Holiday Gift Guide for a Tough Year and Tight Budget
Story by Cassie Hepler, submitted images
This year has been absolute shit! With a few glimmers in my life along the way of 2025 like visiting Cancun, California and the South of France, it’s been literally like pulling teeth since the Annoying Orange took office, tanked the US economy, gaslights Americans every morning with fresh bullshit and the year isn’t even over yet. That said, I know I’m not the only one stashing some celebratory champagne in my fridge. If you know, you know…
Starting with replacing my whole air conditioning unit – on my roof – to fixing the stackable washing machine (and hiring men from Taskrabbit to move it out and back) to getting gaslit about my car (they dumped oil on my motor and it was dripping from it) to the summer from hell health debacle while visiting family in Central Pennsylvania to my roof getting ripped up and soon replaced from these crazy Arizona rain storms, I can barely get a minute to breathe. And being a single childless cat lady homeowner, I am still paying those bills and will be for a while. I’ve never accumulated so many credit card points in 24 hours in my life! But once more healed and in a better position to fully explore again, you’re damn right I’ll be using those precious points to explore and travel more.
So trust me when I say I get it if you’re not feeling very capitalistic this Christmas season for Present’s Day. My family will be lucky to get Xmas cards, ha! This is why I try to craft a great gift guide throughout the other 11 months of the year, accepting random mail packages and some hit it out of the ball park while others are just… odd. The weirdest this year was probably calamari jerky which was terrible in taste but I love the idea and the brand behind it which makes it harder to not include. But most importantly, timeless investments. If you get a quality product, it lasts longer and therefore you’re not spending as much in the long run. I put this concept in everything I own, including my own health! Hopefully this list offers some good stuff that you can keep as classics. And if you’re boycotting Black Friday and consumerism in general, I support that vibe as well. But you can always window shop… or scroll shop? Add to cart? Whatever you call it, here we go down the rabbit hole.
A recession indicator is people fixing things they already own, sewing their own clothes or household needs and repurposing what we already have way too much of – clothes and fabrics! I found a vintage Singer at a thrift store that my mother souped up for me but now it’s time for the big guns: The SINGER® Heavy Duty 4432 Black Sewing Machine – Special Edition. This sewing machine is designed with your heavy duty projects in mind, from denim to canvas. Thanks to the machine’s powerful motor, you have extra high sewing speed to save you time. And since I tend to be rough on most things I own, a perfect fit to create my next couture.
With adjustable presser foot pressure, you can also sew very lightweight sheers, and the stainless steel bedplate allows fabrics to glide over the machine with ease. Create original costumes, sew personalized fashions or transform your home with new decorator pillows and curtains. Among the 110 stitch applications is a one-step buttonhole, giving you consistent results every time for projects you’ll be proud to say you made yourself. Help is available anytime thanks to the SINGER Sewing Assistant App. The future of sewing is here and soon they will just do what we tell them to do!
For that whole roasted octopus you’re about to unveil, the Giovanna Oval Platter steals the spotlight. With its generous size and bold yellow accents, it’s the conversation starter your table deserves. This hand-painted Giovanna Platter was featured by Martha Stewart this week, a major moment for this young brand. I’ve started collecting fancy white platters – first it was for Friendsgiving now I don’t know what for but if I get the dress, the event follows and I assume that goes with dinner parties too!
Maison Madison, the distinguished dinnerware brand designed in New York and meticulously crafted in Portugal, is redefining the essence of luxury at the dinner table. Founded by Colette and Susannah, whose friendship and shared passion for design began in college, Maison Madison combines the timeless elegance of American glamour with the exquisite artisanship of Europe. With a decade of experience leading a historic British homeware brand to prominence in the United States, Colette and Susannah discovered a void in the market for sophisticated yet attainable dinnerware.
UNiTE Food is shaking up the snack aisle with globally inspired, gluten-free bars that are anything but basic. From comforting peanut butter & jelly to crave-worthy churro, each bar blends superfoods with bold, nostalgic flavors from kitchens around the world – no passport required.
