Gift Guide 2014: The High Maintenance Homebody
1. Sea Mist Soy Candle via Witch City Wicks: $20
There's nothing like a nice candle to add a cozy feeling to your home. I burn candles every day - one of my favorite rituals is to turn down the lights and burn a candle while I curl up in bed reading or watching a movie. I'm not a fan of food scented candles, which makes candle shopping more difficult. All the affordable candles are gingerbread or sugar cookie or apple pie scents. I have to wait for a good deal or wade through a sea of strongly scented candles to find something that's soothing, but not olfactorily obnoxious. This Sea Mist scented candle from Witch City Wicks sounds like it smells relaxing and soothing, and not at all like a candy shop. The packaging is gorgeous too, so you won't have to feel shy about leaving it our on your nightstand or coffee table, and once you burn the candle, you can reuse the glass container. Plus you're supporting a small business!
2. Duffield Throw via Ugg Australia: $98
Oh, I love a nice blanket. Any homebody who likes the finer things needs a super comfy blanket for marathon DVR catchup sessions on the couch. I dream of a blanket like this from Ugg Australia. I've felt this blanket and it is insanely soft. It's pricy, sure, but if you're logging serious hours on the sofa, you deserve a nice, soft blanket to keep you warm and comfy. AND, it's machine washable! As someone who shares their couch with a dog, being able to throw my throws in the wash is a requirement second only to extreme comfiness.
3. "I Am Very Busy" iPhone 5/5s Case via Ban.do: $25
Just because a person is a homebody, and they only wear glorified pajamas, that doesn't mean they're not getting shit done. When your work is primarily Internet-based, it can seem to the outside world that when your nose is an inch from your phone you're looking at Instagram or playing a game, but really you're answering emails or writing blog posts. This phone case tells the world, "I'm hustling here, man." And even if you ARE just looking at dog Instagram accounts (my favorite is TeddyLovesMeatloaf), who's to say that doesn't qualify as "busy"?! BTW, I love this case so much I may be purchasing it for myself within the next few hours.
4. Leather Baggu via Athleta: $160
Just because someone's a professional homebody, that doesn't mean they don't deserve nice things. Even if it's just a bag to throw their wallet and phone in while they take a walk to Starbucks. This bag is essentially a leather grocery bag, which makes it luxe and frankly pretty freaking awesome. It's slouchy and comfy, as all homebody-related things should be, but it's made of super soft leather that adds a hint of sophistication. But just a hint. Your homebody giftee is going to be wearing this with leggings and an oversized sweater, after all.
5. Essie Winter 2014 Mini Nail Polish Set via Nordstrom: $17
I love to put on a tv show or YouTube or a podcast and just zone out while painting my nails. It's so, so lovely to have a fresh manicure, and it's a bit of a zen process for me to paint them myself. Even if I'm in leggings and slippers, seeing my fingertips looking fancy makes me feel like, "Hey, maybe I'm fancy!" Even though we all know I'm not. This little set of nail polishes is the perfect gift for someone who prefers spending a night in beautifying to a night out. All four colors are gorgeous, and can actually be worn year-round, although they are also perfect holiday colors.
6. Dreamy Cotton Striped Pajamas Set via J. Crew: $78
A homebody without awesome pajamas is not living their best life. If you're going to be curling up with a cup of tea and a good book for an evening, you better be wearing some kickass PJs. This set from J. Crew is classic, cozy, and chic. But mostly cozy. Coziness is the first rule of pajamas. The second rule of pajamas is coziness. (The first ten rules are coziness.)
