Some Mother's Day and Father's Day gift ideas

When it comes to smaller holidays, I really like letting the theme inspire the gifts; for example, I love a Valentine’s Day present that also happens to be pink, red, or lavender. For Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, I’m all about pretty, springy things that either nod to or inspire time spent in a backyard or garden. (And yes, I’m putting moms and dads into a single list, because I’ve personally always found the way that gifts for the two are gendered to be extremely alienating! Some moms like to grill and some dads like flowers!!!) 

So if you’re hunting for something to give each of your parents (or the parent of your kids, or honestly whoever) for Mother’s Day/Father’s Day, here are some ideas that I hope will spark something!

Nocs zoom tube

I’ve been gifted several pairs of Nocs by the brand over the years and wholeheartedly recommend them; they are very nice starter binoculars that don’t feel like heavy-duty “gear.” I’m a fan of the singular zoom tube ($75), which can easily be tucked in a jacket pocket on a morning walk for impromptu birding.

Tree Finder and Flower Finder

I love these classic paperback books, which were first published in 1955. Both are currently $5.53 from Bookshop: Tree Finder and Flower Finder. (I also think they’d pair so nicely with the Nocs zoom tube!) 

Fellow travel mug

After drinking coffee out of a standard mug for my entire adult life, I’ve seen the light: An insulated vessel keeps coffee so much hotter (especially if you’re a slow sipper, like I am) and has improved my quality of life considerably! When people stay with us, they always comment on how nice these Fellow mugs are, and we’ve gifted them to a few people (including Kiyana’s mom). Also, the Fellow’s splash guard really works! It comes in several different colors; get one from Fellow or Amazon for $35.

Devotions by Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver just writes so beautifully about nature, and reading this anthology while sitting in a park or on the beach is pretty sublime. Get the hardcover for $29 from Bookshop. 

Toyo steel toolbox

I actually have two of these—a smaller one ($44 at the Container Store or $35 from Amazon) that I use for actual tools, and the bigger cantilevered one ($135 at the Container Store or $129 from Amazon), which Kiyana gave me for Valentine’s Day to use as a sewing box. I love the bigger one—it’s really practical, and the creamy white is quite striking. (Note: If you are willing to do some Googling, you can find additional color options across retailers!) 

Cadence toiletry kit

I own and love these customizable magnetic toiletry containers, which are ostensibly for travel but are also great for other forms of storage. (For example, when I was juggling a bunch of different meds, I used mine to mete out doses and keep track of what I’d already taken.) You can choose any combination of colors, adjust the sizes, and have labels made or keep them neutral. The bottles are leakproof, easy to clean after a trip, and just genuinely very convenient. A seven-piece set of 1.32-ounce containers is $168 from Cadence.

Meyer lemon phone wristlet

Kiyana gave me one of these cases along with two different beaded cords for Christmas last year and they bring me so much joy; I use them whenever we’re going out to do something that feels a little fancy. There are a bunch of different styles, but I’m partial to the fruits. Get the strawberry cord + case for $75 or the Meyer lemon cord + case for $110 from Ossa. 

Wingspan board game

I’ve been extolling the pleasures of this game for years and actually taught Tom and Danny to play when we saw them earlier this month. (They loved it and bought it for themselves immediately.) It’s so mellow—it has beautiful art, and is just a treat to play. Get it from Stonemaier Games for $59. (Note: I’ve heard of people accidentally buying counterfeit versions on Amazon, so I’d recommend buying directly from Stonemaier or at a local game store.) 

Crepe paper flowers

Flowers are a classic Mother’s Day gift, and I love a version that will last for years. I have tulips (in the living room) and peonies in the bedroom, and both bouquets are really beautiful! (The peonies actually look real at a glance.) A set of three tulips is $76 from floresparasiempre on Etsy, and the shop offers a bunch of other flower options as well. 

Popsmith popcorn maker

I never really cared about stovetop popcorn—I’ve always been fine with a bag of Orville Redenbacher—until I was sent a Popsmith to try out few years ago. The popcorn is delicious (I recommend getting the popping kits—they are worth it), and the process of making it feels like an event (in a good way!). The starter bundle is $213 from Popsmith or $249 from Amazon. (Note: It comes in three colors; I have the cream one and I think it’s really pretty.)

Stanley water bottle

I’ve already made my feelings on this water bottle known! Get it from Amazon or Stanley for $35.

Moccamaster 53921 KBGV Select 10-Cup Coffee Maker

If you’re willing/able to really splurge, this coffee maker is pretty life-changing; it simply makes the best (and fastest!) cup of drip coffee I’ve ever had. It’s also really aesthetically pleasing and available in several colors. I actually bought my mom one on Black Friday as a Christmas last year because she kept talking about how good our coffee was when she visited. Ranges from $319–$380 from Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, and Moccamaster.

That’s all I’ve got, but let me know what you’re gifting this year! 🌷

I have to give it to the Stanley water bottle

After seeing the Stanley water bottle craze all over social media for the better part of a year, I finally gave in because I wasn’t drinking enough water during the day and I knew my vessel was part of the problem. (Look, I’m as susceptible to hype as anyone—that’s how I ended up at the Wicked movie.) The Stanley (sorry, the Quencher H2.0 Flowstate™ 30-oz. Tumbler) checked all of my boxes: I wanted something dishwasher safe and insulated, with a hard straw, and not too sporty.

You guys…I’m here to tell you that I love this water bottle. So much that I now own two identical ones, as well as a Stanley-shaped ice cube tray that you definitely don’t need and a straw cleaning kit that you probably do. 

