Hey! While we’re doing our best to make sure the products we feature will arrive in time for Christmas, shipping times are especially tricky this year and can vary depending on where you live, which product you purchase, and more. Shop early and be sure to double check the retailers’ websites for shipping information to ensure that your gift will arrive in time for the 25th!
This is a super fun subscription service that sends them a new or best selling hardcover book. Each month, BOTM features five awesome books, they pick one (or more), and it’s sent right to their door. If they don’t like any of the five recommended books, there is also a wider collection of older books to choose from, or they can skip a month. Learn more about this subscription box.
Get it from Amazon for $8.87, Target for $8.89, or Bookshop for $10.07 (to support local bookstores).
4.
A set of food dice so dinnertime can be left to chance. There are over 186,000 possible meal combinations, so they’ll never get bored.
Amazon
The set comes with primary dice (protein, cooking method, grain/carb, herb, bonus ingredient) and four seasonal veggie dice. The protein die includes both meat and vegetarian options on each side, so they can choose which to use.
Promising review: “I bought this to give as a hostess gift and loved it. It was, as others mentioned, smaller than I had imagined, but I was OK with that. I actually don’t want something big and bulky taking up lots of space in my kitchen, and I assume the person I’m giving it to doesn’t want it either. I like that the seasonal food dice are easily marked so you can separate them out. We tested it a few times and while some of the combinations didn’t appeal to our tastes necessarily, I did like that it got us thinking about new things to try and new combinations we could use. My husband suggested I give this to him in his stocking, so clearly a hit with our family. I will definitely consider this again as a hostess gift or fun gift in the future!” —Rebecca L
Promising review: “This is a lovely piece!! It is larger than I expected and very sturdy. Makes me wish I had more places to put one so I could buy another!” —Charity Youngblood
Promising review: “I absolutely love this book and am so happy to have it in my collection. I was initially surprised and disappointed to find there are only five pages in the whole book, however there are at least five pop-ups on each page and so much to see and discover. It covers all the Pixar films (including shorts) from the very beginning in 1984 up until 2017 (the last movie being Coco). Each feature length film has its own pop-up and they are all beautiful and spectacular! There is a small piece of writing on each page but the focus is most definitely on the illustrations.” —Amazonian Mama
Jerky Snob might seem like an ambitious commitment for even the most enthused jerky eaters, but you’d be surprised how fast those bags go once your recipient gets snacking.
Cratejoy
What you get: Two, four, or eight bags of jerky, depending on what plan you choose. You’ll get artisan brands that never use MSG, nitrates, or high fructose corn syrup.
A tiny science kit for your favorite fledging researcher. It comes with a mini booklet that contains instructions for over 20 experiments! I can see them in a white coat and goggles now.
Amazon, Amaozn
This kit comes with a miniature cabinet, funnel, petri dish, beaker, Erlenmeyer flask, magnifier, test tube, pipette, graduated cylinder, measuring scoop, balance scale, and three weights.
Promising review: “I highly recommend this toy for your budding scientist. This is incredibly entertaining and offers an early introduction into the tools needed for science experiments. It includes an Erlenmeyer Flask, pipette, beaker and a balance scale amongst other tools! Really good manual included. I bought for my husband who is a scientist and he loves it and keeps it on his work table in the lab.” —Proody
This kit comes with a miniature cabinet, funnel, petri dish, beaker, Erlenmeyer flask, magnifier, test tube, pipette, graduated cylinder, measuring scoop, balance scale, and three weights.
Promising review: “I highly recommend this toy for your budding scientist. This is incredibly entertaining and offers an early introduction into the tools needed for science experiments. It includes an Erlenmeyer Flask, pipette, beaker and a balance scale amongst other tools! Really good manual included. I bought for my husband who is a scientist and he loves it and keeps it on his work table in the lab.” —Proody
Random Illustrated Facts — a book that will arm your trivia fan with even more useless information. Even if they already know some of these tidbits, the illustrations make the information feel new again.
Amazon
Get it from Amazon for $11.64 or Bookshop for $13.75 to support local bookstores).
Amazon
Get it from Amazon for $11.64 or Bookshop for $13.75 to support local bookstores).
10.
An ice cream maker ready to help them make ice cream at home. Folks: ice cream. At home.
