December Newsletter + Gift Guide

Gift ideas and more!

Dec 03, 2023

Well, hello there! And Happy December!

Yes, it’s December. And that means it’s high time for a gift guide!

But first I have exciting news about a book…

Exciting News About a Book!

My friend Chris Warner wrote a wonderful book called “Rhymes About Nature, Mostly.” And I illustrated it!

Here’s the book’s description: Rhymes About Nature, Mostly explores the traits of dozens of animals, from the smallest monkey, a pygmy marmoset, to the biggest creature in the world, a blue whale. Young readers and their grown-ups can use the book's rhymes and illustrations to discover something new about the natural world on every page.

And here’s a video of me showing you the book!

It truly is delightful, and I’m not biased at all. If you’d like a copy or want to give it as a gift, buy it on Amazon. And thank you!

P.S. Adrienne Dortch is my maiden name, and I used it as my “pen name” on this project.

Gift Guide

And now… let’s talk gifts! I’ve got pictures of things, then descriptions below. We’ll start with books.

Books

Parenting is Weird: This book by my friend Chesca Hause covers all the ridiculous moments in parenting. It’s a great gift for any mom or dad!

Life In Five Senses: This one is on my personal wish list. It explores the mysteries and joys of the five senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life.

What It’s Like to Be a Bird: I downloaded the audio version of this book, which is funny because it turns out it’s actually a beautifully illustrated book with more than 300 images. Oops! (Now I’m asking for the hard copy.) But I can tell you that it’s fantastic. I loved it.

Why Are You Like This?: I follow Meg Adams on Instagram and really like her comics. In this book, she covers “the joys of marrying your best friend to the bizarre musings of a twelve-pound pup to the humor and heartbreak of anxiety.” Good stuff.

General Gifts

Here are the images, and then the descriptions and links are below…

Voice-changing microphone: It is SO funny to talk into a microphone that is changing or distorting your voice. “Bring me more pie,” you can say in a demonic tone. It’s impossible for people not to laugh. (Oh, you can also use the microphone to do karaoke.) There are different options, and here’s one.

Jelly Cat Plush Toy: Jelly Cat makes charming little plush toys, and their line of “Amusables” is especially cute. Kids love them, but adults might like them too, as something to sit on their desk or a windowsill.

DNA Test: If you know anyone who has a rescue dog or a dog with unknown origin, maybe they would like a DNA test for their dog! I don’t have a particular one to recommend, but you can find many good options online.

Chia Pet: We gave the Weird Al Chia Pet to our friend, and it was fun for the whole family! There are a lot of options. Check them out!

Couch Coaster: This is on my list this year! And I will use it daily. Maybe you know someone who would also like it.

Fire Lights: When we were with our family this summer, my mother-in-law threw some crystals into the campfire and voila! Colors! It was very cool, and I suggest you try to recreate this yourself.

Guessing Game: This game, called “Good Guess,” is really fun for families and groups (or even just two people). It’s part riddle, part trivia, and part logical reasoning—about everyday people, places, and things. (The content is PG, but it’s best suited for ages 16 and up because of the breadth of topics covered.)

Lip balm: This lip balm by Moon Valley Organics has become my favorite, and I love that it comes in a variety pack.

Lip gloss: I also love this gloss called Mentha Shimmer Lip Tint in Pearl Mint. It’s by Bigelow Chemists and they appear to have other neat things on their website.

Sunscreen: Give the gift of sun protection! There’s no better way to say, “I care about you.” This is my favorite face sunscreen, by Supergoop. It has a neat shimmer to it.

Woodwork art: My friend Bob (hi, Bob!) is a fantastic woodworker, and his products range from leaf earrings and tree earrings to kitchen goods. Check him out! His shop is called Splinter Pig Woodworks.

Photography + Giving

My friend Tarik runs Focus Relief Photography. Incredible photos of nature, and all the profits are used to fund hot meals and medical services for those in need.

I think they even do free shipping. Check out the gallery.

Weird Stuff

As you may remember from past gift guides, I really like the store Archie McPhee because it offers such offbeat items. Just look at the list of themes on the website!

Here’s a sampling of things I found on the site. I realize these gifts aren’t for everyone, but I do think many people would enjoy a dose of absurd humor.

Meditating Squid: Yes, even squid recognize the healing powers of meditation. This could be fun for someone to put on their desk or bedside table.

Goth cat: You could tell the gift recipient to put this near their coffee machine. Then every morning, there’s the cat, guarding their coffee. An amusing way to start the day.

Mac & Cheese Candy Canes: There are also ketchup, pickle and bacon flavors. Chances are they’re gross, but what a fun group activity to taste them!

Crow in a Peanut. Where’s he going? Why? Is the peanut powered by electricity or gas? So many interesting questions with this little gift.

Oh, and when it comes to offbeat gifts, I also like the store FRED. You’ll find their gift guide here.

The Idea of a Themed “Gift Kit”

Thank you, random character! Basically, what you do is group some items together to create a themed present that your recipient will enjoy. Obviously, I didn’t invent this, but I’ve been thinking of ways to make it work.

Here are some theme “Gift Kit” ideas I had… maybe you’ll like these, or come up with your own!

Lip Balm Kit: Buy a whole bunch of lip balms (including the ones I mention above) and put them all in a fun zipper pouch. You’re giving the gift of MONTHS of hydration, and it’s always fun to try new lip balms.

Winter Kit: In a basket, combine lip balms, a small hand lotion, gloves or mittens, and hot chocolate or tea. Maybe some cozy socks, too. Or maybe put all of that into a beanie, and that’s how you present it.

Drawing Kit: This can work for anyone, not just kids. You can gather Micron pens (05 size), Blick studio brush markers, a sketch pad, and a book about drawing. Here’s a look:

Book Kit: Buy your recipient a book or two, and pair it with some tea and socks. Then put all of that in my “Book Lovers” tote bag!

Desktop Kit: This could be a fun thing for someone’s desk. Buy your recipient a mini wooden easel from a craft store (like Michael’s). You’ll find it with the small picture frames. Then, print out little signs that the recipient can put on the easel. I’m going to provide two signs (the link to download these is at the end of the newsletter). You can make additional signs with photos or quotes, or other things that would be meaningful. Then, the recipient can choose what they want to display on the mini easel on any given day. Here’s a look at the easel and the two items I’m providing for you.

Stuff From Me

I’ve got a piece of 5x7 art you can print out, frame, and give as a gift. Here’s a look at it, but the image to download is at the end of this newsletter.

I also have gift tags you can use! Here’s what they look like. The link to download them is at the end of this newsletter.

Of course, you can always shop at my online store, which is operated by Threadless. It has cards, tote bags, shirts, mugs, and more. Here’s a look at some of my merch:

Downloads!

OK, so I keep mentioning these files you can download. Well, you’ll find them here on Dropbox, and you don’t need a Dropbox account to access them. The files are:

Mini signs for the mini easel (they are 6x6, so just size them smaller for the easel)
Printable quote about life (5x7 inches)
Gift tags (8.5 x 11 inches)

Enjoy! Let me know if you have any questions!

Top Cartoon

The top cartoon in the past month was this one, about doing dishes while cooking.

Unfortunately, this is hardly an exaggeration. I’ll use pots and pans that aren’t even necessary. WHY?? I don’t know! But I’ve stopped questioning it or worrying about it. I just get ready to do a bunch of dishes.

I’ll be sending you another email toward the middle of the month with emergency last-minute gift ideas, so watch for that. And, of course, we’ll have a new Monday Motivation tomorrow.

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate you!