Kiyana was anti-Stanley, but even she has had to admit that it’s pretty convenient and keeps water so cold throughout the day. She even borrows it from time to time when she’s working out! Her one complaint—that I think is completely fair—is that it’s kind of top-heavy, meaning it tips over easily if you set it on the floor next to the couch and then your partner doesn’t see it when she stands up. (My guess is the bottom is narrow to fit in a car’s cup holder.) 

I was surprised to learn that you can also put hot drinks in this bottle and sip through a different hole on the lid that stays covered most of the time. That’s not something I have any interest in doing (honestly, I can’t even imagine putting any other cold liquids into it) but I figured I’d mention it in case that’s a selling point for anyone else! 

Get it from Amazon or Stanley for $35. The ice cube tray ($12.99) and straw cleaning kit ($3.59) are also both on Amazon.

Also, I ended up really enjoying Wicked! Sometimes things are annoying on social media and also worth it. 💧

I can’t recommend this rice cooker enough

Lately, I’ve been thinking about all of the good shit I haven’t gotten to blog about in the past two years—the stuff that I’ve used super consistently, and that really stands the test of time. This Zojirushi rice cooker ($172 on Amazon) is one such thing!

I wasn’t a big consumer of rice for most of my life, but Kiyana had mentioned wanting a rice cooker several times, so I decided to buy this one for her for Valentine’s Day a few years ago. She now says it’s one of the best gifts she’s ever received, and I have to agree—this thing is amazing! It just makes extremely delicious rice literally every single time with minimal effort on our part. It’s fully turned me into a rice person…like, I will now sometimes just eat a bowl of plain white rice straight out of the rice cooker because it’s that good.

This particular rice cooker also has some additional features (including a vegetable steamer and the ability to bake a cake) that we haven’t taken advantage of. My only real complaint is that there are two components that aren’t dishwasher safe, but it’s also not that big of a deal because they are very easy to clean (especially compared to burned-on rice that’s glued to a pot). 

A few items I recommend to go with it:

• Rice washing bowl with strainer ($8 on Amazon). Washing the dried rice before you make it is the most tedious step in the process, and while it’s truly not that big of a deal, it’s significantly easier now that we have this tool. Pro tip: Use a whisk to swish the rice around in the bowl when you’re rinsing it! 

• Tamaki Gold California Koshihikari Short Grain Rice ($22 for 4.4 lbs. on Amazon). I think the Zojirushi could make any rice taste good, but this rice is excellent.

• Rice storage container with measuring cup ($15 on Amazon). This is definitely just a “nice to have” item, but I do think it’s helpful, given that our go-to rice comes in a 4-lb. bag that is a bit unwieldy. And the built-in measuring cup makes the whole process that much easier. 

There are a lot of different Zojirushi models, and I have no doubt that they are all fantastic (especially after seeing what other people are saying about the brand online), so if a different model is speaking to you, I’d say go for it! 

Please share your favorite rice-centric recipes in the comments if you’re so inclined! Our go-tos are slow cooker chipotle-honey chicken (great over rice instead of in tortillas), miso honey chicken and asparagus (we do green beans), and a sticky miso salmon bowl, but I’d love to add some new ones to our regular rotaysh. 🍚

Valentine’s Day gifts to self

I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day, thanks to its indomitable color palette, embrace of kitsch, and overall message: Let someone know you care about them! While it might be a a little late to buy something for your Valentine (though I do have a list of last-minute Valentine's Day gift ideas for the discerning but procrastinating drugstore shopper if that’s where you are this year), it’s absolutely not too late to buy a little treat for yourself.

Here are some recs, based on things I’ve bought/loved recently.

Until We’re All Free sweatshirt

This is part of a fundraiser for Trans Lifeline, and proceeds “go directly toward life-saving commissary & bail funds for trans people in prison.” Available in four shirt styles and four colors, sizes S–4XL, ranging from $25–$35. Get it from Bonfire.

Leuchtturm1917 Smooth Colours notebook

Leuchtturm is finally — FINALLY — making my beloved dot grid notebook in beautiful pastels. Available in four colors, four page styles, and either hard or softcover. Get it for $21 from Leuchtturm or Amazon.

Cardinal patch

I received this cardinal as part of the bird patch monthly subscription, but you can buy it — and several other cute bird patches — individually. Get it from Bird Collective for $8.

Tussie Mussie

This game, which was designed by Wingspan designer Elizabeth Hargrave, is based on the Victorian tradition of giving flowers to friends and romantic loves. There are only 18 cards, so it’s super portable (and easy to learn), and the cards themselves are so cute IRL. While it’s currently sold out (there’s a waiting list though!), it’s absolutely worth poking around Button Shy, which has a lot more of these extremely cute “wallet games.” (I also have Insurmountable, which is a one-player game — always nice to come across those.)

Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey

I am so excited that the author of my beloved Nature Fix is back with a new book! You can read an excerpt, and get a copy from Bookshop ($27.60) or Amazon ($21.05).

Knitter’s Hand Balm

This was actually one of my girlfriend’s Valentine’s gifts to me and I love it! The tube is just a little bigger than a tube of chapstick (perfect for a knitting bag or fanny pack) and the product itself is really good — non-greasy, with a no-fragrance version (along with several scented options). Get it from The Knitting Hole for $11. 💝

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One year of knitting

Jan 2, 2021

This month marks my one-year anniversary of learning to knit, and it’s exciting to look back and see how far I’ve come. I love having hobbies, but knitting has definitely been one of the harder ones. It has a steep learning curve, so it’s easy to get discouraged and give up early on (or…at any point, really). It was even harder to learn to knit at home without any in-person instruction, which would have, I think, changed everything. That said, with enough trial and error, willingness to start over, and good old-fashioned practice (annoying, I know!), I’ve been able to finish several projects and can now confidently call myself a competent knitter.

