What to get for almost everyone
This is not a good gift.
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It’s gift-giving season, which is both very fun and tremendously stressful. Below, a few ideas of great gifts to give this year, for all budgets and (I think?) all kinds of gift recipients.
Gift an Experience
Instead of a thing, what about gifting a future experience? I know I tend to invest more of my money in experiences — travel, dinners out, shows — than in physical items. Some ideas:
A retreat. I will shamelessly put in a plug here for one of my writing + yoga retreats. There’s an incredible one coming up in February in Nosara, Costa Rica. It’s five days of daily yoga (and more if you want it), daily writing workshops, a surf lesson, optional yoga workshops and so much more at the absolutely fabulous Harmony Hotel. It’s appropriate for all levels of yogis and writers — there will be accessible classes for folks who have never done yoga before and want to give it a try, advanced options for people who want to work on inversions, arm balances, and the fancy stuff you see on Yoga Instagram, and everything in between. It’s hard to put into words how cool Nosara is, and what a special experience the retreat is. I lead the writing workshops and some of the yoga; most of the yoga is taught by my own long-time teacher, Emily Shapiro, who has the best music / vibes / everything, and has recently relocated to Nosara full time. The Harmony is stunning, and we stay in a gorgeous villa with its own pool, kitchen, etc, and still have use of the rest of the hotel, including the incredible juice / smoothie bar. You’ll naturally wake up with the sun, and you can surf before (or after!) yoga class, then lounge around the private pool or heading to the beach (a one-minute walk) before gathering to write. One of my favorite things about Nosara is that the beach is public — no one is allowed to build on it, and everyone is welcome — so it’s pristine and wild at what feels like the edge of the jungle. At the end of the week, we all drink wine and read our work. Cost is $1900 for shared accommodations, Feb. 25-29. Email jill.filipovic@gmail.com for more.
A gift certificate to a favorite restaurant or special wine shop (if you’re in New York, I love Brooklyn Wine Exchange, Smith & Vine, Chambers St. Wines, Uva, and of course Astor Wine & Spirits).
A class, and there are classes for everything. Wine tasting is a great one; so is cheese-tasting (and cheese-making). Spice blending sounds fun. Dancing? Coding? Writing? Circus performance? Photography? Anything your loved one wants to learn how to do makes for a great gift.
Shop Local / Small International
Absolutely support your local bookstore / gift shop / grocery. But if they don’t have what you need, instead of turning to Amazon, consider other small producers who make their products with care — even if they aren’t local to you.
Everyone loves a candle. I’ve written before about Syndey Hale Candle Company, based in Virginia, which I first discovered at Salt & Sundry in Washington, DC (a lovely small business also worthy of your patronage). Woods is my favorite scent, but every one they make is absolutely delightful. And I love Keap candles, which are made in Brooklyn. Wood Cabin (is there a theme here?) smells like the most perfect campfire, and will warm your home (or at least your nose) all winter long.
Everyone loves a book. Drop by your local bookstore and see what strikes you. Don’t have a local bookstore you love? Then support my Brooklyn fave, Books Are Magic (they also have great merch) or my OG Seattle go-to, Elliott Bay Book Company. What books should you get? On my list this year are Catch and Kill, Women Talking, Nothing Fancy, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Fleishman Is In Trouble, Trick Mirror, and How We Fight for Our Lives.
Everyone loves something you picked up while traveling. This one takes some thought more than five minutes before the holidays, but when you’re traveling, see what unique thing you can bring back. I always haul Poilâne salt back from Paris — kilos of it, which always makes for interesting airport security interactions — and this year, I’m thinking about putting a little in a bunch of small glass jars and gifting them. I also spent a week teaching yoga and writing on a beautiful organic Tuscan farm (keep an eye out if you want to come in September 2020…) and bought a bunch of their risotto rice to bring back. It’s the best risotto rice I’ve ever had — like, change-your-life good — and if I can talk myself out of hoarding the six kilos I carried back to the U.S., I may divide some of it up and gift it. Fancy salts / grains / roasted nuts are great gifts. Just put ‘em in a glass mason jar, tie some raffia ribbon around it, and you’ve got a simple and lovely present.
Cooks love salt + spice. For people in your life who like to cook, there is no such thing as too much salt or a too-interesting spice. La Boîte in New York is a lovely shop, and they have a whole gift section for simple selections. Épices Roellinger is truly extraordinary. They also have gift sets, but I would be pretty thrilled to receive some vanilla pods, Slovenian paprika chili, or any of these seaweed spices and oils. If you’re in LA or Montreal (or willing to order online), the Spice Station is great as well. I would very much enjoy this smoked sea salt, this ghost pepper salt, this berbere spice, or this Uygher BBQ blend, which I would put on lamb or any hearty meat immediately.
