By Ethan Thorpe
Although it may not feel like it, but the holiday season is upon us and we’re guessing you have no clue what to get those certain special people in your life? While it may seem like the holidays are a long way away, as always, they’ll be sneaking up on us before we know it. And since it’s key to get ahead of the shopping craze, The Standard Magazine Holiday Gift Guide will perhaps give you some ideas with unique and fun items. You will find gifts from the extravagant to the more modest to give; and if you are nice or even naughty, maybe receive. So never fear my fellow procrastinators we are here to help.
1.Memory Keeping and Sentimental Gifts
After years of Covid and separation, people are cherishing moments with loved ones so gifts that help keepsake memories and evoke sentiment will be big. This includes the classics like photo and travel albums, in addition to more unique finds, like personalized coasters, & ornaments. www.personalizedornamentsforyou.com
2.Pixartsco
Personalized Glass Art
Capture a cherished memory with your boyfriend, best friend or sibling with this unique glass plaque designed to look like a Spotify track. Choose to display their favorite song or use the space to write them a personal message. www.refinery29.com
3.iMemories
If you have a ton of old photos and VHS tapes or DVDs stored away in the attic, you’re going to LOVE iMemories – a new service that helps you quickly and effortlessly digitize all your precious family memories from over the years.
All you have to do is pack up your photos and videos in the secure box and send it off to the state-of-the-art iMemories lab in Arizona. You’ll receive the originals back safely, along with access to your digital files in a secure location you can share with the whole family. www.imemories.com
4.Hyodream
3D Moon Lamp. Transport them to another galaxy with 16 color transformations, four flash modes and a dimmable feature — all easy to control with the included remote. Makes a great night light or decorative lamp for anyone on your list, especially your tween or teenage girl. www.amazon.com
5.Mocuishle
Shiatsu Massager
Super portable, this neck and back massager is a great gift for literally anyone. They’ll love the eight kneading massage nodes, infrared heating and three adjustable speeds — all super easy to control. www.amazon.com
6.Bevel
Beard Trimmer
Chances are he already has a beard trimmer, but does he have one like this? There’s a soft-touch grip and faceted body to give him more control and prevent his hand from slipping as he shaves. Plus, it offers eight hours of cordless power, and the blade repels dirt. www.getbevel.com
7.SHW Electric Standing Desk
Do your future self a favor and invest in a standing desk, especially since working from home is becoming the new norm. With so many different brands and options, it’s hard to decide which standing desk is right for you. We did a ton of research and ended up going with the SHW Electric Standing Desk. www.amazon.com
8.100 Movies Scratch Off Poster
Here’s the ultimate gift for film buffs. Inspire them to watch (or rewatch) 100 classic movies, including The Godfather, Mean Girls, and The Wizard of Oz. It also doubles as wall décor. www.uncommongoods.com
GADGETS
9.Apple Series 7 Apple Watch
Celebrate the holiday season with the newest, smartest technology like the Series 7 Apple Watch. It’s built to charge faster, features the most advanced health features (keep an eye on that blood oxygen) and helps them stay connected (they can call you from anywhere). www.appple.com
10.KoreScale
It’s hard to manage weight at home, No coach can help us to manage our schedule. KoreScale is the world’s smartest scale. Simply step on it with your bare feet and it activates KoreScale’s dual BIA technology, which monitors 13 key health insights allowing you to measure, track, and trend your health data in real time. Including your body fat percentage, muscle and bone mass, hydration levels and more important information that can help you make smarter decisions about your health. www.korehealthofficial.com
11.Muama Ryoko
Muama Ryoko is a pocket sized, wireless WIFI gadget that helps you get a high-speed internet connection wherever, whenever! If you’re carrying the Muama Ryoko portable router, you’re connected. It’s that easy. www.getryoko.com
12.Infinity Orb Magnetic Levitating Speaker –
The Magnetic Levitating Bluetooth Speaker is a stunning Bluetooth speaker that is suspended magnetically and projects different colors, when activated. The sphere can also be used as a standalone speaker without a base, and the base illuminates continuously with different-colored LED lights. www.capitaloneshopping.com
13.SQ8 Mini
SQ8 Mini Camera Full HD Camera with IRNight Vision Motion Detection Camcorder Mini DV. The SQ8 mini camera is capable of generating high-definition images. You can expect up to 1080p resolution. The SQ8 mini cameras support TV output. www.walmart.com
14. The Surround Sound Shower System
