Little Gifts, Big Impact

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By Gretta Monahan

Every year during the holiday season, I try to remember to not leave buying stocking stuffers till the very last minute.The reason for that? There’s some incredibly cute stuff out there—to give friends and family, and to just go ahead and buy for myself—if only I just left myself the bandwidth to take my time, search them out, and put some thought into it. But of course, I usually do forget and leave it till I’m done shopping for all the big gifts, and at that point I have no choice but to rush through, and I wind up buying everyone the old standbys: socks, underwear, and chocolate.

Well, not this year. I’ve already started looking for everyone, and I’m happy to report that the crop of stuffers that’s out there this year is even more adorable and clever than usual.

Take, for example, the pretty retro set of handpainted Petalpress measuring spoons by 1canoe2 ($20 at anthropologie.com), made in the company’s barn-turned-studio. They’re perfect for my girlfriend who’s a whiz in the kitchen and adores handmade crafts.

For my uncle who’s equally obsessed with both golf and single malt scotch, there are the super cute Golf Ball Whiskey Chillers ($24.50 at uncommongoods.com)–a set of two freezable faux golf balls that stand in for ice cubes.

One of my dearest friends and long-term employees constantly has her hands wrapped around a cup of coffee, so I’ll get her a Coffee Cozy ($26 at etsy.com) that looks like a hand-knit sweater and sports her initial.

For my hot sauce-loving friends, I’m grabbing the Sriracha To-Go Bottle Keychain ($8 at urbanoutfitters.com), so they’ll never be stuck at a meal empty-handed.

For myself, the cocktail shaker sitting on my bar could use a boost of fun. So I’ll replace it with a 24-ounce, stainless steel rocket-shaped one ($34.95 at highfashionhome.com) to whip up my drinks in.

My little cousin who’s a sophomore in college will definitely love the mini book, “Recipes Every College Student Should Know” by Christine Nelson ($9.95 at urbanoutfitters.com).

Instead of the usual ho-hum grooming necessities, go for one with cult status in a gorgeous scent, like the mini eucalyptus deodorant by Malin+Goetz ($14 at malinandgoetz.com). My friend and neighbor, who’s constantly running back and forth to the gym, will love it.

And even with all this planning ahead, I still can’t leave the chocolates out. But this year instead of grabbing Hershey’s bars at the grocery store, I’ll order ahead from Lake Champlain, the Vermont company that hand makes artisanal treats like their incredible milk chocolate apple cider caramels.

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