Episode 291: The 2023 Gift Guide
Kat & Dor have put together their recs and suggestions for the 2023 gifting season! From the latest in vinyl and delicious smelling candles to the cheapest stuff you can buy from fancy brands, there’s something here for everyone on your list…including yourself!
Mentioned in this Episode
Books/Book-Related
Music
Home
Kitchen
Games/Puzzles
Crafts
The Cheapest Stuff from Fancy Brands
Jewelry
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Transcript
Kate: Hello friends, and welcome to Forever35, a podcast about the things we do to take care of ourselves. I am Kate Spencer.
Doree: And I am Doree Shafrir.
Kate: And we are not experts.
Doree: We're not experts, but we are two friends who like to talk a lot about serums.
Kate: But today we're talking about gifs gifts.
Doree: I know it's like a weirdly hard word to say, and especially now that gif entered the lexicon. It's hard not to say it without sounding like gif.
Kate: Yes. Now gift, like we're talking about a gift, you can add that hard T, but the FT and the S really makes it hard. Yes, I have a little bit of a lisp, and so it's definitely a challenge for me. gifs,
Doree: I'm with you, Kate. I'm right there with you
Kate: We're talking about presents because it's the holiday season. So Whoopty, do Dickory Dock.
Doree: Here we go.
Kate: Here we go. We do a gift guide episode every year, and you can find these items listed on our website, which is Forever35podcast.com. We will have links. Just a friendly reminder if you want more chit chat, we are on Patreon with bonus episodes and other fun content. That's patreon.com/forever35. We've got a newsletter Forever35podcast.com/newsletter.
Doree: And I just want to note that newsletter subscribers got a little preview of this gift guide on Monday. So if you want that hot content
Kate: Sign up,
Doree: Sign up Forever35podcast.com/newsletter. We're also running a promo for our classifieds through, I think it's the end of November. If you book something before the end of November, they're $149 and you reach our amazing audience.
Kate: I love our newsletter.
Doree: I love our newsletter. Kate's Corner is really great.
Kate: It really showcases my addiction to consumerism, I think. But you know.
Doree: You know what though? I will say a lot of times you put something in Kate's Corner that I've not heard you talk about, so it's also often delightful for me.
Kate: Oh, you learn a little bit about me that you didn't something you didn't know. I feel like basically 99% makes what
Doree: Exactly, and I'm like, oh, okay. She got that. Cool.
Kate: Alright. Oh, she likes this quarter zip sweatshirt from Target.
Doree: Yes.
Kate: Hot Tip. Hot tip. I love that Freaking quarter zip. Okay, but that's not why we're here.
Doree: Oh, that rhymed.
Kate: Oh, It did rhyme.
Doree: We're here. That is not why we're here. Yes.
Kate: And these are suggestions for you to get for the people in your life. But I also want to say these are suggestions honestly, for you to maybe get yourself. So without further ado, welcome to the 2023 Forever35 gift guide. Here we go. Shall we start with books?
Doree: Let's start with books. We both had some suggestions here. My first suggestion, oh, and I just want to say that I have two suggestions, neither of which I have read.
Kate: Same I haven't read. Well, yes, I've read one of my book suggestions,
Doree: But I would like to read both of those.
Kate: And they are
Doree: They Are Barbara Streisand's new memoir. My name is Barbara.
Kate: Oh, I just love her. Okay.
Doree: It's a real doorstop of a book.
Kate: It is a tome.
Doree: It is a tome. It is 970 pages. I think the audiobook is like 48 hours or something. The audiobook is so long and it costs $47, which my other suggestion in this category is Britney Spears's memoir The Woman In Me, which is $33 and only 288 pages. So in terms of Bang for your Buck, you're getting a lot more with Barbara Streisand's memoir.
Kate: Oh, look at that.
Doree: Just putting that out there.
Kate: Yeah, the dollar per page value is
Doree: The dollar per page value. No, but these are both memoirs of women who have been in popular culture for decades, have fascinating life stories, and I'm really excited to read both of these and I think that they both would make lovely gifts.
Kate: Well, I wanted to suggest a book that I bought myself that I love. It's called, well Joy would be the American Way of saying it. Jois a Parisian Guide to Celebrating the Good Life. It is by an expat Aki and it's this beautiful book about her life in France, in Paris, kind of just about leaning into what her experience is living in France. It's beautiful.
Doree: Love that.
Kate: It's like a beautiful, I would say you could have, I have it kind of as a coffee table book out in my bedroom, but I also just love to flip through it. I find it very comforting, very soothing, inspiring. It's just a beautiful book and I feel like it's the kind of thing that you could give anybody and it would be a lovely satisfying read. The other thing that I don't have, but I love and I think would make a great gift is the Nap Ministry's rest deck 50 practices to Resist Grind Culture. This is a very cool deck of cards from the founder of the Nap ministry who also wrote the book. Rest Is Resistance and it looks like you get 50 different little cards in this deck, and I just thought that seemed like a lovely gift to give somebody.