Promising review: “I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this ice cream maker. I never purchase store bought ice cream anymore. I make nondairy ice cream. My children, husband, and everyone who tastes it can’t believe I made it.” —Saida
Get it from Amazon for $69.95+ (available in three colors).
Promising review: “I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this ice cream maker. I never purchase store bought ice cream anymore. I make nondairy ice cream. My children, husband, and everyone who tastes it can’t believe I made it.” —Saida
Get it from Amazon for $69.95+ (available in three colors).
You can send your hungry recipient all types of sweets, from gummies to taffy to licorice to chocolate covered everything. I’ve tried one of these boxes and confirm it’s a wonderful gift! All the candies I tried were top-notch.
Get them from Amazon: the sweatshirt for $23.99+ (available in sizes S–4XL and 24 colors), the puzzle for $14.95, or the keychain for $11.95.
Amazon
Get them from Amazon: the sweatshirt for $23.99+ (available in sizes S–4XL and 24 colors), the puzzle for $14.95, or the keychain for $11.95.
13.
A book full of prompts about why you love your mom/dad/grandparent/teacher/etc. Just fill it in before giving it to them and watch for that almost guaranteed smile.
Amazon
Get it from Amazon for $10.11+ (available in 21 styles).
This kit makes seven bottles of hot sauce. It has three glass bottles, four squeeze bottles, a funnel, an apple cider vinegar bottle, a zippered pouch of spices, two pairs of gloves, 5 pH strips, labels, ancho pasillas, chipotle, habanero, ghost pepper, and more.
Promising review: “Great product! I bought it as a gift for Father’s Day since my dad enjoys spicy food as well as cooking in general! I would highly suggest this particular product after researching other type products on Amazon and other websites. This kit had everything we needed and more! It was very well-packed. When we opened the product it had everything as described and a nice personal note inside! It was fun, thoughtful, exciting, creative, and interesting all wrapped inside of one box!” —Sean McDermott
This kit makes seven bottles of hot sauce. It has three glass bottles, four squeeze bottles, a funnel, an apple cider vinegar bottle, a zippered pouch of spices, two pairs of gloves, 5 pH strips, labels, ancho pasillas, chipotle, habanero, ghost pepper, and more.
Promising review: “Great product! I bought it as a gift for Father’s Day since my dad enjoys spicy food as well as cooking in general! I would highly suggest this particular product after researching other type products on Amazon and other websites. This kit had everything we needed and more! It was very well-packed. When we opened the product it had everything as described and a nice personal note inside! It was fun, thoughtful, exciting, creative, and interesting all wrapped inside of one box!” —Sean McDermott
A golden brownstone chocolate bar for the person who is always walking down certain city blocks and sighing wistfully. They may never own a real brownstone, but they can at least have the chocolate version.
Harlem Chocolate Factory
These chocolate bars organic and locally sourced ingredients from New York. The company is Black woman-owned — the founder and head chocolatier Jessica Spaulding has been working with chocolate since she was 9 years old. Her and her co-founder Asha Dixon’s products were even selected as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things.
Get it from Harlem Chocolate Factory for $12.99 (available in milk or dark chocolate) or get the Golden Brownstone Gift set on Amazon for $50 so you can share with everyone you know!
16.
A geode kit because nothing breaks up the monotony of everyday life quite like literally breaking up some rocks.
Promising review: “We’ve only opened the first rock but I’m already impressed. Normally these end up being duds but this one was really spectacular and large! My son is 4 and he’s excited to open the rest for his collection.” —Heremeow
Comma Vintage — a service that takes all the hard work out of thrifting by just sending good stuff right to their door.
Comma Vintage
What you get: One or two items of clothing and two to three accessories or artifacts, plus a personal note. Most pieces will be American-made from brands like Levi’s, Pendleton, and L.L. Bean.
A whole pancake art setup with everything they need to get to work on their latest edible masterpiece. They said a Starry Night pancake couldn’t be done, but they didn’t know about this kit.
It includes a cool-touch griddle, two fine-tipped and two standard-tipped batter bottles, and a double-sided, nonstick template. Get some food coloring here.
Promising review: “I was highly impressed when it came in. It’s well-made, sturdy, can be used to cook other things (as it is a griddle) and the templates made it super easy. We had a blast making them. All you need is batter and food coloring.” —jessee
It includes a cool-touch griddle, two fine-tipped and two standard-tipped batter bottles, and a double-sided, nonstick template. Get some food coloring here.
