What does your holiday spending for gifts and tips look like this year, readers? Are there special food items you only buy for the holidays (or special wine or liquor)? (And how are you keeping track of it all?) Let's discuss…

Psst… here are all of our tips on holiday business etiquette!

For my $.02…

My 2023 Holiday Spending for Gifts and Tips

For gifts, I don't know why but I roughly have a “$150 minimum” in my mind for parents, siblings, and in-laws. I can go above that if I want to, but in my mind I'm done if I'm somewhere in the $150 range. For the kids it can be tricky, both because we spend willy nilly on them throughout the year, plus both sets of grandparents are extraordinarily generous… so I may be the only mother on the planet who isn't overly concerned with buying gifts for the kids.

(And when I do give them presents, they tend to be kind of abstract — for example, my 12-year-old is getting a budget to redecorate his room as his big present…)

Holiday Spending on Tips

For tips, life is a lot less complicated than it was years ago with a law firm secretary and so forth. I get the major teachers gift cards, and our cleaning professional's gift will be the same amount as one of her regular visits… and a few other people will get a family holiday card with a small gift card inside.

(Here was our last big discussion on holiday tips…)

Special Holiday Food

We don't have a huge outlay on food or drink because, well, my parents are still doing a lot of it, but my mother will often buy filet mignon and lobster for Christmas Eve and a ham for Christmas Day, and they usually have the liquor cabinet well stocked for their guests.

How I Keep Track of Holiday Spending

In terms of how to keep TRACK of it all… well, I'm still perfecting my system. I tend to buy for people starting in October, if not earlier, so keeping track of what I've bought for whom (and where I am in my random $150 scale) can be tricky for me.

This year I started a Word doc that lists each major family member and then (for each member):

General present ideas:

2023 Xmas Gifts:

2023 Stocking Stuffers:

2023 Birthday:

So, hopefully I can keep track of what I've got on tap for this holiday season, as well as keep a running list of what I've gotten them in previous years, both to generate new ideas and make sure I don't buy things I've already given them.

(We'll see, of course… I actually started the Word doc in 2021 and then totally forgot about it…)

Readers, how about you — what does your holiday spending for gifts and tips look like this year?

Stock photo via Stencil.

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Pajamas make the perfect holiday gift for so many reasons. First off, it's wintertime, so people are drawn to soft, cozy things. Pajamas are typically a “safe” gift for those who are hard to buy for, and a lot of people don't frequently buy pajamas for themselves, so high-quality PJs can be a little treat. Plus, pajamas are available in a wide price range as well as both basic solid colors and fun or classic prints!

So, have we sold you on pajamas as gifts yet?! (A lot of those factors apply to throw blankets as well, btw.)

We haven't rounded up women's pajamas in a couple of years, so we're due for an update! These are some of the best brands and styles for friends, relatives, and the other important women in your life.

What are your favorite PJs to wear and to give as gifts, holiday or otherwise?

Our Latest Favorite Women's Pajamas to Give as Gifts

As of 2024, some of readers' favorite pajama brands include Nordstrom's Moonlight line, Soma Cool Nights, Lake Pajamas, PrintFresh, Under Armour, Lunya, Anthropologie, and (on the budget side), Stars Above. (Pajamas also make great gifts!)

The Best Women's Pajamas to Give as Holiday Gifts

Soma

We've mentioned Soma's Cool Nights line several times over the years, and it's still going strong. These pajamas are great for women dealing with hot flashes, or anyone who sleeps hot.

You can choose from among shirt & pant sets (like the one pictured), pajama separates, sleepshirts, nightgowns, and more. The soft, easy-care fabric is designed to be cool to the touch and to not stick to your skin. *shudder*

In addition to Cool Nights, the company sells all sorts of pajama styles in waffle knits, satin, and so on. Here are their holiday styles.

The pictured set, a bestseller, is on sale for $29–$39 in six solid/print combos in sizes XS–XXL (some colorways are lucky sizes only). The pants have an elastic waist and POCKETS, and the set is machine washable, tumble dry.

