November 4, 2023

November 2023

YOUR 11TH BULLETIN FROM BART

We’ve been doing this for almost a whole year! Writing this bulletin was one of my New Year’s Resolutions and wow, I’m doing it. I hope you’re enjoying it! I low-balled my Goodreads goal, blew past it and then moved the goalposts; I’m not sure I’ll meet the new goal but I’m chugging along on a really interesting mythology romance (?) adventure (?) If you like that kind of stuff, I recommend it. I’m enjoying this trend of re-interpreting mythological stories from the ancient world with modern language and storytelling.

This month we’re breaking form and instead of hitting my little categories, I’m sharing a holiday gift guide. I’ve got all sorts of things I recommend for gifts for all sorts of people. Hanukkah is earlier this year at the beginning of December so for those of you buying gifts for this holiday you’ll want to get on top of that now. The list is long enough that the email is likely to be clipped so do click through to read the full list, cheers.

Bart’s Holiday Gift Guide 2023-

FASHION

A24 Fleece-

My fashionable friend Paul introduced me to the A24 merch shop. He has shorts from them that look really cool but are a nod to the production company. You may have read that A24 was able to continue using SAG-AFTRA actors during the strike because they agreed to the terms SAG had demanded. A24 seems to be doing things right on their end. This Fleece looks cool and supports the good work that A24 is doing.

Internet friends T-Shirt-

I’m not sure why this is in my TO BUY bookmarks…well I think we all know why it is, it rules! I have a lot of internet friends. I just don’t know HOW I found the shirt in the first place. It doesn’t matter really, but it’s a cool shirt and that shop has some other interesting offerings.

McCarren Tube Socks-

Hear me out: nice socks are always a good gift! Nice socks are a higher price point than most want to spend. They are useful and the recipient will have fond feelings for you when they wear them. I think they’re a thoughtful gift. I picked some of these up when I was in my old stomping grounds this past summer. I often got coffee from Upstate Stock’s cafe shop and for a short time, lived a few doors down from their factory (which was a sew-shop in a retail location on Graham Ave). 1

The socks are super comfortable and have good style. If you’re a millennial still wearing ankle socks you look dated. We wear crews like Jerry Seinfeld now.

FOOD

Masienda-

This company is featured on a Capital One commercial and they do such a great job of illustrating their business that I couldn’t remember what they were actually advertising and only remembered Masienda. What a win for their company. Their site has some great gift sets that would be wonderful for someone in your life who enjoys cooking. Making your own tortillas is very gratifying. You can buy the masa at Whole Foods near me and I plan on making some tamales this holiday time. As a daily hat wearer I also covet their tortillas hat.

Sizzle & Drizzle Olive Oils-

If you’ve escaped seeing these two on the internet in the last three years we are operating on very different internets. This status olive oil is conveniently in a squeeze bottle, Looks cute on the counter, looks good in an instagram photo (if you’re into that) and actually tastes great. It’s worth the hype. I have taken to refilling the sizzle with Trader Joe’s evoo but I have repurchased the drizzle. Currently my favorite use is on grits with za’atar. I like breakfast for dinner so grits, eggs and toast is a staple for me. My hot tip for S&D is that you can buy it for a few bucks less at TARGET. 2

Goldbelly Gift E Giftcard-

Man, Goldbelly rules. You can get restaurants from around the country to send you their food. It’s great if you’re into regional delicacies. I order Ess-a-Bagel about once a year so I have a freezer filled with bagels. I sent a gift card to my dad and told him it will be fun to decide what he gets. He replied back immediately and said he had already ordered two Lou Malnoti’s pies. He didn’t even have to think about it! My point is, everyone can find something fun to get on Goldbelly.

ACCESSORIES & HOME ETC.

Baggu Glasses Case-

If you know a glasses wearer I recommend this Baggu glasses case. Now that I wear glasses, it’s nice to have this case to protect them. I admittedly did not put my glasses in a case for the first YEAR. And they show it. Now I respect them and my sunglasses by keeping them in their own little sleeping bag. I get a lot of compliments for this case too. You know I’m a baggu die hard so this is the only thing I’ll link on my gift guide but they have so many fun things I endorse all products. I’m currently wearing the slippers which are also a great holiday gift.

LL Bean Beach Chair -

I sat in this at Lizzie Loves Bean this summer when I was in Maine. It’s the dankest beach chair I’ve ever sat in. I am asking for that cool GCI rocking camp chair but I also want to get myself one of these chairs. It’s a great seat for reading and I’d like to get my ass to the beach more this next year.

Woman Tapered Candles -

Living in California came with a new set of emergency preparedness and needing emergency supplies lead me to buy taper candle holders. I have a box of Trader Joe’s candles (recommend) for emergencies, but the taper holders I have look weird if you don’t have something in them. I didn’t want to just shove them in a cupboard so I got these beeswax candles to display. The maker has a lot of unique candles too. They look cool and you’ll never see a candle so caked up in your life.

Yeti Tumblers-

I received the smaller size of this as a gift from our warranty team. It’s engraved with one of our vendor’s logos. It’s perfect size for a cup of tea. I bought the larger one for my desk to have water. It’s got a straw lid so it’s like a mini version of those trendy Stanley tumblers. Having a quality drinking vessel is always pleasurable and the price point of a brand like Yeti is just enough that one might not invest in that for themselves; thus making it a great gift.

Memorabilia/Vintage Stuff-

Steve’s dad has a really quality eBay store (especially if you’re into sports memorabilia). He has a sick pennant collection. I collect them and when we browsed Ron’s store while on an Album Club meeting call, every page revealed something new that piqued our interest. 3 Finding something unique and vintage on eBay is a great gift, you usually have to put a lot of effort finding it and tailoring the selection to your recipient.

KIDS

Stomp Rocket-

I have bought this stomp rocket set for a few different kids and wow it’s so simple and great. If you’re spending some holidays with kids it would be a fun one to bring along for an activity. Get everyone outside running around. Kids of all ages will enjoy!

Yoto Player-

My nieces have this and it’s a killer bed time activity. Easy to use, it’s more than an alarm clock, more than a media player. It has an “okay to wake up” light so kids can manage their own time in the mornings. The media cards the company makes are great but you can also buy and program your own. I sent my brother an audiobook 4 that my sister and I were obsessed with and he plans to put it on a card so my older niece can listen. It’s well designed and effective. I like a gift with a built in follow up gift too. If you give the player now you’ll have a reason to buy the cards for birthdays and other gifting events.

And there you have it. Hopefully there’s something in here that inspires your gifting this holiday season. If you are having a hard time finding the right gift and worry that a gift card is impersonal, just remember you’re giving the recipient the gift of shopping too, which many people actually enjoy! When in doubt, a card to a place like Goldbelly or DoorDash will always be appreciated! People gotta eat.

Happy Holidays - Bart

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