What do I want for Christmas?
December 5, 2021 8:23 AM

A couple of people in my life are waiting for Christmas lists from me. As usual, my mind has gone utterly blank.

I need ideas to put on an Amazon wishlist for my husband to buy. He will be purchasing around 5 gifts for me, totaling less than $200.

I also need a couple of ideas for gifts from my MIL. She will likely purchase one thing for me, maybe spending up to $200. She is also open to spending a larger amount for a combined gift for me and my husband together, so things like tickets to something or a bigger gift "for the house" are not out of the question.

Problem is, I'm drawing a blank on what to ask for. What's new, what's cool, in those price ranges?

I like art and craft supplies/tools/kits, witchy/New Age/tarot stuff, things for home and kitchen (fun gadgets or stuff that genuinely makes chores or cooking easier), have cats, enjoy museums, shows, restaurants, day trips. Quirky, offbeat, never-knew-I-needed-that-til-now suggestions welcome as well. Or just tell me what is on YOUR wishlist, or what you are getting your hard-to-buy-for person! I'm sure there are tons of great things out there I'm not thinking of that I (or someone on my list) might love.

Love to hear all your ideas!
posted by Serene Empress Dork to Grab Bag (22 answers total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
Do you have a towel warmer? Do you live in a climate where that sounds like a good idea? Several price points. It's my current go to for 'new place' gifts.
posted by cobaltnine at 8:45 AM on December 5, 2021


Witchy thing in your MIL price range: Ethically sourced crystals make lovely gifts. This fluorite tower is one thing from my local magick shop that I would be thrilled to receive.

Smaller witchy gift ideas: beautiful candles, a wonderful Tarot deck, or maybe a book about "witches".
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 8:46 AM on December 5, 2021


I totally feel you...I am doing a Secret Santa with friends and I am blanking out on what I should add. Anyway...some ideas for you that you might like:

1. Food52's shop is full of gorgeous kitchenware and some fun, innovative products at several price points. I added this cookie dough maker and freezer tray to my wishlist because I'm pretty sure I'll use it.
2. I've been eying Uncommon Goods 100 books/movies scratch off posters because it looks like it'd be fun to do with either my husband or the kids.
3. I buy a lot of people picnic backpacks.
posted by toastyk at 8:49 AM on December 5, 2021


Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore
posted by Enid Lareg at 9:10 AM on December 5, 2021


The Urban Crow Oracle has beautiful artwork on the cards. (She has other nice tarot & oracle decks, if you're not into crows.)
posted by belladonna at 9:18 AM on December 5, 2021


I absolutely do not need this and am not going to ask for it, but I kinda want a Cricut Joy so I can make labels and stickers and stuff.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 9:23 AM on December 5, 2021


Do you have a set of battery-powered tools? The Ryobi ones from Home Depot are reasonably priced for the casual user, work well, all share the same battery style (!!), and come in useful sets.
posted by teremala at 9:31 AM on December 5, 2021


Your hubby and mother in law may want to join funds and present you with a Dutch oven.
You’ll use it a TON and it will make you feel like a real cook!
posted by BostonTerrier at 9:44 AM on December 5, 2021


Perhaps "The Last Sun" and its sequel?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:00 AM on December 5, 2021


Whimsical animal housewares and stationery from Artiphany.
Poe and raven pin set from Out of Print.
Anything from Baba Studio.
Modern gold and white moon plates from Pocketo.
Embossed leather cases or journals from Oberon Design.
Many books from the Folio Society.
posted by Mizu at 10:11 AM on December 5, 2021


Fancy arm socks or fingerless gloves. Instructions & materials for an Anni Albers necklace. A Louise Bourgeois plate.
posted by miles per flower at 10:31 AM on December 5, 2021


I'm all about highly functional kitchen items. Maybe you need...
Stainless steel measuring cups and measuring spoons (the stamped measurements won't wear off in the dishwasher!)
New dish towels that match your decor
A wooden cutting board that will last a lifetime... or some big plastic cutting boards that are easier to care for
A high quality chef's knife or honing steel or sharpening stone
More spatulas because not needing to wash one in the middle of cooking is fantastic
A salt cellar

