Five Gifts That Never Fail

Some of my favorite resources for pajamas:

Hannah Andersson: think butter-soft fabrics, energizing colors, long-lasting quality, and comfy shapes that aren’t too tight or too grown-up for little ones. You can outfit the whole family (including Fido) with their bright, stripey PJs and you’ll not only be photo-friendly, but earth friendly too––they’re made from organically grown cotton.

JCrew: I love JCrew flannels for all the men, women, and children on my list. They’re always soft, always festive, and almost always on sale right before Christmas (just in the nick of time). My favorites this year are their Polar Bear Santa Sleep-In Pants for men and their Striped Cotton Skivvies for women. Their flannel bedroom slippers are always cute too.

Magazine Subscriptions

Subscriptions are the gifts that keep on giving, and they are usually the least stressful and often the least expensive gifts on my list. I gave my sports-obsessed son a subscription to Sports Illustrated for Kids last year. It cost me $20––he stalks the mailman every month in the days leading up to its arrival and reads it to tatters once it arrives (sneaky way to get your kids to read). Best $20 I ever spent. There are magazines to suit every obsession and budding interest be it fashion, travel, dogs, crafts, or photography.

Of-the-Month Clubs

Similar to magazine subscriptions, though a little pricier, an of-the-month club guarantees that your gift receiver thinks happy thoughts of you at least once a month when his gift arrives––not sure what I’ll do with all that good karma! Of-the-month clubs used to mean a pricey delivery of fruit or flowers once a month, but the options are now as wide-ranging as the prices.

If your giftee hasn’t already joined the Netflix movie club, you can purchase a six-month subscription for $53.94. Indie film lovers will love a subscription to filmmovement.com. You can get a six-month subscription for $119.95, which includes one award-winning independent and foreign film each month (for you to keep) for six months, as well as six bonus films and a DVD carrying case.