Gummy Pickle
$5.95 • GiantGummyBears.com • Get Yours Now
Gummy foods are interesting because they look like one thing, but then they taste like gummy candy. That is until you try the Gummy Pickle. We were not expecting the experience that overcame us when we bit into a gummy pickle. Sure. it’s sweet and chewy like any good gummy should be, but it’s also got all the traditional dill pickle flavor that you’d want when you crack open a jar of pickles. It’s weird, but it’s good. We couldn’t help but go back for more bites out of a combination of craving and curiosity. During the holiday season, the idea of the Christmas Pickle takes on special significance. Sure, the tradition of hiding a pickle-shaped ornament seems to have no real cultural backing and is more tied to the fact that pickle-shaper ornaments were just part of the assortment Woolworth’s used to sell in the 19th century, but why mess with a great thing? In fact, why not take it to the next level and trade in that glass pickle for a tasty treat no one will expect.
Official Ghostbusters Ugly Christmas Sweater
$39.95 • geekstore.com • Get Yours Now
It seems unfair to call this Ghostbusters Christmas Sweater ugly. Awesome yes, ugly no way! You are going to see geeky ugly Christmas sweaters on a lot of gift guides this year, but most of them are just sweatshirts with a design printed on them. That’s one of the things that we loved about this sweater. It’s actually a sweater! Not only that, it’s a comfortable sweater. If you know someone who loves Ghostbusters, this is the one for them. But, they also have a great selection of ugly Christmas sweaters for everything from Pokemon and Harry Potter to Batman and Star Wars. We were surprised at how much we loved the Ghostbusters sweater. The yarn they used is very comfortable and the colors and design are bright and crisp. No one is going to look at this sweater and not know that you ain’t afraid of no ghosts!
French Macarons Party Tower
$135 • ‘Lette Macarons • Get Yours Now
We’ve already told you how amazing ‘Lette Macarons are and what a great gift they make for the special person in your life (or an even better gift for yourself!), but we wanted to take some time to tell you about their Macaron Party Tower. If you are going to a holiday party or dinner this year, or hosting one yourself, this is the dessert you want on the table. First, it comes with 60 macarons. That is an insane amount, honestly, more than we’ve ever seen at one time outside of a bakery. As we already mentioned, every single flavor from the Blueberry Lemon to the salted caramel is delicious. Second, is the fact that this tower, which was really easy to assemble when it arrived, essentially creates a Christmas tree of Macarons. Sure, you can call it a tower all you want, but this is the most Christmasy looking dessert we can think of short of an actual Buche de Noel! If you want to make an impression on people this holiday season, this will go a lot further than a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates.
Giant Elf Drinking Boot
$19.96 • Big Mouth Inc • Get Yours Now
Zicke zacke zicke zacke hoi hoi hoi! If you know that chant, then you are familiar with the German tradition of the drinking boot. Well, it’s Christmastime, so put away the regular boot and reach for this Giant Elf Drinking Boot. The ceramic, over-sized mug holds over 36 ounces of beer (or any other beverage) and is the perfect addition to any holiday festivity. As an added bonus, you can either use the Giant Elf Drinking Boot as a stocking stuffer, or you can just stuff it and use it to replace the stocking!
Disney Star Wars, “Caroling Caroling” Woven Tapestry Throw Blanket
$35.00 • Northwest • Get Yours Now
Blankets are always great gifts during the holidays. It’s cold outside and a warm blanket is like wrapping yourself up in a hug. With that said, if you’re gonna have a blanket, it may as well be cool! If you’re looking for a good, holiday-themed blanket that’s soft and cozy, but not made of fleece, you can’t go wrong with the 48″W x 60″L Disney Star Wars, “Caroling Caroling” Woven Tapestry Throw Blanket. We couldn’t stop laughing when we saw the design featuring Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, all singing your favorite Life Day carols. The tapestry blanket feels like you are cuddling up inside a toasty sweater. We can’t think of a better throw blanket for a Star Wars fan at Christmas.
Peanuts – Snoopy Decorated Dog House Salt & Pepper Shakers
$16.85 • Vandor • Get Yours Now
The only thing that trumps a Snoopy salt and pepper shaker set is one that helps celebrate Christmas. If you are heading to a Christmas Dinner held by a Snoopy fan this year, bring them this set of ceramic salt and pepper shakers shaped like Snoopy and his iconic, red, doghouse. If you fill them before you give them as a gift, we bet they’ll end up on the table for everyone to see. If a Snoopy-themed Christmas dinner isn’t on the menu, these salt and pepper shakers still make an excellent gift for any fan of The Peanuts Gang.
Dr. Seuss The Grinch Sculpted Ceramic Cookie Jar
$49.95 • Vandor • Get Yours Now
The grinch might have started out as a mean one, but his heart grew three sizes that day, opening his heart to the Christmas spirit. There’s no better way to celebrate the holiday than with a cookie jar so cute it can do double-time as a holiday decoration. This ceramic, 9 x 9 x 11″ h cookie jar looks just like the De. Seuss character from the iconic story and Christmas cartoon. Plus, at that size, his noggin can hold enough cookies for all of Whoville. If you have any fan of Christmas cartoons, Doctor Seuss, or cookies on your gift list, consider filling this up with sugar cookies and slipping it under their tree.
Instant Snow
$14.99 • Playlearn • Get Yours Now
We featured Playlearn’s Instant Snow close to a decade ago and it is still one of those items we find ourselves constantly recommending to friends and family for a great stocking stuffer. We grew up in New England, but now we live in Florida. The closest thing we see to snow is sno cones. This is a simple way to give us the sense memory of what it’s like to let light, fluffy snowfall between our fingers. It can really help you get into the Christmas spirit, even when you are surrounded by palm trees and alligators. We even used some of it to help decorate the office for a holiday party this year. So, why did we bring it back this year? It turns out that Instant Snow is more than just fun, it actually can be beneficial as a sensory stimulation tool not unlike kinetic sand. For that reason alone, this little STEM gem is worth recommending again.
Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Christmas Pop-Up (Advent Calendar)
$25.99 • Insight Editions • Get Yours Now
There are all kinds of advent calendars out there. You can get them filled with LEGOs or Hot Wheels. There are even some stores selling them for wine and cheese. This is the advent calendar you want if you are a fan of Harry Potter. Presented as a book, this amazing advent calendar has a massive tree pop-up in the center while the “pages” are the advent calendar. Seriously, this tree is huge at over a foot tall! Behind each door is a magical keepsake you can use to decorate the tree. There is also a softcover book in the top left corner that is chock full of behind the scenes tidbits and special holiday moments from the movies. You’ll have so much fun with this advent calendar you’ll almost be sad when Christmas comes and it ends.