Ordering deadline for Christmas: A customer service rep told us on 12/13, “Currently, there are no such dates on Soma” — so double-check the arrival date when you order. (Find stores here.)

Lake Pajamas

Lake Pajamas calls itself “a sleepwear phenomenon” and in addition to women's pajamas (including maternity!), they carry men's, kids', baby, and “mom & mini” styles, and even have a bridal shop for the bride, groom, and bridesmaids.

Lake's size range for women's pajamas is XXS–XXL, and the fabrics available are pima cotton, “DreamKnit” (a silky 95% modal, 5% spandex), flannel, and poplin.

The pictured PJs are one of the brand's bestsellers, the DreamKnit kimino pajama set, $138. The top has a belt and interior tie, and the pants are wide-leg with an elastic waist. This set is available in five colorways — five striped and one solid — and is machine wash, dry flat.

Besides this pajama set style, Lake offers other PJ pant sets as well as short sets, separates, and nightgowns. Check out their holiday shop and gift guide.

Ordering deadline for Christmas: Order by 12/18, 12/19, or 12/20, to have gifts arrive on 12/22 — with standard, 2-day, and overnight shipping, respectively. The brand's pretty gift boxes are $10 each.

Printfresh

If you're looking to gift sustainable styles this holiday season, Printfresh could be for you. The brand's striking prints, which are “inspired by plants, animals, and home décor,” start out as paintings and are then hand-screen-printed or embroidered on 100% organic cotton in India (sustainable details here).

Printfresh's pajama, loungewear, and other clothing styles are available in organic cotton and viscose in an inclusive size range that includes plus (up to 6X) and petites, as well as kids' and matching family sets. The brand makes other clothing too, such as T-shirts and dresses, as well as accessories and home items.

Check out Printfresh's holiday shop, gift picks, and gift bundles! (By the way, an exclusive collection of pajamas and wallpaper is available at Anthropologie.)

The pictured bestselling pintuck nightgown (in the “Bagheera” print) is made from organic cotton poplin and has POCKETS. It's available in XXS–6X for $138 and is machine wash, tumble dry.

Ordering deadline to arrive for Christmas: Order by 12/15 for delivery by 12/24 with standard shipping.

Moonlight

Moonlight, a Nordstrom house brand of pajamas, currently offers a few dozen women's pajama styles in regular and plus sizes up to 4X. Their pant sets, short sets, nightshirts, and nightgowns are made from a machine-washable Tencel modal / spandex blend — and some are now on sale!

The pictured pajama set includes a button-front top with some classic contrast piping and drawstring-waist pants, and like all of the Moonlight line, it's machine wash, tumble dry. This style is available in regular and plus sizes in the pictured Barbados stripe as well as leopard print, a geometric print (which honestly kind of hurts to look at), and three very different florals.

This set is $75 full price, but the leopard and the green floral are on sale for $37.50.

Note: Some of the Moonlight line's pieces are labeled “Moonlight Eco.” Unfortunately, I couldn't find a description online of how they're different. Both are made mostly from Tencel modal, which is sustainably produced, and while some Moonlight Eco pieces are classified as “Sustainable Style,” some aren't. What seems to (maybe) be the case is that Moonlight styles contain at least 30% sustainably sourced materials, while Moonlight Eco ones have at least 50%. (We contacted Nordstrom customer service, but they were unable to provide more info.)

Ordering deadline to arrive for Christmas: Order by 8 a.m. ET on 12/18 with free standard shipping, or by noon on 12/19 with 2-day shipping, for gifts to arrive by 12/25.

Readers, do tell! What are your favorite PJs, both styles and brands? Have you tried any of the brands above?

Image via Pexels

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What do you think are the best food-related gifts, whether a subscription, a delivery from Goldbelly, or a meal delivery service like Blue Apron? What gifts have you received and loved, and which food-related gifts have you given? Let's discuss…

I think there are three main things to talk about here: 1) food-related subscriptions that you gift (or receive), 2) holiday-related food gifts like Harry & David, and then 3) food gifts in general, whether through a delivery service like Goldbelly, a gift card for a service like Blue Apron, or even just a homemade treat for someone…

Readers, what are your thoughts?

