2018 Holiday Gift Guide
‘Tis the season for holiday shopping! With Christmas a mere three weeks away, I wanted to share my picks for gifting this year. While I usually advocate for paring down on material possessions and learning to live (happily!) with less, the holidays are a fun time to gift those you love with special things that you hand selected for them. These are things that I either already own, love and use constantly, or am currently coveting! They’d all make wonderful gifts for the home cook/foodie, environmentalist, or mom in your life. Happy shopping!
Japanese Crossback Linen Apron – A comfortable, stylish way to protect your clothing in the kitchen. I love that it comes in so many pretty colors, too. I have a similar one that I got on vacation in Italy and it just makes me happy.
Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven (3.5 QT Size) – This is my go-to pot that I use nearly every day for soups, stews, grains, beans/legumes, pastas, and even bread baking. It’s a true workhorse and the craftsmanship can’t be beat.
Antique Brass Hammered Pitcher – This pitcher is so gorgeous, I want one to call my own. Perfect for mixing up pitcher cocktails, or even as a fancy vessel for ice water, this would look lovely on any bar cart all year long.
Bamboozle Bamboo Compost Bin – For a countertop compost bin, this is about as stylish as they come. I’ve talked about my composting practice before, and it’s one of the easiest and best ways to reduce waste in your kitchen.
Barefoot Dreams Coastal Hooded Cardigan – I bought this on a whim for myself this past summer and it just might be the coziest, warmest thing I own – I wear it constantly, from when I first wake up in the morning to make coffee to typing up recipes at night. If you’re shopping for someone who works from home, or a stay at home mom, this will be a surefire hit.
East Fork Pottery Everyday Bowl – I’ve been admiring East Fork Pottery for a while now and would love a stack of these bowls in my kitchen – they are the perfect size and so pretty to look at (and come in a number of dreamy colors, too).
Eden’s Garden Essential Oil Cleaning Set – I’m still learning about essential oils and am by no means an expert, but I’ve been getting into making cleaning supplies with them – they’re effective, smell great, and are non-toxic. This set includes 6 of the best essential oils for cleaning. Gift it with a set of empty amber spray bottles as the perfect “starter kit” for someone wanting to experiment with DIY cleaning products.
Stasher Reusable Food Storage Bags – These are a great way to cut back on the use of single use plastics in the home, namely zip-top plastic food storage bags. I like these because they’re high quality and are a breeze to clean. I invested in a set and loved them so much, I ordered a second set a few days later.
Shun 8″ Classic Chef’s Knife – Way back when, I used to work at Sur La Table as a Chef Instructor and I would always confidently point customers to this particular knife when they were searching for new cutlery. Out of all of the knives I own, this is the one I reach for the most. It’s razor sharp, pretty to look at, and excellent quality – it even travels with me when I know I’ll be cooking on vacation.
Yeti Rambler Lowball Tumbler – I was gifted this travel mug at a White Elephant gift exchange last year and it’s pretty much become an extension of my arm since. In fact, I don’t even use it exclusively for coffee-on-the-go anymore – it’s just my standard coffee mug at home. It keeps coffee hot (and cold drinks cold) for a freakishly long time, perfect for those of us with young kids, or for microwave-free households. Comes in a rainbow of colors, too!
LL Bean Wicked Soft Knit Set Pajamas – I bought a similar set of these from LL Bean a few years back and they’re basically the only thing that gets me through the coldest winter nights, so I recently gifted a set to my Mom for her birthday. Perfect for anyone who can never seem to get warm enough at night!
The Vegan Starter Kit by Neal Barnard M.D. – While this book technically isn’t available for purchase until December 24, it’s worth pre-ordering for anyone who is vegan-curious but isn’t sure where to begin. Packed with information about nutrition, recipes, eating out, vegan pregnancy/childhood and much more, this little book is written by one of the world’s leading authorities on vegan diets, Dr. Neal Barnard, so it’s information that you can trust.
Trade Coffee Co. Gift Box – As a huge coffee lover, I would be so stoked to get a gift box from Trade Coffee Co., a company that I recently discovered on Instagram, of all places. Trade curates gift boxes of coffee from micro roasters – they roast the beans fresh for you and send you your coffee that same day. I ordered some to gift this holiday season, and it’s been hard to not steal a bag for myself!