Gifty Under Fifty

Hi everyone, happy Wednesday!

It’s the day after Halloween………. y’all know what that means……… this newsletter is now a Gift Guide Zone and will remain so until 2024. Everyone working in e-comm complains about how gift guide madness starts up in August, but just between you and me, I don’t really mind! Gift guides are my favorite kind of story to write, because I get to round up all the fun, delightful, weird, wacky products that you’d maybe feel a bit silly or indulgent buying on a random Tuesday in March. But when it’s the holidays, and it’s meant to be a gift, either for someone else or yourself, well, that’s the whole point of gifting, right — to surprise and delight?

In the past I’ve organized my gift guides based on relationships (acquaintances, friends, family, frenemies), but going forward, I think it makes more sense to organize via price. Today’s issue will be gifts under $50; subsequent issues will feature gifts under $150, under $250, and then finally the gift guide of my wildest dreams. They’ll also all contain 10 products rather than three, though the text will be shorter, because I just have too many items that I love and wanna highlight! Are you excited? I’m excited!!

Five-Minute Miso Soup

STANDARD BOX (5 BALLS) - MISOMARU ($30)

Mini miso balls that bloom in hot water.

Harlequin Calico Critters

AUTUMN CALICO CRITTER CLOWNS - THE BEESES KNEESES ($45 EACH)

Sylvanian Drama goes to the circus.

Fake-Out Key

KEY SHAPED PEN - PUEBCO ($22)

Caveat: not a good gift for an inveterate key and/or pen loser.

Sweet ‘n’ Savory Tomato Caramel

TOMATO CARAMEL - RHEA ($12)

Can we just pretend it’s late August all year round?

Jellyfish Friend

DESKTOP JELLYFISH - UGUISU STORE ($14)

I own one, and the mental health benefits of watching this little guy dance in the breeze cannot be overstated.

Borrowed-From-the-Boys Boxer Shorts

RED STRIPED CLASSIC UNISEX BOXERS - SPELTHAM ($31)

It’s about time the underwear-as-outerwear trend came for the dudes.

Felted Wool Soap

SUFFOLK SHEEP SOAP - LITTLE BEAU SHEEP (£14/$17)

The product of a love affair between a soap bar and a loofah.

All-Acrylic Bouquet

KELP STEM - OTHER SHAPES (FROM $20)

My zeal for un-killable flowers continues apace.

Part Gel, Part Press-Ons

VENOM GEL NAILS - UUUUU ($16.90)

Once cured, you can rest assured they won’t fly off in the middle of a big meeting.

Silver Seahorse Spoon

IZABEL LAM BABY SEAHORSE SPOON - CASA SHOP ($50)

Ok, open wide … here comes the seahorse!

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Tried one of my recs and loved it (or hated it)? Wanna get something cool on my radar? Drop me a line at kittylguo@gmail.com or swing by my Twitter @kitguo!