Lifestyle/Art

Published on July 31st, 2021 | by Darren Paltrowitz

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25 Early Holiday Season 2021 Gift Ideas You Can Order Online Today

The 2021 Holiday Season is less than 5 months away from this article’s publishing, so it is still not too early to do your share of gift shopping for this holiday. Below are timely 25 gift ideas — all immediately available for online-based ordering — of varying price points worth looking into today.

Fisher Price x Run DMC

As the song lyric goes, it might be “tricky to rock a rhyme that’s right on time,” but it is never tricky to celebrate music legends Run DMC. That may be why Fisher-Price has launched Little People Collector figures to pay tribute to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame trio. Replicas of Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell spotlight Run DMC’s iconic style and influential fashion statements reflected via their famed thick gold chains and iconic track suits and sneakers.

Little People Collector figures, like the new launch of Run DMC, allow caregivers to share the joy of their favorite personalities and nostalgic characters with children. Run DMC Little People are now available via Amazon, and happen to be one of the first things you see when you walk into my home.

Puro Sound Labs Headphones

Puro Sound Labs’ volume-limiting, Bluetooth-enabled headphones come with a built-in microphone, which allow users to actively-participate in a variety of activities without hesitation or distraction. As I was in the market for new headphones which I could exercise with and also use for working purposes, I had the pleasure of trying out the PuroPro Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Volume Limited Headphones this month. I can attest to the fact that the headphones not only offer top-notch sound, but that the noise cancelling technology is effective, the battery life is strong, and the design of the product keeps it both foldable and durable. Highly-recommended.

Portland Leather Goods

As the story goes, before Portland Leather Goods, you could not easily find a simply-designed, affordable bag made from quality leather. If it was simply-designed and affordable, the leather felt and looked cheap or worse, it was not probably even real leather. Portland Leather Goods aims to “make the leather bag everyone already knows they want but can’t seem to find at a price they can feel good about.” In turn, it may not be surprising the brand has accrued over 55,000 five-star reviews within the last 5 years.

Portland Leather has a new collection on the market, its Veg Tan Collection. “Veg Tan,” you ask? Vegetable tanning is said to be the most traditional method of leather tanning. This time-honored tradition has been used for centuries to preserve animal hides using tannins from tree barks, wood and natural oils. Though time-intensive — as it can take upwards of 2 months — this natural tanning process allows the beauty of the natural leather grain to shine, and ages beautifully, developing a rich, lustrous patina with each use. In turn, you have fancy and stylish yet economical bags like The Astoria, The Hawthorne, The Sellwood and the Square Saddle Bag.

The Challah Box

The Challah Box is a month-to-month subscription plan that delivers a box full with 5 pre-measured, labeled ingredients and simple-to-follow instructions that allows you to make delicious challah. The company’s founders are 2 women, Ilana Ramer Bass and Ariel Markowitz, based out of New York City. The vision for The Challah Box came out of a Challah bake at Ilana’s synagogue in honor of her father’s sudden passing. As Ilana was literally braiding her Challah with her entire community supporting her, she felt an overwhelming sense of pride and connection — not only to her community but to her father. The Challah Box was created (during the pandemic) as an ode and celebration of togetherness, to “break bread” together, to share bread, and to celebrate life.

To gift a Challah Box box offering, it is only $45.00. This kit provides ingredients to create 8 loaves — enough to eat as you wish while baking, enough to create a nice french toast the next day, and enough to share with your neighbors, or freeze for when you need. There is also a subscription option available for the entire year, or one-off purchases. Something for everyone who appreciates Challah.

FIX Linens

FIX Linens is a new brand aiming to help you simultaneously experience nice sleep and frustration-free bedding. Founded by an Airbnb Superhost, the brand offers a thoroughly-researched color-coded bedding system for hosts and sleep aficionados alike, with white sheets under $100.00 and effortless duvet covers. In you can easily create a bedroom oasis that makes you feel like you are staying at a 5-star hotel.

Kizik

Since 2019, Nike and Kizik’s parent company HandsFree Labs have been partners. Based in Lindon, Utah, HandsFree Labs was created by innovator Mike Pratt. HandsFree Labs features an entire portfolio of patented step-in shoe technologies branded as HandsFree Lab Technologies, and is the parent company of footwear brand Kizik.

Kizik recently released 2 new shoes, the Vegas and Prague, all of which available in 7 colors. These new styles are ultra-cushy with the brand’s proprietary Rabbit Foam outsoles. The insoles are contoured, so they are soft, airy and removable, while also washable. Classy and comfortable, these shoes are engineered for lounging around the house or a day on the go.

