2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Comfort and Joy

It’s time once again for the Holiday Gift Guides, where I shop for all of you and have a grand time doing so. This first edition of the 2015 Gift Guides comes from Elyse, who has a whole collection of things that should bring comfort and possibly joy to you, or anyone else who might need soothing, warm, and lovely things. Ready?

First, this is legitimately called The Huggable Hottie, but it’s not a dude. It’s a hot water bottle in a sweater.

Maybe you’ve already knitted your hot water bottle a sweater, but if by chance you haven’t yet, The Huggable Hottie is a 750mL hot water bottle wearing a snowflake printed turtleneck.

And if you’d prefer a different color, there’s a blue one with a deer on it. If you like more color, there’s purple with orange and yellow snowflakes. If you’re a sweater purist, white cable knit is also an option.

(I LOVE THIS so much. I’m completely tickled by sweater-wearing hot water bottles.)

So now your’e not cold, or you’ve made someone else warm and equally tickled with a sweater-wearing water bottle. What next?

Tea, of course! Right? Obviously.

Elyse loves Fava Teas, a local tea shop that ships all over the place. Like yarn, Elyse has too much tea, as well, and says their Winter Blend is a necessity in her life. It’s a caffeinated blend with “black tea (47 %), apple pieces, cinnamon pieces, coriander, flavoring, cardamon pods, orange slices, pink peppercorns, cloves.” Fava also has tea-infused soaps that look wonderful.

And, if you’re in need of bagged tea instead of loose, Elyse recommends the Royal Palace Blend from Harney and Sons.

If you’re in the mood for iced tea, and hey, why not, Elyse recommends this iced tea pitcher: “Seriously, I’ve bought this for every ice tea drinker because it’s wonderful. Drop in loose leaf tea, add water. You’re done.”

The FORLIFE Mist Glass Ice Tea Jug holds 50 ounces/~1.5L, and while reviews say that the glass is somewhat delicate (it’s glass, after all), if you’re careful, it works brilliantly.

And if you’re after some hot tea, Elyse has recommendations there, too. You might have thought you only needed one tea infuser, but, well, you’re wrong.

First, there’s the IngenuiTEA infuser from Adagio, which functions as a bottom-draining teapot. Elyse says, “This is my favorite infuser. You add hot water and tea, then set it on top of your mug and the tea and pours out the bottom. No leaves gunking up the spout. It all comes apart for super easy cleaning. We keep one in the office and I have one at home.”

But if you thought you only needed one, ha, not quite. If you have tea drinkers in your life, there’s no end to the adorable potential here.

We gave away a Mister Tea infuser earlier this year, but you might know the perfect person who would enjoy a saucy dude hanging off the edge of a mug infusing tea with his trousers.  I know at least six such persons, in fact.

But maybe you don’t need a tea dude.

Maybe you need A SWORD.

The Strong Brew Sword Tea Infuser is about $8, and it’s a sword full of tea. What more could you want in the morning?

There’s also a pig shaped infuser ($5), or the Manatea infuser ($5) – so many choices.  Skull and crossbones ($8) anyone?

And, of course, you need a mug. How about the Jane Austen Literary Mug from the PBS.org online shop?

It’s microwave and dishwasher safe, holds 16oz, and is covered with Austen quotes. (I disagree with the idea that “one cannot have too large a party.” Yes, one can, sayeth the introvert.)

So that’s our round up of comfort-tea and joy gift suggestions, courtesy of Elyse. Coming up: technology, food, and anything else that I spot that I bet one of you might like or find useful.

If you have suggestions for the gift guide, or know of a shop or artist who we should know about, please email me!