Gives you the ultimate musical showering experience, with dual speakers that provide vibrant wireless sound for up to 8 hours. Onboard controls let you play, pause, skip, and reverse tracks, adjust the volume — even answer an incoming phone call with the built-in microphone. www.sharperimage.com
15.ORII | The Voice Powered Ring
No need to check your phone. ORII alerts you of incoming messages and calls. With a voice assistant at your finger, you can send and listen to messages, take, and make quick calls, all while your phone stays in your pocket. https://orii.io/
16.Fitbit Blaze
If you are in the market for an excellent fitness tracker and don’t know which one to get, I recommend checking out the Fitbit Blaze. It’s probably the best alternative to the Apple Watch at half the price. It has all the features that any fitness lover would want: GPS, heart rate monitor, tracks all kinds of different activities, has an amazing battery life, and can even call, text, and send calendar notifications! www.fitbit.com
17.Kodak Mini Pocket Projector
The lucky recipient of this gift can easily connect their iPhone or Android phone to watch movie, give presentations or game on the big screen. There’s a built-in rechargeable battery and speaker. www.kodakphotoplus.com
18.Waitiee 3-in-1 Charging Station
This easy-to-use charging station is the perfect nightstand accessory. Help them keep their Air Pods, Apple Watch, and iPhone (or Samsung phone) fully charged and within reach. www.waitiee.com
19.Shiitake Mushroom Log Kit
Most foodies are excited to serve home-grown food, and with this super-simple, mess-free mushroom log, it’s easy as ever. www.uncommongoods.com
20.Williams-Sonoma
3 Months of European Cheese Subscription
Allow them to indulge in the finest artisanal cheese from Italy, Spain, and France. Each month, they’ll receive three samples from one of the countries to enjoy on their own or paired with wine!
21.Bazodee
Upgrade their pantry with this collection of dipping, simmer, and hot sauces, full of fresh ingredients and packed with flavor. You can put them on meat when grilling, use as a marinade or mix on a salad or pasta. www.Bazodee.com
22 Self Chilling Glassware
Introducing the first glasses that chill themselves! The First Self-Chilling Glassware is made from top-quality, lead-free borosilicate glass, with a secret — a removable base that’s filled with non-toxic freezer gel! Simply store the base in the freezer… when it’s time for a cold beverage, insert the chilled base into the bottom of the glass. Then pour in any room temperature beverage. www.sharperimage.com
The following gifts all either come from LGBTQ-owned businesses or brands making active efforts to support the LGBTQ Community.
23.Bombas
Bombas creates our favorite socks during June and year-round, and the brand has since ventured into loungewear as well. While we love the brand’s quality, we’re especially respectful of their mission: donating one pair of socks, underwear, or a t-shirt for every product sold. During Pride Month, Bombas is supporting The Ally Coalition, which advocates for LGBTQ equality. www.bombas.com
24.Gay Gift Boxes By BoxoLoco
Whether it be a Christmas gift for a gay friend or your boyfriend, BoxoLoco has the perfect gift boxes for every gay guy. Each box contains between 4 to 8 different items, depending on which box you go with. The best part is that you can really customize your gift boxes so that you don’t end up with something that you don’t want. www.boxoloco.com
25.Bokksu Snack Boxes
LGBTQ-owned Bokksu is a monthly Japanese snack subscription that supports small businesses. Anything from mochi to senbei is included, and the variety that Bokksu offers has allowed it to become one of our favorite gift baskets for any occasion. www.bokksu.com
26.Harry’s Flamingo Face & Body Shave Set
This intentionally genderless shave set comes with two razor blade cartridges — one for the face and one for the body. 100% of profits received from the set are donated to The Trevor Project, a leading resource and support hub for LGBTQ-identifying youth. www.harrys.com
27.CASETiFY Pride Cases
CASETiFY’s cases are available for a variety of different devices, all created by LGBTQ-identifying artists. $5 from each purchase will support The Christopher Street West Association, the official nonprofit organization of Los Angeles Pride.
28.Socks That Save LGBTQ Lives
Conscious Step specializes in socks whose proceeds support various organizations and communities, including The Trevor Project as one of their year-round partners. www.consciousstep.com
29.Society6 LGBTQ Artists’ Prints
Society6 is promoting LGBTQ artists from within its community of sellers, highlighting their stories and donating a portion of proceeds to Queer|Art, a nonprofit connecting a community of diverse queer artists. Additionally, and importantly, each purchase will pay the LGBTQ artists behind their designs. www.society6.com
30.Transfigure Print Co.
