Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone on Your List
Discover more from Downtime with Alisha Ramos
Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone on Your List
The coziest gifts for sisters, in-laws, and yes, MEN.
Hi friends, Alisha here dropping off a special holiday package of a few gift guides! I’m excited about these picks and hope they can reduce some stress and decision fatigue, which I know this season can be plenty filled with. In this post, you’ll find…
cozy gifts for friends
gifts for guys
gifts for parents and in-laws
gifts for the sister you really want to treat
gifts under $50
Aside from these, I’ll be answering paid subscribers’ requests for specific gifting conundrums in an upcoming installment (including ideas for “my future brother-in-law finance bro who I hate." Spicy!!).
Happy gifting. —Alisha
P.S. This email may be cut off due to length. You can see the full version on the web.
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Cozy Gifts for Friends (all under $80)
I’d personally love to receive any of these gifts. Isn’t that the mark of a truly great gift? One you’d enjoy yourself? Choose from any of these picks that’ll invite your friend to grab their coziest throw blanket and settle in for a slow night in.
Cashmere socks - An underrated but extremely good gift, if you ask me.
Dieux “Forever Eye Masks” - These are neat: you can put whatever serum you’d like on them and reuse them as undereye masks forever.
A candle warmer for your favorite candle obsessive — get a delicious scent going without having to light a match.
Cozy slippers - I’ve bought, er, fake Uggs from this brand before and can confirm that the quality is there.
The best hot chocolate gift set from my favorite spot in Boston
Bow earrings to add a touch of whimsy to a basic outfit
Some nice house slippers for feeling fancy while staying in
A ceramic popcorn bowl perfect for movie night
Eucalyptus-scented solid bath and shower oil “pebbles” for a relaxing bath or shower
Match cloche - I’ve seen this in person and can confirm it looks high quality and elegant
Let’s Eat, Dan Pelosi’s new cookbook, for your favorite Italian food-loving (or just food-loving) friend
A latte-inspired candle from The New Savant
Brass candle holders from one of my favorite homeware brands
A fun speckled mug for their morning coffee
Cozy Gifts for Guys
I know it’s insufficient to lump gifts for “men” under one gigantic umbrella (#notallmen). I feel these gifts are general enough for the various guy(s) in your life.. Shout out to my husband for helping me source items for this list, so if your giftee is unhappy with their gift…well, you can have a word with him.
Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce - My husband tells me this is the hot new food thing to get, so here it is.
Alex Mill sweater - This is made of 55% wool and 45% cotton, which is a perfect breathable yet warm composition for any guy who easily overheats. Which is to say, every guy?
High-quality jogger pants from Vuori - This brand makes the softest sweatpants, period.
A24 T-shirt - For the indie film buff who likes to bring up Midsommar every now and then in casual conversation.
A cozy morning robe — Honestly, I’d steal this one for myself.
Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp - Goes great with eggs, pizza, breakfast burritos, rice, and on and on.
An easy PJ set - My husband is into these A&F sets.
Cast iron press - For making the perfect smash burgers.
Cometeer coffee subscription - These are flash-frozen coffee pods made from coffee by brand-name roasters around the country, like Counter Culture and Intelligentsia. Just thaw, add water, and you’ve got great-tasting coffee in a few minutes. We use these quite literally every weekday morning in our household. [Note: This is my personal referral link to get $20 off your first subscription :) ]
Cozy Gifts for the Sister You Want to Treat
Alt title: “Cozy Gifts for the Sister Who Drinks Seltzer From A Nice Wine Glass Because It ‘Feels More Special That Way’”
A delicate 14k gold and diamond necklace - Understated, high-quality jewelry is a great gift she’ll wear all the time if you can swing it. (This brand has a lot of other great lower-priced items, too.)
A Schott Zwiesel wine glass - I love all their glassware and instantly feel more sophisticated when I use these.
Cashmere sweater (that doesn’t cost as much as you think)
A nice PJ set - There are many versions of these floating around that I’ve tried, and these are my favorite. The fabric is just a tad thicker but still slinky, so it would look great while worn in front of others.
A cozy blanket - Chappywrap is a favorite blanket brand of mine.
Fun striped PJ’s - The cropped silhouette feels fresh and current, and the red stripes feel festive.
A five-year journal - This has one page per day of the year for several years on the same page so you can have fun looking back at what you were doing “on this day.” I like that there’s just enough space to write a few lines. Very low-pressure and doable. I want one for myself!
Le Creuset - If she just moved into her first apartment or house, I think this would make a lovely gift she’ll cherish forever.
Infinity travel pillow - I like that you can wear this in a bunch of different ways.
Lavune candle - I consider myself somewhat of a candle connoisseur. So, trust me, all of this brand’s scents are good, but I especially like this one. Smells expensive and is perfect for winter.
Sparkly bag from Madewell - A great way to jazz up an outfit for an event or night out. It reminds me of the much more pricey Khaite purse.
Silk sleeping mask set - I love that this one’s got grooves for your eyes for extra comfort.
Cozy Gifts for Parents (or Parent Figures) and In-Laws
If my DMs are any indication, this group is notoriously one of the most difficult to find a good gift. My best tip is to stick to something really practical or really sentimental. Even better if both! (Note: These would make great gifts for anyone—like all the other gifts in this guide,—not just parents, but I did keep parents in mind specifically with this curation.)
Theragun mini massager - My mom still raves about this gift I got her a few years ago.
Flamingo Estate tomato candle - Check out some of their other stuff too if your parents are into fancy foodstuffs.
Homecourt trio set (hand soap, cleaning spray, dish soap) - Their rose scent smells more like fresh cut stems than a musty rose smell. It’s fresh and luxe.
Brass recipe box - Don’t forget the matching recipe cards.
Raclette party set - Perfect for the parents who love to host and make it into an “activity”
Indoor kitchen garden - Help them grow all the basil they’ll ever need without the need for any soil or sunlight.
Mini Bluetooth keyboard for their iPhone or iPad. Handy!
Personalized photo book from Artifact Uprising — customize it with family photos for a more sentimental gift.
Digital frame — Similar to the above—load it up with sweet memories. Can’t go wrong with sentimental.
Gifts Under $50
Direct from the Factory Reese’s - A friend raved about these and swears they’re fresher and tastier than those sold in stores.
Baggu tote - These are foldable and convenient to toss into any of your other bags.
Self-watering planter - I haven’t killed a plant yet using one of these, which is saying quite a lot.
Owala water bottle - For your favorite hydration queen—these are apparently the new cool water bottles on the block!
Pretty claw clips - Rumor has it Miss Taylor Swift has the same ones. ;)
Midnights on vinyl - Or any of T.Swift’s other albums on vinyl.
Jigsaw puzzle from Whiled - Downtime readers can get 50% off with code DOWNTIME50. Full disclaimer: this is a brand I own!
Bench scraper - A kitchen staple, particularly for avid bakers.
🧤🎁🧤🎁 Holiday Special! If you’d like to support Downtime and gain perks like bonus content and exclusive chats, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Use this link for 10% off an annual subscription (this offer expires on Christmas Day). 🧤🎁🧤🎁
Coming up next for paid subscribers: gift ideas for your toughest giftees. Thanks to everyone who wrote in.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider ❤️ liking it so that others can find this newsletter. Thanks, and happy holidays! —Alisha
Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone on Your List
I think this has been my fave gift guide scroll so far this season - perfect cosy vibes ✨ thank you!