Founded by immigrant entrepreneur Clara Paye, UNiTE celebrates community, flavor, and curiosity. We invite fans to share favorite flavors and participate in our mission to nourish and connect through food. Learn more about her story here. I found these to come in very handy during busy travel, road trips or in my purse for an energy boost during physical therapy.
I aspire to be that woman who on a Sunday afternoon is meal prepping healthy, organic meals for herself for the week to reach maximum health capacity. So this makes sense to me plus no microplastics! I made a change mid-year to use more glass containers, metal and glass drink ware and be more conscious about my plastic intake.
Make meal prep easy and stylish with the Ello Duraglass Refresh™ 10-piece Meal Prep Set. This set includes five 3.4-cup glass containers with leak-proof, airtight lids and protective silicone sleeves that guard against chips and slips. The glass won’t stain, smell, or leach, while the lids keep food fresh. Safe for the dishwasher, microwave, oven, and freezer, it’s a durable, BPA-free solution for all your prepping needs.
As party season begins and is in full swing, New Orleans’ Crescent Canna is shaking up bar carts and cocktail culture with its newest innovation: Ellora, a non-alcoholic THC spirit alternative that offers the smoothness of premium liquor without the hangover. Delivered in a sleek 750 mL bottle designed to rival top-shelf spirits, Ellora can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in craft cocktails. Each bottle contains 85 mg of hemp-derived Delta-9 THC, offering 5 mg per serving and fast-acting effects within 15 minutes.
With U.S. drinking rates at an all-time low, THC beverages are quickly taking over the party, and there’s data to back it up. In a report released by Crescent Canna yesterday, consumers showed that 77% of THC beverage drinkers reported cutting back on alcohol and more than 20% said they’ve quit drinking entirely. After dominating the alcoholic seltzer and beer space with its wildly popular THC seltzer options, Ellora’s launch represents how THC beverages are no longer a novelty… they are a real threat to booze culture, with sales projected to surpass $2.6 billion by 2030. And the best part? No hangover in the morning!
For all my non-THC loving friends, there’s always our neighbor California’s delicious wines from Napa Valley. Also, did you know there’s a Napa Valley wine train?!? Putting that on my bucket list as well, thanks random not correct Google search. Full disclosure, I did not try all of these wines yet but at least two brands below! Maybe I’ll host a wine and cheese ladies night to finish off the growing stack in my fridge.
Larkmead Vineyards
- The Salon Tasting, which includes a seated wine tasting experience with a focus on three current-release red wines alongside stunning views of the pollinator gardens and expansive estate vineyards.
- Wines for holiday gifting, including our 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Baldacci Family Vineyards
- The award-winning Cave Tour & Estate Tasting (recently awarded #2 Best Winery Tour in the nation by USA Today’s 10Best Awards).
- Wines for holiday gifting, including our 2023 Elizabeth Pinot Noir and 2023 Los Carneros Chardonnay.
Mi Sueño Winery
- The Mi Sueño Dream Flight, which features a behind-the-scenes look at the winery and tasting of five incredible wines paired with artisan chocolate truffles.
- Wines for holiday gifting, including our 2021 Dos Sueños Cabernet Sauvignon and 2023 Unico Vino Blanco (a Sauvignon Blanc-based blend).
Rowdy Crowd Unbreakable Drinkware
Rowdy Crowd’s unbreakable drinkware is made to party hard and clean up easy. Crafted from premium, BPA-free Tritan™, this durable, dishwasher-safe collection includes stemless tumblers, champagne flutes, beer schooners, and gin balloons, perfect for any beverage and any occasion. I only have two champagne stems left from my glass collection from people breaking them (not me, I swear!) and that cupboard is full so I gifted this set to my friend and neighbor where us gals do tend to get to be a rowdy crowd. Plus she has littles and animals running around and a pool, it made more sense! So far, the set came in handy more than once.