Doree: Wow, I love that. Kate.
Kate: Next up, tunes,
Doree: Tunes. These are two albums. So my friend Kate Spencer a few months ago got back into records. I don't know if she's still into records.
Kate: Oh, I'm super, not only am I into records, but my kids have taken over the record situation in our home.
Doree: Well, I have a feeling, unless I'm completely misreading the situation, I feel like your kids would be into both of these suggestions.
Kate: Yes, go on.
Doree: So the first one is Barbie, the album, it seems like the thing to do now is to release several versions of the same vinyl. So the one that I just kind of picked was the Target exclusive candy floss pink version of Barbie, the album. It looks very cute. It's very gifty. It's very fun. I would be excited to receive this.
Kate: Yeah, this would be a fun album. I like listening to this in my car, but I can see how this would be fun just to bop on the record player.
Doree: Right, exactly. And then the other one is the Taylor Swift 1989 Taylors version album. Yeah,
Kate: I added this because I own this and I now own about 70 billion Taylor Swift albums because of my young daughters. And I will say though, I really do kind of enjoy listening to Taylor on Vinyl and you get a bonus track on this album. And I will also say there's a bonus track on Olivia Rodrigo's vinyl, which is like a secret track, which shocked and terrified my children because they were like, what is this? What's happening? And I had to explain The Beatles and the Paul is Dead Saga. I was like, let me tell you about Secret tracks on albums, young people. But anyway, it's a great look. 1989 is a classic Taylor album
Doree: Classic.
Kate: Maybe not my favorite Taylor album, but a great one. And the vinyl is excellent, and you get the bonus tracks. We're all in Taylor Mania right now and maybe you're giving Travis Kelsey a gift and he doesn't have this, so get him this version of 1989.
Doree: Love this. Alright, Kate, great suggestion.
Kate: Let's get cozy in her houses.
Doree: Let's do that.
Kate: Let's get into the candley category now. It's home, but we've got a lot. It's candle heavy this year.
Doree: We got a lot of candles. Okay. My first suggestion is I feel like I've put this on a gift guide before because it is an iconic candle. It is the Times Frazier fur candle. I first bought this I think the first year that we had a fake Christmas tree
Kate: And you needed the smell.
Doree: And we needed the smell. It really does smell like it smells like Christmas. If Christmas is a holiday you celebrate or a scent that you enjoy, you will love this candle times often, I feel like often has sales.
Kate: I've never bought anything from times. I don't really be sure I know who they are.
Doree: Oh my gosh. Well, they have other products, but this is, I feel like this candle is their bread and butter.
Kate: Wow.
Doree: It's $34, which could seem like a lot for a candle unless you get the cozy berry candle warmer. That is $49. I was turned onto Candle warmers by Kate Spencer.
Kate: Oh, thank you for the shout out.
Doree: I have one going right now.
Kate: I just turned mine off.
Doree: And I have to tell you, I have gotten several people candle warmers as gifts, and they have universally been, I feel like they've all universally been slightly skeptical,
Kate: I know what you mean
Doree: And then they're like, oh my God, this is the best thing ever. If I were going to start an MLM, I would start a candle warmer mlm.
Kate: I could be into your candle warmer, MLM. We'd also sell candles. Maybe you'd also sell candles with the candle warmer.
Doree: Totally. There is a candle, MLM, I think it's called Sensei. Yes. sensei is a candle. MLM. And they also sell home sprays and other fragrance things. But my MLM would be based on candle warmers specifically.
Kate: Specificly candle warmers.
Doree: Yes.
Kate: Candle warmers get it right. Does this candle warmer? I'm sorry to interrupt you, Doree. Does this candle warmer have an automatic timer?
Doree: It does. So this is one of the things I love about this candle warmer. You can just turn it on and it will just be on for as long as you want. But they also have one hour, two hour, and four hour settings, which I like because sometimes when I just put it on, I do forget and I forget to turn it off. It also has a dimmer, which I like because I dunno if you remember Kate, but a couple weeks ago I talked about finally putting my Maisel Margiela replica by the fireplace candle under my candle warmer and being immediately overwhelmed by the scent. And then I was like, oh my gosh, my candle warmer has a dimmer, I'm going to dim this. And it's been perfect. It's just the right amount of scent. So you can do that with a particularly fragranced candle should you need.
Kate: So I bought the nest lime zest and matcha candle during the Sephora sale, which is nice if you're looking for a candle gift, but it's very heavy scented. And so I have had to put this in my candle warmer on the lowest possible light level because it is overpowering.
Doree: Wow.
Kate: That is a key feature that you want in a candle warmer. A hundred percent agree.
Doree: Yes. Yes.
