Extra Win: The actually helpful gift guide 2024
I love giving gifts but I have some opinions about gift guides
I love Christmas and I love gift-giving, but here’s what I don’t love about some of gift guides out there:
The ones in the newspapers and magazines are PR-sponsored
The ones that individuals write, such as here on Substack, can be charming but they can also feel like someone’s highly personal wishlist — which means that what’s being recommended hasn’t necessarily been tried and tested, or can be a little niche (or, conversely, incredibly generic)
They can encourage overconsumption when filled with lots of small, of-the-moment ideas (today’s gift, tomorrow’s clutter etc.)
And if they’re not structured by price then, quite frankly, I don’t wanna know
All that being said, welcome to the Small Wins Gift Guide 2024!
I’m dropping this to you as we head towards Black Friday because it’s always best to go into any sale with a clear plan/shopping list!
Listed below are excellent present ideas, sorted by price, that (a) can standalone (because a single, brilliant present is much more impactful than lots of bits) and (b) that I can personally vouch for (since I’ve received, tried or gifted them all). None of these items are too specific — rather, they are objectively good and/or classic presents that will work for a wide range of people.
Happy (considered and measured) shopping!
Love,
Alexina
P.S. Coming this Sunday it’s a bumper Christmas dinner 101!! All the recipes for a fabulous Christmas dinner, plus a shopping list, prep schedule and checklist for the big day. To receive this into your inbox on Sunday make sure you’re a paid subscriber.
P.S.S. Annual paid subscribers can gift an annual subscription to Small Wins at a reduced price of £39 — just drop me an email at alexina.eats@gmail.com to sort! A Christmas gift that will bring joy all year round.
THE SMALL WINS CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 2024
This list majors quite highly on experiences because they create memories that last beyond the Christmas/birthday/gifting occasion, as well as builds anticipation — which accounts for at least half of the joy in this life. A huge bonus is that experiences don’t contribute to over-consumption and they keep your home clutter-free — so many wins!
£100+
For the fancy pants one: A ‘Discover your Signature Scent’ perfume consultation at the Liberty Fragrance Lounge, £35 (for the 45 min consultation) + the cost of whichever perfume is chosen, likely in the £120-£250 range. My friend got me this for my birthday and we both had a consultation at the same time — it was one of the most memorable and fun experiences. Plus, every time I wear my perfume, I think of her!
For the one who always orders the cheese plate: A Neal’s Yard cheese subscription (4 cheeses each month for 3 months), £138.
For the bookworm: A Daunt Book Subscription (bi-monthly option, i.e. 6 books over 12 months), £100.
For the lover of slick kitchen gadgets: A HORL knife sharpener, from £119 (dependent on the finish). What you need to know about this knife sharpener is that not only does it do its job very well, it also makes sharpening your knives a soothing, Zen activity.
For the wine lover who lives alone: The Eto wine decanter, from £129 (dependent on the finish). This is no ordinary decanter — it’s one that can keep wine at its best for up to two weeks! I enjoy wine a lot but am not a big drinker, so this has made the world of difference.
£51 to £100
For the one who never treats themselves: A pedicure at the Margaret Dabbs Sole Spa in Liberty, £63/68 (normal polish/gel). Anyone who gets their nails done regularly will know that this is good value for a pedicure in the ever-chic Liberty. Whatsmore, it’s the best pedicure you can get: Margaret Dabbs specialises in feet so the technicians who work there do their job very thoroughly — your feet will come out brand new.
N.b. When booking it’s called the Express Pedicure (but it doesn’t feel express!)
For the one who loves throwing dinner parties: The Frenchette Wine Glasses by Glassette, £55 for 4. These are the most chic yet effortless all-rounder glass. Use them for wine (of course), but know that they also come into their own for serving desserts like tiramisu, a classy ice cream sundae or zabaglione with poached plums.
For the one who likes expensive things: A Smythson Key Ring, £70-75. This is a small luxury that the giftee will get to see every time they pull their keys out (which is several times a day). I received one of these as a gift from a friend on my 18th birthday and I enjoyed it for over a decade until it eventually broke! It reminded me of my friend every time I got my keys out.
For the beauty junkie in your life: An Annual Beauty Pie Gift Membership, £59. Beauty Pie is marketed as a beauty buyer’s club: you pay an annual fee which gives you access to buy products from the top labs in the world (the ones that make skincare and makeup for the luxury brands) at close to cost price. For anyone who loves their beauty, it makes for a fun playground. Just so you know, I particularly rate their Vitamin C capsules.
For the understated but classy one: A COS pure cashmere scarf (£95) and/or hat (£65). Every year COS do a classic cashmere scarf and matching hat in a few colours, which make a classic addition to anyone’s wardrobe (they’re unisex).
One caveat! It’s always worth checking them out in-store before buying: the cashmere is typically lovely quality (soft and plush) but occasionally this is not the case. Sometimes I find that one specific colour feels thinner — possibly because it has come from a different supplier.
For the foodie/MasterChef fan: An annual subscription to this newsletter, Small Wins, £59!
If you’re an existing annual paid subscriber, you can gift a year’s subscription to someone at a special price of £39 (a 34% discount!) — simply drop me an email at alexina.eats@gmail.com to sort.