Whether you’re hosting backyard BBQs, weddings, tailgates, or relaxing by the firepit, our Tritan™ drinkware looks like glass but won’t crack, cloud, or shatter. It’s the stylish, stress-free solution for outdoor entertaining and on-the-go adventures. Say goodbye to broken glass, flimsy plastic, and one-use waste. Our reusable cups come in ready-to-go packs, saving you money and keeping things clean, safe, and fun.
Zomee Warming & Cooling Lactation Massager
As the first lactation massager on the market to combine warming, cooling, and massage stimulation in one sleek, easy-to-use device, the Zomee Warming & Cooling Lactation Massager sets a new standard in care for breastfeeding and pumping moms. The ergonomically designed device was developed to help alleviate common breastfeeding challenges and features three warming, three cooling, and five vibration levels, giving moms multiple customizable options.
- Warming and Vibration: Together, the three warming and five vibration settings can help moms before and during pumping/breastfeeding with improved milk flow, relief from clogged ducts and quicker pumping sessions.
- Cooling: The three cooling settings can aid moms after a pumping/breastfeeding session as the cooling sensation helps reduce inflammation, pain, engorgement and mastitis.
And I will add that it is also good for single, childless cat ladies… cough cough. When they shipped me this, I was like why would I need this? Pivot ladies and gentlemen, pivot!
Mightylicious Gluten-Free Cookies
With more than 1.3 million Americans on gluten-free diets—including many school-aged kids—back-to-school is the perfect time to spotlight allergy-friendly lunchbox snacks. Mightylicious Gluten Free Cookies are also great snacks and back-to-school cookies for your kids. Available in seven delicious varieties (including vegan and vegetarian options), these cookies are:
- Individually wrapped – perfect for lunchboxes and safe sharing
- Certified Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, and Kosher
- Made with clean, allergy-conscious ingredients
I know you’re thinking these would taste like cardboard but they are actually crumbling, moist tasty cookies individually wrapped to retain freshness. And they have organic flour to bake with available too!
As the holidays bring an increase in travel, workouts, and active lifestyles, PhysFlex is helping people stay comfortable and supported with a full line of breathable compression wear designed for real-life movement. Whether navigating airports, powering through workouts, working long shifts, or spending weekends outdoors, PhysFlex offers lightweight joint support and everyday pain relief for individuals who refuse to slow down (that’s me and my brother). I wore the compression socks on my 13 hour flight to Nice, France and back and it really helped!
Compression sleeves are ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and laborers seeking sun protection and cooling relief. PhysFlex’s gear is trusted by athletes looking for support for weightlifting, as well as individuals in need of arthritis support braces for daily comfort. From varicose veins compression to injury recovery sleeves, the brand delivers consistent performance across its product line. Built with breathable materials, each item in the PhysFlex collection combines form-fitting design with summer-ready durability. The brand’s compression gear for nurses and sports compression gear are popular among professionals who require reliable relief under demanding conditions.
Prices for food are at an all-time high thanks to Trump’s tariffs! Instead of growingly expensive olive oil, consider a healthy American alternative. At Simply Sunflower, they believe that healthy soil is the foundation of sustainable farming. That’s why we practice regenerative farming methods on our 120-year-old farm in Nebraska. Regenerative farming focuses on restoring and enhancing soil health by minimizing soil disturbance, maintaining plant diversity, and integrating livestock.
These practices help increase soil organic matter, improve water retention, and promote biodiversity. By nurturing our soil, we ensure that our sunflowers are grown as naturally and sustainably as possible, which also provides you with the highest quality, nutrient-dense Simply Sunflower Oil. Simply Sunflower Oil is a versatile oil that can be used as a tasty salad dressing for sautéing, frying, and grilling (check out great recipes here). Simply Sunflower is the brightest choice for those seeking clean, trustworthy oils.
