Holiday Gift Guide, Printable Gifts, Cartoons
October 24, 2021
In This Issue:
Updates From Here
Holiday Gift Guide
Printable Stuff For You
Top Cartoons
Updates From Here
If you've been reading this newsletter, you know that my daughter Claire grew a boyfriend...
... then promptly broke up with him. I named him Clay and felt bad for him, so I offered him Kate's bedroom when she left for college.
That was a mistake.
He leaves his clothes ALL OVER THE PLACE.
“Clay!” I yell at him, “pick up your clothes!” But no. He just lies there listening to music.
In other news, the dog has unveiled a new power move. He positions himself by my feet, gently places a paw on me, stares at me, and holds that position until I look down at him. “Time for a walk,” he says with his eyes.
He KNOWS I can’t resist this. So off we go for a walk. It could be midnight, there could be a tornado outside, both my legs could be broken—if he gently lays his paw on me and stares at me, I will take him on that walk.
As I write this, I'm reminded of the dog trainer who once told me, "Your dog has totally trained YOU." You were right, Brandon. You were right.
Holiday Gift Guide
OK, here’s a roundup of things I like, and I'm hoping you'll find one or more things that might delight your friends or family members.
We'll do this in sections, with some pictures and then descriptions under those pictures. I'm including the full retail prices, but you might find better deals online.
Also, I'm not including a bunch of links because I trust you can find these items by doing a quick search. If you have any trouble, reply and let me know!
“The Rock From the Sky” by Jon Klassen ($18). I love all of Jon Kalssen’s books, and this is his latest. It’s for kids (or adults who, like me, appreciate picture books) and it’s a great example of pacing and comedic timing. The plot is that a giant rock is falling from the sky.
“There’s a Ghost in This House” by Oliver Jeffers ($28). As the description says, this is a “captivating and utterly unique picture book with interactive, transparent pages about a girl who lives in a haunted house.”
The Genius of Dogs, a special issue of National Geographic magazine ($15). A great gift for anyone who wants to learn more about all the amazing qualities of dogs.
“Conquer the Day” by Josh Mecouch ($15). This is a collection of normal-sounding affirmations with hilariously weird illustrations to go with them. I love it.
“I Am ‘Why Do I Need Venmo?’ Years Old” by Janine Annett and Ali Solomon ($14). I wrote about this in the . A perfect gift for anyone in midlife. So relatable.
“My Inner Sky” by Mari Andrew ($22). This is a book about life’s curveballs. It’s neat because it’s a mix of essays and illustrations, and they’re divided into phases of the sky: twilight, golden hour, night, and dawn.
“Exercised” by Daniel Lieberman ($30). This book will make you see exercise and movement in a new way. It’s a mix of research, history and stories. I’m reading it now and really enjoying it.
“Poe For Your Problems” by Catherine Baab-Maguira ($18). This is a “darkly comedic and refreshing self-help guide.” I’m reading it and it’s quite funny.
“How to Be a Villain” by Neil Zawacki ($19). This is an older book, but the Poe book above reminded me of it. This one is a very funny step-by-step guide to “joining the forces of darkness.”
Wrestler Action Toy (prices vary from $10 - $20). There are a ton of these toys and you can find them at Target, Walmart and other stores that sell toys. I’m just showing you a few examples here. We own a couple, and we pose them in random places around the house. It’s quite funny. The gift recipient could just pose the toy somewhere on their desk. And you could make a personalized little sign for the wrestler to hold.
Ember Mug (around $100 - $125). This is a splurge, but it’s great because it keeps coffee at the exact temperature you set (you use an app to control it). No more reheating! It’s a treat that someone might not buy themselves, but they would enjoy it every day.
Skillshare (price varies). Skillshare is a website with tons of interesting online classes. I’ve been using it to learn more about a program on my iPad. You could give someone a gift card to this site, and they could choose among hundreds of classes to take.
Ugg "Fluff Yeah Slide" Slippers ($100). I realize is an outrageous price for slippers. BUT if you’re looking for a splurge gift, this could be it. My daughter saved up and bought herself a pair and I tried them on. I have to admit, they’re great. And Kate LOVES them.