Kate: Well, I have another scent product that I am obsessed with. So the folks at this company, aroma Tech, reached out and Do you want to try our diffusers? Try a diffuser, we'll send you one. And I was like, yes, please. I love smells. Send me a diffuser and some of your oils. And I was kind of like, will I love this? I love this thing. I freaking love this thing so much. I have what is called the Arrowy bt, which is Bluetooth, which means I can operate it from my phone. It is a pricey item currently listed at $272. But when I tell you that this thing sends up most of my home, which is not very big to be clear, but it's amazing. And I love the senct that I have tried. They're delicious. I'm happy to give you some recos if you end up purchasing this for yourself or somebody else. They've got a beautiful Sanal and amber, this one called The Hotel. I have received compliments from folks coming into my house. I love that you can set a timer on it so it can go off at night. So you're not blasting it all through the, it's just you can set it at different levels. I love this thing. I love this thing.
Doree: Okay,
Kate: The next item is from me. Another thing I'm going to rave about that I love from a past podcast sponsor article.
Doree: Ooh, love article.
Kate: Look, a blanket is the easiest gift to give anybody. And this one is so good. It's called their Dara Throw. I got one and then I ordered a second because everybody in my house loves these things and they're like the perfect curl up and watch a movie blanket. They're so soft. They're thick, but they're not heavy. They are so cozy and they also look really lovely, like folded and styled. Now in my house, they're normally just thrown on the floor, but it's just a great throw at what I think is a pretty decent price. 79 bucks. Not bad.
Doree: Okay,
Kate: I love it. It's the perfect cozy present for anybody. And I feel like blankets can be like, I'll give you a blanket, but it's something that everyone's going to love and use. I feel very strongly about this blanket.
Doree: I love that.
Kate: Oh my gosh, I realize everything else in this list is mine too. Okay,
Doree: It is yours.
Kate: I really went deep in the home department here. Okay. I wanted to throw a couple candle sets out. Look, I know that SNL created one of the best sketches of all time with the candle. You remember that song, Doree?
Doree: No.
Kate: Oh my gosh. It's a hilarious sketch from maybe like five, seven years ago about a candle that gets regifted and regifted at the holiday times. It's so funny. I will make sure we share a link. That being said, I do feel like candles are very easy and classy gift to give now.
Doree: Okay.
Kate: I love a La Labo candle. They have a discovery set for $84. My husband received three L Labo candles once as a gift, and I immediately stole them and I burn them when I'm working and they all smell amazing. That discovery set is $84. Now Sephora sells a mini candle sampler set for $60. That is right up my freaking alley.
Doree: Oh, that's interesting.
Kate: We're talking some boy smells. We're talking Avo Spa. We're talking a replica, A Nest and a Maison Louis Marie Candle. It's like a Delicious deal.
Doree: This is a good sampler.
Kate: This is, it's a really good sampler. Really, really good. A hundred percent would buy if I hadn't already blown all my money elsewhere at Sephora. Okay, and then the final thing I wanted to include in this home section, would it be weird to buy somebody bath towels as a present?
Doree: I would probably only buy bath towels for someone I knew pretty well. Although I'm looking at these, I would buy the hand towels for someone without hesitation. Bath towels feels like a little more intimate somehow.
Kate: I know what you mean. So maybe this is a hand, maybe you do a hand towel. I saw these towels at my friend's house.
Doree: These are so cute
Kate: They were in her. I was using her bath, her kids' bathroom. These are the towels that they had in there. And I was like, I need these. I want, these are from The Company Store.
Doree: Who would love these? Henry?
Kate: Well, maybe
Doree: He loves rainbow.
Kate: I'm getting Henry towels for Christmas.
Doree: You could get Henry towels.
Kate: That wouldn't be weird.
Doree: Why would that be weird?
Kate: Why is this old woman getting me towels?
Doree: No, he would be so excited if he got this towel. He loves rainbow.
Kate: I realize this is an audio recording. These are like spotted rainbow bath towels. And I've seen, I think I've seen knockoffs at Target also. So do your own research as they say.
Doree: Oh, hot tip. Okay.
Kate: But they were like hardy, hefty towels, and I just thought they looked gorgeous. So if you're going to go get somebody a hand towel, get these company store spectrum towels. They're amazing looking.
Doree: Okay, you heard it here first. Everybody
Kate: Towels. Okay. Should we take a little break?
Doree: Oh yeah. Shoot.
Kate: I forgot about breaks.
Doree: Breaks. What are breaks?
Kate: I don't know, but we're going to take one right now and we'll,
Doree: We're going to take one
Kate: Return in a moment.
Doree: Be right back. Okay, we have returned. Our next section is, we've just called it kitchen, which kind of goes under home, but it's sort of a subset of home that I feel like needs its own little category. Now the first thing that I want to recommend is something that has what I think is a pretty gross name, but it looks awesome. It's called the Nutter and it makes nut milk.
Kate: This is cool. I like this. I want this.
Doree: So here's the description. Earth-friendly and easy to use. The sleek, compact machine quickly makes delicious nutritious milk from nuts or plants. Say goodbye to empty cartons and the time consuming overnight soaking process. Just add your preferred nut, seed, or grain, then fill the nutter with water. Choose the desired temperature. And in no time, you can enjoy a fresh glass of non-dairy milk.
