Hey there Crew. I’m looking around at the things we can buy for this season of giving. It’s getting well out of hand. My thought here is that spending enormous amounts of money on gifts will not make people love me, or even think of me 10 minutes after the gift is unwrapped. Now, I’m not saying this is a universal problem. Not EVERYONE forgets the gifter. I try my best to remember who gave what, and how grateful I am for their thoughtfulness. Also, a really well thought out gift that fits the person exactly and will be treasured for the life of the gift can have a large price tag. A new mattress, wallpaper for their room, a super special watch or phone, a designer handbag, a boat or a small island in the Mediterranean. Sure, these things are special and meaningful. So this year, my Gifts 2025 list, will all be under US$50. Let’s see how it goes.
Gifts 2025
Foodstuffs
Can we talk Fortnum & Mason please? Who doesn’t love some true English Biscuits, Teas and Tea Towels? They have stockists in NYC (Williams Sonoma), Canada (Holt Renfrew) and Mexico (El Palacio de Hierro), even Australia has them in David Jones. I know some of these go right up to the Gifts 2025 US$50 mark but… Fortnum and Mason has long been one of my London pilgrimages. Every visit I try to get a friend or two in and have the High Tea experience. Having their products in my home gives enormous please every time they get used.
Fortnum & Mason Musical Piccadilly Selection Tin $46.95. This is the seriously good stuff. If you want to give someone something so cool, with a musical keepsake tin to put all their samples and decants in! Come On! Look at that selection. Lemon Curd, Stem Ginger, Chocolate Pearl and 17 biscuits of each flavour. PLUS it plays some of Handels Water Music. Bottom left corner of the pic.
Fortnum & Mason Classic World Tea Bags, Set of 60 $49.95: How gorgeous for the dilettante tea lover who happily uses a teabag (me). Assam, Lapsang Souchong, Russian Caravan, Darjeeling and Ceylon Orange Pekoe.
Fragrant
American Perfumer Gift Cards: Did you know American Perfumer does Gift Cards from US$25? Give them the gift of choice. I love a Gift card because it has immediate happy surprise value, then you get to do the choosing, waiting for it to arrive, the joy of opening and then the wearing. I know people are a bit funny about them but in my mind Gift Cards rock.
Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien Shower Oil 8.5oz: Now, this glorious shower oil normally retails at US$65 but on FragranceNet I’ve noted it at under US$25! This feels like a FancyAF gift but extremely affordable and Eau d’Hadrien is excellent for everyone. Not such a bad gift for yourself too.
Atelier Cologne Variety 8 x .14oz minis US$48.50: This is a very nicely presented discovery set for the budding perfumista. Another FragranceNet value gift. Love Osmanthus, Pomelo Paradis, Bohemian Orange Blossom, Orange Sanguine, Oolang Infini, Lemon Island, Clementine California, Cedre Atlas in spray 4ml size.
So there are a few interesting ideas for your Gifts 2025 lists.
Do you have some suggestions?
Portia xx
Love your gift ideas Portia and your posts in general. I’m very sorry to learn that Eau de Hadrian has such an affordable shower gel . .
. .now I’ll have to buy it for myself!
HA! YAY! So glad to have helped you find an affordable self-gift Alison,
Merry everything.
Portia xx
That Fortnum Picadilly tin looks fabulous! Also, I would love to go somewhere for afternoon tea. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Is that CrazyPlace in ABQ still there?
Did you ever get to Huntington Gardens in Pasadena March? They do a spectacular high tea and then you can wander the roses and cactus. Unbelievably fabulous day out.
Portia xx
Wow Portia, those all look like winning ideas especially for a tea drinker like me who loves scent and baths! Thanks for the hints!
Welcome DinaC,
Have a fun one.
Portia x
Well you’ve certainly given some great ideas. I love Fortnum & Mason; one year I sent their cookies along with a copy of “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane” in which F&M almond cookies play a part.
SO cool Tom.
We have been given a pack of F&M Christmas cookies this year. They are SO GOOD!