Vuori Jogger Pants ($84). Another higher price here, but these are incredibly soft and comfortable. These pants will quickly become a favorite. They have styles for men and women.
Pranayama Wrap from Athleta ($89). I love this wrap so much I own TWO of them in black. (I wanted a back-up for when my original one crumbles to dust because I wear it so much). It’s long, it’s soft, it has big pockets. It’s great.
Little Hands from Archie McPhee ($4). These are just plain funny. You could get some and add them to the top of gifts, as a special extra gift.
Little Hands for Little Hands, also from Archie McPhee ($11). The absurdity deepens, and I’m here for it! Maybe there's someone in your life who, like me, would enjoy little hands with more little hands on them? If nothing else, it’s a fun way to get the family laughing at a holiday dinner.
Clinique Chubby Stick in Strawberry ($11). This looks like it would be a scary bright color, but no, it’s actually nice and subtle. A fun little gift for someone.
A Dog Pillow (prices vary). My friend gave me this pillow of JJ last Christmas, and it was a huge hit. There are several websites that do this, and one is All About Vibe. The thing is, you need a picture of the dog. But if you ask the gift recipient, “Can you send me a cute picture of your dog,” it’s likely that you’ll get 10 pictures texted to you immediately, no questions asked.
Mindfulness Cards ($17). These cards from the website Uncommon Goods have little messages on them to remind the recipient to stay in the moment. Always a good thing.
Cartoon puzzle ($14). One of my favorite cartoonists, Matthew Inman of The Oatmeal, has started making puzzles and they are amazing. The one pictured above is “Cats Playing Chess.” He also has “The Dreams and Nightmares of a Dog” and others. There are so many funny details. Very fun to assemble. Check them out here.
Some other ideas:
Think local: Buy a t-shirt or some merch from a local store, restaurant or other establishment that your gift recipient likes. Or is there a local parking pass, membership, or event that would interest your recipient?
"Favorites" gift basket: Team up with family members or friends and create a basket of "favorite things" for the gift recipient. Each gift-giver picks one of their favorite things to put into the basket. That makes it personal and fun, and introduces the recipient to new things they might like. This works well for people who are hard to buy for.
A collection of recipes: If you're someone who cooks, gather some of your favorite recipes, photocopy them, and give them as a gift to someone else who likes to cook. Maybe include a treat you baked.
Hedger Humor Store
Hedger Humor Merchandise (prices vary). Don't forget that I have an online store through the website Threadless! I set up the site myself, so let me know if you spot anything weird. I'm trying my best to make sure everything looks good!
I added some new items this year, including a cartoon about siblings (give it to a sibling!) and a cartoon about friendship. I also added a heartwarming note to the “chips” cartoon, so it could be framed and given to a loved one. Go here to check it out!
Printable Things For You
Here are some fun things you might want to print and use. Click on any of the images to get to the full-size printable image. Once the image opens in a new window, you can download it and save it to your device.
Gift Tags
Printable Gifts
Fill in the coupons! The two items below that are things you could print and frame, then give to someone.
And that rounds out my ideas for this year's holiday gifts! If you want to see my past gift guides, here they are for and .
Bowl Games
In case you missed any, here are the recent Bowl Game cartoons I posted. (This is where I pull random words out of bowls, then create a story based on those words).
Most Popular Cartoons
You can find my cartoons on Instagram, Facebook, and on my website. So follow along!
These cartoons were the most popular over the past month. First we have this cartoon from the archives. I reposted it this month, and many people could relate—especially now that we are heading into holiday season. I did this cartoon in collaboration with Abby Has Issues (she wrote it, I illustrated). Thank you, Abby!
This cartoon was also popular. It captures a nightly occurrence at my house. Advertisers, stop doing this! I’m begging you!
And that wraps it up for this issue! Thank you for reading!
Coming in the November issue: Some fun holiday recipes for you. I’m not the best cook, so these will be easy. Also: A dramatic new development in the saga of my microwave!
Hedger Humor on Patreon
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