A Few of My Favorite Things

30 Nov by Sarah Susanka

Each year, I like to share a few gift ideas drawn from discoveries I’ve made either in the past year, or in previous years. All of them I’ve personally tested and continue to find both useful and/or beautiful. I hope you and your gift recipients enjoy them as much as I do.

Elyum Jar Opener

This jar opener is an indispensable kitchen tool and an ideal gift for anyone who has ever struggled to open a jar. It comes with a bottle opener, which, I’m sorry to say, I haven’t tried, as it wasn’t a tool I lacked in my kitchen, but the purchase of the set is worth it just for the jar opener. It has become my new best friend in the kitchen because it actually works, unlike many more complicated devices I’ve purchased over the years!

Macally LED Small Bedside Lamp

I got one of these for my elderly mother originally. She loves it—just touch the top and it turns on at a low level of light. Touch it again and it is brighter, and one more touch, and it is brighter yet. No buttons, no clever changing colors, just the basics, which is all she needs or wants. And she liked it so much that I got two for my own use as bedside lamps. They’re excellent, and have two USB ports too—ideal for charging my iPhone overnight. Simple is often the best option, and these are beautiful to look at as well.

Lamacall Multi-angle Tablet Stand

I do a lot of video calling using my iPad and iPhone these days, and before I found this very reasonably-priced product, I’d never been entirely happy with the angle at which previous products I’d tried would hold the device in question. This stand is wonderful because it allows the tablet to be held almost vertically to the plane, with a spot to leave it plugged in if battery level is low, and without limiting one’s ability to pick up the tablet from the stand when done. It is simple and elegant—nothing extravagant, but well designed for its purpose.

Alioth Rechargeable LED Lantern

This rechargeable light can be used as a desk lamp or a portable lantern, and is an ideal gift to light up a bedroom, living room, nursery, or any part of the house. I use it for supplemental lighting on my Zoom calls, but it also extends into a delightful portable lantern for camping or evening outside use. It comes equipped with a charging cable and a rechargeable battery.

Zometool

Zometool is a unique multi-dimensional building toy that will allow you to explore the basic forms of nature in ways you’ve never imagined. These are absolutely my favorite toys, providing hours of entertainment whether I’m alone or with my grandchildren. Here are a couple of my own creations:

Cozo Geometric Lighting

The Construction Zone (Cozo) takes a passion for geometry and expands it into thought-provoking lighting and design pieces for the home. Lamps are available in both pendant and table light form. To learn more about them, check out this video.

As we head into the last month of 2022, I wish you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday season. In the gift ideas I’ve shared herein, I hope you’ll find objects that will help bring some useful beauty into the lives of the friends and family members on your shopping list.

With warm regards,

Sarah