Gift Guide Part 2: Dads, Employees, Brothers, and Snobby-For-No-Reason Sisters-In-Law

Podcast Episodes
Written By Catherine Krenzer

It’s time for the (whopping) second half of our 2023 gift guide! We tackle dads, sisters, in-laws, friends, coworkers, and some ideas for presents to ask for yourself when that feels like a necessary thing.

the linkage:

For the full link-rich rundown, you’re best off heading over to our site: athingortwohq.com/gift-guide-episodes

If there’s someone on your list that we didn’t get to this year, let us know who you’re shopping for in our Geneva! And share more gift ideas with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, and @athingortwohq.

Gifts for YOU!

My in laws are great people who will buy exactly what ask for as long as it's 1) not personal care or appearance-related AT ALL, 2) not a ""luxury item"" or a splurge version of something (ie no fancy candles), and 3) under $100. I'm a dedicated audiobook listener and | don't need any more cookbooks or board games. They won't do a donation in lieu of gift. Gift giving is their love language but only if the gift is very practical or they got it on a significant discount. We're fortunate to be in a financial position where I'm generally able to buy practical as they're needed, but my in laws hear ""I don't need anything!"" as a snub. Help!"

Dads & Fathers-in-Law

My Dad sounds more like a brand persona than a real person. He's very cosmopolitan/urbane, lives in the city center even though he's 60, takes public transit, legitimately does his weekly grocery shopping at boutique cheese/bread/specialty food stores, always dressed impeccably. OWNS a beautiful specialty meat slicer that he has in his kitchen and uses for fresh/thinly sliced prosciutto (before you go there I've done ham hocks more than once). Interests: art, food and entertaining, culture. Loves to read, usually big sweeping historical books. Always the hardest person to shop for on my list because his taste level is very out of my price range and I'm tapped out on the specialty food theme. Dad recently become a grandfather (2 grandsons and one more coming in Jan) and it was a little weird for him - he loves my sons but the image of an old guy in a rocking chair teaching kids how to whittle didn't jive with his understanding of himself. He's starting to settle in. Has a very unique grandpa name with many indecipherable layers of historical context and family history that the grandkids will probably never understand. Buys them beautifully made clothes that they would immediately ruin. Talks to them about their shared interests: boats, planes, and other well-designed machines.

My dad. 82 years old. Loves to read serious nonfiction but bus all the books he wants. Loves French and Italian wine but his taste is too expensive for me and he has all the gadgets. Generally expensive taste that's above my pay grade. He dresses pretty dapper and lives in NYC. Gets lots of compliments on his glasses and clothes. Grills meat for dinner nearly every night but stuck in his ways when it comes to cooking. Very much a creature of habit. Likes jazz and classic rock. Best gifts I've gotten for him are interesting casual clothes he wouldn't find himself, a dapper custom English umbrella, taking him to see live jazz…

Okay, now that I've seen this I feel okay sending a description of my dad. He's a 67-year-old workaholic lawyer many have described as "quite the character, huh?" He takes himself very seriously, though he also can be quite mischievous and loves to stir the pot. His interests include fishing, geopolitics, and monologuing. I truly feel like I've explored all gifting avenues already with him: consumables for his major sweet tooth, outdoorsy gear that he already buys himself, political or economic books that won't lead to arguments (he's conservative, I'm liberal), and seemingly every dog toy or black Labrador art print under the sun. He doesn't drink and mostly sticks to heart-healthy food. While he has many entertaining childhood stories, it seems unlikely he will set aside time for something activity-based like StoryWorth, as he spends most of his at-home free time watching YouTube videos about things like beekeeping (yes, I've gotten him multiple artisanal honeys that had little impact). I'm at my wits' end with this conundrum of a father, please help!

Father-in-law is the definition of introverted, deeply obsessed with cars (has several classic ones), and model trains (legit has an entire room for trains that has like, an actual functional drawbridge for the trains). Also loves good food and good tequila!

