Valentine's Day Gifts for Dudes

Every year, I find myself wishing that Valentine's Day wasn't so close to Christmas, because I'm running low on both good ideas and funds.  Should you find yourself in the same position, a little help:

Fancy shaving cream (C.O. Bigelow, $10).

A Dopp kit for taking said shaving cream on the road (J. Crew, $48).

Fleece-lined boat shoes for the never-ending winter (Orvis, $129).

Because nothing says "I love you" like ridiculous violence and terrorists, the three latest Batman movies for a movie marathon (Amazon, $20). . . 

. . . and if you're feeling very generous, noise-cancelling headphones that make flying on airplanes a pleasure (and make the sound so clear you can finally figure out what Bane is saying) (Best Buy, $300).

A cozy sweater with elbow patches (Everlane, $120; and it's also available as a cardigan).

A flask for nipping into when the occasion demands (Smathers & Branson, $65).

A Season Pass for The Mindy Project, in case he was late to the most hilarious new show on television and missed the first part of the season (iTunes, $39.99).

A pizza stone for making delicious homemade pizza together (Williams-Sonoma, $50) . . . 

. . . or if you're far apart, a heart-shaped deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati's in Chicago (with a heart-shaped cheesecake, $53.99 with shipping).

And the most important thing: an actual valentine.

And with that, we come full circle: the very first post on Tall and Salty was last year's Valentine's Day Gift Guide for Fellows, which you can check out for more ideas, if you're so inclined.  Thank you so, so very much for stopping in and for reading Tall and Salty.  I've had so much fun writing it, but your comments, emails, and visits have undoubtedly been the highlight.  Thanks for everything!

PS: More gifts for fellows.

(The Dark Knight Rises image via New York Daily News; The Mindy Project image via Vulture.)

Gifts for fellows

For Day Two of the Tall and Salty holiday gift guide bonanza, it's the gentlemen's turn.  I always have the most trouble with the dudes on my list, don't you?  For your difficult-to-shop-for husbands, boyfriends, dads, brothers, and brothers-in-law, fifteen suggestions for things he might actually like:

Classic Ray-Ban sunglasses that fold up to fit in his pocket.

For the man who hates the actual process of shopping: a subscription to Trunk Club, the service that sends him a trunk of clothes to try on, and a promise to get him the first thing he loves.  You pay only for what you keep!

  

A shiny gold holder for his razor or toothbrush so you'll quit bugging him about leaving it out all the time.  And isn't peace and quiet one of the greatest gifts there is?

Hilarious needlepoint keychain for your favorite chick magnet.

A cashmere forever sweater with elbow patches.

A 007-esque chrome lighter for starting fires (or, you know, lighting the Duraflame log wrapper, whatever the case may be).

A grown-up looking backpack.

A pan for making lasagna or brownies with crisp edges in every bite.

A set of plain, heavy, old-fashioned glasses for getting his Don Draper on.

A cool bottle opener.

Puppy bookends.  Because who doesn't smile at puppies?

A striped cap and socks.

A new shirt for his team's national championship game (or perhaps tickets to the game -- a pair is only $2,400!).

Membership in a wine-of-the-month club (or this service, if he's more of a whiskey man).

  

(Wine image by Jamie Beck via From Me to You.)

Gifts for hosts and hostesses with the most(ess)

At long last, it's time to kick off the first series of Tall and Salty holiday gift guides.  To start things off, let's begin with the first people you'll want to buy for: the hosts and hostesses who invite you over for dinners, White Christmas viewing parties, tree-trimming, wassailing (we did in fact get invited to a wassail this year; I had to Google it to find out what it was!), and other forms of holiday revelry.  Some great ideas for gifts to have on hand so that you don't end up ducking into a 7-Eleven for a bottle of wine that you have to scratch the $9.99 price tag off of on your way over to the party:

A pretty cheese knife and spreader set from France.

Delicious seasoned salt (that you might recall from here).

Festive cocktail glasses so your hosts can enjoy a relaxing beverage . . .

. . . or a book of cocktail recipes for intense de-stressing!

Cleaning spray (it's great for countertops) that smells like a Christmas tree (Thymes has a whole line of Frasier Fir scented candles and home items -- they're all wonderful).

A gilded leaf tray for holding keys, soap, or other little odds and ends.

A board game (my favorite: Cranium).

A set of Christmas plaid napkins.

A cool bottle opener.

Because I just can't get enough of these, a return address stamp.

And for a good laugh -- and a little story to go with it for the uninitiated -- a pickle ornament!

(Mrs. Lilien Cocktail Swatchbook image via Oh Joy!; pickle ornament image via here.)