The Best Food-Related Gifts

The Best Food Subscriptions

As I mentioned when we talked about the best of-the-month-club subscriptions a few years ago, we've both given and received a lot of food-related subscriptions over the years… Without a doubt, the big hit among my in-laws was the Rancho Gordo Bean Club subscription. (Huge hat tip to the readers here!) That, of course, is because it really suits their personalities and their lifestyle…

We've had a lot of hit-or-miss success with fruit of the month, beer of the month, nut of the month type things… The wide variety that's sent each month isn't always the recipient's favorite, which means they're then kind of stuck with it. We also got salsa of the month for a while, which was tasty, but we just don't eat salsa that often, so the jars would pile up.

Two that we've bought for ourselves that I would recommend for possible gifts include Universal Yums and Shaker & Spoon.

Universal Yums is a monthly collection of junk food from a particular country, so you learn a bit about the country and get to taste some of the more unusual treats. We did it during the pandemic and enjoyed it, but the boxes piled up because we were trying to all be present to try the treats and share opinions.

Shaker & Spoon is another one we did during the pandemic — it's a really pricey subscription, so best for a very good friend! They send you the non-alcoholic ingredients to make 3-4 unique little cocktails each month. You have to buy the liquor yourself (although they always have fun suggestions!), but most cocktails were delicious and unusual. Some, though, weren't to our taste — for example, they kept sending drinks involving coffee, which I'll only drink during the day, and we just don't do a lot of day drinking.

(I had my eye on the Murray's Cheese Club subscription for my MIL, but then she went mostly vegan… so, no cheese subscription for her.

The Best Holiday-Related Food Gifts

We've given and received a lot of these with some far-flung family members… I have yet to find one I really like. I feel like Harry & David can be annoying if you don't like the kind of fruit sent (I'm not a big fan of pears or oranges), and the little chocolate collections or sausage things just seem a bit like extra calories during an already calorie-filled season.

We've received some unusual versions of this, like the year someone sent us 14 candy-coated apples, all decorated in festive frosting. Taste-wise, they weren't as big of a hit, but they were absolutely gorgeous to look at. They were individually wrapped, so we wound up giving a lot of them away to the kids' teachers.

Other Food-Related Gifts

There may be four subcategories here: Goldbelly deliveries, foods you make yourself like mason jars of hot chocolate or homemade granola, gift cards to restaurants, and gift cards to services like Blue Apron or HomeChef.

Goldbelly and Other Food Deliveries as Gifts

In terms of Goldbelly deliveries — I'd also include Zingerman's here, maybe — we've had a lot of tasty donuts and cakes from specialty bakeries across the country. It always feels like the price is crazy, but they're always enjoyed and special. (I would distinguish this from a Harry & David kind of gift because you can't choose a generic sampling of fruit and nuts…)

(My mom is a big fan of fruitcake, so the picture at the top is one of the Goldbelly offerings we've tried and really liked — Brandied Fruitcake, by The Nuns of New Skete for $55.95.)

Homemade Food-Related Gifts

I don't make any food-related gifts myself, but I feel like the readers have shared some great ideas recently… You can also find great ideas from Real Simple, Taste of Home, and a bunch of other spots. Maybe this is me, but I feel like the key to this gift is that the recipient gets to choose when to enjoy it — in other words. it's largely shelf-stable and can be used or made after the holidays.

Gift Cards to Restaurants

We have started giving these to some friends and family, trying to support independent, local businesses … but it can be tricky if you don't know the restaurant yourself, or if the restaurant closes before the recipient can use the gift. (If the restaurant itself doesn't sell gift cards, you may be able to find them through Open Table or Restaurant.com.)

Because I have family there, I know that in Cleveland you can buy a coupon book for independent restaurants — but I can't find any other cities that do this. (Readers, if you do, shout 'em out in the comments!)