Here’s everything I used to learn to knit, the projects I completed this year, my favorite tools, some tips I wish I’d known sooner, and my knitting goals for 2022.

How I learned to knit

My girlfriend and I both wanted to learn to knit, and she went first, with me a week or so behind her. We both used my friend Alanna’s book, How to Knit a Hat (also on Bookshop, but currently sold out), plus YouTube videos (which is something Alanna suggests doing in the book). Because my gf started before I did, I was able to get help from her, whereas she fully taught herself without anyone else to show her.

We both finished the hat and then moved on to other projects.

Completed knitting projects 2021

Novice sweater

Knitting a whole-ass sweater felt like a huge step up after just doing a hat, and yet…it was the perfect step up! On my first attempt, I misread a step fairly early on in the pattern (it involved the increases at the yoke, and where you should start measuring the overall length) and didn’t really see a way to undo it. So I just started over! I remember being super bummed at the time, but it taught me an important lesson: that it’s often way easier to just start over, and that projects almost always look considerably better the second time around, even if it’s just redoing a cast-on or a cuff.

I don’t remember everything I worked on right after this one, but I know I attempted a Wool & the Gang sweater (the pattern is definitely not that hard, but I think I had problems because my yarn wasn’t quite the right weight and I was going off script in other ways, which was a bad idea); at least one hat; and a second novice sweater holding three strands of yarn in three different colors. None of these worked out, which was honestly fine! I’ve found I’m more of a “knitting is a journey, not a destination” knitter, and it was helpful to just practice, to get better at reading patterns (one of the hardest parts of knitting tbh), and to get practice buying yarn and needles and making sense of how they felt in my hands.

Lucky dog sweater

The next project I (technically) completed was a dog sweater from Purl Soho. It was way, way harder than I expected, or than a dog sweater has any right to be. It involved a ton of short rows using the wrap-and-turn technique, which is annoying…but it turned out to be great, in a way, because it was a small project and the instructions were well-written compared to most patterns that utilize short rows. I also really liked the Lion Brand Yarn Wool-Ease Thick and Quick yarn; this color is Coney Island, but I also bought it in Dreamcatcher, which I used on a bunch of the projects I didn’t finish around this time. It’s fairly inexpensive but feels nice in your hands, is super easy to knit with, and always a lot better than I expect it to.

I worked so hard on this sweater and all its fiddly little short rows, only to put it on Chuck and realize it didn’t fit quite right (it was too long in the neck). He made it very clear how much he hated wearing it, so I didn’t bother to fix it/redo it.

Junior novice sweater

After a longish break (vaccinated summer was…not the knitting zone), we got back into knitting again in August. I had a couple projects going around this time, but this is the first one I finished. And this one convinced me that the way to get better at knitting and actually finish projects (which helps you stay motivated) is to knit items for babies/children. This sweater, which I knit for my friend Julia’s daughter’s first birthday in October, utilizes literally the exact same techniques as the adult novice sweater, but it went so much faster. As part of the birthday gift, my gf knit the adult version for Julia so they had matching ones.

We used Berocco Ultra Alpaca Chunky yarn for both of these, a brand/weight that has become one of my favorites.

I actually knit this one from beginning to end twice! The first version, which I was thinking of as a prototype since I wasn’t going to be able to try it on the baby first, didn’t fit — the neck was too tight, and that wasn’t really something I could fix. So I just redid it and, again, didn’t regret that at all; it looked better the second time, and it was a quick enough project that I didn’t feel too precious about it, or like I’d wasted a ton of time.

This is the first project I knit swatches for; I learned that I knit very tight and need to make adjustments to patterns accordingly. It’s also the first project that I blocked, a step that I now love and swear by.

Bulky dog turtleneck sweater

This is another dog sweater that calls for a very fussy technique; in this case, it was the i-cord cast-on that took like a year off my life, and for no good reason — he’s a dog, he doesn’t need a fancy cast-on! But I’d prefer to learn on a dog sweater than a human sweater.

(BTW, this is that Lion Brand Wool Ease yarn again; this time, the color is Fairy.)

This entire sweater is supposed to be ribbed, but I decided to just do the neck ribbing and then knit the rest, and I’m glad I did. He doesn’t love the finished sweater, and ribbing the whole thing just…would not have been worth the extra time it would have taken.

Aftenstocking

At the beginning of 2021, my girlfriend and I made one resolution: To be able to knit these stockings by Christmastime. At the time, it felt impossible. Come fall, it felt….very doable, but then it turned out to be kind of a pain in the ass! I think it was because of how the pattern is written, the fact that you need very small circular needles to start, and the fact that using short rows to make a heel is just…an endeavor.

It took me so long to figure out the heel turn (I redid it at least four times, probably more?) and when I finally got it right and then finished the whole stocking, it looked…bad. Why was the toe SO STUMPY???

I still don’t know!! But through the miracle of blocking and then felting — which happened at midnight on Christmas Eve lolsob — the stocking actually ended up looking pretty good.

And with that, my first year of knitting came to an end! There was one more big sweater that I started in September that I thought I’d be able to finish by the end of the year. In the end, I got slowed down because I had to learn new techniques (like sewing on sleeves) and because of some annoying/avoidable mistakes (e.g., using the wrong size needles on the sleeves, which meant they were too small). I finally made it to the home stretch, but I’m having a terrible time picking up the stitches for the neckline, so I’ve set it aside and will go back to it later. I was sick of it and needed a break.

