London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

9 Holiday Gifts I Ordered for Myself (Because Some Things Just Can’t be Left to Chance)

9 Holiday Gifts I Ordered for Myself (Because Some Things Just Can’t be Left to Chance)

After a certain age, writing a wish list can start to feel, well, silly. That’s not to say I don’t see the value in it, but as a (mostly) financially solvent adult human, the exercise of sending my loved ones a curated list of items that I want, but have tacitly agreed not to order for myself, has become decidedly overindulgent.

It’s a little bit like creating a wedding registry if my wedding registry had been an email to my mom containing links to chunky sweaters.

Besides, once I’ve identified something I need, I see no point in gambling with size availability, holiday shipping deadlines, and the statistical unlikelihood that someone will decide to give it to me. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but as a small-space dweller who manages to over-research even the most straightforward purchase, I’d rather not leave anything to chance.

So this year, I asked any interested parties (again, just my mom) to consider sending me a snarky greeting card instead of a gift. In turn, I was able to rationalize my own rampant consumerism, indulging in seven holiday gifts for myself - no backorders, no guessing games.

1. Required Reading


I love receiving books as gifts. There is never a need for speculation about sizing, books are nearly always in stock, and they comfortably straddle the line that separates necessity and indulgence. Generally speaking, it’s no problem to wait a few weeks to see whether someone has gifted me a particular title while I work my way through the already teetering stack on my bedside table.

Unless, of course, I’ve determined it’s absolutely essential that I get my hands on the title in question as soon as humanly possible, as was the case with Rumaan Alam’s latest novel and Molly Wizenberg’s exquisite new memoir.



2. The Latest Loungewear Drop


Cult-favorite athletic brand Girlfriend Collective has been on fire lately, dropping new products, introducing new categories, and launching too-good-to-pass-up promotions on what feels like a weekly basis. As a devoted fan of the brand’s OG compressive high rise legging, I felt duty-bound to try its latest loungewear release-and it did not disappoint.



3. The Shipping Minimum Must


The thing about perusing gifts for others is that you’re bound to stumble across something that’s better suited for you (right?). So when a gift for my husband didn’t meet Everlane’s threshold for free shipping, I had no choice but to add this cashmere bandana to the order.



4. The Gift I Don’t Feel Like Explaining


Some items don’t necessarily make sense to those around you until they’ve been successfully incorporated into your wardrobe. To request this pair of shearling clogs from my husband would require too much explaining. Where would you wear those? Why do you need them? Are you supposed to wear socks with them? Instead, I bought them for myself and can now happily say I wear them almost everywhere, never without socks.



5. The Black Friday Impulse Buy


I try to avoid my inbox on Black Friday, lest I fall victim to the thousands of promotional emails offering me free shipping on everything from cheese knives to microwaveable slippers. This year, I figured I would just take a quick look, only to discover that True Botanicals was offering 20% off on its legendary nourishing cleanser. It simply wasn’t my place to turn down a deal that good!



6. A Pop of Color


As someone who wears almost exclusively black pants and white tee shirts, a forest green turtleneck is about as flamboyant as things get in my closet. But the thought of buying a black beanie to wear with my black jacket, grey scarf, black jeans, and black boots was simply too grim to go through with. Enter: this incredibly cozy, light blue Free People beanie that makes dressing for subzero temperatures just a tiny bit more bearable.



7. The Ultra-Specific Home Splurge


Home decor can be tricky to gift. A scented candle? Absolutely. A vase? Maybe. Artwork and wall hangings? Generally better to skip. After several months spent hunting for a narrow-ish, vertically proportioned asymmetrical mirror to grace the last unadorned wall in my living room, I didn’t see the point in waiting any longer to complete the space.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×