To some, a T-shirt is just a T-shirt. But to the Transfigure Print Co., a T-shirt is a vehicle for so much more than that. The small Grand Rapids-based screen-printing shop celebrates queer identity, builds community, and actively gives back, with the small business donating $24,500 to date. www.transfigureprintco.com
31.Automic Gold Jewelry
Queer-owned Automic Gold is best known for size-inclusive jewelry. Automic Gold offers both custom-made and pre-designed jewelry, so it makes for an excellent gift for the indecisive and incredibly creative alike.
32.NOTO Botanicals
NOTO Botanicals is LGBTQ owned, and its Pride kit comes affixed with an agender oil and a branded logo bag. Best of all, 10% of sales will support SAGE, an advocacy group for the LGBTQ community. www.notobotanics.com
33.TomboyX
TomboyX is committed to making underwear, bras, activewear, and swimwear for anybody, regardless of gender or body type. The brand’s business model holds up in both consciousness and comfort.
34.Here for the Burn
Here For The Burn is an LGBTQ+ co-founded company that creates super cheeky candles that smell divine! Once you decide on a phrase your giftee would love, you can pick between five different fragrances. Voila! You have the perfect minimalist candle.
35.Social Goods
Whenever you buy an item from Social Goods, you’re supporting one of a host of nonprofits. Every purchase you make includes a donation to a nonprofit driving real change for the issue at-hand. And to better support the work happening on-the-ground, we offer the ability to connect directly with that nonprofit. www.social-goods.com
We’ll Drink to That
36.Atlas Coffee Club
This coffee company sources coffee from all over the world. Choose from 3-, 6- and 12-month options that can be customized by bean type (whole or ground) and roast type (all, light or dark). It was named best value coffee subscription in our tests. www.atlascoffeeclub.com
37.Around The World Beer Bucket
A gift basket is a great idea if you’re not sure what kind of beer gadgets they may already have — this galvanized bucket is filled with a dozen brewskis and an assortment of snacks like beef jerky and nuts. www.gourmetgiftbasketscom
38. Ultrasonic Wine Aerator and Whiskey Ager
The Ultrasonic Wine Aerator and Whiskey Ager uses vibrating sound waves to enhance the flavor and smoothness of your favorite red wines and spirits. Simply place your glass bottle in the chamber and press a button. Red wine is aerated in just 5 minutes. And in just a few hours, whiskey is “aged” the equivalent of 5 years or more. www.sharperimage.com
39.The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures
Here’s an adventure your beer lover can get behind. This book maps out 1,000 different trips to craft breweries, pubs, festivals, and hole-in-the-wall bars around the world. www.amazon.com
40.Secura
Electric Wine Opener
They’ll thank you for gifting them this handy kitchen gadget. It removes corks in seconds and opens up to 30 bottles on a single charge. www.thesecura.com
41. UV Self-Cleaning Bottle
Purify your own drinking water with the UV Self-Cleaning Bottle. A powerful UV-C light in the cap sanitizes municipal tap water in 1 minute, or lake water in 2 minutes, reducing germs by up to 99.9% without heat, tablets, or chemicals. www.sharperimage.com
42.Whiskey and Rum Making Kit
You don’t need to work in a distillery to age and season your favorite spirits like a pro. Fashioned in timeless style, this handsome barrel is more than just an eye-catching centerpiece: like its big siblings found in professional distilleries, it can age your spirits to peak flavor. Take mixology into your own hands and create your own signature Highland malt scotch whiskey, spiced rum, or full-bodied Kentucky bourbon. www.uncommongoods.com
43.Slow Gin
Relive Prohibition without all the pesky illegalities, bathtub hooch, and glamorous parties hidden behind secret speakeasy doors–okay, that last one sounds great. Filled with hand-selected and aromatic juniper berries, mixed spices, and more, this DIY gin kit lets you brew your own batch without a flurry of distilling equipment. www.uncommongoods.com
44.Complete Blooming Tea Set
If you’re giving a gift to a guy who loves tea, this option is right up his alley. Not only does this tea set include an elegant glass pot with glasses, but it comes with several flowering tea canisters that bloom into beautiful tea flowers once submerged in hot water. www.teaposy.com
45.Classy Agave Tequila Decanter With 6 Shot Glasses
Yes, it’s true – the gays LOVE tequila. If your friend is also a tequila lover who’s looking to take his home bar to the next level, consider this uniquely styled tequila decanter and shot collection. Each shot, in addition to the decanter itself, features a beautiful glass agave plant in the middle of the piece, which appears to emerge from the liquid as the tequila level decreases. www.thewinesavant.com
