So, we all know that the holidays are an extra month-long chore for a lot of women, but most of us love it. For me, it’s one of the few times of the year where I actually shop for myself, kind of a one-for-you, one-for-me deal. And the great thing about this rapidly changing life we are all living, is that now you can buy almost all your gifts online and get them there in two days with free shipping. So it’s NOT too late to go shopping!
You can also just run out to the local liquor store this year. I was thrilled to learn that Bailey’s introduced a Red Velvet liqueur this holiday season. I am sure that almost every woman on your list would love it (it is great over plain cheesecake and in hot coffee). It should run you about $20.
This year’s Beaujolais Nouveau is also quite good, so you can never go wrong with a bottle of this year’s new wine. The Georges Duboeuf brand is my favorite. It should run you anywhere from $11 to $15.
Photograph by Mark Shelby Perry
If you are near the tri-state area (New York/New Jersey and Connecticut), you might want to buy tickets to Nutcracker Rouge, a fabulous, elegant and naughty performance of the Nutcracker you will never forget. The show runs through Jan. 26th and tickets run anywhere from $59 (look for discounts on Groupon and Goldstar) through $200 for a love seat with a side bottle of champagne. They are also running a New Year’s Eve performance, if that appeals to you.
I would also recommend tickets to what I expect will be one of the hottest shows on Broadway this season – Westside Story. Preview performances are happening now, and the show is scheduled to open February 2nd . Right now, you can get tickets for as low as $39!
And, of course, there are books. Who doesn’t love books? For every “woke” person on your list, Random House has re-issued The Black Book, a visual archive of African-American history that was conceived of by Toni Morrison (who was an editor at RH – she wrote the foreword) and is an important reference book for all of us (retail price $35).
This year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Barbie doll, and there’s a delightful coffee table art book just published by The Quarto Group, Barbie Forever by Robin Gerber (who also wrote the biography of Barbie’s creator, Ruth Handler.) It’s a beautiful book that will be appreciated by anyone who has ever loved one of these dolls (retail price $40).
Since we are going down memory lane, I have to also point out that the Mystery Date board game (featured prominently in The Santa Claus movie and my childhood) has been re-issued in a tin box “nostalgia edition.” It’s available on Amazon for $26.99, but I got mine at TJ Maxx for $15.