Kate: That's cool.
Doree: Almond, cashew, oat walnut, soy, coconut, rice, hemp, flax and peanut.
Kate: Peanut milk.
Doree: Peanut milk. You can get room temperature warm and hot. You can use the timed pre-soak function for creamier frothier consistency.
Kate: I do like a frothy consistency.
Doree: It comes with a strainer for a no pulp option. I mean, look, this thing has it all. It looks like a little picture.
Kate: It's cute.
Doree: It's really cute. I don't even drink nut milk, but I kind of want one. I drink cow milk.
Kate: I drink both. But I have friends who make their own nut milk by doing the soaking and the draining. And this seems very, handy.
Doree: It's a whole thing.
Kate: It is a whole thing. I like this. This is cute.
Doree: And what I also think is anytime that I have had homemade almond milk,
Kate: Oh, forget it. It's delicious.
Doree: It's so good and so much better than anything you can buy. So obviously more expensive because you have to buy all those nuts, but probably really delicious. So this thing is $170. You can get it at Williams Sonoma. It feels like if you're into nut milk or coconut rice milk, peanut milk, which I didn't even know was a thing, this could be a great gift
Kate: For the dairy free person in your life.
Doree: Yes, yes. All right, Kate, what else do you have in this cat?
Kate: I'm really into towels this year, clearly trying to
Doree: I know I like this for you.
Kate: I dunno what is going on with my towel obsession, but I came across these from Poto and they are these really gorgeous, bright linen tea towels that come in, these kind of very cool patterns. I love. Just love a tea towel. I've turned it to my mother. When I was a kid, my brother and I would be like, what should we get you for Christmas? And she'd always be like, I can always use kitchen towels. And I would be like, Ugh, who wants to get that? And now I'm like, give me all the brightly patterned tea towels.
Doree: Oh my God, that's really funny. Funny.
Kate: I just think it's a fun, easy gift to get somebody, especially if you're kind of like, I don't know them very well. What do I get? I love a tea towel and a coaster set. And these from Poto are just really cute and bright and unique. I love them.
Doree: These are great. These are a great thing to bring to someone whose house you're staying at.
Kate: Oh, good idea. Or if you're going to a party and you want to bring a little something instead of a bottle of wine, bring some tea towels.
Doree: That's really cute. I like that. Okay, the next thing on this list is this really cute casserole dish from Great Jones.
Kate: Oh, hold on.
Doree: I love a casserole dish.
Kate: Oh, this is so pretty.
Doree: And it's just really pretty. It has this really cool, nice simple geometric design along the side.
Kate: I love this.
Doree: And it comes in like a royal blue. The dish itself is like cream colored and then the decoration that comes in royal blue, like a mustard yellow pink and dark green.
Kate: The price is amazing.
Doree: So as we speak, it is on sale for $40. It says it's a Black Friday sale, so I'm assuming it will still be, this is airing before Black Friday. So I think that these prices will still be in effect when this airs. The regular price is $75, but like I said, right now it's on sale for 40 and they also have an eight inch square version that right now is on sale for $30. They have a pie plate, like a pie dish that is also in the same pattern. And then I believe they also have one that has a lid.
Kate: Yes, they do. You can get it with the lid. Hot dish lid for an additional 20 bucks.
Doree: Hot dish. Hot dish and lid. Yes. So I feel like that would be, if you're someone who brings casserole to people's houses, that could be a fun thing. And then they also have the same pattern in a mixing bowl set. Yeah.
Kate: Well, I have another kind of kitcheny item, and this is something that I thought I put in a previous gift guide and then I went and looked through all our old documents and I couldn't find it, but I thought I had put it in a gift guide and then bought it for myself. I convinced myself that I wanted it and that it's been one of the best things I've ever purchased. So I have the platter set, but I'm linking to the medium oval platter from Jono Pandolfi. They make amazing ceramics. I use this, I have one on just my dining room table to hold the salt and pepper shaker. I use these as serving trays. I use them for dinner. They look really gorgeous. They are dishwasher safe, they're microwave safe. These things are just, they're so durable, but they look super, I don't say classy, but they're elevated. I love this stuff. Love, love, love. I'm actually looking now and I'm like, I'm going to buy myself some bowls from this place, but their stuff is just amazing. So highly, highly recommend. But I just love this specific platter and in this kind of beautiful ombre color, which is what I will be linking to on the website. And I thought that was just especially pretty, the different color shades that they offer, I have it in, I think is called dark brown and white is what I have it in. If you want to Roll like me. But if I could, I would go for this lavender mre.
Doree: I love that. Okay.
Kate: Alright, moving on with a couple kids suggestions. I love a personalized Funko pop figurine. You know how people are always like, I have to get something for this kid in my life and I don't know what to get. I think this could be really cute to get for a kid. My kids have collected Funko Pops, if you're not familiar. They're the little figurines with a giant head and a small body and they make them for 8 million different things. So they have them for the Golden Girls, they have them for Stranger Things, Marvel, the Simpson. So my kids have collected a bunch of them and we've been to the Funko Pop store, but you can customize them and make personalized ones, which I also think could be a cute gift for an adult in your life, especially the person who you're like, I dunno, to get my boss, make a personalized little figurine of them. They're so cute. They're like a cute little collectible.
