There are so many curated holiday shopping gift lists out there for his/hers, family, friends, parents and everyone else that’s important but rarely do you see shopping lists for folks that you are obligated to gift something to but aren’t exactly friends or that personal with. For example, we have neighbors, coworkers, mail couriers, heck even friends that we have lost touch with but still acquainted with that we need to send a holiday gift to.
So what do you get for these “in-between” folks as I like to say? Well here are some of my go-to’s:
- Something Food Related
You can’t go wrong with a food gift. Who doesn’t like to be gifted something they can eat? I don’t mean send a box of homemade cookies in the mail (although if you are sending some be sure to add me to your list). There are so many options out there for food gifts. I used to go the old school Harry and David gift basket route but there are many great online food vendors available now that offer a fun spin on gifting like Snack Magic which delivers internationally or the trending Goldbelly. I also love the holiday themed gift boxes from Baked By Melissa with their bite-sized cupcakes. They have a variety of flavors included so you know you’ll be catering to all tastebuds!
For a more splurge-y gift for a foodie or someone who enjoys gourmet meals, take a look at this amazing Brightland Co. mini olive oil set that comes straight for a family-owned California farm. What’s not to love about this cute set? - Nest Candles
I first came across Nest Candles when one of the Sicilian Tangerine jars were gifted to me as part of a Spa Day through a work friend about two Christmases ago. So when I needed another I was sort of shocked at how pricey they were compared to the regular ol’ Bath and Body Works ones that were my typical go-to. But if you are a candle freak and light the whole house up this time of year, these are such a nice gift! The smells stays and travels around the house, which I love because typically store bought candle scents are very centralized to where they are sitting. You can’t go wrong with any of the scents but the Sicilian Tangerine remains as my favorite! - Non-Alcoholic Spirits or Low Alcohol Apertifs
The holidays are all about celebrating and cheers, so why not a fun drink gift? I recently came across these cute apertif samplers by Haus, a California based company that still makes their products by hand. They’re created with only natural fruits, herbs, and botanicals, and are low-ABV (alcohol by volume) in keeping with apéritif tradition.
Uncommon Goods also has this cute spin on nonalcoholic spirits. Made in down under in Australia, each one is made with the same rich complexity of flavor as top-shelf booze, so they’re palate-pleasing mixed in a classic or favorite mocktail. American Malt goes toe-to-toe with bourbon, Dry London swaps in for gin, Italian Orange subs for bitter orange amaro, and Apéritif Rosso is a stand-in for sweet vermouth.
Monday also makes a beautiful bottle of zero alcohol gin! And priced at under $50 for this fun gift pack — bonus, everything is vegan!