My yearly Holiday Gift Guide! I love finding things that are either useful or sure to be well loved. There's cooking stuff, home goods, fashion finds and kids gifts. I also love a good deal so I’ve included and promos I know about! I look for a variety of things, but they’re mostly things I use and love (or want for myself 😜.)
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links where I receive a commission if you visit a link and buy something on my recommendation. Purchasing via an affiliate link doesn’t cost you any extra, and I only recommend products and services I use and love.
For the kitchen
I’ve written about my favorite Miyabi chefs knife before; a Japanese knife with a birch wood handle that retails for $350 - not in everyone’s price range - last year it was sold out everywhere but this year I found it at
Walmart for $299.
If that's too pricey, Miyabi has other great knives like
this one for $129 and
this one for $149 that I bought for myself last year. It’s a lot less expensive than the birch one and in my opinion, absolutely just as good. I find myself reaching for it daily. HIGHLY recommend. This knives keep a sharp blade for ages and are so comfortable to handle.
If you’re
petite or shopping for someone is, I really recommended the
Zwilling 7” Slim Chefs Knife. Normally it’s $99.99 but it’s marked down to $79 at Saks 5th Avenue which offers free shipping. I’m tall with big hands so I like an 8 or 9” knife, but if you’re more petite, a 7” knife is going to be a lot easier to maneuver and get a proper grip on. You know it’s great quality because it’s made by Zwilling with their German carbon steel and I love that it comes in traditional black or matte white.
Earlywood, a small company in Bozeman Montana makes beautiful hard wood cooking and serving utensils. I am a big fan of the flat sauté set. I find a flat wooden paddle a lot more useful than a spoon to stir a pot, and they look beautiful on your counter. You can also use them as serving tongs
An apron from LA based company (and woman owned)
Hedley & Bennett is a PERFECT gift for
anyone who loves to cook. The quality is outstanding, they come in tons of patterns and colors. They’re what the pros use so you know they’re good. Use code EMILYB for 10% off your order!
When it comes to enamel Dutch ovens, the most coveted is definitely
Le Creusset (link to Black Friday sale) and yes, they are timeless workhorses and classics.
If the price tag is a little steep for you (the one I have is second hand), I would with full enthusiasm buy
an enamel Dutch oven from Lodge. It’s a trusted company (American too!) and the quality is fantastic. I own one I use at home all the time, and I bought another one for my work place. I love this
6 qt white one for $67.
The
giant 7 qt one I use for big batches of chili is on sale for $84 and comes in multiple colors.
If you’re looking for a non stick, do everything pan, my mom gave me The
Always Pan for Mother’s Day a few years ago and we use it every day at home. It’s definitely my favorite sauté pan. Completely non stick and so so functional, also on big sale right now ($99 instead of $145.)
Another good option is this All-clad
sauté pan for $64.
For frying pans, this
All-Clad set for $56 is great. Not as cute as the Our Place pans, but great quality.
It goes without saying if you don’t have a
mandolin ($33) yet, and you like to cook, it’s time.
I’d buy it if I didn’t already have 2 paella pans. Last time I looked there were a few more listed in different colors like red, turquoise and brown - you can
check here. Honestly they would be beautiful on the counter top as a shallow bowl for fruit.
If you’re interested in looking at more vintage Dansk enamel check out
this Etsy page. They are so charming, totally functional, perfectly utilitarian.
I also have a list of my favorite kitchen tools on Amazon, which you can find
HEREFashion/accessories for her
I am a huge fan of these leather loafer/moccasins from Saks Fifth Avenue. They’re so comfy and they don’t get more classic. Plus they’re only $69. I wear mine all the time to dress up jeans a bit.
My go to dressy item of clothing is a J. Crew velvet blazer. It’s so festive and anyone can pull it off. Works over a dress or with pants, even jeans. If you love a bright pop of color the pink and blue blazers are stunning! I have two and they’re 50% off for Black Friday right now!