Doree: That's really cool. I love this idea. I didn't know that you could make a personalized one, but now I know what I'm getting you for Christmas.
Kate: Honestly, I would take it. I would take it and I would love it. I have a bunch in my office right now. There's a beat
Doree: of yourself,
Kate: Not of myself right now. We've got figurines from some of the shows my husband has written. There is a B Arthur, and then there is a University of North Carolina Ram.
Doree: Oh my God. And you can make a baby one. This is really cute.
Kate: That seems terrifying, but I'll go with it. I don't know what the cost is because it's customizable. So I'm not sure what the cost is, but cute. I think it could be cute.
Doree: Super cute idea. Kate. I love this.
Kate: The other thing I just wanted to throw out there, and I'm sharing this as just kind of for the people who are like, what do I get this kid, I have a 10-year-old and a 13-year-old, and they both love these things and want more. And these are called squish melow. And these are giant, mushy stuffed animals that can be very big, meaning they're almost like pillows in certain sizes. Kids seem to love these squish mellows. You kind of can't go wrong if you hand a child one of these things.
Doree: So Henry got his first squish melow for his birthday from one of his classmates.
Kate: How did he feel about it?
Doree: He loved it. Loved it. Now I guess it was supposed to be a lochness monster kind of thing, but he called it Mr. Dinosaur. It does look like a dinosaur. It's really cute. I kind of miss the whole squish melow thing because my kid wasn't really old enough and now I'm like, oh, I get it. I get this now.
Kate: And they're fun to snuggle with.
Doree: Totally.
Kate: My child has an avocado one that she received as a gift that I quite liked.
Doree: Oh, that's really cute.
Kate: What about you, Doree? Do you have anything you want to add to this category,
Doree: Kate? Yes, I would like to add the Yoto mini player.
Kate: So speaking of stuff that we missed, the yoto came out after my kids were of the age, but I saw a friend's child's Yoto player this weekend.
Doree: Yes.
Kate: And I was blown away. So tell us a little bit more.
Doree: Okay, so a Yoto player, it's kind of like a CD player, but all of the CDs are on these little business card size cards. And it's really cool because kids, it's really easy for kids to use them themselves. They can just stick the card in and there's really clear and easy controls where they can scroll through the tracks and increase the volume. And that's it. It's really simple. There's also some Yoto radio and some other stuff that you can access, but Henry kind of sticks with the cards. You can buy cards through their website. They do have this Yoto Club thing that we did for a little while. It's basically like a subscription. You get a certain number of cards every month. I found that the selection of cards that qualified for Yoto Club, it wasn't that great because it wasn't everything. You can also buy blank cards and put stuff on them yourself.
Kate: Oh, that's cool. I didn't know that
Doree: But you have to own the music. So if you owned a bunch of CDs, you could rip them and put them on a Yoto card. You can't put a Spotify playlist on a Yoto card.
Kate: Okay. Okay. Got it.
Doree: But you could also record yourself reading a story onto a Yoto card, for example.
Kate: Oh, that's so sweet.
Doree: So there's story Yoto cards, there's music Yoto cards. It's really a great thing. And they come two sizes. So there's a mini size and a regular size. We happen to have both because just for dumb reasons. But I personally think the mini for most people is probably the best option because it's so much more portable. So you can take it with you on a trip or something. The big one you could take, but it's big. It's like a little bulky. It's not like a boombox size, but it's bulky. Itsy enough. It's bulky enough that it takes up space. Whereas the mini, I think is more than adequate and it's cheaper. The mini's like almost half the price.
Kate: Oh, well that's right there.
Doree: So that is my recommendation. And I would say it's probably, I think the sweet spot for the Yoto is probably kids like three to eight.
Kate: Yeah.
Doree: So your kids kind of just missed them.
Kate: Yeah. This is just sadly beyond us, but they look cool for those young folks.
Doree: And I know people also like the Tony Box, which is a similar thing. I have not personally used it, but it sort of seems like a VHS or beta kind of thing.
Kate: Okay, gotcha. Yeah,
Doree: Some people like the Tony Box, some people like the Yoto, but they're basically
Kate: My family never had beta. Did you have a beta player?
Doree: We did not have a beta player. We did not have a beta player. We didn't have a laser disc player. Just said. Good old VHS.
Kate: Same. Hard, same. Well, all right. Games and puzzles. I had a couple thoughts in this area.
Doree: Yeah, let's hear it.
