Too Many Open Tabs (16): Perfect Little Special Treats
aka: great gifts that make for great care packages
I will spare you the diatribe about how it can possibly be that we are halfway through the year, but please know…I’m thinking it! Here we are — in the thick of summer (the beginning thick of summer?) School is out for my kids and asking them to get dressed in the morning is simple because they can’t wait to put their bathing suits on. The pool and pond are open, the splash pads are blasting the days are nice and long and since it seems to rain pretty much every single weekend, everything is lush and green and in bloom. We’ve just returned from our family trip to the midwest (it was glorious!) and now the fun starts for my big kids with a few weeks of fun camps and activities. Summer is so special.
Recently, I’ve worked on a few special packages for some people in my life who have big things going on — some good and exciting and wonderful, and some hard. In curating these little gestures, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what things make nice gifts, and what are special things that I love or lust over that would make a nice little treat.
In general, assembling little packages for people — whether it’s just because, or for a specific event or moment, or because someone has something big going on in their life and you’re thinking of them is not my forte. I would like to be better about it. I have the idea, can easily create a vision for all the details of the plan, and then I let life and other excuses get in the way of the execution of the actual gesture. And then it’s been too long, and then I just…don’t. Stupid excuses that I don’t want to let dictate things anymore. Especially every once in awhile, this is a special thing that I want (sometimes it’s a need!) to do — not just around holidays or birthdays or other major events.
You know how good and special the feeling is when you get a little something in the mail that you weren’t expecting? Whether it’s a simple handwritten note, flowers, or something bigger like an unexpected package, it is something that is sure to always put a smile on your face. Maybe even better than receiving a gift on your birthday or the holidays when you know you’ll be getting something. There aren’t enough fun surprises these days, in my opinion, and this is a fun way to change that up a little bit!
And of course, on the self-benefit end of the spectrum — this is the time of year when we’re spending more time with friends and family, and visiting people — so, ‘tis also the season of host/hostess gifts (another thing that I am not good at remembering) to say thank you for hosting [insert event here]. I am someone who used to scoff at the idea of having a “backlog” of hostess gifts, and in the past couple years I’ve really come full circle on that — WHO has time to go grab sometime special before you go to dinner at a friends house in the middle of the week, or, even more challenging, in all the bustle of packing for a weekend trip. I have finally realized that THIS is why it’s a good idea to have a little backstock of gifts you can grab from and feel confident will be great! (PS - if you have kids this is also a great hack for kid’s birthday parties — they can really sneak up on you and its always a good idea to have a thing or two at home you could pack up as a gift when you can’t run to the store!)
So, what would I give people? Read on for my tips and tricks. And — some ground rules — these are all things I either have (in some cases have been gifted!), or have bought/given to someone else! Every individual thing is under $200, and most are significantly under that. Whether you want to say, “I’m Thinking of You,” “I’m proud of you/You did it!,” “Take care of yourself, ” or “Thanks for XYZ/everything” — I think you’ll find some good inspiration! (ps — this post also pulls back the curtain on my Etsy obsession…also documented here, but, you’ve been warned!) I hope you discover something that is the perfect item for someone in your life, or maybe even just for you!
Home Things
Pouches — I know that everyone always says it, but there is a reason for it — pouches make a great gift. You can both never have too many, AND most of us don’t buy them for ourselves (many of mine are from beauty brands who send a pouch along with a list — and they’re great, but, there are also really great pouches out there that are perfect to fit everything you need when you go on a trip, or keep your lip gloss and sunscreen find-able in a large tote bag. Great gifts!!! Weezie Pouch / Hill House Quilted Cosmetic Bag / Etsy (customizable and so wonderful!) / Hair Tool Bag (confession that I don’t have this but I think it is BRILLIANT! I never know how to pack my airwrap/curling iron!
Cocktail Picks - If you’ve been here for a bit, or if you follow me on instagram, you know I LOVE and ice-cold dirty gin martini. Nothing hits the spot quite like it! So, my choice of a cocktail pick is obviously this or this. But, I think something to adorn someone’s bar is always a nice gift, and I love that these bring a little infusion of personality! Big Night Olive Picks / Diver Picks (Etsy) / Spiral Picks
Beautiful Glasses - I have this thing with gorgeous glassware. In my dream house, I have a giant china cabinet with an elaborate and large collection of beautiful glassware. In the meantime, I am slowly building my collection, and am always on the lookout for great pieces. I think a pair or quad of glasses makes for a great gift, especially if someone is celebrating a new apartment or home! Pean Doubulyu Glasses / Striped Tumblers / Shell Martini Glasses (Etsy)
Fancy Hand Soap - At a “Favorite Things” party with some friends earlier this year I got fancy hand soap that I kept in my bathroom and enjoyed every single time I used it. I loved this little touch, and so it came to mind when I was recently shopping for a few things for a friend. It’s a great thing to keep on hand to give as a gift! Aesop Resurrection Hand Wash (this is what I was gifted, it has little exfoliating beads in it that are AMAZING) / Flamingo Estate Hand Soap (this is what I picked — tomato soap? couldn’t say no to that in summer!) / Follain Soap (this is what I have used for years - I used to refill bottles every month at the store in Beacon Hill. It’s lovely and I love the new packaging.
