Gift Guide #18: For Dawn's Husband Who Likes Sports and Traveling

Exceptional gifts for an exceptional guy

So far, the gift guides for guys that I’ve seen this year have really just been a whole bunch of meh. It’s clear the publicists are working overtime to get product into the hands of those who write gift guides for a living, and it shows. AirPods, a forged steak brand, and any cozy sort of jacket appear to be all a guy needs for the holidays in 2025.

Well, lucky for you I don’t do gift guides to earn my keep! I may very well have a mild form of insanity that drives me to spend upwards of nine unpaid hours working on one gift guide. As my husband says, it’s a labor of love. And it is! I don’t know why I enjoy finding great gifts as much as I do. Seeing people feel known and cared for is an absolute delight, and sometimes giving a great gift can do just that.

Today we are focused on finding my witty and wonderful friend Dawn a gift for her husband. Directives include: likes sports and likes to travel. Check and check. Since I know Dawn to be clever, curious, and possessing incredibly good taste, I’m throwing in a few non-sport-and-travel ideas that may work as well.

Let’s get into it!

Being a sports fan can feel like belonging to a club. There’s an entire vocabulary and history associated with each team, whether that’s a school team or pro team. What are your team’s chants and colors and rivals? Knowing the answers to these questions is part of the, ahem, game of being a devout fan. But let’s make sure you look your best while yelling for your favorite team, shall we? Time and time again, I recommend Rhoback for college sports fans. Their polos and hoodies look sharp and are very comfortable. They have a tasteful — see “subdued” or “not obnoxious”— way of showcasing your team’s logo. The polos featured on this board are for the same team without screaming, “I bought this in the college bookstore!” If you are looking for a unique item of clothing for a pro-football fan, Abercrombie has a surprisingly good array of items right now. Some are vintage looking, like the red KC Chiefs hoodie you see, which adds to the charm. Johnnie-O is another solid retailer offering tasteful sportswear you may want to check out.

Tervis somehow equates to a sports fan for me. Maybe because I grew up in the Southeast? Anyway, a Tervis tumbler is like a pouch. Endlessly useful. Use it at home, at work, or on the go and let everyone know which team you support.

I’m still harping on the quiet luxury that is needlepoint. Often, companies selling college sports merch only focus on larger universities with winning football teams. Not the folks at Smathers and Branson. They offer keychains, doozies, belts, sunglass holders, and more in a variety of schools ranging from the usual big football schools to schools like Bucknell and University of Virginia and more.

If your sports fan is a whiz on the grill, consider these high quality aprons from Hedley and Bennet with NFL logos.

Ah, I love a pennant. And some of the best pennants on offer at the moment are made in Buffalo, NY by the clever people at Oxford Pennant.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see how many brands have partnered with sports franchises lately. I was not expecting Pottery Barn Kids to get into the NFL game, but we are all the more fortunate because they did. In addition to the things you’d expect to find in a kid’s room — think sheets, pillows, bean bags, and blankets — they also offer these neon lights with NFL team logos. They’d be perfect in a basement or over a home bar.

For the ultimate sports fan, these books about the history of baseball and football might be nice under the tree.

These days, it seems most adults are no longer living in the hometown of their childhood. And for many of us, the love for our hometowns burns bright throughout our lives. Hometown Apparel sells sweatshirts and T-shirts that let you wear your hometown pride on your sleeve. You’ll find the names of over 31,000 towns and all 50 states in America on their website. Their innovative design technology means your sweatshirt or T-shirt is printed to order.

For the person who faithfully brings their lunch to work each day, consider a bento box designed to keep food warm? Billed as the lunchbox of the future, this box allows you to “pack it with leftovers in the morning, then plug it in and heat "‘em up for lunch, no microwave needed.” It’s described as leakproof and odor-resistant with a UV light to disinfect utensils.

I’ve read a lot lately about people longing for the days before screens. This digital video camera delivers on the nostalgia factor. Think of it as a Super 8 without the hassle. It keeps you in the moment by removing the playback screen and the delete function, and it features five filters that let you choose how retro you want to go.

A reversible belt from Coach could be handy for the business traveler.

If you live in an area with light pollution, you’re likely to forget what it’s like to stand under a blanket of stars. For those times you’re lucky to escape to the countryside, this stargazing kit will help get you oriented under the stars in no time.

Having a small Nespresso machine in my office was a game changer. It costs a heck of a lot less than the bougie coffee shop on the corner, and it’s been a great excuse to gather colleagues around for an afternoon chat. This particular machine is on sale (yay!) and is the result of a surprising collab between the singer-songwriter Weeknd and Nespresso.

Custom matches will be a definite surprise for anyone on your list. These would be great for someone celebrating a milestone this year or someone who loves to host.

This Kangacooler is marketed as the perfect way to hide a 6-pack in a gold bag. I can’t speak to that, but it is a handy design. They offer other sizes as well, in addition to clever cooler packs.

Again with the pennants! I tell ya, they are a fun gift. You can hang them as they are or frame them to take a gallery wall to the next level.

Why yes, I have become the sort of person who carries toothpicks in my purse. Daneson has elevated the humble toothpick into a total vibe. “Atlas Mint is a balanced, spearmint-forward blend with sweeter notes on the top, and a cool, refreshing peppermint finish. What began as a brief detour into the mountains of Morrocco, led to an adventure navigating a Fiat Uno through vanishing donkey tracks, and into the welcoming homes of Bedouins.It was there in the brisk snap of the mountains, sitting on hand-woven rugs, and cherishing warm gifts of mint tea that Atlas Mint No.43 was born. It’s this depth of flavor, and history, that we try to capture in every Daneson toothpick.” A two-pack could be a fun stocking stuffer.

Listen, there’s no shame in knowing nose hairs grow and hang nails hurt. This slim grooming kit from Tweezerman is perfect for the person on your list who travels frequently. Bonus points for the tiny scissors that can cut the tag out of the shirt you had to buy at the airport after you spilled lunch on yourself.

This handheld razor isn’t cheap, but it’s earning rave reviews.

Business travel isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Delayed flights and long days spent inside freezing-cold conference rooms aren’t exactly glamorous. And traveling for meetings? What a headache! You need the suit for the meeting, but you also don’t want to wear the suit while flying. And since you’re not tempting fate by checking a bag, a garment bag is out of the question if you want to bring anything besides the suit. Sheesh. I think this solution from Halfday may just restore some of the fun we were promised in business school when we dreamed about business travel. They offer a duffel bag and another option with wheels. The garment bag debacle is solved by a clever design in which the flat clothes fold up as part of the bag. There’s also a place for shoes. Fantastic all around, I tell ya!

Audiobooks are a lot easier to carry than actual books!

If you shop by the formula, something you want, something to read, something you need — add this travel kit of Jack Black grooming products to your cart.

Dawn, I hope this helps!

I used a few Amazon Affiliate links in this post, so you know what that means! If you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. Thank you so much if you make a purchase.