve ever met. This is for the ultra-adventurous person, as volunteering involves travel. So gift them the plane ticket and connect them to this group.
Protect Africa’s biodiversity. I learned about this group through this amazing YouTube documentary on cheetahs.
Sunshine State Biodiversity Group
I learned of this organization from author Jeff VanderMeer. They work to protect Florida’s biodiversity.
What’s been a home-run purchase for you this year?
And what is number one on your holiday wish list for yourself?
What is your favorite charity to donate to?
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