Tools

There are so, so many tools for knitters and it’s impossible to list all my favorites (and it’s so personal anyway), but there are a few that really made a difference this year:

Bags within bags

I swear by my Baggu baby bag + smaller individual zipper bags. Also, you won’t regret having tiny scissors and a tiny tape measure in your bag.

Plastic stitch markers

I think my girlfriend bought this case of colorful plastic stitch markers ($8.99 from Amazon) very early on in our knitting journey, and they are one of our most-used and most-loved items. I’ve tried some others in the time since, and honestly, the hot Cocoknits brass ones have nothing on these plastic ones. Truly an MVP.

A stitch counter

I finally bought myself a knitting counter this fall, and I don’t know what took me so long! (I was marking down a tally with a pencil and paper this whole time.) I really like the $9 metal one I have, and my girlfriend loves the $9 Clover one. (Hers makes the most satisfying sound every time she advances it.) I’ve also been experimenting with counting apps; sometimes you need to have two counters going at once, and an app is really helpful for that. I downloaded a bunch of different ones to try, and Count That Now is my favorite.

A knitting notebook

Another major “What took me so long?” addition to my life. More here.

A few tips I swear by

IG: @kiyanaknits

In no particular order, here are some of the things I wish I’d known/really understood as a beginner.

• You have to like the yarn you’re using! You definitely don’t need fancy yarn, especially when you’re starting out, but you should really like looking at it (because you’re going to be stuck with it for a while). If you’ve done a few rows and are asking yourself the whole time if you really like the color or are already regretting choosing it, just stop and start over with a different color.

• I have really never regretted starting something over when I realized I’ve made a mistake or something is looking loose/bad/etc. Pretty much everything looks better on a second pass. 

• If something isn’t looking good and you’re stressed about it, put it away for a while and come back to it. Most things look better with fresh eyes/once you’ve zoomed out and are looking at the entire project. And if they still look bad, well, see above tip about starting over.

• A lot of surface mistakes can be “fixed in post” — aka when you’re all done. For example, blocking solves a huge amount of problems (e.g., you’ve got some stitches that are looking a little funky), and underarm holes can easily be sewn together when you’re done.

• Knitting slower and reading the patterns slower would have solved like 75% of my knitting problems in the past year.

• My girlfriend and I store all of our knitting patterns in a shared Google Drive folder so we can easily find them/re-print them later. We both always work from a printed pattern, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to pull up the pattern on your phone when you’re in a store, or look up a specific instruction on your phone if the pattern is kind of out of reach.

• Most local knitting stores have some form of IRL classes/office hours/etc. where you can get personalized help and ask questions about your projects. (So, for example, if it had been safe to go IRL in December, I would have definitely done that for the stocking heel trouble I was having.)

• If you find a YouTube tutorial you really like, save it to a playlist! You’ll probably need to reference it again in the future, and not all YouTube tutorials are created equal.

• Take more notes than you think you’ll need to; you won’t remember things as well as you think you will, not even the things that are giving you a ton of grief.

• Yarn is a great souvenir! During the trips my girlfriend and I took this fall, we found yarn stores and picked out yarn as a special souvenir from the trip.

2022 knitting goals

IG: @kiyanaknits

Heading into the new year, here are my big knitting goals:

Learn to knit continental. I think this style of knitting will allow me to knit a lot faster and more comfortably. I’ve actually already started learning and it turned out to be…a lot easier than I expected? I think it’s also helping me adjust my tension/make up for the fact that I’m knitting too tight, which is something I really needed to correct, so I’m thrilled.

Knit with blocks of color. This is this year’s stocking goal, aka a goal my girlfriend and I both want to do. This might look like intarsia or a Fair Isle…we’ll see! For me, this is very much a Q4 goal.

Knit an object of some sort. I recently discovered the big world of knit animals, and realized there are tons of other non-clothing items one can knit (like Christmas decorations or vegetables). I think this is going to be something I really enjoy — it has the “you can complete a whole project faster” effect you get with kids’ clothes, but is more immediately useful to me personally. I actually impulse-knit a bird today, so technically I can already cross this goal off already, but I want to properly invest in it and get good enough at it to be able gift things (or at least decorate my Christmas tree).

Annnd that’s a wrap on my first year of knitting! I was going to say something here about how it’s been really good for my mental health, a nice alternative to looking my phone and a good thing to do when you’re feeling anxious… but the reality is that I regularly declare that I hate it, and my girlfriend and I reference this TikTok all the time when we’re knitting. So ya know… it has its moments. 🧶

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My knitting notebook

One of the more useful things I did in the latter half of my first year of knitting was get a small notebook to dedicate to knitting projects. Knitting involves way more math and counting than I’d like it to, and I often found myself tallying counts on the printed pattern itself — which is fine, I guess, but not ideal, especially because my patterns tend to get really tattered while I’m working so they don’t serve as a great record of a project. I also wanted to better record details like the specific yarn and needles I was using and how long each project was taking me. So I finally got a little Rollbahn spiral notebook to keep in my knitting bag, and it’s changed my life.