Promising review: “I was highly impressed when it came in. It’s well-made, sturdy, can be used to cook other things (as it is a griddle) and the templates made it super easy. We had a blast making them. All you need is batter and food coloring.” —jessee
A pair of truffle-based sauces (black truffle ranch and Sriracha) nestled in a very nice gift box for your fancy foodie friend. These sauces will taste good on everything, so expect an enthusiastic thank you every breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Amazon
Trufflin is a Black- and woman-owned small business founded by a French woman with a family history in the truffle business and an Atlanta-based chef.
You can get a half bag, single bag, or double bags every two or four weeks. Then you can decide if you want light or dark roast, ground or whole bean. Each shipment comes with a handwritten postcard from the country that made your coffee. Oh, and the coffee is DELISH.
You can get a half bag, single bag, or double bags every two or four weeks. Then you can decide if you want light or dark roast, ground or whole bean. Each shipment comes with a handwritten postcard from the country that made your coffee. Oh, and the coffee is DELISH.
This comes with one pound of Gaspe Nova smoked salmon, six assorted bagels, 1 pound of plain cream cheese, one chocolate babka, 1 pound of private blend coffee, a Russ & Daughters insulated tote bag, and a Russ & Daughters mug.
Promising review: “The flavors we remembered from NYC. Got here quickly and in time to satiate our cravings for bagels, lox, and smoked sturgeon with scallion schmear. Everything was fresh and tasty. Also got some raspberry rugelach — an addicting dessert for sure! Thanks Russ & Daughters and Goldbelly for making it possible to enjoy these treats without having to travel so far.” —Brad W.
A throwback-style ’90s marble print Caboodle with a built-in mirror and plenty of compartments for all their stuff. No longer will they have to search endlessly for a nail pile or tweezer. It’s in the Caboodle!
Promising review: “Look, I wanted the pink one with every fiber of my being but this purple marble is exactly what I had in 1993. I love this something fierce. It is every bit as glorious as I remember it. All of my girlfriends are getting one for Christmas. Pro tip: you could even hide a liquor bottle in the bottom of the trays and no one would be the wiser. The only bad thing about this is that they call the line ‘vintage,’ which makes me feel like I have a case of the olds and I’m only 37.” —Suzy Goodwin
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in five colors).
Promising review: “Look, I wanted the pink one with every fiber of my being but this purple marble is exactly what I had in 1993. I love this something fierce. It is every bit as glorious as I remember it. All of my girlfriends are getting one for Christmas. Pro tip: you could even hide a liquor bottle in the bottom of the trays and no one would be the wiser. The only bad thing about this is that they call the line ‘vintage,’ which makes me feel like I have a case of the olds and I’m only 37.” —Suzy Goodwin
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in five colors).
Promising review: “This is the best, cutest hat. And so warm with the fleece inside. I got so many compliments in the sub-zero weather. My head is large (not disproportionately, however I don’t like hats that are too tight) and the fit is perfect. My friend even wanted the link so she could order one in a different color! I recommend this, two-day shipping, arrived just in time. I would buy from this seller again.” —April Johnson
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in 11 colors, and in packs of two at a slight discount — how *convenient*.)
24.
A Jane Austen embroidery kit for anyone whose love for Mr. Darcy has led them to desire to recreate him with thread.
Amazon
The set comes with 12 iron-on transfers, embroidery floss, two pieces of fabric, two pieces of calico backing, two needles, a 6-inch bamboo hoop and a 64-page instruction book.
It comes with a preface written by Watterson himself.
Wow, this takes me back. I was excited to finally get it in the mail. I loved this comic strip as a child. Reading it was one of my favorite things to do when I was given current events homework, it brightened up the homework aspect of reading a newspaper. My favorite thing about the collection is finally having all of the comics in chronological order. Reading this has brought me back to the simple joys of my childhood. In addition, I can now understand the clever humor of Bill Watterson that I would not have understood when I was a child.” —Cathy
It comes with a preface written by Watterson himself.
Wow, this takes me back. I was excited to finally get it in the mail. I loved this comic strip as a child. Reading it was one of my favorite things to do when I was given current events homework, it brightened up the homework aspect of reading a newspaper. My favorite thing about the collection is finally having all of the comics in chronological order. Reading this has brought me back to the simple joys of my childhood. In addition, I can now understand the clever humor of Bill Watterson that I would not have understood when I was a child.” —Cathy
Quirky Crate if you want them to live their brightest, most whimsical life by loading them up with cute accessories.