Sisters & Sisters-in-Law

Present for woo-woo disorganized sister who holds a grudge & has two adorable kids

Ok this one is may be a doozy. New SIL: she describes herself as an author but will never discuss her writing, we've never seen anything, nothing published (she is 40, we had a running theory maybe her "writing" was OnlyFans? It's unclear.) She loves Disney (I have secured Hanna Anderson Disney Christmas PJs), Rudy Giuliani (!!!), and believes enough conspiracy theories that we had to change our will about w hich uncle would get our kids if we died. Zola was "too downmarket" for their wedding registry but she doesn't know which fork to use (to be clear, both of these things are fine, just incongruent, right?). So I need something that feels sophisticated but maybe...isn't.

Boyfriend's sister: 29, children's librarian and loves children's books/ movies. Pretty much hates everything I've ever given her and doesn't really have any taste that isn't just stuff her 63 y/o mother likes... when I try to get her clothes that are more age-appropriate (read: no for a woman in her 60s), she never wears them. She's not materialistic BUT loves going to Home Goods just to get stuff? Also has a New Year's Day bday so I need two things. And this is a big bday (30!)! My boyfriend got her a big set of glass Tupperware which was a huge hit, but then got her a nutri bullet (the mom loves hers) and she hated that. HELP!!!

SIL Trying to be an influencer and posts sporadic videos on THIS APP about a home design of a suburban cookie-cutter house. Always mansplains the littlest things. Snobby but for no reason. But also probably a nice person to people she likes? Probably!

Sister-in-law: she is a corporate lawyer and very much a Dallas girly (lives in Dallas but also embodies the Dallas vibes with beach blonde hair, very fancy car to drive 5 minutes to work, has a texting relationship with sales associates at various designer stores). If you read the NYTimes article from a few months ago explaining the Dallas food scene, she embodies the Dallas consumer exactly. She is a bit of a Broadway nerd. She is basically the opposite of me in almost every possible way, and I'm always afraid to shop for her. Last year I got her a gift set from The Crown Affair and I don't think she knew a thing about it. Would like to stay <$150 if possible. HELP

Brothers & Brothers-in-Law 

My wonderful, extremely particular 41-year-old brother who has everything. Niles Crane from Frasier vibes. Loves to cook but has Le Creuset's entire line and possibly every gadget Williams Sonoma sells. Great dad to two adorable kids, 7 and 4. Doesn't like sports, obsessed with and works adjacent to politics. New England energy but lives in LA. Our parents get him a Loro Piana sweater every year which he loves but is extremely out of my budget (I'm 26). Want the gift to be a tangible thing but not a book (have done that a lot). A past successful gift was the New York Times birthday book (shows the front page of NYT every year on his bday since his birth year). His birthday is right before Christmas so kind of need two gifts (or one gift with multiple parts). THANK YOU!!

My brother-in-law who is obsessed with the Michigan State Spartans, loves cozy pants but they cannot have elastic at the ankle, Pinot Noir fan, and loves to grill. Has three kids and is a wonderful, involved softball dad to his middle daughter. Prides himself on having all the right gear for outdoor games in Michigan but otherwise is a pretty utilitarian guy who works in the plumbing industry!

Co-workers/Employees

I work at a nonprofit and I’m a manager for the first time. I want to get my 2 direct reports a thoughtful and relatively inexpensive (sub $50 each) gift. I’m putting a lot of pressure on this because it feels like I’m setting a standard or tradition with myself. Am I the nonfiction book gift-giving manager? The vague coffee shop gift card manager? The cookies in a holiday-themed commemorative tin manager? What happens when I add more people to my team?

Misc

Teenage son's girlfriend

The hillbilly neighbors who let us borrow their cat whenever we want.

Incredible bestie - your most thoughtful friend who remembers your favorite treats and comes to stay with you postpartum to take care of you and make you feel like a human again. Contains multitudes-loves tasting menus but also bodega snacks and street food. Travel, thrifting, crafting, entertaining.

the sponsors (and promos!)

  • Tackle all that holiday shopping at MoMA Design Store and take 10% off your purchase when you use or mention promo code ATHINGORTWO online and in US MoMA Design Stores  through November 23, 2023.

  • Give your hair the gift of Nutrafol. Take $10 off your first month’s subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.

YAY.

Catherine Krenzer
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Olsen Oracle, Holiday Cards, and Inspiringly Nutty Ways to Use the Notes App
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Gift Guide Part 1: Boyfriends, Husbands, Kids, and Pickleball Parents