All my jeans are from Madewell and my favorite are their Perfect Vintage Jeans that come in different washes and cuts. All 40% off right now
Draper James is 30% off if you sign up for email, which makes their super soft pajamas a steal. My college friend Kathryn is the head designer and we get matching which is so fun and cute - they have different sets, cuts and prints (even some mommy and me styles.)
Thank
I frequently smell like a kitchen so I love a good perfume. I discovered Gucci Bloom this year and it’s become my new favorite perfume. It’s just the right amount of floral without being cloying or sweet. I get a lot of compliments when I wear it. You can get a bottle of eau de parfum here. Or a less committed purchase is this roller ball tube which is great to keep in your purse, car or when traveling. I always have a tube in my purse.
live in these
gold bracelets from RG, one of my favorite local LA shops (also woman owned). One looks great, a few look fantastic. I sleep and shower in them and they’ve held up beautifully.
For the home:
This
fig leaf diffuser from Antica Farmacia is the best thing I’ve ever smelled besides my babies. I smelled it when I walked into a shop in the Hamptons when I was cooking there this summer and I had to have it. I keep it on the credenza in our living room and every time I walk by and inhale the subtle smell of it I smile. I’ve NEVER been one for air fresheners and I’m picky with scented candles and parfume. The other scents in the line smell good too but I’m obsessed with the fig. Great hostess or mom gift (or self gift.) It’s $68 and an additional 25% off for Black Friday.
Annie Cardinaux is an artist based in Jamaica Plains who makes absolutely stunning quilted art. She uses traditional quilting methods to make landscapes, waterscapes and trees apes. After desiring one for years, I finally bought one this summer and I LOVE it. They come beautifully framed and ready to hang.
If you’re looking for a great picnic or beach blanket, check out mom owned
Seabird Society. This hand made
outdoor blanket has a water resistant bottom but feels like a cozy quilt on top. It rolls up into sewn on straps, has a pocket, comes with stakes for the corners, etc. Wood block printed in Jaipur and…. a Mom owned company!
If you’ve got a book lover on your list, support local small bookstores
www.skylightbooks.com is a Los Angeles institution. They have an amazing selector adult and children’s books, and pretty much everything under the sun.
Self care/Beauty Products
I can do a workout anywhere with a
resistance band. Black Mountain makes really high quality ones and this easy one I use the most is a steal right now.
This
Olivier Midi face oil is a splurge but a bottle lasts me quite awhile. I love how gentle it is and I’ve been using over a year. Amazingly I have zero breakouts now and my skin looks better than it ever has. It’s the only thing I use on my face aside from soap and sunblock.
The Beachwaver curling iron ($99 - $199) is straight up AMAZING. It has a ceramic coating barrel that moves in both directions so you can easily get gorgeous beach waves in about 5 minutes with no tired arms. I bought one last year and it's put an end to my Dry Bar habit. It's a little pricey, but actually just the cost of two blow outs. I have long hair so I went with the 1.25 barrel ($129.) One of the best hair purchases I've ever made.
I asked a good friend a few years ago for skin care tips and she recommended these
daily facial peels from Dr. Dennis Gross. They are amazing. I don’t use them daily because I’m not that good at routine (plus they are expensive) but I use them a couple times a week and 100% have noticed a difference. They help a lot with fine lines, large pores and uneven skin tone. I started with the
original formula ($88) which also comes in a
60 application pack (definitely lasts me more than two months) which saves you a few bucks. I worked my way up to the
extra strength (make sure you wear your sunblock the next day! There’s also this
whole set which looks like a great deal.
For Him:
This $35 cashmere beanie from Nordstrom Rack is easily a favorite gift for many guys. Another great cashmere gift is a sweater like this quarter zip one. On sale for $139 from $175
If you’ve got an outdoorsy guy on your list, www.backcountry.com is having a huge sale. Maybe they need a new sleeping bag (60% off) or three season tent?
Nick and Nora coupe glasses are perfect for a variety of cocktails and mocktails. They’re great to hold and make any drink special. These are on Black Friday special for only $20.
Second generation Apple Air Pod pros are $50 off for Black Friday for your favorite techie.
Anything from Buck Mason. This LA based company is Zach’s go to for every day wear. He lives in their tees, button downs and pants. Bonus, I love the style too!
