Holiday Gift Guide (Part 1)

Welcome to the first annual Pack holiday gift guide! I’m so excited to share these picks with you 🤗.

I’m coming to these guides from two perspectives: my background as a magazine editor (including at Real Simple, gift guide extraordinaire) and my own strong opinions as a consumer. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what makes a gift guide both fun and helpful, and, more importantly, what makes a gift worth giving.

First, the organization. I like gift guides that are organized around personality, habits, and the little things that make someone unique. Think less “for the cook” and more “for the professional homebody.” Categories where you can read the title and immediately picture the person in your life who belongs there.

Next, the actual gifts: Most of these are things I own and use all the time, which means I can personally vouch for them. The rest are things I’ve thoughtfully sought out and would be genuinely excited to give (or receive!). Each one is meant to show someone that you really know them, and what they like.

I’ve split the guide into two parts, with three guides each. This first group is for your friends and family members who are true creatures of habit, with gifts that fit right into their preferences and routines. Stay tuned for part two!

1. ​Homecourt Balsam Fireplace Hand Duo ($10 off!)​

It’s finally ​Balsam Fireplace​ season!! I look forward to ordering this scent every year because it’s cozy and seasonal without smelling artificial. This is also what makes it such a great gift — the scent is neutral enough that anybody will enjoy it.

The hand duo turns washing your hands into a luxurious experience, and I also love the non-toxic ​surface cleaner​. I use it at the end of the night to wipe down the counters, and it makes the entire kitchen smell like the holidays.

2. ​L.L. Bean Wicked Good Moccasins​

I’ve only owned one pair of slippers for as long as I can remember, and it’s these ​shearling-lined moccasins​. I actually asked my mom for a new pair for postpartum, and it was the greatest gift to have when we brought Daisy home from the hospital. Opening up a new pair feels like Christmas morning, so you might as well make it part of Christmas morning!

3. ​Garnet Hill Plush-Loft Throw (40% off!)​

We have a huge basket of blankets in our living room, and I will legitimately dig to the bottom to grab this one every time. It’s silky on one side and plushy and soft underneath, making it the perfect blanket for curling up with on the couch.

I can attest that it will hold up for years, through dogs and babies and lots of washing machine cycles. We love it so much we actually registered for a second one when we got married.

4. ​Liberty Puzzles Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle​

These wooden puzzles, locally made in Boulder, CO, are incredibly special. The thick wooden pieces slide easily into place, making the whole experience satisfying and calming. We always have one out over the holidays, and we take one with us on every family vacation, too. Just a warning that whoever you gift it to will be ruined for all other puzzles!

Bonus points if you pair it with a ​puzzle mat​, which lets you move the puzzle around once you’ve gotten started.

5. ​Emily Lex Studio Watercolor Workbook​

The perfect gift for a friend who’s trying to spend less time on their phone (🙋‍♀️). Watercolor feels a little more special than an adult coloring book, but has a lower barrier to entry than something like needlepoint. Basically, the perfect analog activity. Pair it with ​this paint set​.

6. ​The Traveler Tote in Hygge Greenhouse​

This is the tote I use every time I go grocery shopping, and I always get compliments on it. It’s roomy with sturdy (but comfy!) handles, so it can hold a lot, and there’s an inner pocket for your phone, keys, and wallet so they don’t get lost in the bag. I love ​this Scandinavian-inspired print​ for winter!

7. ​Lake DreamModal Reverie Long-Long Set​

I run hot at night and prefer sleeping in the cold, so I used to think I could never wear pajama pants to bed. (Which is a shame, because there are so many cute PJ sets!). But then I discovered this ​DreamModal​ fabric, a blend of modal and spandex that’s incredibly breezy and breathable. I actually sleep better in these than I do in cotton shorts!

Basically, it’s a gorgeous pajama set they can actually wear to bed — which is surprisingly hard to find. The button-down top also makes it great for postpartum.

8. ​Library in a Forest Candle​ This slow-burning candle, with fragrance notes of pine needles and “crisp book pages” (!!) turns what can often feel like an impersonal gift into an incredibly thoughtful one. Pair it with a new novel (or a cute ​Kindle cover​, depending on their reading preferences) for the book lover in your life.

1. ​Marine Layer Archive Puffer Fanny Pack (17% off!)​​

Yes, I am that person who walks my dog with a fanny pack, and yes, I would embrace it more if I had ​this one​! Sometimes nothing beats the practicality of being hands-free, whether you’re going for a walk around the neighborhood, heading out on a longer hike, or spending the day at a theme park with the kids. Might as well look cute doing it!

2. ​Crown Affair The Hair Towel​​

The first thing on my new house wish list is a primary bathroom with a bigger shower and double sinks. Right now, even with my husband using 3-in-1 products, I barely have room for anything of my own.

So there’s something extra nice about having a designated towel just for wrapping up my hair. It helps it air-dry without frizz and feels like a little everyday luxury (regardless of whether the recipient has more counter space than I do 😉). Pair it with these ​silk scrunchies​ to complete the set.