Vase - A beautiful vessel for freshly cut flowers, or greenery, or to just have on display in their home. Lettuce Vase (insanely gorgeous, I have this!) / Ceramic Striped Vase (Etsy)
A Game - I’m fresh off a week in Northern Wisconsin where we played hours upon hours of cribbage. A cool cribbage board is a great gift - because it’s practical and many of them are beautiful. But, summer is also just game season in my mind, so it might be Rummikub, — any of these would be especially great if you’re thanking someone for hosting for a weekend! L.L.Bean Cribbage Canoe / Travel Cribbage Set (Etsy) / Custom Mexican Trains Set (Etsy) / Ski Cribbage Set (Etsy)
Beauty things
Body Lotion or Oil - Especially for a friend who is going through a hard time, something to use for a little self care is really nice. It’s hot/swim/sunscreen season, and body lotion is an important thing to remember (that a lot of us forget!) So, a lovely lotion is a great treat. Corpus body butter (a great traditional cream) / Osea oil (the smell is subtle but divine!) / Fur Body Oil (great especially when/if you’re shaving or epilating a lot!) / Hanni Fatty Stick (easiest application possible!)
Body Scrub - Another great thing for summertime - a good smelling body wash to get off the sand, sunscreen and sweat, and that smells amazing. I’m partial to something with a little scrub to it! Osea Body Scrub / Corpus Body Wash
Makeup can be a hard thing to gift someone (unless you know exactly what they want, in which case a restock of something you know they love is always a good choice!), but I think a lip gloss can be a fun treat and is pretty low-risk! Merit Beauty Shade Slick / The Outset Lip Oasis / NYX Fat Oil Slick Click
Perfume — Also hard to gift someone, but I recently bought a tiny perfume sampler (for myself) and I think it would make a nice gift to get to find a scent you love when you don’t often to go to find it in person. DS & Durga Set (haven’t yet picked my favorite, but I don’t know what is very lovely! / Ranger Station Discovery Set (I wear Jordan’s favorite & when I was sitting eating dinner at a bar last week one of the bartenders complimented me on it!)
Accessories
Happy Jewelry - Summer is the season of fun and colorful jewelry, and a beautiful necklace is a great gift - cheery and adds something fun to any outfit that they might be wearing. I especially loves beads with pearls right now — is any size or multiple sizes! Etsy is a treasure trove for this — sharing some of my favorites, as well as some pieces from LouLu - a mother-daughter owned business that is local to Massachusetts! Baroque Pearl Necklace / LouLu Beaded necklace / Pearl & Bead Necklace (Etsy) / Fish Necklace (Etsy) / Loulu Turquoise Necklace
Fun Tote Bag - Summer is the season to have fun with your bag, and a carry-all type of thing is a great gift to give! (You could even use it as a vessel for your care package! Cotton Patch Work Tote (Etsy) / Striped Tote (Etsy)
Hat - It’s hat season! Sometimes these are hard to buy, but a big, wide-brim hat is a great gift — they fit and look great on everyone. This one is the ultimate, and I love that you can monogram this one!
Hair clips - Sometimes a satirical hair clip is just what the doctor ordered. Machete Hair Clip / Snake Hair Clip / Cherry Blossom Barrette
Other good stuff
There is basically not an occasion that I won’t recommend a great book for. Passing along something that you read recently and loved (or that made you think of a friend!) is a lovely gift. Or something that is new and buzzy! Or, a gift card to a local bookstore! For the audiobook lover, I think a LibroFM gift card makes a great treat. I’ve recently read and loved — Great Big Beautiful Life, Problematic Summer Romance, The Husbands, God of the Woods, and First Time Caller. If you want to help someone develop a love for Romance Books, try gifting a Pepper Books Box!
The perfect trinket tray (Etsy) or a Red Fish Tray
A quirky Spoon Rest (Etsy)
You can shop everything featured in this piece here.
ICYMI - Recent Stories + Other Gifting Inspo
Thanks for reading!
If you like what you’re reading, please consider:
🔁 Restacking this newsletter or a favorite quote on Substack
💌 Forwarding this email to a friend
👩💻 Commenting and liking this post on Substack!
📱 Screenshotting this newsletter and sharing it on Instagram. Be sure to tag @ct_shopguide and I’d love for you to follow!
All products highlighted are chosen by me, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated!
So many good things in here!
Perfect list as i have several friends who just had babies and I love to get the moms little luxuries in the post partum days. Thanks for sharing :)