From your mom, I'd be tempted to ask for a really nice, portable bluetooth speaker as a house gift
posted by A Blue Moon at 11:08 AM on December 5, 2021


This year I've been slowly stocking us up on stuff that a) can go in our camping gear b) would also be handy in a power outage/earthquake/fire evac c) and bonus points if it's also just nice to have around. Some good stuff:

- Cute hot water bottles, or one with a kangaroo pocket for your hands

- Portable Power Station, which at the lower price point isn't going to keep your fridge running but you can recharge phones/computers, run LED lights etc. Nice for tailgating/parties/day trips too. ($199; you can get a solar panel to charge it with but they also charge off household AC or car lighter jack so we just keep ours topped up at home except when we're camping) They make larger ones, or bundles with the solar panels, for the "gift for the house" range.

- Lower price point, very nearly as useful: a giant battery bank jump starter. We've taken this instead of the Jackery on some non-camping road trips and it has been incredibly useful for managing the charging needs of 2-4 people with phones. I linked this one specifically (the one we own isn't available anymore, this is as close as I found) because aside from having a nice case it has a 12v socket attachment, which means if you have DC appliances they can use the battery too. I've used that to blow up pool gear poolside with our little 12v air compressor. We've also jumped our cars (and neighbors' cars) many times, thanks to Pandemic Battery. Not a sexy gift, but a solidly useful one.

- Turkish peshtemal towels. Everything everyone promises about peshtemal towels - beautiful, dry you fast and dry themselves fast, thin and packable, enormous and sufficient for a lap blanket or shawl/scarf.

Kitchen:
- I cannot be trusted to safely use or clean a mandoline, and Dash has finally saved my ass with this baby that now lives on the counter full-time. It's got a better thickness selector than I've ever had on one of my lethal mandolines, it's easy to clean, they put so much thought into the design of this thing.

Witch stuff:
- Witchcraft for Emotional Wisdom, Paige Vanderbeck (aka The Fat Feminist Witch)

- City Witchery, Lisa Marie Basile

- Weave the Liminal, Laura Tempest Zakroff (who has some amazing witchy workout videos on youtube)

- Missing Witches: Recovering True Histories of Feminist Magic, Risa Dickens and Amy Torok
posted by Lyn Never at 11:34 AM on December 5, 2021


The kid should see this gift guide has a bunch of good things for adults too.
posted by rockindata at 12:52 PM on December 5, 2021


You need a fancy fountain pen and a couple bottles of cool ink in colors you don't find in regular pens.
posted by fritley at 12:55 PM on December 5, 2021


A really good kitchen knife. In the last year, I don't know how many times I've looked down at my new kitchen knife and thought, "Damn! I'm glad I have this!"

An Amazon Fire stick. Best $30 I've ever spent. I agonized over how to stream my programs from my workstation to my TV. So very simple to set up, OMFG.

A small tumbler composter. It's really amazing, how much I've come to appreciate the little guy. Kitchen scrapings go in every week, warm, moist soil comes out. If you feel "witchy," consider the transformative power of decay to life. No joke, it has changed the way I think about "waste.
posted by SPrintF at 1:20 PM on December 5, 2021


A light box for tracing work? I have a really old one that just never dies and I use it all the time but the new LED-based light boxes are certainly a lot thinner and quite inexpensive. Color-correct, high-CRI ones are a lot more expensive.
posted by bz at 2:03 PM on December 5, 2021


An Instant Pot or airfryer?
posted by kathrynm at 5:52 PM on December 5, 2021


A really nice salt cellar - wood box, ceramic, whatever your style is. Etsy will have lots.

A very fine delicate necklace

A car seat-warmer

Glerups wool slippers are amaaazing - so warm, so comfy, so durable

A fiddle leaf fig tree

A beautiful interesting lamp. Crow, also comes in white. Snake.

Tarot art.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:32 PM on December 5, 2021


My friend sells vintage barware and glassware on Etsy. I've purchased some of the space-themed ones for my husband.
posted by toastyk at 10:34 PM on December 5, 2021




A Raspberry Pi starter kit.
A Geiger counter.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 7:00 AM on December 6, 2021


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