What I Gave for Christmas 2022

My New Year’s Resolution is consistency, which is why I’m returning to writing on my blog – and what better first post than my annual Christmas round-up? I love reflecting back on all the presents I give each year and comparing it to the last, so I’m re-committing to doing my round-up. Keep reading if you’re curious and let me know what your favorite gift was.

Diana (Twin)

Sanborn Canoe Company Mackinac – This gift could only be appreciated by a rower or someone with a true respect for gorgeous, handcrafted nautical décor – and my sister is just that person. Her project of the year has been redesigning her room, and one of her gallery walls is going to have a rustic, campfire-y/ nautical aesthetic. This investment was one I knew would be truly cherished, so I gifted to her as her “big” gift.

2 Packs of Americanflat 12×18 Poster Frames in Black (2-Pack) – These frames were personally requested to help Diana get her gallery walls assembled. It’s a contribution towards Diana’s passion project that I was happy to make!

FrameWorks 16×20″ Golden Oak Picture Frames – This two-pack is the start of Diana’s national parks wall gallery – she’s been collecting these beautiful prints off of Etsy prints and part of my gift was choosing the two prints to go on her wall first.

Betty Who Tickets – Diana and I haved loved Betty Who since 2014 (we first saw her perform live in Brooklyn) and have not missed a concert since. She’s “big, larger than life, a million miles high, that once in a century.” I digress. For Christmas, I spent $170 on tickets for her upcoming concert in March at the Hammerstein Ballroom and I feel somewhat gyped because I have never spent that much on a concert in my life. The good part? We have actual assigned seats (if I read the seating chart correctly)!

Gap Sherpa Clogs – Diana prizes cozy footwear and requested these sherpa lined clogs, which suit her aesthetic very well and check off both form and function.

Justin Verlander New York Mets Next Stop Bobblehead – Diana has a formidable Mets bobblehead collection, and with the news of Justin Verlander being signed to the Mets, she requested this limited edition collectible Verlander bobblehead (of which only 500 were made) for her display. It doesn’t get shipped for another few months, but she’ll be so stoked when it arrives.

Chubbies The Ol’ St. Nicks – How cute are these?! Diana’s all about rocking a statement short, and these Santa shorts from Chubbies were too good to pass up. I gave them to her early and she wore them on Christmas Eve.

Stocking – In Diana’s stocking, I tucked a $25 Amazon Gift Card (because Diana wants some floating shelves for her room), a $50 Uber Gift Card because Diana works retail and I wanted to support her on those days where she wants to be off her feet, and holiday candy galore!

Toms Alpargata Heritage Canvas Shoes – Finally, my last gift to Diana was This was another wishlist fulfillment present – I think these were on crazy clearance so I got her the two pairs she wanted.

Nick (Boyf)

Butcher’s Block – While a butcher’s block doesn’t seem all that festive, Nick is a chef with a ton of cookware and without much counter space. He’s mentioned wanting a butcher’s block before, so I went hunting and found this bad boy! I decided to ask for his take and he approved, so here we are.

J. Crew Suede Chelsea Boot – Nick’s shoe collection has, essentially, come down to one single pair of converses. All of his boots are worn out, so I showed him some smart options from J. Crew to add to his collection and he liked these chelsea boots best.

Multi-ccino Mug – I got Nick this cute mug from MOMA to complement his new Espresso machine. This thermal-resistant mug invites coffee drinkers to learn and create various recipes. Neat innit?

Stocking – For our very first stocking exchange, I decided to do an everything under $15 rule to get Nick some cute little small gifts and some fun novelty items. Included was a $10 Amazon gift card, a set of shot glasses, some treats, a leather cord keeper, a journal, and a pierogi ornament (a hint towards a bigger gift).

Karczma Gift Card – Remember how I was saying the pierogi ornament was a hint for a bigger gift? This is it. Karczma is a Polish restaurant in Greenpoint that Nick and I really like. I figured a $50 gift card will make for a great dinner date!

Polish Propaganda Print – For Nick’s last gift, I got him this really cool print from Etsy and framed it as a cool historical artifact for him to hang in his office.


