Check out the latest recommendations to sprucing up your home!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions and recommendations remain my own.
Olive Oil Spout
If you cook a lot, then you likely use a lot of some kind of oil. These are great, inexpensive, and practical gifts. I have had many pour spouts including flip lid and gravity ones, but these ones are my favorite because you can click them closed or open with one finger. I prefer these over the ones that tip back with gravity because if you knock over an oil bottle with these spouts, nothing happens. However, if it was a gravity spout, you will have oil all over the counter. For anyone who multi-tasks, making multiple items in the kitchen, I recommend these over other spouts for that reason. There is already enough to clean after a round of cooking.
The one thing I don’t love is the color so hopefully this vendor will make other options in the future. However, I like how they function enough to keep them in my kitchen.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is a key staple in most households even if the individual doesn’t cook as much. I love gifting this because I know it will be used. In particular, I am a fan of Queen Creek Olive Mill brand since I have visited their mill and it is clear that they are knowledgeable and take good care of their land. They also won numerous awards for the quality of their olive oil. It is located in Queen Creek, AZ so if you get a chance to visit, check out their store since they have more options for gifting giving than their online website.
Make sure that you get extra virgin olive oil instead of virgin olive oil because the quality of the oil is better. Also, look for a glass dark bottle versus plastic and clear. I took a course on olive mills a couple years ago and I was horrified to learn that I was buying the wrong olive oil and immediately replaced the ones I had. The extra virgin olive oil requires a higher standard and olive mix which includes a lower number of larvae eggs present. That’s piece really freaked me out. Olive oil is not meant to be heated until use which is why a darker bottle is important to keep the longevity since it keeps the oil cleaner from chemical degradation. Especially since most people keep their olive oil on the counter where it might be exposed to sun. The same for class since plastic heated can leak out chemicals into your oil.
Coravin Wine Preservation System
This is on black Friday sale so should be priced below $200 for a short amount of time. The blue color version is about $30 cheaper for the same functionality.
This is a great gift for wine drinkers, not wine chuggers. If you have someone who enjoys fine wines, then this is a great gift because it can keep wine good for about three years from the date you open it. I like the way it easily pours out wine with a single press. Looks real smooth if you are entertaining guests. They also have a sparkling wine version that keeps sparkling wine good for four weeks.
If you know of an individual that drinks wine fast, then I do not recommend as they would not get the real value out of this gift. For the fast drinkers, I recommend getting them an electric wine opener instead (listed in my Oct Edition For the Home post).
Le Creuset Noel Spoon Rest
Holiday decor that is practical is my favorite. I absolutely love the beautiful green color and Christmas tree shape of this spoon rest. I am now inspired to find more spoon rests that match for holidays/seasons.
Le Creuset is a high-quality brand so you know it will last. This spoon rest is great because it has a lowered lip where the handle will be so that it sits in the spoon rest nicely.
Smiley Coffee Mug
Most of us already have a large collection of mugs, so it’s hard to decide to gift a mug to someone knowing that likely they have plenty already. However, I do love this mug because it’s bright, fun, and happy and would stand out in anyone’s collection.
At work, each morning, I would carry this around the office and it brightened other people’s days as I got a lot of comments on it. It inspired happiness and warmth for myself and others.
I will say this mug is on the fragile-side so make sure to only load it into the top rack of your dishwasher. I kept mine at work and they clean our mugs daily, but with an industrial dishwasher and it started chipping my mug.