As grilling season heats up, there’s a delicious new option that ensures everyone gets a spot at the cookout. Before the Butcher’s plant-based Mainstream Burger is making it easier than ever to serve up satisfying, protein-packed patties that are 100% meat-free — perfect for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, and anyone with dietary restrictions.
Here’s the good news: it’s available now at Whole Foods, HungryRoot, and WebstaurantStore. They cook in just 8 minutes on the grill with 20 grams of protein. They currently cost $10.99 for an 8-pack of quarter-pound soy-based patties which is less than a meat based burger patty container currently. Full disclosure: I am a carnivore through and through but also love my veggies. According to PT, I am supposed to be eating 100 grams of protein a day which seems to be virtually impossible. So something like this – while not as tasty as a delicious wagyu burger – does help hit your protein goals.
If you want real meat and protein but not the hassle of cooking, I love a delicious jerky! Vermont Smoke & Cure is a great fit with a wide selection of high-protein, low-calorie meat sticks made in small batches using traditional methods and natural ingredients in their Vermont smokehouse. Meat sticks are now a $3 billion category, and are one of the fastest-growing snack categories in the United States, according to Circana. Consumers are prioritizing clean, healthy protein with transparent sourcing.
Vermont Smoke & Cure’s offerings align with consumer demands, with thoughtfully sourced meat sticks hand-cut in their Vermont smokehouse. Each one-ounce meat stick is packed with 10-15% of a person’s daily protein needs and conveniently packaged for active lifestyles. All Vermont Smoke & Cure products are hormone-free, packed with protein, gluten-free, allergen-free, free of any artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. Go where protein meets slow-smoked flavor!
Published by Wide Eyed in August, Haunted USA is a treasure trove of supernatural scares from each of the 50 states, providing families with a detailed roadmap for the perfect spooky summer road trip. In this illustrated compendium, from author-editor Heather Alexander and award-winning illustrator Sam Kalda, readers can shine a light on Colorado ghosts and North Dakota local legends – proof that some phantoms still hold on to that friendly American spirit.
When you’ve read all you can handle, turn to the back of the book for a ghostly glossary and expert advice on going ghost-hunting yourself. With stories that are carefully chosen and sensitively told for 9–12-year-olds, it’s perfect for those cozy evenings around Halloween, or for adding a sprinkle of ghoulish fun to a summer vacation. The inner goth gal inside of me loves, loves, loves a haunted tale… that is most likely true!
Vioscapes has launched a new Urban Garden & Décor line for patios, balconies and even for indoor use (condominiums, townhomes, apartments, offices and inside in kitchen areas). The new product line is a great gift idea and designed to maximize tight spaces for maximum plant and gardening enjoyment. Great for herb gardens, succulents, vining plants, flowers and more. The cases and shelves are made from its EcoVioTM Composite of 100% reused parts (40% Ocean Plastics and 60% recovered hard natural fibers).
There are four price points and configurations for each space in your home starting with $49 Hanging Garden Case (Stone Gray or Coffee Brown) with 4 pots, $39 2-Shelf System (Stone Gray or Coffee Brown) with 4 pots or $29 1-Shelf System (Stone Gray or Coffee Brown) with 2 pots. They also have a $79 Combo (Stone Gray or Coffee Brown)–One Hanging Garden Case and One 2-Shelf System with 8 pots included. It’s a perfect small indoor garden for your herbs or the beginning of your plant lady or guy era!
Boojee Beads Mobile Crossbodies and Wristlets
I’m all about making my life easier and sometimes when you’re traveling or at a concert or festival, you want to know exactly where your phone is – especially as a content creator! They have wrislets too which would drive me bonkers but to each their own. I like that you can clip on or off the little wallet too! Now if it was only passport sized, that would be golden.
Introducing Boojee Beads new mobile jewelry collection, designed for your on-the-go lifestyle. These stylish cross bodies work seamlessly with any phone with a case and feature interchangeable wristlets for ultimate versatility. Crafted with luxurious Italian design, our collection combines elegance with practicality, making it the perfect accessory for staying hands-free while keeping your essentials close.
