CYOO #36: Cozy ideas and gift recs to welcome December

Hello to the last month of the year! We finally made it to December, and while next year will likely have many more blurry days of staying indoors, at least we have “the holidays” to distract us with shiny lights and cheer.

This year I bought Christmas decorations for the first time—a tiny tree with battery-powered string lights and ornaments sits on our dining table now. I don’t have many rituals associated with Christmas; the doses of spirited music and decor found at shops and touristy areas are enough to fill my appetite. But this year as I spend many more hours at home than I do outside, I wanted to replicate the seasonal coziness indoors, however small.

There are many ways to make home feel like the only place you want to be, a near miraculous feeling during a year when home is, quite frankly, the only place where we can be. Some of my favorite things to do are lighting wintery candles (Trader Joe's cedar balsam candle is a steal for $3), make chai tea lattes, and bury my feet under fuzzy blankets. What are some of your favorite cozy winter things for the home?

Also! If you like the coziness of holiday music but have grown tired of the same carols and covers, may I suggest the wonderful genre of lofi:

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A random assortment of gift recommendations:

• An indoor coat that’s basically a blanket. I got one for my birthday and it’s truly the warmest.

• A book stand great for cookbooks in the kitchen or reading while eating. Can also use with tablets.

• Hand cream for hardworking hands. My mom 100% endorses this product.

• Coldbrew matcha, good for both hot and cold matcha drinks!

• A massage gun, because our bodies have aged ten years holed up indoors.

• New York’s best chocolate babka, delivered.

• DIY kits, like this fleur candle kit or basket weaving kit. Or a recurring subscription to make various crafts!

• My favorite journal for daily use. Great for morning pages.

• A gouache paint set with 18 colors (watercolor’s fun vibrant cousin).

And my favorite gift guide roundups:

• Alex Wee’s gift guide highlighting AAPI businesses. How cute are these ceramic magnets?!

• Rachel Miller’s good gift ideas for a design-minded kitsch-loving somebody, or for pretty much anyone.

• Nisha Chattal’s stuff she’s bought that she really loves. Bought a second paring knife thanks to this one.

• Girls’ Night In’s favorite gifts from small businesses. Eyeing this colorful trash can.