A tin of decent hand balm
Everyone’s hands are wrecked in December. Unscented, in a tin rather than a tube, so it lives in a coat pocket.
Have a look →Stocking fillers under $25 that are not filler
Most stocking fillers are bought in a hurry on about the twenty-second of December and are, honestly, rubbish. Novelty socks, a bath bomb, a keyring.
The alternative is small things that are simply very good at one job. All of these are under twenty-five dollars and all of them survive January.
A small folding knife or multitool
The keychain-sized ones get used weekly for the rest of the recipient’s life. Check who you are giving it to.
Have a look →A really good pen
A small daily upgrade at an absurdly low price. Buy two, because it will be stolen.
Have a look →Proper hot chocolate
The kind made from actual chopped chocolate rather than powder. Consumable, seasonal, and immediately obviously better than what they usually drink.
Have a look →A cable organiser or magnetic cable set
Deeply boring, quietly transformative for anyone whose bedside table is a nest.
Have a look →A pocket notebook, three-pack
The three-pack matters — one alone gets treated as too nice to use.
Have a look →Stop guessing next year
Holiday Registry is a private gift list for your family. Everyone writes down what they’d actually like, anyone can claim something to buy, and the person it belongs to never finds out. It is free.
Start your family