Obviously it's really easy to find gift cards to big chains, and you can often find them for a slightly discounted price at stores like Costco…

Gift Cards for Meal Delivery Services

As far as gift cards to meal delivery services like Blue Apron or HomeChef, we've had mixed success. In general these can be tricky gifts to give because you're basically signing someone up to cook dinner, but if you know your audience this can be great. The best one everyone loved was Purple Carrot, which had some delicious, inventive vegan meals (including some recipes I'm still making).

Readers, what are your thoughts — what are your favorite food-related gifts to give?

Stock photo via Stencil.

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It can be really, really tricky to find a great dress that is polished and sedate enough to wear to work, but then is interesting or elegant enough to also go to a cocktail party or holiday party after work. So let's discuss — what are you looking for in day to night work dresses? Do you add additional details like a statement necklace or ring to make it feel more festive?

(We've talked about work dresses a lot here, including rounding up our favorite work dresses in general, as well as the best plus size work dresses. Other specific roundups we've done include work dresses with pockets, fit and flare work dresses, work dresses with matching blazers, colorful sheath dresses for work, work dresses with built-in shapewear, and (over at CorporetteMoms), the best maternity dresses for work.)

These are some of the most polished, elegant day to night work dresses that I love…

Stylish Day to Night Work Dresses

Marycrafts

This dress is almost always under $50, and feels fancy because of the twist detail at the waist. It's available in sizes 0-22, at Amazon, in a bunch of colors.

Karen Kane

This Cascade dress has been a reader favorite for years because it's so easy to wear — it's stretchy, it's flattering, it's a little bit dramatic, and you can hand wash it. Score! It's $118 full price at Nordstrom and other retailers, often available in sizes XS-3X as well as petites.

Adrianna Papell

Aw, I'm kind of excited to see this Adrianna Pappell dress back in stock — it was a reader favorite for years, and then it disappeared for a bit. But it's a great dress for day to night looks.

It's $129-$159 at Nordstrom and other retailers, available in regular and plus sizes.

M.M.LaFleur

I've always thought M.M.LaFleur's Jillian dress was a gorgeous, elegant dress that would be just as appropriate in a conference room as well as at a cocktail party. It comes in a bunch of different colors, and a new “everyday satin” fabric, for $365 full price. (There are a lot marked down to $220 right now, though!)

Karen Millen

When we featured this dress for our morning thread, readers all agreed how great it would be to wear if you were speaking at a conference or the like. Karen Millen has a TON of different colors, sizes, and sleeve lengths for $342-$394.

Black Halo

In general, Black Halo makes beautiful, stylish, super polished dresses — it's hard to think of an item of theirs, over the years, that wouldn't be appropriate for both day to night. The pictured dress, the Jackie, is their classic, and also comes in a jumpsuit form. It's $375-$435 at Nordstrom and other retailers.

The Fold

Man – we have featured so many drool-worthy dresses and blazers from The Fold over the years, it's hard to say which is my favorite, but this hot pink dress may just be it. SO. FABULOUS. One of their iconic dresses, the Arlington, is also great for day-to-night looks.

The pictured dress is $595 at TheFold.com.

What are you looking for in a day to night dress, readers?

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This pretty little thing came up recently on one of my meanderings around Amazon, and I was intrigued: It is a rechargeable hand warmer! That little disc fits in the palm of your hand, and you can wear the silicone loop around your wrist if you want.

There are, of course, a zillion other ways to keep your hands warm, but this one is so pretty, and I think would make a great gift for someone who is always cold. It's often priced under $20, too, so it could be an easy stocking stuffer or other small gift if you have a monetary limit or just want to give a token physical gift alongside a gift card. (Such as for your assistant!)

The little device comes in five pretty patterns; this one is “polygon.”