Catch Sitka Seafoods

Catch Sitka Seafoods is an Alaska-based, family-owned seafood company providing Alaskan wild-caught seafood to customers across the country. Per its website, founders Issam and Mindy Samman “take pride in providing the world’s most incredible fish, all wild caught by the local Sitka community of fisher families.” Each fish from Catch Sitka Seafoods is said to be individually-caught, immediately-iced, expertly-portioned, packaged and blast-frozen, thus locking in flavor and nutrition all at once. In turn, seafood from Catch Sitka is quality-oriented and something people can feel good about buying.

Catch Sitka Seafoods’ Subscription Box makes for an ideal gift for a seafood-lover, delivering tasty and sustainably-sourced seafood right to one’s door each month. If a monthly subscription is not ideal for you, one-off gift boxes are available, and current box options include the 3-Lb. and 5-Lb. Wild Alaskan Salmon, Halibut & Smoked Fish Gift Boxes and The Mighty King 11-Lb. Gift Box. Thus, there is something for everyone who likes excellent seafood, thanks to Catch Sitka Seafoods.

Stojo

Stojo is an excellent collection of stylish, collapsible and sustainable on-the-go storage solutions. Stojo’s fast-selling collection of cups, bottles, bowls and brand new Stojo Box are now available at Target and via Target.com in carnation, cashmere, denim — and in an exclusive to Target — a one-of-a-kind aquamarine color.

Known for its circular product design and sustainability, Stojo’s portfolio is perfect for summer, travel, and going back to work and school alike. It includes the following collapsible offerings: Stojo Pocket Cup (12 oz.), Stojo Biggie Cup (16 oz.), Stojo Bottle (20 oz.), Stojo Bowl (36 oz.), and the Stojo Box (24 oz.). Beyond being collapsible, all of these Stojo products are reusable, leak-proof, stackable, LFGB-certified and dishwasher-safe.

Hot N Saucy

Priced at just $10.00 per bottle, this hot sauce line can pack a punch and is great for those who love to indulge in anything spicy. Created by a New York chef while pregnant and craving spicy food during the pandemic, it packs a punch that all spice-oriented consumers ought to enjoy. Hot N Saucy comes in multiple flavors and is now available via Amazon.

Motherhood Maternity’s Dad Hoodie

Made with a soft tri-blend fleece with stretch and a smooth, breathable lining, The Dad Hoodie from Motherhood features 6 internal compartments, so dad can store all of his (and baby’s) belongings without worry. He will be able to easily reach for high-priority items — think bottles, wipes, hand sanitizer and phone — while staying comfortable in this ultra-soft, zip-up hoodie. Available in heather gray and charcoal colorways, and featuring a stylish double stitch construction and drawstring hood, this one is both stylish and cozy.

Swiftwick’s VISION Six Impression National Parks Socks

Swiftwick is comprised of a passionate group of athletes serving athletes. The brand started when a mountain bike racer saw the need for high-performance socks with superior moisture-wicking and incredible fit. Today, it is an international brand developing performance socks for running, cycling, hiking and other adventures. It shares your passion for an active lifestyle and is committed to making the best socks you will ever wear.

Via the VISION Six Impression National Park collection, you can easily rep your favorite national park. Created in partnership with Swiftwick’s local friends at Anderson Design Group, these beautiful socks pay homage to some of the majestic locations we love to explore. Featuring designs from Rocky Mountains, Denali, Arches, Joshua Tree, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Zion, Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite and Grand Canyon, each sock from this collection is made with high-performance fibers that wick moisture to keep your feet dry, cool and blister-free. Each sock also features 360-degree prints of these National Parks.

Mabel’s Labels

Mabel’s Labels personalized labels are durable, water-proof and safe to use within a microwave, dishwasher and/or laundry machine. These customizable labels give everyday people peace of mind knowing that their gear is properly-labeled and easy to identify. You better believe that I have some “Paltrowitz” labels around the home here.

Vital Choice 2021 Limited Edition Grill Box

In addition to nutrient-dense sustainable seafood, Vital Choice offers an ever-growing range of pastured proteins, organic foods, and marine-source nutritional supplements. A certified B Corporation since 2014 — and founded over a decade prior in 2001 — Vital Choice is privately-owned and located in beautiful Bellingham, Washington. Free shipping comes on all U.S. orders over $99.00.

Curated to please every palate on the patio, this season’s Limited Edition Grill Box contains sustainably caught wild sockeye salmon and mahi mahi, along with Atlantic scallops and deluxe salmon burgers. And to get you in the barbecue mood, this box included Vital Choice’s Rustic Blackening Blend and alder grilling planks—perfect for the confident grillmaster but totally-approachable by the budding backyard chef.