Kate: The first one is a card game that my family really likes. We actually just played it the other night. I lost horribly, but it was super fun. It's Monopoly deal. It's just like a very kind of fun, abridged, faster version of Monopoly. That's just a deck of cards. It's 4 99. It's super fun. My kids reminder 10 and almost 13 play this easily. Now as mentioned in another episode, I'm obsessed with the Game Rum Cube, and I found a version of the, I play on my iPad mostly because nobody in my house will play with me, but I found a really cute version in an old vintage tin for 25 bucks. I love Rama Cube. I love it so much. It's a game you can play with adults. It's a game you can play with kids. Get it. I love it. And then my other thing I wanted to recommend, which I just bought myself, it hasn't come yet, but this was a suggestion from Doree for me in one of our private conversations, which was Doree if I wanted to do a jigsaw puzzle, but kind of an easy one, how many pieces should I get? And Doree said, go for about 300. And then do suggested some of the Thomas Kincade puzzles of which I have done, one of them, the tangled version, which might be a, it says here on the website it's 750 pieces, maybe I've done that one. But I find looking at Thomas Kincaid, if you aren't familiar with Thomas Kincaid, it's a whole thing. Google him,
Doree: It's a whole thing.
Kate: But he was a guy who painted paintings with a lot of light in them. And now these paintings are painted by a million different people and sold for a lot of money and it's a whole thing. But his puzzles very soothing. They're like storybook cottages and whimsical fairytale lands. And all I can think about is how I want to sit down and do one of these puzzles and just stare at the zone out looking at these pictures. So I'm very excited about my Thomas Kincaid puzzle that's coming to me. Thank you, Doree, for the tip.
Doree: You're welcome. Thomas Kincaid is, oh my God, my art history minor is cringing right now because I can't remember this guy's name. I'm Google it. What the heck is his name? Yes. Constable John Constable and JMW Turner, those 19th century English landscape painters. Very soft focus kind of. That's Thomas Kincaid, but he does does these for Disney scenes.
Kate: Yes, I have the tangled one. And it's magical. I love it. Right.
Doree: So that's the vibe and yeah, it's a very specific, very specific look.
Kate: Oh yeah. You might find it cheesy. I find it very soothing to look at.
Doree: I think it's both.
Kate: Yeah. Which is fine. That's kind of my personality. Totally. Alright, tell me about some of these craft ideas that you had.
Doree: Okay. Oh, I also do just want to mention in terms of games and puzzles, Henry's really into Uno right now.
Kate: So Good.
Doree: And I mentioned this to a couple of friends who have kids who are slightly older than Henry. They're in second grade and they were like, oh, do you know about the varieties of Uno? And I was like, God no. And then they were like, there's like 10 varieties of Uno,
Kate: UNO, flip
Doree: Uno, flip uno, all these things. And I was like, oh, okay. So that could be a gift option for a child who is into Uno but doesn't have the variations or you could just get them Uno. What I love about these card games is they're very cheap gifts in terms of bang for the buck. Card games are the best, the best. We have a Disney one called I Found It, and it's like an I spy game. It costs $6 and Henry loves it. He also just loves a card game with a deck of cards that you can buy for $5.
Kate: I mean, you can never go wrong with a card game. I love a card game. It travels well.
Doree: Yes. I'm so happy that Henry has entered his card game era.
Kate: Yes Doree. Welcome. It's so fun over here in the card game era.
Doree: Okay, let's take another break and then we will get to crafts. Okay. We'll be right back. Alright, we are back. I have a couple of craft suggestions. One of them is a needle point kit from a site called Wool in the Gang. Although I guess if you were going to do the pun, it would be like wool in the gang.
Kate: I love this pun.
Doree: So what I like about these needle point kits, I love needle point, but I started to find that it was hard to find needle point that had pre-printed canvases because as you get more and more advanced, you're supposed to be able to just get a blank canvas and get a design and figure out how it goes on the canvas. And I was like, this is beyond me. I basically want the paint by numbers of needle point and this wool in the gang beginner needle point kit. I was finding ones made for kids, which are fine, but it was like these thick plastic needles and it just was not that fun.
Kate: Yeah, it didn't, Didn't work.
Doree: Whereas this seems like it is for actual grownups, but it says it is beginner level and it says it comes with a pre-printed canvas. It's 29.99. There was one that is a botanical needle point that I thought was really pretty, but they have a lot of different options. Some geometric ones, some abstract ones. They have a ton of other crafty things. So if needlepoint isn't your thing, they also have crochet stuff. They have macrame, they have all kinds of kits I think that look really fun. They have a bunch of cross stitch kits that look really fun. So yeah,
Kate: Plus this company is cool because they named the company Wool and Gang.
Doree: Exactly. Exactly. Kate, you get it.
Kate: I get it.
Doree: And they do have more advanced stuff, so they have kits for making advanced sweaters and knitting and stuff like that. But I will be sticking with the beginning, the beginner needle point kits for 29.99. Again, a thing that in terms of bang for your buck in terms of hours spent feels like a lot.
Kate: I like that you also get a thing at the end of it.
Doree: Yes. And you get a thing at the end. I think it's so cool. I like that. Okay, so the other thing that I'm recommending is a sewing machine.