I set up a table of contents on the first page, and have added page numbers to each subsequent page. Each project gets its own page (back and front). At the top of each project page, I write this:

Started:
Completed:
Yarn

Skeins:

Needles:

Below that, I write Notes: and then use the rest of the page to jot down anything that feels relevant; it might be the date I started a specific component (like a sleeve) or it might be a simple mistake or big source of frustration that I want to remember in case I redo the project later. (I’ve learned the hard way that I…will not remember these things as well as I think I will.) I’ve also been trying to note when I learn a new skill or technique — basically, instead of celebrating the total number of projects I do, I want to highlight all of the things I’m learning, even when I do a project that I don’t end up finishing or really liking.

It’s such a small, obvious thing but it’s been so helpful! 🧶

More journaling content that might be of interest: Starting a house journal, how to start and keep a journal during a pandemic (or any time of major upheaval), the Hobonichi Techo planner, and my book!

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Good gift ideas for the person whose taste is Herman Miller by day and Spencer’s Gifts by night

For the third year running, I am publishing a gift guide inspired by my girlfriend’s taste, and for the second year running, I’m just handing over the reins and letting her write it herself! You know your friend who has impeccable taste but who also, somewhat confoundingly, likes things that are so bad they’re good? That’s who this gift guide is for. And be sure to check out the 2019 and 2020 version too. –RWM ✨

I’m happy to be back with a new gift guide! This year’s influences include Spike Lee’s love of the New York Knicks, Dua Lipa’s cowgirl-themed music video for “Love Again,” and quite literally every single frame of At Home With Amy Sedaris. These gifts are for the person who fusses over small details and cares about quality, but who also likes kitsch and camp and the absurd. I won’t say this gift guide is only for gay people, but it’s definitely for gay people (and not just because it includes multiple carabiner recommendations).

An olive-garnished sweatsuit

My love for food-themed home decor extends into apparel as well, and this olive crewneck sweatshirt and sweatpants situation really hits the spot. Depending on your loved one’s climate, you could opt for the sweatpants or the sweatshorts. And if you want this look to be able to travel from the couch to running errands, then pairing it with the dirty martini baseball cap oughta do the trick.

Get them all from Wear Your Snacks (clothing runs S–XXL): Olive sweatshirt ($60), sweatpants ($70), sweatshorts ($60), socks ($15), and dirty martini hat ($28).

Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons and some smiley-face bookmarks

JP Brammer — my top Twitter follow and author of my favorite newsletter, ¡Hola Papi! — just published his first book, and folks…it’s a banger. It’s sharp and kind and funny and moving in equal measure. Pair the book with some cute bookmarks, and you’ve got the perfect gift for the reader in your life. Get the book from Bookshop ($23.92) and get a set of 20 bookmarks from Brook Farm General Store ($12.50).

Jewelry for anyone

Apse BB ball bracelet

Perfect for layering and adding just a little something extra to your outfit. I’ve found that the sterling silver and gold filled bracelets pair nicely together. Get them from Apse for $50 each.

Apse initial necklace

A splurgy gift that you can personalize with their initial (or maybe your own? 🥰). Get it from Apse starting at $180.

Catbird initial charm and chain

If you like the idea of an initial necklace but want something a bit daintier, Catbird alphabet charms might be what you’re looking for. You can get just the letter charm for $44, or add on a chain (which starts at $148).

I ❤️ NY

In addition to food motifs, I unabashedly, unironically love New York City and New York paraphernalia. I’m not the only one, so if your loved one is also partial to Zizmorcore, they might like these items:

Standard Baggu: I Love New York

This bag is a workhorse. It holds far more than you’d expect it to, and then some, but it folds down flat, making it perfect for those days you find yourself suddenly and unexpectedly schlepping around the city. Get it from Baggu for $12.

NYC themed felted holiday ornaments

I audibly gasped the first time I saw these felted ornaments, and immediately bought a few as gifts and a few to keep. Get all of the ornaments from Craftspring: Metrocard ($22), holiday taxi ($24), and subway train ($24). (P.S. the subway train ornament comes in multiple styles, which means you can get the person you’re shopping for the train line that’s particularly meaningful to them.)

Susan Alexandra I Love NY card holder

I was gifted a trifold wallet nearly 10 years ago and only bothered to replace it once it became painfully evident that I was filling it to the brim with junk and then carrying that junk around with me everywhere I went. I recently swapped it for this beaded Susan Alexandra card holder, which can comfortably fit about five cards. I feel unencumbered! Get it from Susan Alexandra for $88.

A gift basket from Zabar's

This past year I discovered that Zabar’s will ship anywhere across the country, which meant I had discovered the perfect gift for friends who have left New York (or who simply want to live out their You’ve Got Mail dreams). You can mix and match items to create the perfect custom care package, but Zabar’s also has a wide variety of pre-bundled baskets with treats like black and white cookies, rugelach, babka, and lox, which is the route I usually take. They also sell mugs and T-shirts with their iconic logo, and whenever I wear the shirt or sip from the mug on Zoom calls, I end up getting compliments from my coworkers. Get them all from Zabar’s: Gift baskets (starting at $135), T-shirt ($9.98), and mug ($5.98).

Wooden bird tchotchkes

When Rachel and I visited Acadia, we stumbled across a wooden objects gift shop in downtown Bar Harbor that sold an astonishing amount of wooden birds — at scale!! I’m talking everything from a little chickadee to a giant pelican. We marveled and moved on without buying anything, but I found my mind wandering back to them each day, and by the end of the trip I had gone back and bought a couple of birds for our home as well as a few birds for friends. The craftsmanship of these hand-painted birds is really remarkable, and because they’re such beautiful little objects they make great bookshelf decorations. Get them from In The Woods starting from $39.

