Gift Guide: For the Ladies
Sister, Spouse, Friend, or Mom - there is probably a gift here for her.
This post is crazy long and filled with goodies, so you may need to click through from email to Substack to read!
By now, there’s a strong chance you have gift buying fatigue. Heck, you may even be exhausted just talking about gift ideas and guides and sales. But studies show a significant number of people are buying their Christmas gifts in December. This is especially true for younger buyers and for men.
So, if you’re tired of talking about gifts I give you my full permission to scroll on by. No need to be smug about the art of the gift guide as some Substackers are doing (ahem, rude). My goal in sharing gift guides is to provide you with ideas that you haven’t already seen on a half-dozen guides. I am not paid for this work, and I could write a master class on how to fail as an Amazon Affiliate partner, so my recommendations are not driven by commission.
With the aforementioned data in mind regarding those most likely to be completing their holiday shopping this month (aka men and kids), I decided to share a guide for the ladies in your life (aka moms and wives and girlfriends) now, while we’re in the thick of December holiday shopping. Hopefully you find something that will work for someone on your list. If not for the holidays, maybe for a birthday gift?
A while back, a work associate gifted me a set of personalized note cards. It was such an unexpected gift. Time may not allow for personalization at this point, but these clever notepads would be a fun idea for someone who appreciates actual paper over the notes section of her phone.
Workout gear isn’t for everyone. But if you’re like me, you have many friends who are very interested in staying strong and flexible, although nothing extreme and likely nothing that involves a gym membership. These resistance bands come in a variety of nice colors and would make for a great gift for that friend who is keen to exercise on a work trip.
Here’s another idea from the exercise category. Stakt Weights are “patented, adjustable hand-weights that allow you to flex between 2-4-6 pounds.” They are also very sleek looking and come in a variety of soft colors.
Some of the best gifts are utilitarian items you’d never buy for yourself. I consider a hair towel to be one such item. Useful but likely to miss landing in your cart. If you’re buying for a sister or very close friend, this towel from Crown Affair might be a good gift.
This one might not be for everyone, but after a recent conversation with a colleague, I came to realize this year might be the year of the vision board. My colleague made a vision board a few years back as a way to stay focused on a handful of big life goals. She’s hit all those goals and is now looking at her next set of achievements. This linen board from Casa Zuma comes with a kit that includes prompts and brass pushpins to help you craft a beautiful and productive board. If the $199 price tag is too steep, maybe this Sugar Paper + Target option would do?
Earlier this year during a Blue Mercury sale, I splurged and treated myself to Vitners Daughter cleanser. I’d heard about their legendary face oil for years but wasn’t brave enough to make the investment. What if it was a total dud and cleaned out my wallet? The cleanser is sublime. The smell is lovely – a bit herbal-y as though this batch was made especially for you – and the result is a nice glow. This would be a great gift for someone who loves to try new skincare products. And it does not have the sticker shock the face oil has.
I will sing the praises of New York City’s home and kitchen store Big Night all day long. And so will the NYTimes and everyone else. If you’re looking for unique home decor and pantry staples that everyone else isn’t also gifting this year, check out Little King. While also based in New York, this shop is not located in the city that never sleeps, so it’s still a bit under the radar. Their spices and sauces run from exotic to luxurious. Same goes for their sweets selection, like these chocolate bars.
A gift card for Apple TV so she can binge watch clever shows like Platonic and pretend for a little while that she’s back in Los Angeles.
I first came across Vivian Drew jewelry when a friend of a friend posted a photo online of her outfit for a wedding. The comments focused not on the dress nor the shoes nor the clutch but on her earrings. I’ve now gifted earrings from Vivian Drew a few times, and they have been a hit. This is a small woman-owned company offering pieces you will not see elsewhere.
If I hadn’t already mailed my friend B her gifts, I would send her this candle. I have a feeling she has “Please leave by 9” stitched on a pillow somewhere.