Kate: Intriguing.
Doree: Now I have been talking about getting a sewing machine for literally 25 years.
Kate: Oh, is it finally happening?
Doree: I don't think so. I think I just finally came to the conclusion that I'm not a sewing machine person, but I think that, I don't know, maybe if I had a bigger house and I had a dedicated area where I could set up my sewing machine and have a crafting area. My mom always had a sewing machine and was always a sewist and I was always like, oh yeah. We actually, back in the late eighties and early nineties, we did sewing in home economics. So I know how to sew sort of, and the thought of sewing my own clothes is kind of intriguing to me. But I also start feeling overwhelmed when I think about it.
Kate: I used to sew, but I haven't gotten back into it. But I would say I'm sew curious. Oh, I didn't mean to do that. I didn't mean to make a pun. Oh wow.
Doree: But you did.
Kate: I did.
Doree: And so the sewing machine that I found that if I were to get one, I think I would probably get this or one it. It's basically a beginner sewing machine for simple projects. I don't need some elaborate thing. There's sewing machines now that you can program.
Kate: Oh Yes, yes, yes. I have family members who have those.
Doree: Yeah, I don't need that. If I'm going to sew, it's going to be something very simple and this a hundred dollars singer sewing machine feels like, okay, this would be totally fine. So yeah, it also has 57 stitch applications, which seems like a lot for a hundred dollars.
Kate: It does seem like a lot.
Doree: I feel like it's one of those things where this sewing machine is probably more advanced as the expensive, because I assume the sewing machine my mom had when I was growing up was nice. Not a professionals, but it was probably kind of expensive, especially for the time. And this is probably more advanced than that one was. You know what I mean?
Kate: Sure. I'm into this, even though I know you said you don't think you're going to head toward the sewing zone. I don't know. I'm kind of into this for you.
Doree: Okay. Alright. Well I'll keep you posted.
Kate: Yeah, keep me in mind if you do start sewing
Doree: I will.
Kate: Alright, Doree, I would like to shift gears to my favorite category that we do every year.
Doree: Okay. Yes.
Kate: Which is the cheapest stuff from fancy brands.
Doree: Now I think that this was a category that I initially came up with and I had nothing to add this year, so take it away, Kate.
Kate: Don't worry. I was like, what can I find? This is my dream. Okay. The first thing I came up with is Creme de la mer, the lip balm. Look, if you want to get yourself or somebody in your life, something extremely indulgent, if you want to buy an $80 lip balm. What? Yes. Doree an $80 lip balm. Oh my God. And you say, Kate, that's the cheapest thing you could find. And I say basically, yeah.
Doree: Wow. $80. What does an $80 lip balm do?
Kate: Basically you get a new set of lips.
Doree: Wow, okay. I mean, well that seems like a bargain then,
Kate: But if you want to give somebody something kind of fancy and fun and very indulgent, an $80 La Mer lip balm is the way to go. Okay,
Doree: But here's an actual question though.
Kate: Yes.
Doree: Do you think you would have to give it to someone who actually appreciates it? You know what I mean? I feel like there's some people who you would give this to and they would be like, why did this person get me a $10 lip balm?
Kate: I think this would be a fun gift for somebody in your life who likes fancy things. You know how we all have one of those friends?
Doree: Yes, yes. Who's like familiar with La Mer and is going to be chuffed by the idea of having a La Mer lip balm
Kate: And someone who you're like, oh, I'm going to spend $80 on them. I could spend $80 and buy lots of things, or I could spend $80 and buy the world's tiniest bit of lip balm and you just have to kind of be at peace with that decision.
Doree: So funny. Okay.
Kate: It's not a decision I make lightly, but I'm also, I don't have anybody in my life who I'm going to buy an $80 lip bump for, unfortunately not even myself.
Doree: That's fair. That's fair. Okay.
Kate: Here's another fancy gift that I kind of like. It's $590. It's extremely expensive. I know, but I just thought this was kind of fun. And it's also one of the cheapest things offered by this organization, the Cartier Organization, Doree, have you ever heard of them?
Doree: Oh yes. I've heard of them.
Kate: Now. I'm sure you've seen their love bracelets on people. Those things are thousands and thousands of dollars. There are these gold bengal that are very like, look, a lot of you see them on people's wrists and they lock on. That's a whole little twist, literally is they lock on with a key. Well, they make a single love earring, and I thought this was kind of cute. Now it's expensive, but if you want to be wearing something from Cartier, this is a way to do it.
Doree: Interesting.
Kate: Now, I love ve. I love their bags. I want their bags. I don't have their bags, but they do make a beautiful leather Bengal bracelet for $170 in six different colors that I thought actually was very chic looking and very cool. So if you want to impress someone with a gift from Luve, but you can't buy them a $3,000 puzzle bag. I thought this woven Bengal bracelet was very cool. Finally, Doree, this one really made me chuckle. I was trying to find something from Hermes for this list, and they have some kind of things at a lower price point, I'll say. I wouldn't necessarily say they're cheap, but then I found a $50 Hermes nail file. It's a set of 12 nail files made from Poplar Wood packed in that Orange Hermes box.