3. ​Harvest Floral Archival Matchbox​​

Here’s another way to make the gift of a candle feel a little more special: pair it with a hand-painted matchbox. When the matches run out, they can use it as a keepsake box. Two gifts in one!

4. ​Okay Objects Red and Beige Espresso Cup Set​​

Everyone seems to be in their at-home coffee era (or matcha era — more on that below), and no one is more jealous than me. This one’s for the friend who’s pulling espresso shots at home, because any new hobby is best with cute accessories. Pair it with a bag of espresso beans from a local coffee roaster.

If they’re more of a full-cup-of-coffee drinker, I love this ​East Fork Small Mug​ instead. It holds the exact amount of coffee you can actually drink before needing to warm it up. I gave one to my mom last year, and it’s the mug she reaches for every morning.

5. ​Club Recess Pickleball Paddle​​

More proof of my new-hobby-cute-accessories theory: my husband and I bought these for each other a few years ago, and a bunch of our friends followed suit. There are so many fun patterns to choose from, ​from stripes to dogs​, so you can find one that feels a little more personal than just grabbing a paddle at Dick’s.

6. ​Quilted Carryall Bag​​

I’ve almost hit purchase on this bag so many times. It’s plenty roomy, with pockets and a top zipper, making it great for morning errands, heading to yoga, or as an airplane carry-on. Plus this blue color is just incredible. ​ ​

7. ​Glow with Ella Matcha Kokoro​​

The only thing better than a matcha recommendation from my friend ​Ella​ is the fact that she went and made her own! Now I can say with 100% confidence that this is the best matcha to buy. Pair it with a beautiful ​matcha bowl​ and ​whisk​ for everything they need to make their morning matcha at home.

8. ​Necessaire Body Wash​​

Even having been a new mom myself, I still find it hard to figure out what to give someone who’s just had a baby. We often put so much pressure on ourselves to find the perfect gift, when it’s often the simplest things — ​Iike a really nice body wash​ — that mean the most.

They’ll cherish this during their first shower at home, and all of the hot showers that follow. (Of course, anyone who appreciates an everything shower will love this, not just moms!)

1. ​Material MK Free Cutting Board (20% off!)​

The last thing you want to do is give a practical person more clutter, and this plant-based, dishwasher-safe cutting board does just the opposite: it gives them the excuse to finally get rid of all their plastic ones. An (attractive!) kitchen upgrade they’ll actually use every single day. Use code GRACEMATERIAL for 20% off items that aren’t already on sale.

2. ​Material Salt Sphere (20% off!)​

While you’re shopping, may I recommend my other favorite Material item? ​The salt sphere​! It saves you a trip to the box of salt every time you cook, and the swivel lid (which I find surprisingly rare on a salt keeper!) protects the salt.

I’ll even let you steal my mom’s cute idea: last year, she gifted one of these to each of her three brothers and paired it with a box of kosher salt for the main compartment and flaky salt for the bottom one. Use code GRACEMATERIAL for 20% off items that aren’t already on sale. ​

3. ​Earlywood Flat Saute Set​

Here’s another gift where you’re really giving the gift of decluttering: ​flat wooden spatulas​ that can replace every old wooden spoon in their kitchen. If I were going to call any kitchen tool life-changing, it would be this one. It’s what I reach for 99% of the time I’m cooking. I honestly think everyone in my life could use one.

4. ​The Medium Traveller Cosmetics Case​

My mom gave me ​this case​ for the holidays last year, and I was so grateful to have it for the book tour. You arrange all your makeup products upright, and then the sides fold down so you can easily access everything inside. Hotel rooms never have enough counter space anyway, so this lets you keep it all in the bag without having to dig around.

5. ​Counterpart Retractable Charger​

How many times have you wrapped your charger cable around the block, only for it to immediately unravel in your bag? This retractable design is genius, and it’s the best on-the-go charger I’ve come across. It comes in ​Pearl​ and ​Evergreen​, too, if those are more their style.

6. ​Cadence Jelly Capsules​

I used to help write a column for Real Simple all about little helpers that make your life easier, and this is the exact kind of product that would make the list.

They’re TSA-compliant and can be filled with everything from cleansers and supplements to jewelry — all the little things you otherwise end up putting in plastic baggies or having to toss at the security line. Plus, they’re magnetic, so they stick together in your bag. I love the ​limited-edition jelly collection​ (inspired by jelly sandals!), but ​the holiday set in Jade​ is gorgeous, too.

7. ​Dagne Dover Tech Organizer​

Everything I own from ​Dagne Dover​ has held up great over the years, and this tech organizer is next on my list. Having a designated spot for every tech accessory I travel with would save me more stress than I’d like to admit. A great gift for the frequent traveler — or your parents, who I’m guessing are always rifling through their bags…

8. ​Olivewood Cookbook and Tablet Stand​

Once you own a cookbook stand, you’ll wonder how you ever went so long without one. I love that this one is designed to hold tablets, too, because most of us cook from both our books and our screens these days! If you need a cookbook to pair it with, ​you know what to do​.