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

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It's been too long since we had a thread listing the best gifts we've received (or that we would recommend to or for other people as gifts) — so here are the prompts:

Best book:

Best makeup/skincare/nail polish product:

Best handbag:

Best jewelry or accessory: 

Best travel-related purchase (business travel or other):

Best cardigan/sweater:

Best pajamas/lounge/athleisure item:

Best kitchen item:

Best pantry/shelf-stable food item (e.g., fancy olive oil):

Best wine, beer, or liquor: 

Best shippable gift basket, flower delivery, etc., you’ve received:

Best home item (e.g., blanket, Roomba):

Best thing you received or bought where Social Media Made You Do It:

Best gift you hesitated getting/keeping but now love:

Best restaurant meal or giftable experience (please note city):

Best play/musical/event experience (please note city):

Best hobby-related gift (e.g., a wetsuit for your love of kayaking): 

Best $20 or under you’ve spent (or estimate a gift to have cost):

Best other:

(Looking back) – What gift(s) have you received or bought for yourself for graduation(s) that you adored?:

(Looking back) – What gift(s) have you received or bought for yourself for milestone birthdays that were amazing?:

Some of My Favorite Gifts and Purchases

Best book: I read a lot of romance — some of my favorite newer ones I read this year, many on Kindle Unlimited (possibly another great gift idea): The Worst Guy and In a Jam (both Kate Canterbury), anything by Ali Hazelwood (particularly if the recipient likes really strong heroines in STEM).

Best makeup/skincare/nail polish product: I think I got Guerlain's Meteorites about a year ago now — it continues to be one of my favorite “must use before leaving the house” kind of purchases. It banishes any shininess, gently color-corrects, and gives a healthy lit-from-within kind of glow. I'm surprised how much I like it, to be honest. On a more expensive scale, I really love my new Shark blow dryer — my curly hair is diffused dry so quickly.

Best pajamas/lounge/athleisure item: I now own two sets of Nordstrom's Moonlight pajamas — they're super comfortable and wash nicely. Recommend.

Best kitchen item: On the smaller side: We're really into popping our own popcorn at the moment and this big air popper is my favorite if you have the space — it never burns the kernels! Infinitely smaller: a collapsible microwave popper* (but you do have to listen carefully). On the bigger side: We're enjoying our new Cuisinart toaster oven (although I'm not sure it's replaced my Ninja air fryer like I'd hoped it would). (*Note that the exact collapsible popper we bought is now unavailable, but there are a ton of similar ones; I've also heard great things about the one from Pampered Chef.)

Best wine, beer, or liquor: I got a bottle of Angel's Envy Rye and loved that — I'd also say our Shaker and Spoon subscription is one of the most enjoyable gifts we've gotten for ourselves.

(Here's my Shaker & Spoon referral code if you'd like to get 50% off your first box…)

Best shippable gift basket, flower delivery, etc., you’ve received: If you have any fruitcake lovers in your life, we just got my mom this fruitcake from Goldbelly — she recommends!

Best pantry/shelf-stable food item (e.g., fancy olive oil): A friend turned me on to Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha, from Bushwick Kitchen — we've made three or four orders over the past year. Delicious. We also love our Rancho Gordo bean subscription, as do my in-laws!

Best home item (e.g., blanket, Roomba): A reader recommended this stylish happy light and I must say I really love it. Remote control and a really stylish look.

Best gift you hesitated getting/keeping but now love: (mostly for the parents) We resisted going to Disney for a long time, but we finally went and had an absolutely stellar time with the kids. We just planned another trip.

Best restaurant meal or giftable experience (please note city): Le Colonial, Chicago (vacation)

Best play/musical/event experience (please note city): Bottom of the Ocean, NYC (closing soon though)

(Looking back) – What gift(s) have you received or bought for yourself for graduation(s) that you adored?: Boring gift, but I'll always be thankful for fact that when I graduated college, my father set up a joint Schwab account for me and gave me enough money to start investing. Had it not been for that (and/or my friend Sue, who since my early 20s has been one of the most money-savvy people I know), I doubt I'd have gotten interested in investing as early as I did.

(Looking back) – What gift(s) have you received or bought for yourself for milestone birthdays that were amazing?: I have no regrets over my Cartier watch or Mikimoto pearls (both for my 30th). I don't remember anything in particular for my 40th, though (hmmmn).

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