The holiday season is upon us!
I’ve once again collected a list of things that I’ve personally used, enjoyed, and think make pretty good gifts. I have recommendations posts that I update regularly for software, headphones, and miscellaneous stuff, so this list is more focused on things not included in those posts and geared towards stuff I’ve come across in the past year or so that I like.
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If you’d like to get me a gift, becoming a supporting member or gifting another user a supporting membership for a year would mean the world to me. And, if you’re looking for something in just about any price range with a Chorus.fm or AbsolutePunk.net logo on it, check our merch shop.
Under $25
Stadium Map Art
Coasters cut into wood in the shape of famous professional and college stadiums. They also have magnets.
Ceramic Shallow Cat Dish
We have one cat that used to only eat off the floor. We’re not sure if it was because of whisker fatigue or maybe she’s just being a brat. However, these small shallow bowls worked like a charm. Now we don’t feel weird just pouring food in a pile on the floor for the princess cat.
Ripple Junction
A great collection of nerdy merchandise. Nostalgia shirts and hoodies from great TV shows and movie franchises.
Art of the Movie Books
They look cool on coffee tables and there’s some fantastic ones out there.
AirTag
Put one in your backpack. You’ll be happy you did.
Under $50
Miir Coffee Canister
A great looking coffee canister that seals to keep your beans fresh. Buy good beans, keep them fresh. I also really like their tumbler.
LIFX Lightstrips
I have one of these under my desk in my office and change the color combinations with the seasons. Being able to integrate them with HomeKit, and use the iPhone app to make quick changes, leads to infinite possibilities.
Blink-182 Funkos
There are three versions of these adorable little guys, and I’m sure one of them will grab the fancy of any aging pop-punk fan.
Band Hoodies
Blink-182, Turnstile, NFG, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore … these are basically what I live in during the winter season.
Noahrk Vinyl Record Storage
I needed something for my overflow of records and these are great.
Website Subscriptions
These days there are a bunch of websites and newsletters that have membership programs. The holidays are a great time to gift one of these memberships to a friend or family member, and trust me, as someone that runs one, it goes a long way to helping your favorite website as well. Some of the websites I recommend checking out their membership packages include: MacStories, Relay.fm, SixColors, Popular.info, Last.fm, and ATP.
Under $100
Baseball BBQ
Cutting boards, BBQ tools, bottle openers and more, all with a baseball flair. They can be customized and ordered for your favorite player or team.
Home Office Stuff
I redid my home office earlier this year and documented all the various things I purchased along the way. There’s stuff at just about every price point and I have nothing but the highest praise from everything from Grovemade.
Mack Weldon
I’m a huge fan of their ACE sweatpants (and shorts).
Murray’s Cheese
I got my mother one of their gift boxes for Mother’s Day and it was a massive hit.
Over $100
AirPods Pro 2
The first generation were my favorite headphones. These are better.
SONOS
I resisted for the longest time but finally decided to upgrade the sound system in our living room. Look, I don’t like admitting Casey is right … but he’s right. It all works really well together, AirPlay 2 support is a must, and it sounds damn good.
I also still think streaming services are a great yearly gift. Apple Music, Disney+, or one of the services you don’t have is great way to gift a year of entertainment. Also there are various apps that now have subscription plans (FitBod is a great workout app).
Any Amount
Ask your friends and family to donate to the ACLU, National Bail Fund Network, EFF, or other non-profits of your choice.
Subscribers to the weekly newsletter will probably recognize some of these items since I wrote about them throughout the year. So, if you like reading things like this, plus getting my weekly thoughts on music and entertainment, you should subscribe.