7 Gifts We Absolutely Loved

In this edition of The Gift, we share the best gifts we’ve received lately. Plus, 22 surprisingly useful gag gifts.

Two weeks ago, my childhood best friend got married. On my birthday. I would have been completely happy to let that fact fade into the background on her big day. Instead, the bride herself surprised me with a birthday gift: this very chic leather purse.

The bag — a perfect, understated neutral color for spring — was not the best part of the gift. Though it is, don’t get me wrong, quite cute. And it should last, too — our style experts are fans of another Madewell bag for its high-quality leather and solid construction. And we’re now all eyeing this summery straw version, too.

But I digress. The best part of her gift was simply the fact that she somehow found time amidst all the planning, mother-in-law-placating, and last-minute fire-extinguishing to hunt for a gift and make me feel celebrated. Being feted anytime is lovely. But being surprised like this — when someone is thinking of nearly everything else, too — can make for the most meaningful gifts of all. I felt so seen. The dream!

Below, a few more excellent gifts we’ve received (or given) lately, many of them “just because.” Forgive the sap, but how lucky are we?

• Gifts editor Hannah Morrill recently received this “impossibly roomy” denim tote bag, which is big enough to store nearly an entire week of groceries and has plenty of nice features: expandable sides, a flat bottom, extra-long straps, and a deep pocket. “Usually my best grocery store bags are also my ugliest, but not anymore,” she says. “And I find myself never forgetting it because I love flexing with it so much.” It came from her friend who recently bought herself one. “We always talk on the phone when I’m at the grocery store,” says Hannah. “So I think she associates me with grocery hauls.” Anything — even a supermarket run — can be a gifting occasion if you make it one!
• On the note of “one for me, one for you”: A few weeks after head of newsletters Sofia Sokolove gushed over the very charming, very on-the-nose newspaper charm and freshwater pearl necklace of her work-friend-turned-real-friend, she found herself opening a whimsical box with her very own to match. The exact charm Sofia got is no longer available, but that’s sort of the magic of Haricot Vert, which regularly changes out their little flash sheet of options. Says her gifter: “Every time a friend’s birthday approaches, I have a new set of silly little pictures to consider. I know exactly which friend would spiritually identify with each photo, which is inherent to the joy of building these necklaces as gifts.”
• Newsletters editor Isoke Samuel just returned from two weeks in Copenhagen, a trip that coincided with both Mother’s Day and her mom’s birthday. To make up for her absence, she splurged on this breezy embroidered shirt as a souvenir. “It’s classic, refined, and extremely cool … exactly like my mom.” The shipping is pricey, so maybe just gift yourself a whole trip to Copenhagen and grab it in person, instead?
• Several Cool Girls™️ in our newsroom are already very much on the scarf and bandana bandwagon this summer. Joining them is gifts writer Samantha Schoech, who just treated herself to this silk and cotton beauty for Mother’s Day. Drawn to the teal and orange colorway, Sam likes wearing it “either tied loosely around my neck or fastened with this little brass scarf slide.”
• Aspiring knitter that she is, newsletters editor Erin Neil was delighted to come home to a package full of yarn from a festival that her boyfriend’s mom (and avid knitter) had attended. “And, because she thought of everything,” Erin says, “she also printed out a pattern for me and sent it as inspiration.” Erin is currently refining her skills with plush, cozy wool from this farm. (Any fellow beginners out there might like using a premade kit to get started — our experts like this low-commitment, learn-to-knit kit.)
• “In typical fashion,” says writer Sri Rain Stewart, “I ended up buying some goodies for myself while shopping for my sister’s birthday last week.” The highlight of her haul: a tinted lip treatment that Sri says keeps her sensitive lips well-moisturized and unsticky. The peach glaze flavor is summery and sweet — yet not overpowering — with a subtle pop of pinkish coral. And the ultimate mark of approval: “My Gen Alpha niece, who loves lip glosses, complimented me on the shine,” she says.

I’ll leave you with this cheery gift idea/reminder from editor Jennifer Hunter: “I bought myself a huge bouquet of sunflowers at the farmers’ market on Sunday. Because you can do that! You can just buy yourself pretty flowers whenever you want.”