Toyllectibles BendyFigs x Space Jam: A New Legacy

The number 23 is back on the basketball court and ready to SLAM, thanks to the launch of Space Jam: A New Legacy earlier this month. The Noble Collection has added another one of the world’s most celebrated entertainment licenses to its line of Toyllectibles BendyFigs. The brand new Space Jam: A New Legacy figures were released prior to the movie launch and feature our favorite characters from the original Looney Tunes team — Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny and Daffy Duck — in addition to number 23 LeBron James. Each intricately crafted bendable 7-inch collectible figure is uniquely-sculpted, bringing your favorite animated characters out of screen and into real life. This line of BendyFigs is one of the few collections to feature the Looney Tunes version of LeBron James. The new figures are now available at Walmart, via Amazon and through noblecollection.com, starting at $13.97.

FOCO Bobbleheads x Space Jam: A New Legacy

Speaking of Space Jam: A New Legacy and collectible figures… – FOCO unveiled a line of collectable bobbleheads featuring the stars of Space Jam: A New Legacy. This collection of officially-licensed bobbles includes LeBron James, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Lola Bunny, the Tasmanian Devil and Granny. Each item in this collection features detailed depictions of the film’s stars in their “Tune Squad”
uniforms, as well as the immediately recognizable Space Jam: A New Legacy logo.

Space Jam aside, FOCO is known to be a leading manufacturer of sports and entertainment merchandise. Its product lines include apparel, accessories, toys, collectibles and novelty items, including properly-licensed products related to the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, Disney, Warner Bros/DC Comics, Nickelodeon, Sanrio, WWE, and over 100 colleges and universities.

Voited’s Classic 4-in-1 PillowBlanket

Insulated, machine-washable and made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, Voited’s Classic 4-in-1 PillowBlanket offers a unique blend of technicality and comfort. This 4-in-1 is much more than just a blanket, as — for starters — it transforms into a pillow. It folds into a sleep sack and snaps to become a waterproof cape. Made with 100 percent recycled 50D Ripstop REPREVE fabric, it is eco-conscious as well as durable. It is both water and stain-resistant, while easy to wash and quick to dry. In turn, the water and stain resistant material makes the Classic Ripstop PillowBlanket a perfect companion for van life, hiking, picnics and the beach alike.

Outlaw’s Soaps & Sundries

Made in the wild and woody foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a small but diligent band of outlaws forge soaps, lotions, colognes and other products that smell like an adventure. With scents like whiskey, warm leather, gunpowder, sagebrush and sandalwood, Outlaw’s line of sundries aim to — in their words — “put some YIPPEE-KI-YAY in your day.” Co-founders Russ and Danielle Vincent produce the Outlaw products in the U.S.A. in sustainable packaging. I recommend the brand’s “Wild Life” 3-soap set, as an excellent starting point. Now available via Amazon.

Harmony783 Shoes

The word “Harmony” embraces the natural, unadulterated relationship between people and planet. It serves as a reminder that we are as much a part of nature as plants and birds and flowers and streams. The “783” part of this brand’s name is reportedly a tribute to the energy frequency that our earth hums along at and makes everything possible: 7.83 Hz. The omission of the decimal point simply makes the name, well, more name-like.

Harmony783’s innovative footwear is not only comfortable, but it also helps naturally reduce inflammation and stress by connecting with the Earth, as also known as the practice of grounding. Each shoe is made with 99.99 percent pure silver, which enables conductive flow of electrons to the body. In turn, Harmony783 — which produces flip flops, ballet flats, joggers and walkers alike — is clearly focused on the simple, oh-so-human act of walking.

Twinkly

Twinkly is more than simply than a company making “Smart Lights” that stay up all year outdoors or inside to coordinate colors, pulses and music movement for any holiday. These new generation LED light strings are smartphone-controllable, and Twinkly has the patent on pairing computer mapping with lighting. This way each light, which is a pixel, behaves the same way it looks on the screen. Twinkly combines colorful RGB LED lights with an impressive variety of levels for brightness, speed, intensity and color palettes, as fully controlled through the Twinkly app.

Now that Twinkly has made this technology available and affordable to U.S. consumers, it has secured a strong niche with gamers. The Razer Chroma and Twinkly RGB pairing combined their revolutionary hardware and software technology to usher in a new dimension of gaming. This reactive lighting can flood a room with color on every winning move creating an immersive experience for the ultimate multi-sensory gaming experience which makes it the perfect graduation or Christmas present.

inPOWERED Lights

inPOWERED Lights aims to be your best friend during a power outage. As a certified women-owned business, IPL makes decorative emergency backup lighting to fit with any decor. Use it as your everyday lamp and know that it will switch on automatically when the power goes out. Plus, you never have to worry about where to charge your dying devices because these lamps charge phones and tablets with no electricity. Functionality aside, IPL donates a portion of all profits to programs committed to helping women entrepreneurs. Now available via Amazon and Wayfair, as currently carrying a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Dabbawalla Lunch Bags

Dabbawalla Lunch Bags are crafted from a unique, synthetic foam textile that is simultaneously degradable, recyclable and environmentally-friendly. These lunch bags are washable and feature a sturdy handle and 2 interior mesh pockets. In turn, they can easily fit a lunch, drink bottle and snacks.