The hardest working ingredient in my pantry right now is Glitter from Big Night. Gosh is this stuff perfection in a salad or on salmon. I’ve taken to stocking up because I just can’t imagine a salad without it. I can only speak for the original, which is “a special blend of pistachios, seeds, spices, and salt that’s the perfect topper on salads and slaws, rice and pastas, dips and vegetables, and anything else that could use a little savory sparkle.”
Museum gift shops sometimes have the greatest gifts, don’t they? Case in point, this colorful scarf made of recycled materials. It’s a MoMA exclusive and features the work of Ellsworth Kelly, a painter, sculptor, and printmaker. It will give your bestie’s closet a colorful bit of flair with a soft, gauzy feel. The pattern is a reproduction of Kelly’s 1951 piece Study for a Mural in a Hundred Panels.
I’ve lost count at the number of small, very hip home shops carrying Baggu bags and pouches. So.Many. And while I should shop small, the price tag sometimes hurts more than it should. Here’s an option for the same Baggu bag and zippered pouches with the trademark whimsical print at a lower price point. I won’t tell them you save many dollars by not shopping small this time.
For a handful of years, my dad and I would watch Law and Order and remark on the blue Happy to Serve You paper cups. They were ubiquitous; every episode featured some fast-talking detective or assistant district attorney solving a crime with one of these cups in their hands. We thought they were just for the show until one day, a ceramic version appeared in the MoMA catalog. Mind you, these were early Law and Order days. Days before computers in your pockets and answers without questions. This cup is still an iconic New York City emblem, and it might be perfect for the sister who left her heart in the Big Apple.
This most certainly is not a big ticket item, but it would be a fun add-on to a larger gift or to a holiday card. St. Bingo’s magnetic photo booth frames come in a variety of colors and patterns, and would be a way to remind your bestie of that time you stayed at Ace Hotel in New Orleans and frequented the lobby photo booth.
Somewhere early on the process of building this gift guide I must have decided quality notecards were a must. Sure, we might pick up a pack of generic thank you cards in a big box store from time to time. These are not those. I’m thinking: thick paper that invites any ol’ pen to just glide atop. Envelopes that stay shut and don’t reveal their contents. Again, a luxury set of note cards might be considered an item someone is unlikely to buy for themselves but they are bound to put to good use. These notecards are billed as “cool cats,” and I think they will do perfectly for all the cat lovers in your life. Bonus points if they are like me, a woman with a cat who finds herself without children ;)
Cashmere socks are luxurious, sure, but they also work when it’s cold out. This cute pair of red socks from Clare V. would be fun for the friend who wants to add a pop of color to a suit or just wants warm toes.
This next one is truly unique, and it’s like a gift no one will see coming. Aren’t those the most fun?? Meet the Italian nut cracker made by Manzoni Pietro, a family-run business based in Bergamo, Italy. They specialize in handmade wood ware, like this darling red number that features “a reliable screw mechanism that allows shells to break open cleanly without cracking the nut inside—making it both functional and a joy to use.”
If I had a Best Of 2025 List, this lip gloss from Finding Ferdinand would most definitely be on it. It looks black, but it is not. No, not by a long shot. It’s a sheer sort of shade that seems to work with your own coloring. It feels great on and doesn’t have a distracting smell or taste. It’s fantastic.
Coming in with yet another item I purchased this year and fell in love with. Here is a funky – but in the good sense – cutting board from Fredericks & Mae. This particular green cutting board appears to be an exclusive with Big Night, but there are also options available over at Little King. These are made from recycled materials and are dishwasher safe. And they look super cute on display when not in use.
A red French press because it’s just gorgeous.