For the one with a sweet tooth: The Notting Hill Bakery Tour with Jennifer Earle and Milly Kenny Ryder (author of Britain’s Best Bakeries), £65. This makes for a really fun morning walking around the streets of Notting Hill, tasting lots of wonderful pastries and getting a little history thrown in too. What’s so brilliant about a tour like this is that you get to try little bits of lots of pastries from multiple bakeries. There are two dates currently available in 2025: Sunday 2nd Feb and Sunday 2nd March.
I’ve included the tour in this price category because it’s the kind of experience that you could buy for someone to do alone.
For the £65 ticket be sure to select the option without the added copy of Milly’s book.
£31 to £50
For the elegant cook: A Microplane Citrus Zester with Walnut Handle, £36. This is a chic version of one of the very best kitchen tools (in my top 5 for sure!).
For the cool-chic one: A Sargasso Tote Bag, £30 (excl. delivery — n.b. there is a free click & collect option if you’re based in London). This is the perfect tote bag: the perfect colour, the perfect size, high quality, slots for wine, slots for your phone, slots for a laptop, short and long handles. It’s the only tote I will ever need and use. (Shout out to Elly Pear for bringing my attention to this one in her gift guide from last year!)
For the fitness junkie who still likes to look chic: Bala weighted bangles, £49.95 for a set of two (currently 20% off!).
For the one you don’t know very well: A Diptyche candle, £35. A Diptyche candle, even in the smallest size, never goes amiss and makes for a universal, très chic present. You cannot go wrong with the Baies or Figier scents.
A tip: if you can, buy it in-store at Liberty — you’ll get a petite little Liberty bag to gift it in which will save you from having to wrap it up. It’s these small touches that can scream luxury even if you’re not spending much.
For the at-home bartender: An Oxo Large Ice Cube Tray with Lid, £15.99 + a copper ice stamp (various designs, various prices). For the one who regularly drinks Negronis and Old Fashioneds at home, a large ice cube mould is a small luxury that will elevate the experience. These Oxo ones are great because they have a lid, which makes them convenient to store. As for the copper ice stamp, I first learnt about them when I was on Saturday Kitchen recently and Idris Elba demonstrated with one… needless to say, I was sold. It does what it says on tin: in just a few short seconds, a copper ice stamp will imprint a design onto your large ice cube.
I haven’t included a specific link to a copper ice stamps as there are lots of different designs that you can opt for (customisable options, too) — simply have a browse online! Helen McGinn (@knackeredmother) had the ingenious idea of buying Matt Tebbutt a copper stamp of his face…
£30 and under
For the keen home cook: A cookbook, of course! Here are my favourites of 2024:
- , RRP £24
KIN by Marie Mitchell, RRP £30
Sift by
, RRP £30- , RRP £20
- , RRP £26
Tucking In by
, RRP £22
For the Bruce Bogtrotter in your life: A slice of Get Baked chocolate cake, £20 (incl. delivery). Usually you have to be super quick to get hold of these when bookings open at 10am on Thursdays, but they are mercifully offering pre-orders for Christmas! Access via the link.
For the salt fiend: A huge tub of Maldon sea salt, £17.
For the one obsessed with all-natural products: Babylonstoren Honey & Rooibos (long!) Bar Soap, £17 (excl. delivery). I became obsessed with the soaps made at Babylonstoren in South Africa when I travelled there last year. They’re produced with olive oil, coconut oil and honey — i.e. very gentle on the skin and the perfect texture. You can buy the honey & rooibos version from The Newt in the UK which, annoyingly, is a bit rough from the rooibos but still wonderful. It makes for a beautiful showstopping gift without forking out too much.
For the gourmet foodie: A mini Dolce & Gabbana Citrus & Saffron Panettone, £19.99 (excl. delivery). I don’t usually get excited by panettone but last year I attended the Sous Chef panettone party and got to sample and compare well over thirty of them. And, well, I finally found one that I really love — and it’s this! Ever better: they do it in this very cute mini version in a very cute little tin and I just think it would make for an excellent present.
Help, I’m on a mega budget!
If the budget is basically £0, your best bet is to make something homemade and edible. And although ingredients aren’t cheap these days, if you make a couple of batches of treats and divide them up between lots of people, it can end up being very cost-effective.
Below are links to some great homemade options (with the focus being on items that people will actually need/use up over the festive period):
A box of biscuits (I also really like these rosemary shortbread)
Jars of homemade mincemeat (for next year!)
Octavia’s chocolate truffles
Bottles of papaya hot sauce
These beautiful three-seed crackers and/or quince paste for the Christmas cheese board
Or, if you have no desire whatsoever to actually cook, these DIY cookies in a jar are a great solution
Remember: quality over quantity — the present does not have to be big to be of value. A little box of 4 homemade chocolate truffles would be a gorgeous present to receive.
And that’s it, I hope this gift guide was actually helpful!!
FOOTNOTE: SOME EXCELLENT GAMES FOR CHRISTMAS
We love a games night in my house and Christmas Day is always an opportunity to fit in a couple. Games for this specific day of the year need to be fun but not too involved, given they’ll be played under a haze of champagne, or in the stupor rendered by the Christmas dinner. Here are some favourites:
Cards Against Humanity (a game for adults)
LOVE THIS