The ultimate guide to gay gift giving – Dallas Voice
The countdown to Christmas has started; do you still have gifts to buy?
MIKEY ROX | Contributing Writer
on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels
Here at Dallas Voice, we published our annual Holiday Gift Guide way back on Nov. 18. But with only about 15 days left before Christmas, do you still have gifts to buy? Are you drawing a blank on what to gift the gays and feys on your holiday shopping list? Consider these thoughtful presents picked exclusively for your LGBTQ friends and fam.
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Mr. & Mr. Claus Mugs (above)
Two glazed-ceramic Santas are better than one when you cop Sunny&Ted’s hand-painted Mr.-and-Mr/Mrs.-and-Mrs/Mr.-and-Mrs. cocoa mugs available in three blush-faced skin tones and two genders to accurately rep your festive-queer holiday cheer. SunnyAndTed.com, $27.50 each
Whiskey a-Go-Go
Lift holiday spirits (in handsome drinkware, like Baccarat’s Harmonie Double Old-Fashioned Tumblers) by offering party guests a sampling of your home bar’s top-shelf reserves, like Blade & Bow’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and Westward American Single Malt Stout Cask — a holy trinity all its own. ReserveBar.com, $48, $57, $91
Happy Hanukkah Tea Gift Set + Subarzsweets
VAHDAM India’s Hannukah-special assortment of luscious herbal, chai and black teas — paired with Subarzsweets’ handmade, small-batch biscotti-cookie hybrids (the lemon-thyme flavor is what the chef’s kiss emoji was meant for) — is the treat-yo’self pick-me-up you’ll crave after eight crazy nights. Vahdam.com, $24; Subarzsweets.com, $45
America the Beautiful Annual Pass
One of your nice-listers resolving to travel more in the new year? Set ’em up for success with the National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands’ America the Beautiful annual pass, providing access for the holder (plus guests) to more than 2,000 federal sites in the United States, including parks, monuments, battlefields, protected wildlife refuges, stunning seashores, and more. Recreation.gov, $80
Yves Durif Grooming Set
Yves Durif didn’t reinvent the Italian-made, natural rubber resin petite brush and comb that bears his synonymous-with-style name, but he did make these luxury tools sexy AF so you can feel like a million bucks. YvesDurif.com, $105
Boarderie Charcuterie
A far cry from the shelf-stable meat-and-cheese gifts mom loaded up on at your local mall’s pop-up shop, Oprah-approved Boarderie charcuterie boards are chef-made daily and feature hand-selected artisan cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts and chocolates on keepsake Acacia platters. Hickory Farms could never. Boarderie.com, $129-$239
NQi GTS E-Moped
In sport mode, the NQi GTS e-moped’s top speed is a hair-straightening 50 mph thanks to a 60V26Ah Bosch motor, 4th-gen lithium battery tech, and a few body-shop elves’ who’ve watched 2 Fast 2 Furious 2 many times. Niu.com, $TBD
Cantilever Toolbox
Utilitarianism is a hallmark of Japanese design, and Toyo’s handcrafted cantilever steel storage and tools boxes are no exception, with two handy adjustable upper trays and eight removable dividers housed in a handsome, spacious shell deserving of double-takes. Placewares.com, $129
Coravin x Keith Haring Wine Opener
Art and wine go to together like Saint Nick and snickerdoodles, which is why the Coravin x Keith Haring Timeless Six+ Artist Edition bottle opener — featuring the late artist’s iconic dancing figures in black and white — will look just as good on your dinner-party tablescape as it will on display. Coravin.com, $350
Dough Bowl Candles
Drop a needle on Aunt Dolly’s holiday vinyl before lighting the wicks on Stroud’s Simply Southern dough bowl candles and you’ve got yourself an instant country Christmas. StroudSimplySouthernCo.com, $24-$79
Nuzzie Weighted Blanket
Dasher and Dancer will have to pull double duty delivering hefty, chunky Nuzzies, one-of-a-kind breathable, thermoregulating and sustainable weighted blankets (in holiday hues like rich rose and the emeraldest green) for all your snowy-season snuggles. ShopNuzzie.com, $169-$329
Limited Edition Don Q Rum X Coquito NYC Drink Kit
Add a little Latin flavor to your living-room Christmas film fest with a screening of Alfredo De Villa’s Nothing Like the Holidays and a traditional coquito with a Don Q kick in hand. The limited-edish collab kit between the rum maker and Latina-owned Coquito NYC comes with everything you need to mix it up, including coconut milk, spices, and a bottle of Reserva 7. DonQ.com, $75
Wagged Tails Custom‘A-paw-rel’
Memorialize your loved ones’ recently-passed pets with Wagged Tails’ custom-printed apparel and accessories, including T-shirts, tumblers, totes and mugs, emblazoned with their favorite heaven-sent smush-faces. Keep the Kleenex close. WaggedTails.com, $18-$67
Rotate Watchmaking Kit
Challenge your better-half gadget geek over holiday break with customizable Rotate watchmaking kits — available in easy, medium and hard configurations — that come complete with parts, tools, and a user-friendly guide to keep the cursing at a Christian minimum. RotateWatches.com, $195-$225
Habibi Santal Journey
Can’t go wrong with a fresh scent tucked under the tree or inside a stocking, and it doesn’t get any fresher (or spicier) than Habibi’s Santal Journey with notes of dry cedarwood, oud and sandalwood overtop whisps of crisp pear and precious orris. ForHabibi.com, $119
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels