holiday helpers

I remember when my holiday gift guides featured my children’s handwritten lists, addressed to Santa, scrawled in crayon, and shared with you on Le Catch. One of my favorites published in 2014 (!), my youngest, at last able to write his own list, included toy airplanes and balls and, of all things, different colored socks; I tucked in my own list alongside his, just in case the elves in my life needed extra guidance. Sharing those lists felt like pulling open the curtain on our family holiday tradition: the excitement, the dreams, the little scribbles of “I want.” It was innocent, honest, and sweet. It was less about showcasing the trendiest items and more about spotlighting that moment when childhood is still full of wonder and your own list has room for pie-in-the-sky desires as well as practicality. Looking back now, I realize those wish lists were more than just requests—they were tiny time capsules of what mattered most. They documented what we wanted for our kids, for ourselves, and for the year closing out and the new one about to begin. So this year, as I assemble my first official Substack gift guide, I’ll still remember the Lego airplanes and the colored socks, and my own wish list tucked in like a wink. And I’ll invite you to join me: to see these gifts not just as things, but as markers of memory, of tradition, of the ways we show love.

Can I just add that never, have I ever shopped this early for the holidays! (Me, above, documenting the advent of holiday gift-hunting in NYC last week, looking mildly out of my element!) But this year, Flamingo Estate along with andSons Chocolatiers, are both kindly sponsoring this week’s newsletter, becoming the delicious catalyst for what might actually be a no-scramble season. Let’s start unwrapping it, shall we?

Everyone is always asking me about the myriad baubles around my neck. Well, here’s an easy—and very giftable—answer: a just-out (less expensive) rendition of my stack in one full swoop, with my signature Thatch heart pendant, accented by an assortment of beads, inspired by the real-deal Adina Reyter. I recently added this Shylee Rose heart necklace, below, engraved with my children’s initials to my permanently-on mix and I pre-ordered Jamie Haller’s gorgeously classic signet ring below. Talk about a perfect pop!

Even though I live 18.1 miles from Flamingo Estate, it literally feels like a universe (plus the 10-to-the-101-to-the-5) far away. Even so, its impeccable gift boxes, my yearly go-to’s—come across as if they’re from my very own lush backyard. The mossy green packaging is earthy yet elegant—it looks more like a keepsake, the kind of thing you don’t want to throw away. The new sets (e.g., The Garden Tour) for this season are even more beyond: they smell, look, and feel alive—herbs, citrus, and garden air embodied. They’re honestly so easy to buy—and a joy to receive. In fact, one just arrived on my doorstep, thank you very much.

You know that feeling when someone surprises you with a bouquet of flowers and you can’t bear to toss it until the very last petal falls? That’s why I’m obsessed with Apartment 387’s new handcrafted silk flower arrangements, above, which come in the chicest vases and look dramatically and gorgeously real—same joy, zero waste, and they last forever.

Mark and Graham’s pebbled leather letters work as key chains and bag charms—and deliver infinite personal style points. P.S. Maybe I’m crazy, but I think Celine is coming out with similar-looking charms soon!

Beverly Hills–based andSons makes chocolates almost too beautiful to eat—almost. Handcrafted, imaginative, and utterly decadent, each piece is a little moment of mouth-watering bliss. Made by a former chef of The French Laundry, the bonbons features handpicked ingredients from the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, Valrhona Chocolate, and fresh dairy. The Signature Collection serves up bold flavor twists like double yuzu, passion‑fruit caramel, and hazelnut gianduja—each finished in hand‑painted shells. I personally would be thrilled to find a foil-stamped award-winning box in my stocking—just saying.

My identical twin is a professional photographer, so I must have the gene too—just maybe in recessive form. Enter Camp Snap: these little digital cameras are seriously cute, especially when monogrammed, and manage to keep my creative spark alive when my ‘pro gene’ takes a nap. My camera also makes for a great party trick—everyone always wants in on the action! P.S. My sis even “borrowed” mine for a while!

I’m not usually the fragrance girl—but when I met the founder of Maison d’Etto at a New York Fashion Week party, and heard beauty maven Cassandra Grey of Violet Grey say she’s a fan, I knew I had to try it. Inspired by horses(!) and created in small batches using clean, consciously-sourced ingredients (with a former Hermes perfumier somewhere in the mix!), the gender-neutral scents are heady and eccentric (a wild blend of leather, hay, vanilla, lavender, etc). And the bottle? Think of it as the Sofia Coppola coffee-table book of perfumes. In-the-know cool-girl signal, locked. Mine already found her permanent perch, above.

Speaking of my twin sister, she gets full credit for sourcing this stunning engraved brass matchbox from MG & Co. It’s so her, something she’d keep on the fireplace mantle but visible enough for people to see—and ogle. I love the chic Edie Parker jewelry-like lighter holder, below—I just wish I could wear it. Randomly, Coco is also raving about this Higher Dose infrared sauna blanket and these wellness patches—she swears by them!

Most years I am that perennial stressed-out, last-minute shopper at J.Crew, wanting to buy things in sizes that sold out long ago. Not in 2025 though! I bought the drawstring clutch, above, for…myself, and the pretty beaded bucket bag, below, for my niece.

Clare V’s dopp kit will travel far and wide in style. Of course, I’d get it monogrammed—and maybe even wear it as a clutch!

My friend Jane Mayle has this Noguchi floor lamp in her IYKYK New York City store. I wish I could wrap it up and bring it home in one of the many shopping bags I always leave with. I’m saving up for my own—and alerting the elves it’s high on my list!

Faux fur (under $300) chicness to cover up anything from lazy dressing to yes, Forma-bound Pilates clothes.

Sometimes the best gifts can be the most practical and mundane—things you need but don’t bother to get yourself. Take, for example, a suite of cute, eye-popping (and ergonomic!) toothbrushes that will not only look good on the bathroom sink, but to your pearly whites. These brushes from Promis are my faves, with their handy holders—and going in everyone’s stockings.

Beads and charms add up to a statement-making brooch—cute on everything from a coat to a sweatshirt. For $34, it packs a lot of stylish punch.

How could I not include colored socks? My son, who is now 16, would approve.

Here are some of my discount codes—early gifts to you!

Electric Picks: MARLIEN20

Ariel Gordon Jewelry: MARLIEN15

Grove Co: MARLIEN25

Camp Snap: MARLIEN715

Ruggable: MARLIEN15

More to come next week!