Mom & Dad

Diana bought my parents a ton of J. Crew gifts (since she works at J. Crew) but I contributed to the cause with some candy stocking stuffers and lottery tickets. I would’ve split the gifts with her but she insisted on getting them herself since she’s borrowed quite a bit of $ from me this holiday season.

Christina

My cousin, Christina, is pregnant! Her wishlist included some pregnant essentials so Diana got her this Dream on Me Beeboo Nursing Pillow and Civikbra Nursing Bra for Breastfeeding.

Hopeton

My sister covered my cousin’s husband Hopeton with a nice J. Crew lounge set. I got him this personalized beard care kit from Etsy!

Madison

For my niece Madison (she’s my cousin’s daughter but feels like my niece, so what do you call that?!), I got her two gifts off her Christmas wish list – the Osmo Math Wizard and the Enchanted World Games iPad & Fire Tablet and the Got2Glow Fairy Finder with On the Go. I felt like it was a good mix of educational and fun.

Hannah

I actually bought a Christmas gift for my cousins last year, and didn’t get to see them, so these gifts carried over to this year. I got my cousin Hannah some goodies from Kitsch, including the Nourishing Shampoo Conditioner and Body Wash Kit, as well as this Cotton Face Mask Dusty Rose 3 Pack and some $$$.

Wilson

Wilson is my cousin whose currently attending NYU. I know he’s a growing boy, so I decided to get him two elevated gifts as well as some cash. I loved these finds at the Calvin Klein outlet in Tanger. They both have a luxe, masculine feel without breaking the bank.

Chinese Fam

$50 Uber Gift Card – For Christmas this year, I gave each aunt/uncle pair a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a Lindt chocolates in this super cute set of gift boxes from Marshalls. Simple and a real gift they will use for sure.

Martin

Kodak Mini Shot 3 Retro (60 Sheets) 3×3 2-in-1 Portable Wireless Instant Camera & Photo Printer – Ever since my birthday, where we rented a photo booth, it’s been revealed to me that Martin likes taking photos as much as I do. So… ta da! Nick and I got him this instant camera / photo printer.

Xena

This year was Xena’s second Christmas with us. We got her a stocking with a cute little X doggie on it, as well as a mix of things she can eat, play with, and wear.

Collapsible Travel Dog Bowl – I was at Five Below and stumbled upon this collapsible travel dog bowl. There’ve been times where Xena comes to my parent’s house and we need to scrounge to find something to put her water in, so this will be great to bring with us on the go.

PUPTECK Soft Mesh Dog Harness Pet Puppy Cat Comfort Padded Vest No Pull Harnesses – Unfortunately, this will need to go back. I thought it was such a cute harness/vet set, but Xena pulls too much and the ring that keeps the leash connected to the vest isn’t strong enough to last. Also, you have to pull this on over the dog’s head which is inconvenient.

Hill’s Natural Jerky Mini-Strips with Real Chicken Dog Treats – Xena loves Hills’ natural jerky mini-strips in the beef so I decided to get her chicken as a second treat offering.

Hollypet Squeaky Armadillo Pet Plush Dog Chew Toy – This armadillo toy is very unique. It makes a very specific sound when squeezed, and Xena absolutely loves it – so much so that all the stuffing came out over the course of 3 weeks and then it was over. So we got her another one for the holidays!

Bark Getting Coal Feet Christmas Dog Toy in Red – I found this coal and stocking set at Marshalls and it was so cute I couldn’t resist! The stocking toy features a crazy crinkle and the little coals are two squeakers for hours of playtime. I also got her a donut and mug toy set but can’t find it online anywhere. 🙁

Chapo

El Chapo is our good friend Eric’s dog (he feels like a son to me) and I couldn’t resist to get him a few holiday gifts! I got him two outfits from Five Below, a cute little Santa Bib from Marshalls, and a set of toys.

That concludes my Christmas gifting for 2022! Let me know what you thought in the comments, and also what was your “big” gift to somebody this year? I’ll be coming at you with my “What I Got for Christmas” round-up shortly.

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