Qobuz

Founded in 2008, Qobuz’s mission statement is to “offer the digital world the aspects of music fandom that audiophiles, those who love music best, have always cherished.” This not only entailed “quality sound” but also “quality editorial and a freedom of choice.” In turn, Qobuz was the first music service in the world to retail CD-Quality, 16-bit/44.1kHz files for streaming, and another world-first in liaising with both major and independent labels to ensure the provision of 24-Bit Hi-Res files, which make up the bulk of its catalogue — featuring millions of genre-spanning tracks — today.

There is only one streaming service where you can check out titles from Tool and Frank Zappa in that aforementioned “24-Bit Hi-Res” audio format, and that is Qobuz. In turn, audiophile-minded Tool and Zappa fans must check out Qobuz. While browsing around the service, I was able to find that high-quality audio-fare for titles by The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Cheap Trick, Whitesnake and KISS, so I have plenty to listen to on Qobuz. As its subscription plans start at $12.49 per month, there is no doubt that Qobuz is worth checking out if you are a major music fan who enjoys streaming high-quality music via desktop or (phone or tablet-based) app.

Freshly Baked from GourmetGiftBaskets.com

Last year GourmetGiftBaskets.com was honored as a top food site by Newsweek, and after trying out a few of its products, I understand why that is. The “Eat, Drink & Be Scary Beer Bucket” — priced at $69.99 — includes 6 great beers, handcrafted Kettle popcorn, peanut butter cups and Halloween Junior Mints in a Halloween-themed pail. The “Goblins Grub Popcorn Tin” features 2 gallons of salty-sweet goodness, and the “White Chocole Candy Corn” popcorn is extremely-addictive. Both tins arrived fast and had weeks of goodness within them.

Earlier this year I tried out a “Baked Goods Premium Gift Basket” from GourmetGiftBaskets.com, as presented in a Valentine’s Day-friendly heart. You can expect 4 classic Whoopie Pies, 4 2-packs of Chocolate Chip Cookies, 4 Chocolate Chunk Brownies and 4 Fudge Walnut Brownies in that one; everything was Kosher OU-D certified. More recently than that, I dug into the “From Your Home To Our Home Baked Goods” basket, as full of cookies and brownies and priced at $49.99. The winning streak continues with this company.

California Cowboy Apparel’s Robes

California Cowboy is said to be rooted in the belief that you can your personal style as a secret weapon to meet new people. In turn, its website mentions the brand’s goal of sharing its “style weapons to make your social experience a better one.” Thus, California Cowboy is a “Trojan Horse into a conversation.”

Recently I wrote about the brand’s impressive Men’s High Water Tropic. Essentially a reinvention of the classic short-sleeved Hawaiian shirt, this offering not only features great prints, but also special pockets for your phone and frosty beverage. Absolute comfort and unbelievable functionality all at once. Simultaneously praised by yours truly, Vice, Men’s Journal and Daily Beast, new customers can try this one out while getting 15 percent off their first order when signing up for the California Cowboy mailing list via the brand’s website.

More recently, I received a La Sirena Robe — which my wife loves — which is reportedly California Cowboy’s “take on the lost art of luxury.” It features 5 custom-designed prints, water-absorbent Terry cloth lining, and special pockets for your phone and frosty beverage. Its male counterpart is known as El Garibaldi.

Poseidon Pro by Dark Energy

Dark Energy makes nearly indestructible power products for outdoor, military and tactical use. The new Poseidon Pro by Dark Energy is an upgraded portable charging system that is fully waterproof (IP68), dropproof and crushproof, as certified to military standard MIL-STD 810G. Recently upgraded to add more advanced tech enhancements, it reportedly charges a smartphone 3-5 times via its 10,200 mAh capacity. In addition to the ballistic fiber-reinforced USB-C cable which comes with the Poseidon Pro, its key features a durable cable managing strap and the 5-in-1 all-steel carabiner pro; that 5-in-1 set includes a knife, bottle opener, glass breaker, dual-head screwdriver and locking carabiner.

Sofa Stud

Last but definitely not least… Football season will be starting up again soon and this one aims to be an essential for your Sunday Game Day watching. As you need to be hands-free while cheering on your favorite team, Sofa Stud holds your drink for you. This new gadget ingeniously uses the space between couch cushions for stability instead of the place where the remote and spare change end up.

In other words, Sofa Stud is a cup holder for your couch. It has a slim paddle on the end that slides between couch cushions and the broad base fits regular-sized cups, cans and bottles. With Sofa Stud you do not need to keep reaching for a drink on the coffee table or balance it on the couch cushions. In turn, Sofa Stud gives everyone a place to put their drink and conveniently keeps it within reach.


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About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."


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