25 Favorite Things for 2025
The annual gift guide is here
Hi friends,
I’m back for a special Thursday edition of The SundayMonday, bringing you the 2025 gift guide! I am not the world’s greatest gift giver, so when I hit the mark (or someone gives me something that absolutely delights me) I have to take note, and share with you!
I have two very strict rules for gifts:
They must absolutely delight (we’re talking you open them up and yell “this is cute as heck!!!”)
And/OR they must be very practical and used daily
We have no time or money for boring / useless gifts!!!
So everything on this list is something I either own/love/use constantly or have gifted to someone else and they report that they also love/use constantly! I do not share affiliate links so this is all from my heart. I want the best for your loved ones!!
In Christ,
Jane
My favorite things of 2025, below!!
For the guys
Monogrammed dopp kit: I know this one is a hit because I gave one to each of my brothers a few Christmases ago and the bathroom counter is covered with them every time they come home. Simple, classy and useful. Everyone loves a monogram!
Monogrammed Shinola notebook: These are chic and classy and great gifts for coworkers / spiritual directors / other good men in your life!
Record player + a favorite album: This was, again, a gift for my brothers and I did receive a text from one of them saying “This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” I love it because it’s an ~ecosystem~ gift, meaning that forever onward I can give them records to add to their collection
For the girls
Fancy candles: I love Le Labo and Diptyque — a major hack is that you can order Le Labo candles with your recipient’s name and city and date, which is so special. It is not a cheap gift!! But it’s gorgeous and a delight to both give and receive.
Hair scarves: As your resident fake French friend, I am all in on scarves. I love them in my hair, around my neck, on my bags… Anthropologie and Sezane sell stunning scarves and they’re such a fun gift! I also LOVE Litany, which makes “Catholic” scarves - I wear their Memento Mori and St. Joseph scarves regularly!
Clara Joh earrings: I wear my Clara Joh earrings every single day. Clara is my friend and she makes the most STUNNING jewelry! Support her small business this Christmas :)
Catholic gifts
Cute apparel: This Etsy site has some really cute t-shirts and sweatshirts, but I’m partial to this hat that I think is adorable.
Baby Rosaries: This is my favorite gift for little babies (and their parents). It’s beautiful and teaches them to love their Mama young!
Magnificat: I love my Magnificat subscription - it gives me the daily readings, plus extra prayers and meditations. It’s so easy to take on the go, and I have the app, which is phenomenal when I forget it (or leave it in a pew, whoops). I love to whip it out on drives or flights and spend some time in prayer. It’s also fun to gift a subscription because the recipient will get something from you every month!
For sophisticated people (the parents category)
Laundress detergent: I discovered this last year and I’m obsessed!! My clothes smell SO good. I gave my mom the detergent for Christmas, since it’s the perfect “not a need but a nice to have” gift. Who is going to spend $25 on detergent for themselves? (Well after you try this you might.)
Ring and hook game: I got this for my dad last year to put in his new “mancave” - and it’s so pretty and fun! I love a personalized gift.
Custom boat and tote: I think these are the CUTEST gifts ever! As mentioned above, I love a personalized gift, and these make it so easy to make the gift special! I ordered one for my friends for their wedding with their new last name, and I see them all over the place with fun personal phrases (I think “full of it,” “overpacked,” and “bonjour” are my favorites, of course).
Little treats + stocking stuffers
Touchland hand sanitizer: This has been my sleeper product of 2025. I use this hand sanitizer at least three times per day. My team at work is trained in a Pavlovian way to put their hands out before lunch for a spritz. You can find a bunch of yummy scents at Sephora, and I hear they’re also selling in bulk at Costco and on Amazon! I like the rainwater scent.
Elizabeth W Pillow Spray: Necessary? Nope. Delightful? Absolutely. My favorite hotel hands out little pillow sprays every time I check in and even on stressful evenings it never fails to make me feel fancy about going to bed.
Under eye masks - My brother bought me a pack of 24 of these last Christmas and they’ve been stored in my fridge for almost a year, I JUST ran out. After a week of travel, they’re the perfect things to pop under my eyes for a refresh. I love these Grace and Stella ones.
Gifts that changed my life this year
Longchamp Le Pliage: I have used this navy bag almost every day for the two years since I purchased it. It’s simply perfect. I love that it rolls up so I can bring on trips and whip it out when I need a smaller bag. I take it to work, on airplanes, to the gym, everywhere. It’s my go to!!
Quince sweaters: I have already sung their praises, but I have three: one in navy, one in green, and one in taupe. At least three days a week, you can find me wearing one of these sweaters. I bought a little cashmere comb to de-pill and it works like a charm and the sweaters look like new!
Thursday boots: These are two of the most popular recommendations I’ve shared on this newsletter and I still buy / wear / repurchase frequently. The reebok is the superior white sneaker, and costs just $40-50 on Amazon so I can wear them into the ground every 4-6 months. My Thursday boots (black and toffee knockout Chelsea boots) have carried me probably thousands of miles through city streets and parks in rain sleet and snow. I’m a walker so shoes are very important to me!! And these are both the best.
Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede: My favorite Jo Malone scent - I have the diffuser in my apartment and carry a travel size when I’m away for a little bit of home!!
Cross and medal necklace: I wear this necklace every day and have purchased it for many friends! It’s beautiful and so classy.
Skier mug: My brother Jack bought me one of these from Snake River Brewing in Jackson Hole, but they’re sold out and this one is pretty similar! I love a skiing motif.
Phone wallet: This year I discovered the magsafe phone wallet - this was the one I had all summer which I LOVED! I have a more subtle brown leather one now. It makes it so easy to keep my license and cards all in one place, and I love that it’s removable in case you want your phone to be a bit sleeker.
Kindle: I use my kindle almost daily and I love that I can have a whole library of books from spiritual to modern to classic on hand no matter where I go. They’re great for reading before bed and on planes because they have an adjustable backlight! I have also gifted kindles and you can often get them on great sale.
Little words bracelets: These are the best gift, especially for the people in your life who pick a word of the year! I wear my “fiat” and “celebrate” bracelets every day, and have received other bracelets that mean so much to me from friends. Such a fun and personal gift :)
Honorable extra mentions I love (and use at least once a week):
Isle of Paradise tanning drops: These are life giving. I mix a few drops with my moisturizer whenever I’m feeling a little blah or pale and they give me a gorgeous glow, which means I don’t have to wear any makeup (bless)! I’m a huge fan.
Drybar Double Shot Blowdry Brush: I use this every time I dry my hair, and it’s 12/10. I was so sad going two months without it in Australia (I tried once and it almost blew up my hotel room/electricity converter). It’s the best and quickest way to blow out my hair and I love using it! It’s 30% off right now on Ulta.
Airfly bluetooth for planes: As a gal who flies at least twice per week, this purchase has changed my life. It allows you to connect your Airpods or bluetooth headphones to a headphone jack (perfect for airplane tvs). Every time I use it someone asks where I got it. A little steep at $34, but there are cheaper ones online and if it makes you feel better, I’ve used at least 60 times!
Solidcore membership: Now we get a little steeper in price, but my Solidcore membership is the gift that keeps on giving. I love the classes, I love how challenging they are and how strong I feel. It’s a gift from God that there’s a Solidcore across from my hotel each week — I’m one of the studio girlies now! Any workout class or class pack is a stellar gift. Workouts can be so expensive!