It’s the last few days before Christmas. Do you have your shopping done yet? If not, don’t worry. Don’t worry at all. Surprise your loved one with a gift that gives all throughout the year! Here are a few of my favorites.
44 North Coffee: We found this company on a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. They purchase seasonal beans and custom roast to levels that highlight the best tasting notes of the bean, all in a converted schoolhouse in Deer Isle, Maine. This would be perfect for any coffee-aficionado.
Mouth: Discover delicious indie food, while supporting small businesses. They have some of the standard food subscriptions (coffee, wine) but some interesting combos too (pickles, cocktail hour of the month). If you want to get something smaller than a subscription, Mouth also has a bunch of gift “baskets” – my favorite is the New Year’s Un-Resolution.
Skandicrush: For lovers of modern Scandinavian design (aka- Ikea lovers, all grown up!). The boxes have every day items that are stylish and functional.
Quarterly: Collections curated by people like Nina Garcia, Ludo Lefebvre, and Wil Wheaton (to name a few)! The items will vary depending on what curator you select, but the box will have a blend of original, exclusive, and consumer items. Each product will reflect on the person who selected it, and help inform your understanding of them. So maybe you’ll get the same kind of notebook that your favorite author used to plot her recent bestseller. The point is, every object—while uniquely brilliant in its function—will also have a story.
For the Makers: For craft lovers. Each month, you receive supplies and tutorials for four chic and easy DIY projects.
Try the World: Gourmet boxes from a different country every two months. A celebrity chef from each country selects local and authentic delicacies for the box, so you know what you’re getting is good. You’ll also get a card describing what each item is, as well as recipes and a culture guide.
Flower Muse: Subscription for flowers every month. The garden roses would be my pick.
Hamptons Lane: Themed boxes for the food lover, combining ingredients with the tools they need to enhance their culinary experience. Previous themes include Gourmet Picnic, Coastal Italy, Tailgating, Spanish Tapas.
E-classes at Brit + Co: Okay, so this technically isn’t a subscription in the way that the other items in this round-up are, but this is a perfect gift for someone who wants to learn a new creative skill. I am particularly interested in the calligraphy and hand-lettering classes, but there are a lot of other skills to choose from (knitting, sketching, flower arranging, etc).
Turntable Kitchen: Food + music = heaven, amiright? In each box, you get a 7″ vinyl, a digital mix tape, premium ingredients, and seasonal recipes.
Jeni’s Pint Club: Whenever I travel to a town with Jeni’s in it, it is guaranteed to be included on our itinerary. The Pint Club brings Jeni’s to you! Three pints of Jeni’s—one signature flavor, one perennial flavor, one limited edition flavor—delivered four times a year.