Holiday Gift Guide 2025: An Assortment of Ideas for Pets and People

I’ve collected some much-recommended options from past gift guides and our purchase histories this year, so today’s is an assortment of fun things!

As always, NB: Some of our links are affiliate coded, which sends a portion of your purchase price back to us at no extra cost to you. It’s one of a few ways we keep the hot pink mayhem going at SBTB HQ, so thank you in advance for your support! 

Rakuten is still giving $50 back if you join and make a purchase +$50 within 90 days. Y’all, the extra cash back this month is making me very happy.  Bookshop.org is included in Rakuten’s shopping portal, for example, and offers 3% cash back on purchases.

REMINDER! The Smart Bitches Candle Collection is only available for a limited time!

Wax Cabin Candle Company, an independent small chandlery, knocked it out of several parks with the quality of these candles! There are two limited edition candles just for the holiday season, on sale now through early January, and you can buy one or both in a gift set. 

The Smart Bitches 20th Anniversary candle is an 11 ounce hand poured soy candle with notes of sea salt, book pages, sandalwood and jasmine.

The Bad Decisions Book Club candle, also 11 ounces, is designed to be the perfect pairing for late night reading, with scents of sweet tobacco, book pages, leather, rose, and sandalwood.

I was very picky about the scents, and I love how they turned out – and the feedback has been very positive, too!

Each candle is $28, or $50 for both in a gift set, with free shipping on orders over $70. The candles are hand-poured with 100% soy wax, and each is in a glass jar that you can reuse or refill. They should burn between 60 and 70 hours.

And shipping is fast fast, too! Don’t miss out on a lovely gift for yourself, or someone you know who loves candles, reading, or both candles and reading!

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One of our most popular gift guides from a few years ago featured a bunch of bedding options, and y’all, in the comments was even more good advice.

Last year KarenF recommended heated mattress pads, calling them “life changing.” Game on! I like it when my life is changed and my sleep is better.

This one is from Sunbeam and comes in different textures and sizes.

Sunbeam electric restful quilted heated mattress pad

The prices range from $42 for a twin to $134 for a king, depending on the texture you choose.

Beautyrest Heated Mattress Pad, $54-150

The Beautyrest version also comes in a variety of sizes and options.

Or you can go for something like the BedJet, which attaches to a custom top sheet with baffles for air flow.  With this type, the warm or cold air is above you.

You can adjust the temperature and fan speed, keep it on all night, and, if you have dual zone, have separate temp zones, too.

BedJet Climate Comfort for Beds, $400-900 | BedJet.com

This is a big splurge and Adam and I purchased one this year as a gift for one another. Having to buy the custom sheet is a bit of an eyebrow-raise (and there is only one) but I understand why it’s necessary and won’t work without it. The dual zones are excellent, and the fan is not too loud. I don’t hear it with ear plugs in. I keep my side very toasty (the cats appreciate it) while Adam has penguins visiting on his, and it’s been glorious.

Hot tip – lol – for whatever type of climate adjustment you have on your bed: turn it on while you’re getting ready for bed, and you will arrive to a toasty cozy bed. It’s dreamy.

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Gifts for pets are always fun – for your pets, and for your friends’ pets. Especially for those friends where you might not be 100% sure what the human’s name is, but you know all the pet names!

We have three of these cat heating pads – one in my office, one on a futon under a quilt, and one downstairs on a bed with a blanket on top. There is always one (1) cat per (3) beds but do they fight over which one they want? Yes.

Thermo Kitty Heated Cat Pad, $38

The covers come off for washing, too.

Like fluffy beds? Or does your pet? This is the most cozy bed, alongside the pet beds to which we’ve added heating pads. We got this and put it by the back windows for Katie, our murderous feline who loves to nap in the sun.

Cozy Soft Pet Bed, 20″, $20

And when Katie isn’t on the fluff bed, she’s in her “bean:”

I know Elyse has one of these but it may be a different model. I’ve also seen these at Chewy.com, and there are many on Etsy as well. Our Katie’s Bean is currently under a futon cover in the dark and quiet, where she likes to hide.

I recently got this cat fountain from my local Buy Nothing group, and I would pay full price for it. I had no idea there were battery-operated pet fountains, but this one solves so many problems:

1. It has separate clean and used water tanks so the fountain isn’t cycling water that’s kinda gross (cats are picky – well, mine are)
2. It is motion-sensitive so it’s only running when the cat (or I) walk past it
3. The water movement is just enough to be enticing, but not so much that it’s loud

HAPAW Cat Water Fountain, $70-99

I included the side view so you could see how it works (it took me a minute to figure out).

Here’s a picture of Wilbur right after I set it up after charging the battery all night. It’s been a week and the water tank is just under half full, and he is drinking constantly – which is good because he’s 12.

Elyse says her current clowder are very into these felted mice:

Felted Mice, $13

When Elyse is fostering kittens, they bring this out:

Interactive cat toy with feathers, $24

But they don’t leave it out unsupervised. Can’t imagine why not.

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I have given these as gifts, but have I bought a set for myself? No. I should fix that because the reviews say they’re terrific.

Rechargeable Hand Warmers, $22-30 

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Shana turned me on to these last year, and since then I’ve bought one for my kid, my sister in law, and some friends. And hey – if you’re buying some Smart Bitches 20th Anniversary or Bad Decisions Book Club candles, you’ll need one!

This candle lighter is rechargeable by micro USB, and lasts a LONG time:

Electric Candle Lighter, $9 for one, $16 for two

NB: there are sets with two. I advise getting two. I’m always having to chase mine down because some folks (by which I mean my children) like to borrow it.

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I got these for both my kids last year and they really love how much trash they can hold. My GOSH they hold a LOT of car trash!

HOTOR Car Trash Can, $12

Alas, they do not come with Snickers bars, but they do have magnets at the top to hold the trash bag in place so it doesn’t fall in.

I also got a package of 50 refill bags and put a few in the bottom of each trash can so they’re easy to change. The trash can comes with a few bags already, so refills aren’t necessary, but, well…teenagers.

I also got these for the doors of our car, both front and back, and they’re terrific.

HOTOR Car door trashcan. 

Again, they come with bags so changing the bag is very easy, and the car doesn’t have random wrappers and stuff floating around. If you have cupholder spaces in the door of your car, these fit into that space.

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In 2023, LML recommended the ErgoFoam Foot Rest, and I am using it right now and have been for two years now!

ErgoFoam 2-in-1 Foot Rest, $46

LML was right that this is the perfect footrest. With the flat side down it’s a soft curved surface, but I love flipping it over so I can use it as a rocking footrest. I’m so much more comfortable at my desk. THANK YOU LML.

What’s on your gift shopping list this week? How can we help?