For their kitchen

Dusen Dusen oven mitts

It comes in three colorways, but my personal favorite is Berry. Get them from Coming Soon ($26).

Fruit and vegetable shaped kitchen timers

Everything’s better when it’s shaped like food, and these kitchen timers (which would make great stocking stuffers) are no exception. I own the corn timer, but I’ve got my eyes on the pear and the red pepper timers as well. Get them all from Amazon (from $4.65–$10.29).

A penguin sticker for your French press

I recommend Bodum’s French presses each year, and this year is no different — but, there’s a twist this time! You can convert your regular french press into a Penguin Press using this vinyl decal. The seller recommends pairing it with the Bodum Brazil 34 oz french press, which you can buy from Bodum for $19.99. Buy the sticker from Stuff by Andrew Neyer for $6.95.

Aarke Carbonator 3

This is on the pricier side, but it’s a great option if you really want to splurge on, say, your partner. My mom gifted me mine a couple years ago and I’ve never looked back; not only is the Aarke far more reliable than a SodaStream, but I actually like the way it looks on my counter top (the matte black finish is really chic). Get it from Aarke ($219) or Amazon ($164.25).

A hot carabiner

I am a lesbian, and this is my carabiner. If you’re like me and want something a little fancier than your local hardware store carabiner, then Japanese accessory maker Candy Design & Works has you covered. I opted for the Quincy ball-closure carabiner, but really agonized over my selection because there are plenty of other alternatives available that are equally as nice. Get them all from Hightide Store DTLA: Quincy ($30), Holger ($36), Delta ($38), and Gordon ($30).

Gifts you can customize

Vintage sports gear

I typically loathe gift guides that suggest items I can’t tap a link and immediately buy. But here I go, doing the thing I hate! Here’s the thing: Vintage sports merch is a great gift because it’s plentiful, relatively affordable (especially if you’re willing to do a tiny bit of digging), and can be selected to match your recipient’s tastes/preferences from team, sport, city, and/or school to specific article of clothing. There is no one link to recommend, because it really depends on who you’re shopping for.

My advice for finding great stuff on Ebay, Etsy, and Grailed is as follows: 80s and 90s merch is the absolute best, so include that in your search terms if you want to refine your results a bit; defunct team merch and retired styles/uniforms are especially fun (e.g., Seattle Sonics and The Mighty Ducks); teams that won titles, competed in significant tournaments, or even just competed against a major rival will likely have created merch specifically for that event, and it tends to be more exciting than your usual fare (e.g., The Rosebowl). I tend to opt for sweatshirts because they’ll usually give you more bang for your buck (and hold up better over time), but there might be a T-shirt that speaks to you. If you’re looking for hats, search for snapbacks specifically because you won’t have to worry about whether it’ll fit the recipient (and you’ll also have more luck finding brims with contrasting colors, which has a little more ✨razzle dazzle✨). One last thing to keep in mind is that vintage styles tend to run smaller — sellers will typically call this out in the listing, but always double check.

Airbrushed T-shirts

If you’d rather not try to hunt down the perfect vintage sportswear item, then I have an alternative for you: an airbrushed T-shirt from Etsy seller FreshAirShirts. My recommendation would be to use one of the sports T-shirts as a jumping off point and then customize it with your loved one’s favorite team’s colors and name. (That’s what Rachel did with the shirt pictured above, which also got me on the Jumbotron during the game!) This shop offers baseball, soccer, basketball, and football designs, but it’s also worth mentioning that an airbrushed T-shirt isn’t just a gift for a sports fan — it’s a gift for anyone who likes a dumb gag. Might I suggest the couples T-shirts, this shirt that just says “Mommy”, this cowboy hat-centric number, this covid cocktail (????), or this splurgier (lol) pet portrait as thought-starters? (And remember, you can get every shirt made in basically any color.) This seller is also super responsive and helpful when it comes to customizations, which means the only limitation is your own imagination. Get your shirts from FreshAirShirts (starting from $22.99).

Local business T-shirts

Restaurant and bar merch is a great way to support local businesses and show an interest in the restaurants your friends love the most. If you need some inspiration, The Cut curated some great NYC options and we gave some guidance on where to start last year, but really, if it looks like the store owner’s son-in-law’s first attempt at graphic design — in a good way, obviously! — you’re on the right track. My current favorite is the Ferrara “Holy Cannoli” T-shirt ($23).

New Balance 57/40s

The 57/40s are a more modern take on the classic 574s — they still get the job done, just with a little more flair. This particular style comes in a ton of colorways, but my favorites are “Black with pink lemonade,” “Light cliff grey with velocity red,” “Oyster pink with blue chill.” In my own experience, you don’t have to worry about rigidly adhering to men’s vs women’s shoes because the shoe is the same no matter what department you’re shopping in — just find the style you like, and then figure out what your appropriate size is. Get them from New Balance starting from $99.99.

Drag queen merch

Like wearing a band T-shirt, only gayer. I love this Sasha Velour T-shirt ($30), but you can find lots of other options on Drag Queen Merch dot com and My Best Judy Merch.

Stocking stuffers

Baby Baggu

This bag is the perfect size for my in-progress knitting projects, but it makes for a great running-errands-but-not-too-many–errands bag. I own the bag in lawnstripe and black & white cow, but it comes in a wide array of options so trust your gut on this one. Get them from Baggu for $10.