Ten years ago, I was at a dinner with several women in their 50’s. At one point, one of the women announced she had forgotten her glasses. The other women went into action, digging deep into their handbags to produce a pile of readers. I marveled at how many reading glasses each woman carried on her person at all times. Reader, I am that woman today. If there is a woman on your list who is also in need of reading glasses, maybe these Miklos Readers from Frances Valentine would do? Frances Valentine is a new-to-me brand that I’ve come to enjoy. It was founded in 2006 by Kate Spade and her best friend Elyce Arons. Their clothes and accessories are bright and quirky. If no one on your list is in need of reading glasses but you love the frames, you’re in luck. Here’s the same frame as sunglasses. This particular style of frame is the result of a partnership between Frances Valentine and Caddis who call themselves the “CADDIS is the anti anti-aging brand.”
Again with the luxury stationery! This friendship bracelet design is sweet and harkens back to a time when sending a note involved origami in class.
Hear me out. I know you’re looking at this oddly packaged container of heritage beans and thinking, is this where Elisabeth loses the plot? But I am telling you, if you have a foodie on your list, you must introduce them to the magic that is Rancho Gordo. Start with the Lucky Black bean 2026, and be prepared to gift this every year after and after, amen.
California really is spoiled when it comes to food. First, the aforementioned Rancho Gordo and now coffee from one of my favorite haunts in Los Angeles, Urth Coffee. If you have someone on your list who loves coffee, particularly dark roast, the Old Grandpa roast will delight. Urth also sells an incredible array of teas and mugs.
Continuing on our luxe journey for the magnificent women in our lives, we make a stop at Quince to select this cashmere sweater for the moms and sisters and wives and girlfriends in our lives. Soft cashmere at a price that will allow you to add a few more presents under the tree.
Bon Bon Candy is new to me. Sure, people have been raving about New York City’s Instagram-ready candy shop specializing in Swedish delights for a while now. I may be late to this party, but I am fully immersed in this party. You can pick your favorite candies or select a very pretty pre-selected holiday gift box. Heads up, the smallest box is pretty small so if you’re going for impact, you might want to size up.
It’s been a year. She deserves an indulgence she’d never buy for herself like Diptyque softening hand soap. This would be such a delight for someone to receive, particularly a mom or mother-in-law. “Hailed since antiquity, fine lavender from Provence lends its regenerative qualities to this soothing hand wash.”
There’s a small lifestyle shop in my hometown that is just unreal because it is so perfect. People post videos of this store every year, it’s that good. The shop was doing Ralph Lauren Christmas on day one when it opened ages ago, and that’s likely because one of (or both?) of the owners supposedly worked for the Man Himself back in the day. The shop is called We Took to the Woods, and in addition to making their store a little slice of Cozy Heaven, they also produce a line of candles so sublime, I can’t believe they aren’t more expensive. Once upon a time, they created candles in glass surrounded by bark that created such a perfect après ski vibe, I felt sure Ralph Lauren himself would appear in my living room. These days, I purchase either the clear class or green glass and wait for Father Ralph Lauren Christmas to appear.
Where oh where do I begin to describe my love for Catbird, the tiny jewelry shop in Brooklyn that spawned an empire one thin gold ring at a time. They invented the permanent bracelet – mine is going strong after three years! And their delicate jewelry holds up even if the wearer (yours truly) literally lives in it. Their gold threadbare rings are a gateway drug – err, I mean staple that should belong in everyone’s jewelry box. Not so into gold? Lucky for you, they recently started carrying silver. They also have clever home goods as well.
Magic posters are so perfectly retro, I fell in love with them at first sight. They ship from the U.K. to the U.S.A. in 2-5 business days and they take care of the pesky customs. Until Santa brings back the de minimis loophole, we shall celebrate those retailers who pick up the tab on our behalf.
If there is a woman on your list who a) Likes to read b) Enjoys nonfiction c) Would delight in a salacious historical account of Churchill’s daughter-in-law, Kingmaker needs to land in your cart ASAP. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author tries very hard to paint a sympathetic picture of Pamela Harriman, but I wasn’t buying it. I was, however, enthralled by the fancy dinners and extravagence and diplomats and how she helped rebuild the Democratic party in America.
Whew! That was quite the journey. Thanks for reading this far. I hope you were inspired and able to cross off another name from your list!
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