The Annual KiKi & Tea Holiday Gift Guide

By popular request we are back with the annual KiKi & Tea holiday gift guide!

I seem to never run out of ideas for presents, and I suspect this is largely because I never run out of things I would like, so I’m here to help you again. This year I’ve decided to make the guide gender neutral as so many gift ideas can suit any gender and it’s fairly easy to adapt gifts to suit the specific person you have in mind. As always, consider this guide a jumping off point and if you have anything to add, or a particularly tricky person to buy for, feel free to leave your suggestions or questions in the comments.

Under $30

Nail polish/nail polish strips

Nail art has come a long way from the days of hand painting designs onto your fingernails and stuffing up your right hand because you just can’t paint with your left. Now you can buy nail designs that you can just stick on! I know! Amazing! OK, they’ve been around all year, but they’re still going great guns and the designs just keep increasing. My favourite brands are OPI and Sally Hansen, but I also like a lot of the random ones you can buy in Priceline.

Door stop

I’m currently lusting after the below adorable door stop, but there are so many different kinds available in so many different places that the options are endless. And most of them are in this price category (I will be the first to admit the below one isn’t and maybe I shouldn’t buy it). And it’s practical! People need door stops! It’s something people so rarely think to buy for themselves but I am currently using my laundry basket as a door stop.

Cocktail Mix

You can make your own or buy them ready made. I’m loving these cute jars from Wheel & Barrow:

Push Up Pops

How cute are these? Perfect for someone who enjoys baking or entertaining and a little different to the norm when it comes to platters or cookie cutters. That said, I can’t see them without thinking “Don’t push me, push a push pop!”

Hand Cream

My favourites are Crabtree & Evelyn (specifically their citrus range) and Natio. The Natio one is safest as it’s low fragrance, extra lovely and contains SPF!

Scarf Organiser

I’ve asked for this for Christmas as I’m forever finding it difficult to organise my scarves. Right now they’re all smooshed in a drawer.

Wooden Coat Hangers

Know a fashionista/stylish dude but don’t want to spend too much or risk buying the wrong thing? You can’t go wrong with wooden coat hangers for anyone who appreciates keeping their clothes in good condition. Another thing I’ve put on my wish list for this Christmas as the fabrics I buy just don’t do well with those pathetic wire contraptions, and have you ever tried hanging up a man’s suit on one? Psh. Forget about it!

Stationery

I’m sure not everyone is quite as neurotic about stationery as I am, but I know many people who love it as much as I do. Coloured sets of pens, fun things like crayon highlighters (I know! I still can’t get over this) all wrapped together with a ribbon make a fun and affordable gift option. Also great for the work Kris Kringle, or any tweens you have in your life.

Preserving jars

Extra lovely if you fill them with your own preserve, preserving jars are great for people who either don’t have time to cook (so you can do it for them with either some preserve you’ve made or a ready made cookie mix) or who love to cook and are forever looking for different ways to preserve or display their creations.

Earrings

Jewellery needn’t cost the earth, especially with stores like Lovisa at arm’s reach. It’s easy to buy some beautiful studs for not very much money. I wear a pair of Lovisa synthetic diamond studs all the time. Shh, don’t tell 😉

Face masks

It’s easy to put together your own little pack of face masks from your local Priceline or another beauty store (I particularly like the Asian ones for this) and wrap them up with a gorgeous ribbon. Cost effective, easy, and very thoughtful, especially if you think about their skin care needs.

Tea

I love getting tea as a gift, as does the Viking, and one or both of us will ask for it nearly every year. If you’re going with a small(ish) present but want something with a little more bang than just tea, why not give a single teacup and saucer along with your tea? A thoughtful and beautiful gift that will be used and you will be remembered.

Phone Charger

I don’t know about you but despite the number of Apple products in our house we always are short of chargers. There are a lot of options on the market for chargers these days, even battery packs to charge on the go (essential for bloggers and gamers, but a bit higher price than this category) including funky colours and ones you can fit in your wallet.

Diary or Note Books

Is the person you know a little bit obsessed with organisation? Why not buy them a 2014 diary? The Viking is obsessed with Moleskine note books and has been for as long as I’ve known him.

$30-$60

Towels

I love towels. I have loved towels since I was about 16 and started asking for sets of them for my birthday. Nothing makes me feel more pulled together than matching towels in both bathrooms, and beautiful plush towels in the morning. My favourite store right now is thanks to Baby Mac and it’s I Love Linen. I’m obsessed. It helps that Lauren is one of the most helpful people you will ever meet. Half my Christmas list this year is from her store.

Bread Board

Sure these could easily sit in a higher priced category but they don’t need to.

A little herb garden

Provide the pots, potting mix, and seeds, or buy some seedlings and pot it all up for them, but giving someone a herb garden, particularly someone who loves to cook, is a beautifully thoughtful solution to a foodie-gift problem. And it will be enjoyed for months to come, as well as scenting their house beautifully.

Hat

A big floppy summer hat, a panama, a pageboy, an acubra, there is a huge variety of hats around at the moment and with Summer hot on our heels it’s a useful present, easy to buy, stylish to wear, and you don’t even have to know their clothing size.