Things to Eat!!
A box of chocolates from John Kelly is the best gift I can think of for a chocolate lover. Hand made in Los Angeles by a brilliant chocolatier, they are indulgent and beautifully packaged. Honestly one of my most favorite gifts to give and get. They ship throughout the US!
For all you coffee lovers, Sip & Sonder, a Black women-owned coffee shop in Inglewood, CA roasts phenomenal beans and is having a 20% off sale this weekend.
I love the spice blends from Sam Binkley at Healthy on You (another Black woman owned company based in Southern California.) They’re cleverly named, beautifully packaged and made from the highest quality ingredients. The za’atar blend is my personal favorite and I go through a few jars a year (probably more than any other spice mix in my spice drawer!)
If you know someone who doesn’t drink, a gift set from Lyre’s non alcoholic is a brilliant gift. I’ve tried at least half the flavors by now and I LOVE all of them! I like the premixed mocktails in cans the most and this one is my favorite set.
If you live in Los Angels, a gift card or wine club membership (starts at $49 per month) to our wine bar Tabula Rasa Bar makes a great gift!! We carry an amazing selection of natural wines, craft beers, sake and even non alcoholic options.
For the chef in your life that loves using the best ingredients, Rancho Gordo beans are the best heirloom beans you can buy, from a small business run out of Napa, California. These are the beans top restaurants who care about sustainable farming buy. They’re worlds away from the mass produced, industrial supermarket beans most of us know.
Know a spice lover who can’t get enough heat?? This gift
box set from
Fly by Jing is the perfect gift and comes with a bunch of hard to find ingredients to make authentic Sichuan dishes. Or get
the three pack. Also, a woman owned company!
I also love gifting a box of chocolates from
Sonoma Chocolatiers. It’s a small, (lovely) woman owned business in the Sonoma Wine Country that makes outstanding and beautiful chocolates with quality ingredients and amazing flavors. I love going into their shop to try samples when I’m in Sonoma wine country and I always leave with a box! Great way to support small businesses.
For kids
This pogo jumper has been a big hit in our household
A fire tablet is an inexpensive tablet that we gave both our kid a few years ago. This is the 2022 model, on sale for $55 from $110 for Black Friday. It has parental controls and ad free content. Great for travel.
This kids punching bag has great reviews and seems like a good way for kids to exercise and get some lent up energy out!
Kids paint set great for ages 4-10
This puffer jacket is only $27, marked down from $75
Crayola
washable paint is something we always have at home for art projects.
Support Black owned
Alaffia, a fair trade cooperative and social enterprise investing in empowering women and families in West Africa. We love their wonderful smelling kids
bubble bath!
My daughter has been begging to learn how to sew so I got her this
embroidery kit (under $15) with a hoop from Etsy.
Magna tiles are toy your kids will play with for years. Ours have been going strong for about 4 years and both kids still play with them.
My mother in law gifted us the
boogie board tablet a few years ago and the kids still use it all the time. It’s under $20. You can draw on it, trace and practice letters/writing. Sort of like an etch a sketch but with a stylus and the screen clears with a very satisfying click of a button. I think it takes a battery but it comes with it and we’ve never once had to change it in 3 years. HIGHLY recommend for young kids (also makes good birthday gifts if you’re always scrambling for something you could stick up on a few at under $20.)
My kids love listening to their
Tonies box. Each figure plays a bunch of different songs and then there’s a story to listen too. I love it because the kids are completely entertained with no screen in sight. I use it when I’m feeding them and have to multitask, during craft time, quite time and sometimes even at bed time if it’s been a long day amd I don’t have a story in me. It’s a little pricey but we have used ours so much. The best deal is to get the
starter box which comes in blue with Elsa, Moana, Cinderella and the Little Mermaid - or
the red box which comes with Lightning McQueen, Lion King, Toy Story and Monsters, Inc.
Thank 
Another great cashmere gift is a sweater like this quarter zip one. On sale for $139 from $175
Second generation Apple Air Pod pros are $50 off for Black Friday for your favorite techie. 
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