The Morning: How to give great gifts

Advice for finding better holiday gifts for your loved ones.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 30, 2024 Good morning. I'm away this week, so my colleagues at Wirecutter have written a guide to help you sort out your holiday shopping. —Melissa Kirsch Thomas Trutschel/Photothek, via Getty Images Giving love By Hannah Morrill I'm an editor at Wirecutter, covering gifts and beauty. My dad used to hand-write specific, and often unrealistic, gift wish lists for his children to fulfill before every holiday. When I was in college, he asked me for a $30,000 pontoon boat. And so, for much of my life, I didn't particularly like the act of giving gifts. It felt dutiful. But I've come around. Especially after I took a remote job — as a gifts editor, of all things! — I needed something to ground my relationships, despite the distance. Gifting, I realized, is a tactile gesture of love and appreciation. It's an authentic connection point where no digital analog exists: Dropping a cheap heart in a group chat pales in comparison with almost any IRL offering. The act of selecting and giving a gift is really a vehicle for showing loved ones how you feel about them. It can be quite beautiful and moving. But it's also hard to do it well. (Just ask my stepdad, who has given me the same fire blanket twice.) The holidays only exacerbate that stress. In the rest of today's newsletter, I'll offer some easy-to-follow advice I've picked up over the years, share a few of my all-time favorite gifts and show you where to start with Wirecutter's extensive gift guide coverage. (And for more of our expert recommendations, sign up for Wirecutter's weekly gifting newsletter, The Gift.) Consider secondary hobbies My colleague Samantha Schoech follows this handy rule of thumb: Think less about your recipients' main hobbies because they are probably already getting themselves what they need to, say, ski or cycle. Instead, think about their secondary interests. Do they love bookstores, great coffee, tech gadgets, playing with makeup, planning trips? Those are the interests and hobbies to hit. And if they're truly single-minded with a hobby, think of your gift as a homage to that pastime, not a part of a go-to kit. A runner might like a pint glass etched with a recent marathon route rather than a new pair of sneakers. A weekend gardener who already has a good trowel may appreciate a botanical paint-by-numbers kit. Here are a few gift lists for those with a particular passion: Frequent travelers Coffee lovers People who love to clean Gardeners Foodies Give an upgrade Another useful tip: Think of something your recipients have and find something even nicer, sturdier or more functional. Sure, they have a flashlight, but what about a rechargeable LED lantern that looks like a candlestick? They've already got a solid hammer, but a true D.I.Y.-er might appreciate this exceptional $300 hammer. Everyone has a phone charger, but do they have a credit-card-thin power bank in a pretty metallic shade? If you're looking to treat your recipients to something they'd likely never buy themselves but might use daily, here's where I'd start: Gifts that will last forever Luxe gifts Beautiful gifts Surprise and delight A really great gift surprises the recipient. That can mean a lot of things: Maybe it's something they've never seen before, or something they didn't know they needed. A few of my favorite delights? A pitcher that looks like a fish. Potato chips in a paint can. And this funny little lazy duck lamp, to name a few. For more cheeky inspiration: White elephant gifts Gifts under $25 For grown-ups who don't wanna grow up One last word of wisdom: Sometimes the thing your recipients are always giving others might be a sign of what they themselves would really love. A fire blanket might not be for me, but I know what my stepdad is getting this year. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Auli'i Cravalho Sabrina Santiago for The New York Times The Disney movie "Moana" made Auli'i Cravalho a breakout star. Now she's back in the sequel and making her Broadway debut as well. In "Queer," Daniel Craig stars as a drug-addled older man who falls in love with a much younger man in the 1950s. The costumes are almost entirely from that era, and they have the dirt to prove it. Ben Stiller plays a man who is made the legal guardian of his four unruly nephews in "Nutcrackers," one of six movies our critics are talking about this week. Jim Abrahams, a creative force behind "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun," died at 80. Read about some of the funniest moments from his films. When "Death Becomes Her" was released in 1992, the reviews were mixed. But its visual effects would change the way movies looked. More Culture Hannon Hatchett, 10, and Finlay McCurdy-Van Alstine, 11. Stella Blackmon for The New York Times Two vivacious boys at the School of American Ballet are making their princely debuts in New York City Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker." Kendrick Lamar's latest album, "GNX," is a palate cleanser after his feud with Drake, Jon Caramanica writes. Drake accused Universal Music Group, the record company behind both men, of unfairly boosting Lamar. On TikTok, short-form videos are bringing old-fashioned serials to the world of social media. THE LATEST NEWS Politics Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, leaving his hotel in West Palm Beach, Fla. Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times Justin Trudeau traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Donald Trump. Trudeau is seeking to dissuade Trump from imposing across-the-board tariffs on goods from Canada. During his campaign, Trump disavowed Project 2025, a right-wing policy blueprint. Now, he is filling his administration with people who have strong ties to the document. The mother of Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for defense secretary, wrote in a 2018 email that her son "belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women." She said yesterday that her email was untrue and that he was "a good father, husband." International British lawmakers approved a bill that would allow doctors to help some terminally ill patients end their lives. Syrian rebels seized control of parts of Aleppo. It was the rebels' biggest advance in years, and a sign that the country's long-running civil war was reigniting. At least 27 people in Nigeria were killed, and more than 100 are missing, after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized. Georgia suspended its bid to join the European Union. The country's governing party has been pivoting it away from Europe and toward Russia. Other Big Stories A major snowstorm hit the Great Lakes region. Watertown, N.Y., is forecast to have close to six feet of snow over the coming days. Vito, a 2-year-old pug, won best in show at the National Dog Show. It was the first time a pug took the title. Last chance to save on Cooking before Thanksgiving. Readers of The Morning: Save on a year of Cooking. Search recipes by ingredient or explore editors' picks to easily find something delicious. CULTURE CALENDAR By Andrew LaVallee 📺 "The Sticky" (Friday): Is there anything that Margo Martindale doesn't make better? Scary in "Justified," disturbing in "Million Dollar Baby," heartbreakingly poignant in "Paris Je T'Aime" and memorable in so many others ("The Americans," "BoJack Horseman"). Now, she is (finally) the lead in a … maple-syrup heist? I'll take it. All six episodes drop on Prime Video on Friday. RECIPE OF THE WEEK David Malosh for The New York Times Pavo al pastor By Melissa Clark Turkey sandwiches are all well and good for the first few days of post-Thanksgiving feasting, but after the third mayo- and cranberry-sauce-slathered iteration, it might be time to branch out. For that, try Rick Martinez's pavo al pastor. Based on tacos al pastor, his recipe features warm tortillas filled with shredded roast turkey bathed in a bold, chile-laden sauce sweetened with orange juice and agave. Then, everything is topped with a cranberry-pineapple salsa for color and zing. All out of turkey? You can make these with leftover vegetables, too. The options end only when all your leftovers have been so delectably devoured. REAL ESTATE Abbie Lin and Shaman Kothari in Brooklyn. James Estrin/The New York Times The Hunt: A young couple, forced from their two-bedroom rental by a new landlord, looked to downsize in Brooklyn. Which home did they choose? Play our game. What you get for $400,000: A five-bedroom Tudor Revival house in Detroit; a 1925 rowhouse in Philadelphia; or a two-bedroom cottage in Manchester, Vt. LIVING Looks from the Nollywood movie "Games Women Play" (2005). via YouTube On Beauty: The rebellious and distinctive makeup of early-aughts Nigerian screen sires. Overconsumption: The haul is the consumer phenomenon of our time — and the shopping equivalent of a dopamine-chasing overdose, Vanessa Friedman writes. Unhitched: As their business flourished, the marriage floundered. Bonne Maman: This French jam company's advent calendar has become a hot commodity. GAME OF THE WEEK Saquon Barkley of the Eagles on Sunday. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today, via Reuters Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens, N.F.L.: Two Super Bowl contenders, both with their own superstar running backs. Saquon Barkley of the Eagles leads the N.F.L. in rushing yards, with 1,392. The Ravens' Derrick Henry is right behind him, with 1,325 yards. (No one else in the league has over 1,000 yards.) It's been more than than a decade since anyone but a quarterback won the M.V.P. If either of these backs is going to break the streak, this could be the game that sets them apart. Sunday at 4:25 p.m. Eastern on CBS NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was outback. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Correction: Thursday's newsletter included the wrong link for a Wirecutter article about the best white elephant gifts. Here is the correct link. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018