Doree: Oh my gosh.
Kate: This really made me chuckle because if you have somebody in your life who's going to be impressed by that Orange Hermes box, but you don't want to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars, why not get them some Hermes nail files. yes Doree?
Doree: One thing I will say is that I once bought Hermes nail polish, partly because I was like, oh, this is going to come in fancy Hermes packaging, and it didnt came in a box that had Hermes branding on it, but it didn't come. I thought it was going to come in a little orange box all wrapped up fancy and it wasn't it.
Kate: Well, I want you to know that if when you click on this link, not only do you see a picture of the nail files, but you see a picture of the orange box, they come in,
Doree: Okay,
Kate: Look what we're paying for here is the box.
Doree: That's right, exactly.
Kate: You're giving the box.
Doree: You want the whole experience.
Kate: Yes.
Doree: Oh, I see, I see. Yes. This little box also, you get 12.
Kate: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You get 12.
Doree: Okay.
Kate: I mean, it's obscene for $50, but it's, it's kind of hilarious.
Doree: The reviews on Nordstrom's site are amazing. Did you read these?
Kate: I did not read them.
Doree: Oh my God. Okay, so the first one is I have so much money, I don't even know what to do with it. I buried some in my backyard and threw some into the fireplace when it gets cold. I saw these and thought they'd be perfect, needed to burn some more cash. So I bought a hundred and then someone else said, I ordered these Hermes nail files under the false impression that they are full size. They are mini nail files, which it doesn't state, not even on Hermes's website. They will fit in pretty much any size handbag comfortably, but there's nothing special about them whatsoever.
Kate: That's right. These are just shitty old nail files with her Hermes brand on it.
Doree: It's like when you need to file your nails, but fashion. And then someone said, I love sharing a few of the files with my favorite bartenders.
Kate: Who knows what's going on over there with Natasha H
Doree: I'm obsessed with these reviews. This is so funny.
Kate: Truly a weird item to get.
Doree: A weird item to get. Yes, I agree. I love it though. Talk about the most frivolous, ridiculous,
Kate: Stupidest thing does not need to exist.
Doree: Stupidest thing. Yeah,
Kate: Doesn't need to exist.
Doree: It's genius.
Kate: So I also had a couple suggestions in the jewelry category.
Doree: Okay, this is your lane.
Kate: I love jewelry. So one item is something that my 13-year-old has requested for her birthday, so I thought I would share it here in case you might have a teen or a tween who wants something a little fancier. And that is a Kendra Scott necklace, the Alyssa Gold pendant necklace. It comes, it's very pretty actually. I've seen these on people and admired them. And then my daughter was like, I want that. So now I know what they are, but they're kind of this, I forget what is a six sided shape? It's like an oval shaped pendant on a gold chain, and it comes in a variety of colors. They kind of average between 50 and $70. I think I got my daughter, the one that is in rose quartz, which is $55. That is for her birthday. If you know her, please don't tell her. Another item that I love is from an IRL friend of ours and someone whose jewelry I own. Carrie Hoffman, who's a jewelry designer. She's these beautiful, I mean all her jewelry is gorgeous. I would just alute on over to her website. But I was noticing these, they're called baby cab bracelets and they're just a gold, very simple gold chain bracelet with just a small gemstone. There's pared out, there's moonstone, there's amethyst, there's blue topaz. They're really pretty. This one's 255.
Doree: Love that. Okay.
Kate: And then you know what I got to say that I love is my aura ring. And I put this in the jewelry category because I get more compliments and questions about my aura ring. So funny. People are like, oh, I love that ring. And I'm like, oh, thanks. It's a little machine that monitors my sleep. But I have the heritage style and again, I get more compliments on this thing than any other jewelry that I wear slash I also love it for its fun health monitoring purposes. I love an aura ring.
Doree: Well, Kate, this has been really fun. I got some great ideas of things to give you and give myself for
Kate: We'll be buying Henry a bunch of towels.
Doree: I'll be buying you the nutter.
Kate: Why didn't they call it the Nutley? Or like
Doree: Kate? I have a lot of questions.
Kate: The nutter. It's just, that sounds like a porn website, doesn't it?
Doree: Yes, it does.
Kate: They were so close. They were so close. And then they went to that. Well, it's okay.
Doree: And then they went to that. Yeah, it's true.
Kate: Listen, this has been very fun. If anybody has holiday gift suggestions, we love to hear 'em. Obviously this is just a little fun bit of present escapism for us. So please share what's on your fantasy list or your real list this year.
Doree: And let's just remind everyone that Forever35 is hosted and produced by me, Doree Shafrir and you, Kate Spencer. It is produced and edited by Sam Junio. Sami Reed is our project manager and our network partner is Acast. Thanks for listening.
Kate: Bye
Doree: Bye.