Cook book

Cook books don’t have to be boring. There are titles like Save With Jamie which cover  more than just cooking, or why not buy a cook book of your friend’s favourite store? We recently got this one for a friend of ours who is obsessed with Messina gelato:

Lamp

Your average lamp sits in this kind of category, however we recently bought some fantastic lamps from good old k-mart for $10 each. My personal favourite place for lamps is Target. We have a few strewn around the house and we always get compliments on them.

Scented candle

Gone are the days of candles that smell like pot-pourri and soap. Yes, you can get a scented candle cheaper than this, but I wouldn’t recommend it. My favourite brand for these is Glasshouse and you can even go the extra mile and buy the matching soap or hand cream. Or you can buy one of their minis for $25. My favourite scent is Manhattan but it’s important to think about the person you’re buying for and what will suit their personality.

Bangle/Bracelet

Not just for women, there are some awesome bangles out there for men. Alternately you can do a thin bangle stack from Diva or Lovisa for a Summery arm party with a hark back to 1990’s fashion.

Cheese knives

Cheese knives are a luxurious kitchen item most people just don’t buy for themselves, but almost everyone could do with a set of.

 

Pyjamas

Something that continues to sit on my wish list year in year out is pyjamas. Why? Simple! They wear out! Personally I prefer mens pyjama pants mostly because they’re comfortable, cheaper and long wearing. But the below ones caught my eye this year. I also love Peter Alexander but have you ever tried to get a picture from their website? Disaster!

Sunglasses

No one ever said you could only have one set of sunglasses, or that expensive ones are the only option. These days it’s easy to buy a few different styles at reasonable prices.

Bean bag

Remember how much you loved bean bags? Well guess what, they’re still around. And they’ve grown up. You can get an amazing variety of bean bags  these days. Our library is currently occupied by a red (p)leather one which is so comfy to sit in I struggle to get out of it every time.

$60-$100

Tajine

A bit of a hit at the moment, a tajine is not as expensive as you think it is, and it’s a whole lot more useful than anyone would have imagined.

Glasses

If you know the person well enough to know their taste, I love good glassware as a gift. I know I’ve featured Wheel & Barrow a lot but I strongly recommend their glasses as being good, long wearing, heavy, every day glassware.

Board Games

Board games have grown up. And now we’re loving them. See this post for ideas on what board games you should be buying.

A ‘throw’

OK, let’s call a spade a spade here. It’s a blanket. But it’s stylish, it’s practical, and I don’t know about you buy I’m always hugely disappointed if I’m in someone’s house for a prolonged period of time without one handy. If you know their house well enough, why not invest in a gorgeous throw from Country Road, My House, Bed Bath N Table or David Jones. Especially good for those, like me, who run a little colder than is normal. I’ve put them in this category as most are $60+.

Bath robe

When is the last time you went to a fancy hotel? Did they have a bath robe? Would you like that feeling at home? Of course you would. And so would someone else.

$100+

Watch

The Viking is currently obsessed with watches and ever since he bought me one in NYC I have been unable to go anywhere without it. Even though I still can’t read the time. Timeless, classic, and beautiful, a watch is something people can treasure forever and they needn’t cost the earth. Keep your eye out for good deals or sales, and pick up a bargain. Our current favourite brand for watches is Fossil.

Decanter

Know a wine lover? They will want one of these. Trust me. It makes a big difference.

Shoes

Only recommended if you know the person well enough to know their taste, foot shape and shoe size, but if you’re spending over $100 on them that’s not entirely unlikely.

Picnic set

A really good picnic set is hard to beat for someone who enjoys being outside with friends and family.

Jewellery

A lovely necklace, pair of earrings, ring or bangle is always a timeless gift. A bit trickier but I’m assuming if you’re spending this amount you probably know them quite well, at least well enough to know their taste and whether or not their ears are pierced. If in doubt, a voucher to a chain jeweller is always a nice gift that people can spend at their own leisure and on something they really want. Personally, whenever I give jewellery with a higher cost than $50, I take the person and get them to pick it themselves. Or get them a set.

Handbag/Manbag

If you know me, you know I love Oroton. And what’s a better gift than a beautiful handbag to see you through the next year? Sure you could easily get these in the cheaper categories, but personally I prefer a timeless good quality option I can wear with every outfit to every occasion. And, honestly, the Viking loves them just as much as I do.

Smart light globes

Any techie worth their salt wants the Phillips Hue. If they don’t already have them you’re looking at $250 to get them all set up. But if they do, extra bulbs come in around he $70 mark and can be bought from any Apple store. Basically, they’re phone controlled light globes that can turn any colour you can think of and can be programmed to flash at certain times, dim when you do certain things, turn off when the sun comes up. You name it, they can do it.

iPad Mini Retina

Hey, a girl can dream…

What’s on your Christmas list this year?

Note: Some of the links within this guide (specifically Amazon) are affiliate links and any purchases made after clicking one of these links will cost you nothing extra but will help with the running costs of the site. We have not been paid to endorse any products or stores and they’re mostly just from stores I like, hence all the Wheel & Barrow this year 😉 

*This image is a genuine leather beanbag from Nelson & Rose but their website has disappeared