Holiday Gift Guide

The holidays have totally snuck up on me this year. It could be because it was still in the 100’s here on Halloween. Who knows, but one minute, it was the 4th of July and the next — boom. It’s less than a month until Christmas. Honestly, where does the time go? So if, like me, you are scrambling to find the perfect gift this year for those in your life who’ve been naughty or nice, here’s the first ever BFH Holiday Gift Guide. May it bring you inspiration.

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Foodie

If you’ve been reading this blog then you know that I love to cook. So, coming up with a Holiday Gift Guide for the foodie is a snap. The problem is narrowing down the list…. At the top of the heap is definitely these non-stick frying pans by Swiss Diamond. The Wall Street Journal calls them the “Rolls Royce of frying pans”.

And it’s true. They are literally life altering. Made of cast aluminum, the non-stick in these suckers is reinforced with real diamond crystals. This means that they heat up like a dream, searing, let’s say, a chicken breast to perfection without losing their non-stick resilience. You can buy them here at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

On a smaller, but no less lovely scale, are the beautifully packaged spices, olive oils and salts from March Pantry in San Franciso. They are expensive enough that most cooks think twice about buying them for themselves. But are so damn good looking that they spruce up any counter top or pantry. My friend Lyn gave me the Kosher salt for my 50th b’day.  I love how sleek and elegant it looks on top of my stove. But also, since I use it everyday, I am constantly reminded of her friendship. That’s what I call a special gift.

This is something that is on my Christmas list this year: a subscription to Imperfect Produce. Imagine farm fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to your door every week. Ok, maybe they won’t look as perfect as that genetically modified tomato, but they will sure taste better. When it comes to your fruits and veggies, embrace the ugly. If you don’t believe me, just think of the heirloom tomato….

And last on my list is a pair of cookbooks. Both by women, in support of women. The first is Cherry Bombe (buy it here) based on the magazine by the same name whose goal is to champion female cooks in the heavily male dominated restaurant biz. And the second is Feed the Resistance (buy it here) which shows you how to use food, recipes and shopping to support your political activism. Either would be a great option for the women in your life, young or old.

For the Health & Beauty Nut

I loved this idea so much that I bought one for myself.  The Que bottle (buy it here) is a lightweight, BPA free, reusable water bottle that can collapse from 20 oz to 12oz depending on your needs. Using fewer throw away plastic water bottles is one of the best things that you can do for the environment. But besides being one of those gifts that gives back, these bottles are practical and fun. Just check out all the colors!

Makeup artist extraordinaire Pat McGrath has created some of the most iconic runway and editorial looks of the last 20 years. She’s finally come out with her own makeup line and it’s literally flying off the shelves. Any true beauty addict would love one of her eyeshadow palettes or super moisturizing lipstick. The packaging is gorgeous. The colors are glamorous. And the feel of the makeup is divine. You can buy it here or at Sephora.

Clean beauty products are the name of the game these days. Since your skin is your biggest organ, treating it well is one of the best things that you can do for your overall health. But who has the time to sift through all the products out there checking for what’s good and what’s bad, right? Thanks to the beauty website (and physical store if you’re lucky to live in New York, LA, Chicago and San Francisco) Credo, you don’t have to. They’ve done all the hard work. They’ve also come up with their own holiday gift guide of good-for-you beauty products. Perfect for any beauty junkie on your list.

For the Fashionista

I know that some women think diamonds, but, to me, nothing says “I love you” like a fabulous purse. One that is gorgeous, practical and won’t rip the muscles in your shoulder socket because it’s so heavy. Jerome Dreyfus purses fit the bill to a T. Husband to Isabel Marant (obviously fabulous french design runs in their blood), his line of handbags are slightly edgy while still being classic enough to stand the test of time. I own a version of this one in navy lizard.

When it comes to clothes, my motto is cheap & trendy, classic & expensive. But what if you could find classics that were also cheap? Let me introduce you to the genius of Everlane in case you don’t already know about it. They make fantastic basics for men and women that are unbelievably reasonable. Think $100 for a beautiful cashmere sweater.

They do this by cutting out the middle man of a brick and mortar store. They are also completely transparent in their pricing. Which is kind of an eye opener when you realize the mark up that most of us pay for retail.

And keeping with the cashmere trend, I have to include cashmere socks on my list. They are a total treat for any man or woman on your list. Soft, snuggly and stupid expensive, they are the sort of thing that someone is loathe to buy for themselves, but loves oh, so much. My favorites are from a store in Telluride called Cashmere Red. Made of srumpdelicious Scottish cashmere, they are heaven for the tootsies. You can buy them here.

A Gift that Gives Back

When the person on your list already has every material possession possible, what are you to do? Give them a gift that gives back. One of my favorites is Heifer International. You can buy, for example, a goat in your giftee’s name for a family in Rwanda. The milk feeds them. They can make cheese and yogurt to sell to others for additional income. And the goat manure is used to fertilize their gardens for better produce. In short, your gift helps move this family from poverty to self reliance. Kind of cool, right? Check out all of your options here.

Ok, there you go. Let me know if any of these tickled your fancy. And may your holiday season be merry, bright and filled with love.