A tiny pet-sized cowboy hat

Give the gift of laughing at how truly ridiculous your pet looks cosplaying as a tiny sheriff. It’s got adjustable chinstraps so it’ll stay secure (much to your pet’s chagrin, I’m sure). Get it from Neon Cowboys for $15. 🤠

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Good gift ideas for the person who is always tending to some little project

Welcome to gift guide season 2021! I’m kicking things off with gifts for the person in your life who is always tending to something — maybe their newest hobby, or the planning doc for the next group trip, or a tomato plant (either real or in a video game). Lightly outdoorsy, but in a very at-home kind of way. Like a dad who is also a mom who is also a dad. This is the gift guide for people with taste that’s quite similar to mine, is what I’m saying.

P.S. Get more gift ideas for this type of person on the 2019 and 2020 version of this list.

Charles Viancin mug toppers

These were actually an impulse buy from a really great store in Bar Harbor, Maine, and they’ve turned out to be great. Basically you just set them on top of a mug to keep your hot beverage hot. They really work, and they are cute! I have the sunflowers (a set of two is $13.50 from Amazon) and I just discovered/ordered the tomato version.

Arts & Crafts T-shirt

For the person who is a jock in their own unique way. Available in sizes S–2XL; buy it from House of Dakh for $29.95.

A guide to local wildlife

This is actually what I got for my mom — who is famously hard to shop for — for Christmas last year, after I realized that she pays pretty close attention to the birds in the trees in her yard, as well as all the other wildlife. In her case, I went with Butterflies of Michigan, Mammals of Michigan, and Birds of Michigan, but you could easily tweak based on where the person lives. I personally own/love New York City Trees, and just last week, after way too much time on the Brooklyn Bird Alert Twitter account, bought Birds of New York Field Guide and Field Guide to the Neighborhood Birds of New York City.

A birdhouse/bird feeder

Speaking of local wildlife, this beautiful modern bird feeder would be a great way to turn the books into a bigger gift. This one is available in two color combinations; buy it for $75 from MoMa Design Store.

Hawkins NY sparkly sponges

These would make for a beautiful stocking stuffer or help round out a cookware-centric gift. Available in three different color sets; get a set of three from Hawkins New York for $6.

A steel toolbox in “the very best size”

If the Mx. Fix-It in your life doesn’t have a spot for their growing collection of tools (or craft/hobby supplies, or whatever), this extremely hot green one would be perfect. Get it from Garrett Wade for $64.55. Bonus pairing: A hot carabiner. Bonus to the bonus: A teeny tiny metal toolbox, which is the ideal place to store all your carabiners.

A solid beech craft storage box

If the person you’re shopping for has lots of little odds and ends — maybe they sew or knit — I’d recommend this beautiful solid-wood craft box, which is the sort of thing they’ll have/use forever. Get it from Garrett Wade for $179.

A gentle, nature-inspired game

I’ve been obsessed with/signing the praises of Wingpsan for the past month, and there are a lot of other options in this vein that are worth checking out:

• Mariposas, which focuses on butterflies and was designed by the same person who designed Wingspan. Buy it for $49.99 from Alderac Entertainment Store or $32.99 from Amazon.

• Parks, which is National Parks–themed and is on my personal wishlist this year. Get it from Keymaster Games for $49.

• Trails, a new game from the Parks team. Buy it for $19.99 from Keymaster Games.

• Arboretum, which challenges players to “create the most beautiful garden.” Buy it from Renegade Game Studios for $21.99 or from Amazon for $20.49.

• Point Salad, a drafting card game that centers on vegetables. Buy it from Alderac for $19.99 or Amazon for $16.99.

• And, finally, Wingspan! Buy it for $60 from Stonemaier Games or from Amazon.

Birkenstock Arizona shearling sandals

Sometimes I’m like “Hm, I can’t really think of anything I want for Christmas this year” and then later I’ll remember these exist. I’m a recent convert to Birks and these just look so luxurious and cozy. Get them for $150 from Urban Outfitters (also available in two other colors) and find some other color options at Birkenstock.

A monochromatic sweatsuit

To wear with a pair of New Balances and a baseball cap on Saturday morning trips to the library and local garden store. The sweatsuit above, which I have, is from Gap (the bottoms are on sale for $25 and the hoodie is on sale for $25, both available in sizes XS–XXXL). I also love the options from Aritizia, which come in a ton of really beautiful colors and different cuts.

Fjallraven Kanken backpack

I’ve never been a backpack person, but I bought this one in September for our trip to Acadia and ended up loving it; it holds a ton of stuff, the color is beautiful, and it’s just super convenient — great for hikes, but also little day trips and/or park visits. It also comes in like 50 colors; buy one from Fjallraven for $80 or Amazon for $76.

Dad Grass or Mom Grass

Are they more of a daddy or a mommy? It doesn’t really matter because there’s something for everyone! I’ve sung the praises of this product times already; it’s a great option for someone who occasionally wants a wine-free way to take the edge off, but doesn’t want this badly or often enough to actually get a weed dealer. Get it all from Dad Grass: a pack of five joints of Mom Grass ($35), Dad Grass ($35), or the Parent Pack (which has five of each) for $66.

Haws watering can

I bought one of these watering cans back in 2015 and it felt like the most indulgent purchase. It’s just beautiful; a genuine joy-sparker. This watering can is also more than just its looks; it’s made by a company that has been doing watering cans for 130 years and is extremely ergonomic/loved by gardeners. Buy one from Horti for $16. (There are also some additional color options on Amazon, but the prices/shipping times vary.)

A metal cookbook stand

This might not look very special on the website, but I own it and I can tell you that it’s really beautiful in person. The packaging is particularly nice, and it’s made of that sort of painted metal that feels very 1950s. It would also pair perfectly with a cookbook! Available in 12 colors; get it for $12 from Hightide Store DTLA. (Also: I love this store so much! Definitely have a poke around; they have tons of great gifts. For example, the Penco clips are great and would be a good stocking stuffer.)

