Nicole Simonek

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The Gifts Edit

Nicole Simonek

The ultimate gift guide playbook with curated edits for every person in your life!

Disclaimer: I do use affiliate links in this blog meaning that if you purchase anything through my affiliate links I receive commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products that I have heavily researched, tested and loved, and/or used for several years.

Gifts are my strong suit, so I am here to help the masses with the ultimate gift guide. Many of these I own or have gifted, or have done extensive research on. There is something for everyone, whether you want to go the sentimental, luxurious, romantic, or custom route. I start out this post with niche edits linking to specific products on my ShopMy, then go through product ideas for different categories where you can take general ideas and customize to your lucky recipient!

Shop Black women-owned brands here!

ShopMy Gift Edits

Links with specific products for each niche edit!

Flowers

For those who don’t know me, I gift myself flowers every year with a note saying “To: Me, Love: Me”. Here are the flower shops I recommend based on bouquets purchased or received, along with pictures of some of their arrangements. This is more aligned with my personal taste, but any arrangements with roses, orchids, peonies, and/or hydrangeas are simply stunning.

This year I plan to gift myself a bouquet from The Peonies Shop. I will add it to this list next week with a photo! To really WOW your recipient with an unforgettable arrangement, the shop offers the peony cloud here.

Infinity flowers like Venus Et Fleur definitely had its big moment, and still makes for a wonderful gift, but I think fresh flower bouquets are now the top pick again.

Fleurs Du Jour, 2525 Main St Unit 105 Santa Monica, CA 90405

Venus Et Fleur

Ann’s Flowers, 1915 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90403

The Peonies Shop, 7257 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036

Sweets

For the one with the sweet tooth, here are some amazing bakeries and dessert shops to pick up or order from!

Goldbelly also has tons of yummy treats and eats on their site!

Reservations

For those of you planning to dine out on Valentine’s Day and treat your special someone to a nice dinner, I truly hope you make a reservation well in advance. You can find the perfect romantic Valentine’s dining spot via my Most Romantic Restaurants in LA blog. For future date nights, you can refer to my Los Angeles and Seattle restaurant guides if you are in the area.

For anyone who dropped the ball, take this as a lesson learned! For those in the LA area, do not to fret. I always make extra reservations for Valentine’s Day just in case and would be happy to transfer them - just drop me a line on my Contact page. If you are located in New York, I would check out the app ResX (previously NYCResX) to purchase an immediate reservation.

Available reservations - Feb. 14, 2024:

Wine + Liquor

For the wine and spirits lover in your life, here are some bottles that surely will not disappoint.

Wine + Champagne:

Whiskey:

Aperitifs:

Tequila:

Gin:

Vodka:

Custom Wine Gifts:

Glassware:

Mugs

My best friend @tariromakoni is the mug and plateware queen on TikTok, check out her videos here.

My Own Mug Picks:

Sleepwear + Intimates

Sleepwear:

Intimates:

Make sure to check sizing differences between brands (some are in UK).

Wellness

For the zen wellness lover in your life, here are product brands and experiences that will give the gift of mindfulness. I included experiences I have loved or researched as well, plus a NYC location I have heard great things about. You can read about my favorite couple’s massage experience at Tomoko Spa in Beverly Hills here.

Products:

Experiences:

Candles + Perfume

Scents can be extremely polarizing, so I will only include general brands that are popular and rated well. Please know your person well enough when choosing a specific brand and scent!

You can read about my visit to the Beverly Hills Perfumery and my personal favorite perfume picks here!

Home

For the home decor loving homebody, here is a list of various brands that will be sure to make your home and person happy! My taste centers around modern, silver, and glass pieces. I included extremely talented artists - anyone would be extremely lucky to have their beautiful pieces hung in their home!

Custom Art/Illustration + Painting + Photography:

Decor:

Coffee Table Books:

Sheets:

Blanket:

Tech:

Sentimental + Personalized

There is nothing quite like receiving a thoughtful gift that has been customized just for you. Here are some picks that are sure to make them smile!

Experiences

Sometimes the best gift is spending quality time together and doing an experience whether that be a staycation, class, or concert. It is up to you to know what type of experience they would love, especially when seeing a particular artist at a concert.

Concerts:

Theatres:

Staycation:

Classes:

Local Experiences:

Luxury

Luxury fashion houses can also be as polarizing and as much of a personal preference as scents + candles, so this will take knowing your person well. I have included sites below where various designer items can be found, as well as diamond brands - which everyone should love. I also included a list of products of my personal closet or preference that I think most people would love, emphasis on think!

Sites:

Jewelry/Watches:

Example Products:

Athleisure

I am definitely not a sporty girl whatsoever, but here is a list of gifts that at least cover the fashion aspect of participating in the athletic life. I especially live in sweat suits - I love Erewhon’s and got their green set the moment it dropped December 2021 (I even called corporate to make sure I was the first to get the drop password). I also love Pangaia which my best friend gifted me, and love the sustainability mission behind the brand.

Athleisure:

Sweat Suits:

Sneakers:

Watches:

Gym Bag:

Beauty

Beauty products are also very personal, so I have done my best to narrow down to cult items I have tried that I think (emphasis on think) a lot of people would love.

If you enjoyed this blog post, I would greatly appreciate you taking a moment to browse my other blog posts (I write on lifestyle, beauty, travel, restaurants, working in tech, and cocktails + wine), subscribe, and/or make a donation. Donation proceeds go toward monthly Squarespace fees, PO box fees, website enhancements, ad campaigns, SEO tools, and time investment in addition to my full-time job. Thank you for your readership from the bottom of my heart! xx Nicole

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