Quirky Crate
What you get: A colorful assortment of accessories, stationery, stickers, desk toys, pins, and more to add a little charm to your life. Each box has 7–10 items and a $70+ value.
Werewolf: A Party Game for Devious People – a fairly simple card game where the players must figure out who the werewolf is among them before it takes over the village.
Amazon
Up to 35 people can play at once!
Promising review: “My group of friends loves game night. We’ve tried all sorts of games, and when I brought this game out, everyone was skeptical. Now no one wants to play any other game but this one. Super fun! The fact that it comes in a simple deck of cards makes it so easy to carry around and bring to any party occasion just in case. With the different characters you can mix it up so no two games are ever the same. The witch character has truly tested some friendships already. The game also gives you extra cards for you to create your own characters with their own unique roles and powers. We are looking forward to creating some interesting new roles and throwing them in the mix. If you have a loud group of friends, this is the game for you!” —Amazon Customer
Promising review: “I purchased these for a friend’s birthday present (he is a sushi waiter) and these are flippin’ AMAZING. I ordered two sets by mistake, but I am totally keeping the second pair for another gift (or for myself!). These are sure to be great conversation pieces and attention-getters. Way to go!” —T. Redwood
Promising review: “I purchased these for a friend’s birthday present (he is a sushi waiter) and these are flippin’ AMAZING. I ordered two sets by mistake, but I am totally keeping the second pair for another gift (or for myself!). These are sure to be great conversation pieces and attention-getters. Way to go!” —T. Redwood
A compact shiatsu massager that over 20,000 reviewers swear by for rubbing sore, tired muscles. They can use it on their neck, back, and legs for sweet, sweet relief.
Promising review: “Over the years I’ve bought and returned a few different massagers. The ones that attach to the chair are just too big. The smaller ones hurt or just vibrate. The Sharper Image ones are junk. So… I took a chance with this one. Wow! This really works. I like that it’s smaller so you can actually position it where you want. It turns in one direction for a little while and then it switches and goes the other way. When it turns, it really feels like a massage instead of that vibrating feeling. I really like how compact it is and how it doesn’t move too fast. It’s just a steady massage that’s hands-free. I can use it on my calfs, legs, back, shoulders and neck. If this breaks I will definitely buy another one. This is the best massager I ever had.” —cbear
Promising review: “Over the years I’ve bought and returned a few different massagers. The ones that attach to the chair are just too big. The smaller ones hurt or just vibrate. The Sharper Image ones are junk. So… I took a chance with this one. Wow! This really works. I like that it’s smaller so you can actually position it where you want. It turns in one direction for a little while and then it switches and goes the other way. When it turns, it really feels like a massage instead of that vibrating feeling. I really like how compact it is and how it doesn’t move too fast. It’s just a steady massage that’s hands-free. I can use it on my calfs, legs, back, shoulders and neck. If this breaks I will definitely buy another one. This is the best massager I ever had.” —cbear
A holiday tin filled with absolutely delicious butter almond toffee popcorn. Seriously, this stuff is heaven.
Poppy
Poppy is hands-down my favorite popcorn company. They have lots of unique flavors like pimiento cheese, everything bagel, dark chocolate pretzel, cinnamon bourbon pecan, and more. Everything I’ve tried has been bursting with flavor and overwhelmingly delicious. All the sweet flavors are just SO. BUTTERY! Order by 12/15 to make sure it gets to them in time!
Promising review: “I just wanted a small Bluetooth speaker for bedtime audiobooks. This is louder than I expected and my son just loves it! It is easy to keep nearby because of its small size, and I am happy with this purchase!” —ray cerda
Promising review: “These are in fact the worlds best gummy bears! I know this because I have been out of the country a few times, mostly Europe, but I always buy gummies when I travel. The thing is, they are just the right amount of sweet and sour. They are a perfect balance. Each mouthful is a burst of gummy flavor. Sweet, chewy yet soft, and never exactly the same. My mouth starts to water in anticipation. I just can’t seem to stop eating them. I need to carefully ration them. Order up a 5-pound bag and enjoy.” —Mike