And practical slip-ons to wear when doing all those little projects

I love sturdy house shoes (safety!!!), especially rubber clogs. A couple recs:

• The Super-Birki, which looks like what would happen if a Croc and a Dansko fucked. Available in nine colors (and men’s and women’s sizes) from Birkenstock for $79.95.

• Calzuro clogs, which I’ve had/loved for a while now, and which now come in pistachio green. Available in 16 other colors and men’s and women’s sizes; get them from Calzuro for $106. (Some of the colors/styles are also available from Amazon FYI.)

Perfect to slip on so you can dash outside and check out an interesting bird before it flies away. 🦉

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Bags within bags!

Today I’m here to sing the praises of an organizational system I creatively refer to as “bags within bags,” which I’ve been using to keep several aspects of my life organized for the past few months.

I don’t normally carry a very big bag (if I carry one at all), but when I do carry a tote for whatever reason, I really hate having all my stuff just...floating around in it. I don’t want to have to root around for something, wondering the whole time if I remembered to bring it with me; I want to be able to find it quickly and easily so I can move on with my life! This became a problem over the summer, when we started going to the beach regularly. I wanted to be able to easily grab things like chapstick, car keys, hand sanitizer, etc. and not worry about anything spilling or getting lost. So I decided I’d just buy a couple of small mesh travel pouches…but the thing that made the most sense at the time turned out to be a set of 18 (!!!) zipper mesh bags of varying sizes that cost $12.99 on Amazon.

This turned out to be an incredible purchase, which I didn’t really expect. The smaller pouches did exactly what I needed them to do, and the larger sizes (which are really quite sizable) meant I could put bigger bottles of sunscreen or bug spray in their own bag as well. Great! My beach bag problem was perfectly solved! But the mesh bags really began to shine when I picked up knitting again. 

After a few weeks of working on a couple of different knitting projects at once, I realized I needed a better way to corral all my stuff and not have half-knitted sweaters perched on every flat surface. This led me to the baby Baggu bag ($10 from Baggu or Amazon) which is the perfect size for 1–2 knitting projects. (It’s smaller than your standard canvas tote, but bigger than a brown paper lunch bag.) The baby Baggu made it easier to just keep the needles, yarn, and instructions I needed close at hand, and to easily move everything from, say, the bedroom to the living room or up to the roof, or wherever I felt like knitting on a given day.

But I still had the problem of a lot of small loose items (a measuring tape, knitting markers, tiny scissors, crochet hook, etc.) floating around the bottom of the bag. So I pulled out some of the extra mesh bags I had and organized everything in the baby Baggu. The size 9 and 10 needles of varying lengths I was using for one project went into one mesh bag, while the size 4 and 6 needles I needed for another project went in their own — so I no longer had to sort through all my needles to find just the size 9 40 cm circular needles. I put my needle stoppers (which I’ve found are weirdly hard to keep track of) in a small bag of their own, and put my remaining tools in their own bag.

This new system was nothing short of life-changing. 

When my girlfriend and I drove up to Maine last week, we used more of the mesh bags (because, remember, the set came with 18 bags) for all of our toiletries/products, as well as things we wanted to have handy at all times (like phone chargers, contacts, and bandaids). I took the Fjallraven Kanken backpack I bought for the trip with me everywhere, and being able to throw the appropriate mini bags into it depending on where we were going/what we needed was so helpful. And on the couple of occasions when I wanted to take my knitting out with me, I just put the single project I was focusing on into the Fjallraven, and then added the small mesh bag with all of my tools in case of a knitting emergency. 

Being far from home/driving for 10+ hours/out all day in a national park for the first time was mildly nerve-wracking, and it was a huge relief to not be stressed about where my car keys, eye drops, and granola bars were. But even when I’m just knitting at home, it’s just been so nice to know where all my shit is.

Get the mesh bags from Amazon for $12.99 and the baby Baggu bag for $10 from Baggu or Amazon. 🎒

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This tinsel is a pretty good way to spend $15

One of the unexpected winners of the at-home birthday celebration I threw for my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago was the pack of metallic tinsely curtains ($15.99 for two silver and two gold on Amazon) I bought.

Each curtain is approximately the width of a door and fairly long/tall, with a horizontal adhesive strip at the top; I put three over the window/door to the terrace, and one over the bedroom door, and they genuinely made the space feel different and celebratory.

In fact, we liked them so much that we got a second pack to use for the “office holiday party” that we had on Tuesday night.

The curtains flutter and reflect light in a really nice way, and you actually don’t need to do anything else to make them shine. But if you want to take things up a notch, you could turn on a mini LED party light. (We used the one that came in a company swag bag my girlfriend received a couple of months ago, but you can get a similar one for $16.99 on Amazon.)

Even though you can see some window showing behind the curtains in these photos, they look great and plenty thick IRL. (But if you wanted to make them appear thicker, you could easily double them up.)

We also kept them up for our “supercouch” (aka air mattress inflated in front of the couch) movie day.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much delight/novelty the curtains provided; in this bleak year, it’s always nice when a small thing actually helps quite a bit. If you’re a New Year’s Eve person and want to do something to mark the occasion while also being safe, or if someone in your household has a birthday coming up, these are totally worth it.

Get the gold and silver four-pack from Amazon for $15.99. (They also come in a bunch of other colors, like this pretty rose gold.) ✨

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