Portia xx
Great suggestions! I’ll definitely be ordering some of the Fortnum & Mason products!
Thanks Robin,
It’s the good stuff.
Portia xx
I like that Musical Piccadilly Tin a lot! Too bad it’s no longer available. I do see some other nice stuff on the site though. I had already planned on food gifts. They are perfect. Everyone seems to enjoy them, whether they carry some extra weight or not.
BUMMER! Sorry about that Maya,
They were there in plenty when I wrote the post.
YAY for food gifts.
Portia xx
Like so many others I have WAY TOO MUCH STUFF! I want a new dishwasher… but I want to get it from my in-town appliance shop ( town of 1,400 yet we have an appliance store! To be fair, it’s been around since the Cold War). My sister said asking for folks to chip in on that was tacky…
I have to get a gift for a Present Swap party – last year I gave a Dr Teal’s gift set ( and the year before a basket of Yadain body products)… neither of which was well received. You know what they always Love? A cheap candle or a sign from Walmart. Done!
A sign from Walmart? Saying what precisely?
Those ‘Grateful’, ‘Live , Laugh, Love’ , ‘Blessed’ kind of signs
Musette, we Crowd Fund stuff all the time for birthdays and Xmas. Nobody knows what to give people and everyone has too much crap. Tell everyone to pop from $2 to $200 in a card and every time you wash dishes you’ll think of them with love. Your sister is all the way wrong on this. People will be grateful for some easy direction.
You’ve solved your own riddle. Excellent.
Portia xx
Huh! This is GREAT news!!
I’m with Portia, crowdfunding is an excellent way to fund big ticket items. Ask the givers to make it anonymous so there is no embarrassment.
We’ve had laptops, tablets & a TV funded like that..
I’ve also had perfumes from Saintecellier.com where the kids have organised online vouchers/credit for me to use. That’s how some of my bigger ticket scents came to me
Thanks!!!
LOVE that we snap on this Alityke!
This year the offspring have asked for money. The youngest needs floorboards & possible a joist replacing. The eldest & his wife are expecting & want to get a “baby money pot” together so they can take their full paternity & maternity leave.
So gifts to family will just be stocking fillers.
DH & I are getting each other a streaming service each. Like you guys we have way too much “stuff”.
BTW my phone autocorrected to “baby money pot” to “baby money pit”. I think the phone is right!
Lol!!! Every once in awhile Autotrash gets it on the nose!!!
It still tells me Sauvage is Sausage too.
HA! The autocorrect is, for once, so right Alityke.
Streaming Services is a very cool gift. Which ones have you chosen?
Portia xx
DH wants Discovery+ for his car programs, I will get Netflix again as I cancelled in earlier in the year & miss it.
Nice
When I was still working, the guy who ran the place gifted hampers at Xmas. A couple of times it was F&M but the best ones were from Selfridges and Ottolenghi.
I really miss Williams Sonoma. Can’t access the site here. My wonderful wine glasses come from there.
Everyone I’m gifting has asked that no food be included this year — mostly people trying to lose weight and not wanting chocolate floating around.
So, gifting ideas… Small candles. There are loads of companies that offer small sizes as decent prices. If you are in the US Literie’s candles are great.
Holiday bulbs. If you are seeing someone in person a pot of paper whites is lovely. Or some packets of seeds or a Hellebore for a garden lover to brighten up winter.
Interesting that a general No Food Ban is on with your mates Cinnamon. We are constantly asking for ONLY consumables. There’s too much stuff in this apartment already and anything we love we already have spares by the truckload.
I’m hoping for Brazil Nuts in 2025, they are SO freaking expensive the last couple of years.
Portia xx
I think I have managed to get stuff that is consumable but not food, ie lotions and potions, teas, Ottolenghi sauces that don’t have many calories but make things taste elevated. Yup, nuts have gotten very pricey.
Good shopping there Cinnamon, wish we were doing it together in London.
Portia xx
Love Brazil nuts!