Most people love tea + coffee. My favorite tea house is Mariage Frères in Paris, and the good news is that you can order their teas online. A favorite coffee from a local roaster is also always welcome, especially if you’re traveling for the holidays — any coffee-lover will appreciate a taste of something new.
Some people love photography. A beautiful photo can be a really special gift, especially if you know a loved one’s taste or favorite photographers. I might start with Women Photograph; you can reach out directly to photographers to inquire about the price of prints. Does buying art seem too personal? A photo book is as gorgeous without the wall space commitment.
Shop Specific
For the woo-woo among us: Anyone in your life who uses the phrase “rising sign” unironically would probably be super into a Chani Nicholas workshop.
For the people who don’t leave their house in the winter: This from Snowe is my favorite robe and oh it is so perfect. LL Bean slippers are famous for a reason.
For people who love jewelry: I personally love Soko, which is sustainably and ethically made by Kenyan artisans. This dome ring is perfect and very in right now, and I also loooove this disc necklace and might make it a Christmas present to myself.
For the athlete: A S’well water bottle, perhaps? And this is not a very original recommendation, but I’ve tried a LOT of yoga mats, and this Lululemon one is my favorite. There are three sizes including a thin one for travel, but I use the 3mm for everything — I even fold it up and stick it in my carry-on when I travel. It’s sticky and doesn’t slip during hot yoga, is heavy enough that it doesn’t slide around but light enough to haul around without a problem, and the padding is a godsend on your knees.
Make Something
Are you the kind of person who likes to get creative for the holidays? A homemade gift can be so thoughtful. I have a dear friend who makes me cookies every year, and I look forward to it so, so much.
If I were the gift-making type, I might make these preserved lemons (start now, they take a few weeks of sitting to get good). I almost always have a jar of these in my fridge, and they are an absolutely glorious replacement for regular lemons in just about any savory dish. Spice-branded cherries are also easy, indulgent and special. Or make some pickles — you can even do a signature recipe for every pickle-lover in your life.
Infused oils are also remarkably easy to make, and very pretty if you put them in a nice jar or bottle. You can do a Chinese-style oil with Sichuan peppercorns, or an Italian-style chili-infused olive oil (for this, I would heat olive oil in a sauce pan at a very low temperature — no smoking or burning — then put a few whole birds eye or long red chilis in the warm oil, let it all warm together for 45 minutes or so, then let it cool and pour it into a jar).
Clearly I go savory > sweet, but homemade truffles are also a great luxe gift, and making them is easier than it should be.
Or put together all your favorite recipes in a book and give it to someone you love.
For non-food-related creations, my friend Miriam Zoila Perez will teach you how to make nearly-free plant gifts from clippings. These things are amazing, and I am absolutely doing this.
Give a Donation
There are so so many worthy organizations worth donating to. If you and your family / loved ones have enough stuff, consider giving each other the gift of donating to organizations you care about. A few places I have seen do excellent work:
Your local abortion fund, or the abortion fund of a place in need (under-served areas in states with restrictive abortion laws are the most in-need). Advocacy work is crucial as well, but if you want to help vulnerable women make their own choices about their bodies, abortion funds are crucial.
INARA, which helps children impacted by war and was founded by CNN’s Arwa Damon.
MSF, which I have seen provide life-saving and life-affirming care to so, so many people in dire need in humanitarian crises around the world.
Give a Subscription
To a newsletter. This newsletter, perhaps!
To a newspaper or magazine. For news, I love reading the usual biggies — the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Washington Post — and think the quality of the journalism they publish more than justifies the cost. Also worth your subscription dollars: The Guardian, the Atlantic, and your local newspaper.
To a farm share. I am currently in love with my community-supported agriculture subscription, which means that I pick up a bunch of meat, veggies, fruit and eggs every week, all of it fresh from farms within a two-hour radius of New York City. I use Local Roots, but a great many cities and towns offer something similar. It saves me $$$$ on groceries, cuts down the amount of meat I consume, and makes cooking more interesting.
To an app. There are so many to choose from! Does your loved one like to cook? I love the NYTimes Cooking app. Do they like crosswords? Try the NYTimes Crossword app. Music? Get them a Spotify subscription. Are they stressed? Perhaps Headspace for meditation would make a good gift. I would not get anyone something exercise-related without having a conversation about that first, but I love Glo for yoga, pilates and meditation at home.
To a podcast. A lot of podcasts have subscription options, where you can get additional episodes and other good stuff. Obviously if you’re getting someone a podcast subscription, make sure they actually like the podcast, but my current favorites are My Favorite Murder and Slow Burn, both of which have bonus episodes for subscribers.
Happy gifting!
xx Jill