Holiday Gift Guide: Stuff Your Stockings For $50 or Less
Don't leave the stockings as an afterthought....
This year don’t let those stockings hung by the chimney with care become an afterthought, filled to the brim with knick-knackery and sugar-laden sweets. Instead, use them as a delivery vessel for one extra special gift, wrapped in your sparkliest paper, tucked in amidst the kitsch. We’ve got you covered with stocking stuffers for everyone on your list, all $50 or less, that are sure to set an extra festive tone for the main gifting event that happens under the tree.
Beard Oil
If someone under your roof has a beard, chances are it could use a little TLC during this season of face-drying wind and blasting heat. Nashville’s own The Roosevelts Beard Company has you covered with small batch beard oils designed to keep beards soft and smelling great. Both the names and scents are inspired by national parks, so go for the Founder’s Selection Beard Oil Sampler, and let your bearded friend choose which park represents them best.
(The Roosevelts Beard Company Founders Beard Oil Sampler; $19.99 at The Roosevelts Beard Company)
Chocolate
No matter what your feelings are when it comes to chocolate covered cherries – love ‘em or hate ‘em – give Olive and Sinclair’s Cherry Bombs a try. They’ll blow your mind with a tart, tangy, sweet flavor explosion. Pickled Maraschino cherries are coated in buttermilk fondant then finished with Olive and Sinclair’s own signature stone-ground dark chocolate. The old-fashioned packaging elevates the whole delicious experience to the next level.
(Cherry Bombs; $17.99 at Olive and Sinclair)
Mini book
This pint-sized, hard cover book takes rock fans on a musical journey from the 1950s through the present, with more than 1,500 poster images gathered from clubs, attics, bedrooms, and collections around the globe. It’s a sumptuous feast for the eyes punctuated with plenty of history and in-depth interviews to satisfy even the most serious rock aficionado on your list.
(The Art of Rock mini hardcover book; $12.95 at Country Music Hall of Fame)
Candle
Candle lovers will swoon over the heavenly notes of windflower, pink pepper, magnolia blossom, jasmine green tea, and cedar leaf in this handmade candle from Joya Studios out of Brooklyn. The scent was custom designed for local boutique hotel Noelle (do take a stroll through the historic hotel –it’s a stunner), and is available exclusively in their lovingly curated gift shop, Keep Shop.
(Joya Studios Noelle Custom Candle; $38 at Keep Shop/Noelle)
Socks
Good socks are hard to find. But Imogene + Willie discovered a damn-near perfect pair. Their marled indigo boot socks are hand knitted in small batches by second-generation sock makers in Fort Payne, Alabama using Texas-grown, certified organic cotton. Let’s break that down another way: They are good-looking, incredibly soft, and will keep your feet warm, dry, and comfy inside your favorite pair of boots throughout the seasons.
(Boot Socks in Marled Indigo; $28 at imogene + willie)
Bracelet
ABLE’s ethos to empower women and end the cycle of poverty is as beautiful as the products they sell. To that end, you can feel good knowing everything sold under their lifestyle brand was made using sustainable practices, and that the makers were paid a living wage. That includes their simple, chic 14k gold-filled Vantage Bracelet that can be customized with anything from initials to a phrase of love; it’s sure to become a treasured wardrobe staple for years to come.
(Vantage Bracelet; $48 at ABLE)
Cannabinoid Tincture
Let’s face it, for many the holidays are a pretty equal mix of tidings of comfort and joy and fending off an inner Grinch. Enter Yuyo Botanics to the rescue. A couple drops of their beautifully bottled AM Formula, made with organically grown hemp extract, ashwagandha root, peppermint, and lemon delivers .5mg of cannabinoid extract in every droplet, helping the most stressed out amongst us find our seasonal chill.
(Yuyo Botanics 300MG AM Formula 15 ml travel bottle; $30 at Yuyo Botanics)
Coffee
December is busy. People are tired. And grandma Sue may not make the best coffee. Lucky for you, the fine, coffee-roasting folks at CREMA partnered with Swift Cup to freeze dry their fresh coffee and put it in handy, single serve packets—so all you have to do is add hot liquid (water, milk, or milk alternative) and you’ve got yourself a premium cup of single origin coffee wherever your travels take you.
(San Judas CREMA Instant Coffee; $16 at CREMA Coffee Roasters)
Children’s Blocks
Made of eco-friendly hardwood and non-toxic, water-based lacquers, Tegu magnetic building blocks feel like a perfect antidote to all the packaging and plastic that proliferates during the holidays. The original pocket pouch with 4 cubes and 4 short planks will keep little ones occupied at a restaurant, in the car, or on a plane, and is sure to keep them busy long enough for you to enjoy a good morning mimosa before the madness of the day ensues.
(Tegu Original Pocket Pouch; $30 at The Getalong)
Contemporary Art
It’s a little out of the way so may have fallen off your radar, but it’s worth a reminder: this former cigar warehouse turned modern art venue offers truly innovative, culturally rich art experiences in a non-traditional setting for all ages. From visual to performing arts, their exhibitions and events are in a league all their own and sure to inspire art lovers of all backgrounds.
(OZ Gift Card; $50 at OZ Arts Nashville)
Words of Inspiration
The beautiful family behind Nashville-based Breathless Paper has a simple mission: To create paper goods that inspire celebration, love and kindness, dry up tears, remind others of their worth, and encourage the world to write more notes and send more cards. Their boxed tiny cards are the perfect way to spread messages of love, everyday inspiration and kindness, or remind children they are magnificent.
(Tiny Cards Big Words by Breathless Paper; $17.95 at A Thousand Faces)
Paint
Roll out the paper and get ready for some art-inspired fun. Kids of all ages (and adults, too) can dip their fingers in Okonorm’s non-toxic finger paint and work together to make one big, collaborative masterpiece. Each unicorn-inspired color is made with food grade colorant and you don’t even have to sweat the mess— they’re washable for easy clean up.
(Okonorm Unicorn Finger Paint; $32 at Arcade)
Dog Treats
Whatever you do, don’t forget something special for your most loyal furry friend. Harry Barker’s chicken biscuits, delivered in a vintage-inspired, plaid, holiday tin are just the thing to make all the pups feel like the loved and cherished family members they are.
(Harry Barker Chicken Biscuits; $19.50 at Harry Barker)
Game
Those brilliant minds behind The Escape Game created a way for families to embark on one of their team-building, mind-boosting challenges, all from the comfort of home. Simply log in to accept your mission, use the items in your envelope to advance through the adventure, and follow the physical and digital clues to get to the end and solve the puzzle.
(The Escape Game Unlocked; $20 at The Escape Game)
