‘Tis now well and truly the season for Christmas (and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Saturnalia), so we thought we’d put together some gift ideas for those of you who partake in such things. If you, like me, are a lazy misanthrope, you’ll want to get most of your shopping done online. If you are online shopping, you have probably passed the final shipping date for many overseas retailers, and are getting very close to the cutoff date for delivery from Australian retailers, so you might want to get onto that. In putting together this list, I’ve tried to pick items you have a chance of being able to have shipped or find at your local shopping centre. I’ve also tried to include a range of price points, and items, for kids, grown-ups and nerds alike.

Kids

Comics & Books

Comic books have undergone something of a renaissance in recent years, with great leaps in diversity and variety. Needless to say, there are some standout titles for kids. Suitable for about ages 10 and up, I love Ms Marvel ($16.86, Book Depository), Lumberjanes (Boom Studios, from $3.99 per issue at your comic retailer) and the Adventure Time TV spin-offs Adventure Time (vol. 2 $10.25, Booktopia) and Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake ($18.50, Booktopia). If you prefer traditional books, get in ahead of the movie release with John Green’s Paper Towns for older tweens and teens ($13.95, Booktopia), or Neil Gaiman’s Fortunately, the Milk… ($15.35, Booktopia) for primary schoolers.

Lego

A classic kids’ toy that’s lots of fun for parents too, there are some cool Lego sets to choose from this Christmas. Unfortunately Lego was behind the curve on the Frozen craze, so if you want Elsa’s ice palace, you’ll have to wait a few months, but there’s plenty of other new stuff to choose from. Cool sets this year include ones based on Guardians of the Galaxy (Milano Spaceship, $114.99, justbricks.com.au) and The Lego Movie (Cloud Cuckoo Palace, $34.99, justbricks.com.au). If your kids are messy, there’s some great Lego storage sets (yellow storage head, $34.99, Toys R Us) to help them tidy up and save your bare feet. If the sets are too boring, you can always go for a plain box of bricks to encourage your little Master Builders (Lego Creative Bucket, $39.99, Lego Shop).

Nerds

Pop Vinyl Winter Soldier ($14.99, mightyape.com.au)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was just about the best movie released this year, and in the absence of the pop vinyl dancing Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy (available for pre-order for release in February) , I couldn’t go past this little cutie.

Superhero pyjamas

Providing practicality and nerdiness in one comfy package, Peter Alexander has done a superhero range for kids and grown-ups. Wonder Woman PJs for mum (pyjama pants $59.95, Peter Alexander), Spider-man undies for dad ($39.95, Peter Alexander), and a Superman bib for the littlest member of the family ($19.95, Peter Alexander). They’ll go great with your Batman robe ($49.99, Think Geek).

 

GoPro Hero 4 Black ($649.95, Ted’s)

These tiny, waterproof, shock-proof, high definition cameras have become huge in the last couple of years, famed for filming skydives and deep sea expeditions. Perfect for the adventurous type in your life, budding filmmakers, or video-happy new parents, the Hero 4 Black edition shoots 4K cinema-quality video and can survive all kinds of madness. Pro tip: buy from a retailer that offers an extended warranty, and shell out the cash for said warranty. These babies get into all sorts of trouble.

Parrot Zik 2.0 headphones ($499.95, Apple Store)

After months of deliberation earlier this year, Jelly finally settled on the Parrot Zik 1.0 as his new headphones. I thought those were amazing science fiction headphones powered by witchcraft, and now there’s an updated version! Once they are hooked up to your phone via Bluetooth, you get eight hours of cordless use, during which time they cancel out surrounding noise, provide premium quality sound that you can tweak with an equaliser, and let you control your music and make phone calls by using swipe gestures on the outside of the ear casing. If you get a phone call, they announce who’s calling, just like Jarvis does for Tony Stark when he’s in the Iron Man suit. If you take them off your ears, they pause your music. And they look amazing, because they were designed by Philippe Starck. The Apple store only stocks beige, white and black, but if you’re lucky you might score a pair in some of the new rainbow shades.

Spigen Flip Cover Wallet for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus ($29.95-$33.99, progadgets.com.au)

When your phone is the pocket-stretching iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, keeping it safe and carrying all your stuff around can become a challenge. This faux leather wallet has space for a few cards and some cash alongside your phone, comes in four good colours and protects your screen from the dangers of your handbag. It also flips around to make a stand for watching videos.

Grown-ups

L’Occitane Verbena shower gel ($28, L’Occitane)

This is Jelly’s favourite shower gel, and with good reason. It’s a fresh, happy and fruity-scented way to wake up, and a bit of an indulgence. It’s also refillable so you can be kind to the environment and clean-smelling.

 

The Little Guy espresso machine ($699, The Little Guy)

Jelly bought me a coffee machine for Christmas a couple of years ago, and it truly is the gift that keeps in giving. Every morning I give thanks as I trot off to work with my latte in a KeepCup (KeepCup Brew, $24-26, KeepCup Store). This one is a little fancier-looking than my functional Sunbeam, and is designed to work with its own induction top ($199, The Little Guy).

 

Kitchen Herbs Grow Kit ($19.95, Wheel & Barrow)

I’ve been attempting to grow herbs on my windowsill this year, and from six pots I have one thriving basil plant. Much green, very thumb. This little kit contains everything you need to grow basil, parsley and coriander in your kitchen, including soil. It comes in a cute metal planter box so you can have fresh herbs every day.

China Glaze nail polish ($10-12 per bottle, Bubbles and Bling)

Pretty coloured nail polish is always a hit (with me, and also with the primary-aged girls I had no idea what to buy for last Christmas), and the hard-to-find-in-Australia China Glaze has a great range at nearly half the price of O.P.I.’s polishes. I wore bright purple China Glaze polish on my wedding day. Bubbles and Bling have some great summer colours to brighten up your fingers and toes.

 

Wine

If all else fails, wine is a great present for someone you don’t know well, or a gift for the hosts when you go to lunch. These three bottles range between $10 and $40, which is about as much as I ever spend on a bottle of plonk. If you’re shopping for a red drinker, you can’t go wrong with the St Hugo ($36.99, Dan Murphy’s). If your Christmas involves white wine in the sun, the Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc is perfect chilled on a hot afternoon ($13.60, Dan Murphy’s). If you’re after some cheap, fruity fun, the Yellow Tail Pink Bubbles ($9, First Choice) is surprisingly drinkable, much like the rest of the Yellow Tail range.

If you want more wine ideas you can visit some of The Viking’s wine reviews.

 

So there you have it. The KiKi & Tea 2014 gift guide.

What do you want for Christmas? Best gift you’ve bought so far?