<\/p>\n\n\n\n
by Mikey Rox<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holidays are an excellent distraction after an election cycle \u2013 makes ya wonder if it was planned like that, huh? \u2013 and this year is no exception. Instead of churning out endless political memes on social media (really, give it a rest), turn your attention to making memories and exchanging gifts, like these carefully curated selections that\u2019ll lighten the mood, facilitate festiveness, and bring joy to those on your Nice List (because we not givin\u2019 Naughty List-ers nothin\u2019 this year). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Le Creuset Bread Oven<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Honed your sourdough skills during Covid? Level \u2019em up in Le Creuset\u2019s handsome enameled cast-iron bread oven, available in seven of the French manufacturer\u2019s signature ombr\u00e9 hues, for stunning artisan loaves ideal for gifting or your own private gluttony. Make it a meal with Julia Turshen\u2019s Fastest Chicken Noodle Soup recipe from the queer cook\u2019s latest book, \u201cWhat Goes with What.\u201d $300, www.Food52.com<\/a>; $26, Amazon.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imogene + Willie Tees\/Accessories<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Streetwear takes the sophisticated track via imogene + willie\u2019s audacious selection of graphic tees and accessories, like its popular \u201cbolt\u201d in black and increasingly prescient \u201cburn it all\u201d tees, along with accessories that include the standout \u201cbronco\u201d trucker and \u201cdead wrong\u201d knit watch cap. For queers of a certain age (you know who you are), these style-forward mix-ins give edge without looking desperately trendy or \u2013 God forbid \u2013 completely out of touch (you know who you are, too). $38-$68, www.imogeneandwillie.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beekman 1802 Advent Calendar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no place like home when you\u2019ve got Beekman 1802\u2019s luxurious storybook-inspired advent calendar to see you through the holidays, each door revealing one of 24 cult-fave face and beauty products, including 16 full-size bestsellers. Bring the somewhere-over-the-rainbow sentiment 360 with a few selections from the boys\u2019 \u201cWicked\u201d-branded lineup, like the Glamorous Gal Bodycare Gift Set or Make Your Own Magic 3-Pack Bar Soap Set, for all the good witches (and bad bitches) in your life. $179, www.Beekman1802.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re gonna need a buffer that packs a punch \u2013 so none are thrown \u2013 this holiday season, and Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential is the American single-malt whiskey up to the task with its notes of caramel and vanilla combined with a persistent pepperiness that\u2019s H-O-T-T-O-G-O. $60, www.CedarRidgeDistillery.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n La Boule Dinnerware Set<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Home-based meals are anything but Avante Garde these days (and, no, Uber Eats doesn\u2019t count), but Villeroy & Boch brings a splash of panache to the table with its multicolored, premium porcelain La Boule seven-piece dinnerware sets \u2013 in Miami and Memphis styles \u2013 which include two stackable regular bowls, two pasta bowls, two plates and one serving tray that form a single nesting round and an artistic conversation piece after the dishes are done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n $450, www.Villeroy-Boch.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pasturebird Chicken\/\u201cHot Ones\u201d Season 25 10-pack<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the reviews for Pasturebird free-range chicken products (five stars across the board, including its holiday-ready party wings), and you\u2019ll be an instant convert \u2013 especially after you light \u2019em up with Heatonist\u2019s \u201cHot Ones\u201d Season 25 10-pack, featuring flavors like Little Dick\u2019s Ghost Pepper Pear, Pepper North\u2019s Jerk & Scotch Bonnet, and Hot Ones\u2019 own The Last Dab: Xperience, an apropos name for the Pepper X-based sauce with a Scoville Heat Unit rating of over 2.6 million. (For reference, a classic buffalo clocks in at a mere 1,800 SHU.) Santa might be S.O.L. on milk this year. $10-25, www.Pasturebird.com<\/a> ; $120, Heatonist.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pepper Pong Game<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Make room, table tennis \u2013 there\u2019s a new player in the game. Pepper Pong \u2013 a 2023 Best New Game winner \u2013 is ping pong\u2019s \u201cgo-anywhere, do-anything, challenge-anyone cousin\u2026 with a mean mullet and pickleball-infused DNA,\u201d according to its website, and that translates to a whole lotta fun for the whole family\u2026 if you\u2019re into that sorta thing. $70, www.PepperPong.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The EnergyLounger<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Need a timeout? You\u2019ll get one with a kickback on the EnergyLounger wellness platform offering cutting-edge, full-body red and near-infrared light therapy sessions designed for relaxation and rejuvenation in the comfort of your own home. Benefits include reduced pain and stiffness, improved blood circulation, and cell regeneration for an experience that\u2019ll take you away when Calgon ain\u2019t cuttin\u2019 it. $7,500-$9,998, www.EnergyLounger.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n DC Comics Style Guide\/Batman DVD set<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pair a reissue of the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide \u2013 designed to assist licensees in delivering a consistent look for the brand\u2019s celebrated Super Heroes \u2013 with the Batman 85th Anniversary 10-Film Collection, which includes fan-favorite animated classics like \u201cThe Killing Joke,\u201d \u201cThe Long Halloween,\u201d and \u201cSoul of the Dragon,\u201d among others, for a gift that\u2019ll instantly elevate you to Super Friend. $95, www.StandardsManual.com<\/a> ; $200, Amazon.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n FinaMill Grinder<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Save your knuckles from skin-chewing microplanes and graters with a convenient automated replacement in the rechargeable FinaMill Grinder that allows kitchen whizzes to season with ease thanks to its one-handed click-grind-release technology. Max and Pro Plus pods pulverize everything from cardamom seeds to coffee beans sans blood, sweat or tears, in complementary culinary mill colors that include black, white, red and gray. $100, www.FinaMill.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom of Finland Duffel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Henry Cavill is a prime candidate for the anatomical embodiment of a Tom of Finland illustration, and it\u2019s hard not to fantasize about the oversized actor decked out in head-to-toe leather, especially after you cop Loqi\u2019s Tom of Finland Day & Night Recycled Weekender, featuring all-over printed ToF artwork that looks suspiciously like the Super Man that lives rent free in our collective spank banks. $40, www.Loqi.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dwayne Chestnut Sunglasses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Did Vont\u00e9lle sleep on the opp to name its Dwayne Chestnuts flip-up transitioning glasses the Dwayne Waynes, paying homage to the iconic spectacle-shades popularized by Kadeem Hardison on \u201cA Different World\u201d? Perhaps. But slap on a pair of these bad boys and you\u2019ll bring all the early-\u201990s vibes (and maybe a few Whitleys or Ron Johnsons) to the yard. $189, www.Vontelle.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Danish Creamery UCS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Danish Creamery \u2013 renowned for its fresh-churned European-style butter \u2013 keeps you and your sticks rizzed up and ready to spread this holiday season with its branded ugly Christmas sweater that includes a tiny additional sweater to dress up your serving dish, in a twofer that\u2019s both salty and sweet. $80, www.UglyChristmasSweater.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Andy Warhol x Absolut Vodka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Art imitates life imitating art in Absolut Vodka\u2019s full-circle Andy Warhol collab featuring elements of the pop icon\u2019s overlooked 1985 blue bottle painting, rediscovered in 2020. With colors extracted directly from the original work and made with multi-layer screen printing to create an authentic sensory experience to touch, the spirited 2024 collector\u2019s item also includes a QR code that opens a portal into the world of Warhol and the story behind both brands\u2019 historic and enduring connection, this limited-edition release now among them. $26, www.ReserveBar.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBTQ+ lifestyle expert whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications around the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Mikey Rox The Holidays are an excellent distraction after an election cycle \u2013 makes ya wonder if it was planned like that, huh? \u2013 and this year is no exception. Instead of churning out endless political memes on social media (really, give it a rest), turn your attention to making memories and exchanging gifts, like these carefully curated selections that\u2019ll lighten the mood, facilitate festiveness, and bring joy to those on your Nice List (because we not givin\u2019 Naughty List-ers nothin\u2019 this year). Le Creuset Bread Oven Honed your sourdough skills during Covid? Level \u2019em up in Le Creuset\u2019s handsome enameled cast-iron bread oven, available in seven of the French manufacturer\u2019s signature ombr\u00e9 hues, for stunning artisan loaves ideal for gifting or your own private gluttony. Make it a meal with Julia Turshen\u2019s Fastest Chicken Noodle Soup recipe from the queer cook\u2019s latest book, \u201cWhat Goes with What.\u201d $300, www.Food52.com; $26, Amazon.com Imogene + Willie Tees\/Accessories Streetwear takes the sophisticated track via imogene + willie\u2019s audacious selection of graphic tees and accessories, like its popular \u201cbolt\u201d in black and increasingly prescient \u201cburn it all\u201d tees, along with accessories that include the standout \u201cbronco\u201d trucker and \u201cdead wrong\u201d knit watch […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2240,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[1265,2773,1559,2775,2776,8,2774,728],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2239"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2241,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239\/revisions\/2241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}