Rummaging gift guide
Presents for your favs, and weird stuff for the freaks. It's gifts season, baby!
There is much about the lead-up to holidays and feels frantic or unenjoyable. Figuring out the logistics of travel, which might always be hijacked by weather. Packing outfits that project this is who I am now to family — looks doused in seasonal cheer without veering into Santa’s elf territory.
There’s the elaborate meal planning, the patronizing relative, the necessary end-of-year reflections, the splintering of family into factions, loyalties revealed by which homes we choose to dine in, and when, and with whom. The prying questions, the decor, the gift-wrapping, the damn pine needles all over the floor.
But one element of this tumultuous time of year remains unadulterated: the gift guide. A sparkling capitalist confection, each year the gift guide gently directs our attention to the universe of things that are possible. Forget the laundry, it says. Imagine your sister’s face when she unwraps this pair of $500 headphones. As I read through each item, my mind is running algorithms trying to decide on the best recipient for the gift. I see every person I love tearing wrapping paper, their eyes widening along with their smile. They look up at me, they are so happy, almost teary-eyed! They love our relationship so much.
This is the gift guide’s intoxicating quality. If I can forget that most gifts made it on these lists by the brow sweat of marketing flacks, I can lean into the rush.
In that spirit, here is the very-unsponsored 2023 rummaging gift guide, full of things I’ve found on jaunts around the internet.
2023 Rummaging Gift Guide
A handmade ceramic mug or vase from Kuu Pottery (new collections drop every couple of months). Kassandra, the artisan behind these whimsical creations, was the first person to teach me how to throw pottery at a wheel, back in 2017. Now that her business is fully grown and thriving, I try to snag Kuu pieces whenever I can.
For other housewares, I love the weird and delicate objects at Mociun. I usually go straight to the sale section, where things like a tiny dog-shaped vase or tiny cat-shaped matchstick-holder live. I also love their collection of fake foods and “spilled drinks” — strange art pieces that look like a knocked-over martini or (my favorite) coffee shot. But big-spenders among us might be interested in this gorgeous carafe set or personalized gold charms.
For the very absurd, try Coming Soon. Think pearlescent chicken feet jewelry, funky toilet plungers, metal toothpicks and food-shaped candles.
When you want to give someone multiple small gifts, but don’t have the patience to individually order, unpack and repackage them, try a BOXFOX gift box. I recently sent one to my sister for her birthday, and it was full of items I handpicked through the website. I liked that I could start with a small box at a lower price point, and the size/price would automatically adjust as I added items (they have a pretty good variety of gifts for different occasions). There are pre-made boxes, too.
Another box recommendation: KiwiCo. These gift boxes can be purchased one-off or as a monthly subscription, and they include a new, age-appropriate art or science project. I really loved that I could enter my nephews’ ages online, and the company took care of deciding which fun project would be mailed every month.
I believe this is the time of year to splurge on these outrageously good, chocolate-filled peppermint snaps or a fancy hot chocolate set from Williams Sonoma. Or maybe a Philip Ashley hot chocolate bomb that melts in milk to create “sipping chocolate,” m’lady.
This Bose SoundLink speaker is water-resistant, compact, easy-to-use and powerful. My only heads-up is to make sure you don’t get too much sand in it (RIP to mine).
A mini air purifier! Have we learned anything about ventilation and indoor air quality in the past few years? Get your loved ones’ respiratory situation cleaned up. I’ve had this one for years, and it just won’t quit, even though I run it almost constantly. It also doubles as a white noise machine.
Annie gifted me this affirmation deck, and it quickly became a part of my weekly routine. Not only is the deck beautifully designed, but the affirmations are truly grounding. I’ve had one that reads, “I am the bridge between my past and my potential” on my desk for a few weeks (the deck comes with a small wooden holder to display your pulled card).
For fashion people I know well, I love searching the RealReal and Garmentory for high-end, vintage and one-of-a-kind items at a discounted price.
Niche books, like “PEACH,” a collection of stories and photos about peaches from Bitter Southerner. Like Rachel E. Gross’s “Vagina Obscura,” which is about the history of sailboats. Just kidding. Or, like a book about jellyfish or bananas or fungi or the Westminster Dog Show. And then, next year, when your friend is deep in the world you introduced them to, you can buy them a 14K gold pendant of a wire fox terrier or vulva.
What’s the best/strangest gift you ever got? I want to know.
Isa