Holiday Gifts Ideas from The Blogsmaid and Co.

I really enjoy giving gifts, but, being the weirdo that I am, I actually don’t enjoy shopping.  I wish that I had the fore sight to buy thoughtful presents throughout the year and then just store them in my shoebox apartment to give at the holidays… but since that isn’t going to happen, I basically end up online shopping….  For me, this presents a problem.  First, I never get it together to take advantage of cyber Monday and secondly, I don’t like buying generic seeming presents (I know, I’m so difficult!).  So I was so happy when I got an email from our friend Amanda Allen, the founder of NewlyWish about how the site is a great registry site, BUT it’s also a great source for  holiday gifts.   If you aren’t familiar, NewlyWish is the online registry source for the best of some of New York City’s boutique retailers… so, small, unique shops that wouldn’t otherwise have the capabilities for online retailing ability are carefully curated by NewlyWish and their best items are available to shop from AND to register for.  Soo registry aside, here is some of what I’d like to buy for people on my holiday list!

Mayra and her boyfriend love doing adorably dorky things around the city like self guided walking tours while they listen to podcasts from the historical society (seriously, you actually can’t make that kind of stuff up).  So, for them I’d get them this book New York 400: A visual History of America’s Greatest City and stuff a couple of Museum of the City of New York memberships inside.

My cousin Eric and his wife just bought a new house and they celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas. This beautiful menorah would be a great housewarming/holiday gift for them.

My other cousins have a lot of kids and a nice big table to have meals together at. I thought that these chicken oven to table pans were awesome because a) they eliminate one step in the food preparation process and b) they look like a chicken, which I would imagine would entertain kids. (or, conversely, traumatize them… but I hope not.)

My friends Alex and Indira love to entertain, and there is nothing more luxurious then serving cocktails with cloth cocktail napkins. What a simple luxury that you wouldn’t think to buy yourself, but that’s SOOOO swanky to have!

Rebecca’s umbrella just broke in todays’ storm AND she’s from Brooklyn AND I personally think having a nice, portable, not embarrassing umbrella is so awesome and again, something that you never really want to spend your own money on.. thereby making it a great holiday gift. I wish people would start to think about it differently and rather than try and buy serviceable gifts, buy totally unserviceable luxurious items that people would enjoy, but not want to spend their own money on… or at least that’s what I would want. Anyway, here’s the Umbrella I would get for Rebecca.

My cousin Danny loves plates and house wares as well as humorous design. I think he would get a kick out of these Metroyska dessert plates. Set of four and each little dolly is in a different color. However, we also are part Italian AND do enjoy drinking vino when we are together, so perhaps these Italian wine glasses would be a better fit? Not sure.

For my friend Shannon, who is decorating her apartment, I would get her this double frame, so she can put in a picture of me on one side and Rebecca on the other.

Finally, Mayra and I both fell in love with these gorgeous fig salt and pepper shakers. I’d get these for our friend Marcy because she is quite the cook and has a really lovely dining table that these would look nice on.

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