More Than 23 Awesome Gifts to Give to Those You Love
⚽️ Go Sports!
Jenny: Thanksgiving football
Thanksgiving is about family, stuffing your face, and football
Changed over the years (A&M)
Two teams historically have games on Thanksgiving (Lions and Cowboys)
This year there are 3 games and all have playoff implications!
Bills at Lions (Interesting because Buffalo’s game this week got moved to Ford Field in Detroit because of the insane snow in Buffalo!) @11:30 AM CST
New York at Dallas - @3:00 PM CST
Patriots and Vikings (Did you see the insane one-handed catch from Justin Jefferson against the Bills last week?) Also, if you haven’t, listen to the local Vikings broadcasters calling the end of that game. @7:20 PM CST
Caitlin: FIFA World Cup + Qatar – this is supposed to be an exciting time in soccer, but…
The FIFA World Cup soccer tournament is happening in Qatar
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter said “Qatar is a mistake. It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for that.” He’s not wrong. Here’s why:
In 2009, when Qatar put in a bid, it hoped to be the first Arab country to host a World Cup. Qatar was up against Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the U.S.
Interestingly, Qatar didn’t have the infrastructure to support such a tournament (or the tourism that comes with it), and it’s hot AF there!
Add to it the fact that Qatar has policies against alcohol (not so much a problem as a 🤷♀️ with lots of people coming in to see matches) and homosexuality, and it doesn’t recognize Israel's sovereignty, and we’ve got a long shot at getting the bid.
And yet… here we are.
Granted, Qatar made concessions to be able to host. But…
Overall, the country has a terrible record on human rights AND, more than 6.5K migrant workers died under the harsh labor conditions that existed to build the infrastructure of the tournament! These came to light in 2013 and even as recently as August of 2022, many migrant workers were arrested or deported when they protested against unpaid wages.
Homosexuality is still illegal and many LGBTQIA+ folx are still physically abused and sexually harassed while in police custody in Qatar.
Women need men’s permission to make many of life’s important (and some basic) decisions. (Note that this is FINE if women subscribe to this set-up; that said, many women do not and we stand in support of women to live their lives as they choose.)
Responses include:
Many in soccer pledging to wear the OneLove rainbow armband while competing and or calling attention to other human rights abuses
Amnesty International proposed that FIFA pay reparations to migrant workers – roughly $440 million, which is the same as the prize money for the tourney. FIFA has said they’re open to the idea, but don’t hold your breath… (You can sign a petition to help get compensation for these migrant workers, here. )
And now…
Qatar is reportedly paying fans to attend the World Cup – if fans take the offer, they sign a contract to sing the support songs and chant the support chants and speak positively of Qatar, and then report anyone who doesn’t do those things. Yikers.
FIFA is literally telling teams and players to stay in their lanes by telling them to focus on football (soccer) and keep politics (and, you know, human rights) out of sports.
Many thanks to The Gist Newsletter for their excellent breakdown of what’s happening here! You can subscribe too, with this link.
Recommendations from The Gist if you want to learn more:
Read cartoonist David Squires' (of The Guardian) coverage of the story of Kenyan migrant worker Malcolm Bidali
Listen to a (different) podcast: World Corrupt – tells the story of corruption and more in Qatar’s bid (and win) to host the World Cup.
Watch Qatar’s World Cup on ESPN+. ESPN’s documentary about the human rights abuses and families of those who died building the stadiums. You can watch the trailer, here.
👏 Current Obsessions
Jenny: Coats for Kids- giving away our millionth coat this year! Learn more with this link.
Caitlin: A style that I hated after 7th grade and hoped we’d never go back to? Claw clips! And, I watched ONE video about how to wear one in your hair with a ball cap on, and now our podcast’s IG reel feed is all nail and claw-clip tutorials. Oops.
💎 Gem Of The Week
Jenny: Kit’s interaction with Santa Claus led to the discovery of what he really wants for Christmas: a second bedroom.
Caitlin: Abby scared the sh*te out of me! “Taking mama home. It’s Abby texting and she messed up.”
Real Talk
Shout out to the retail workers who work on and around Thanksgiving. We do not shop in-store on Thanksgiving Day (or the day after) in support of giving those workers the day off. We have both worked retail and it’s not easy – be kind to workers and shoppers if you choose to shop in-store.
For <$20 | $21-50 | $50-100 | ~$100 | Splurge/ Joint Gift | |
Kids | Jane Worroll and Peter Houghton A Year of Forest School This beautiful book is filled with games, crafts and activities that will get your young learners outdoors and excited to be in nature. | Smithsonian Jurassic World Dominion Prehistoric Projector This dual-function projector will bring prehistoric life to your kid’s room complete with fun facts about 35 dinosaurs. | Squaregles Squaregles invite kids to build thousands of different 3D structures from racetracks to marble ramps. The strong magnets keep their builds from collapsing while the paperboard panels offer a place for them to show off their artistic skills. | Melissa and Doug Personalized Shopping Cart Real metal shopping cart with the child’s name, perfect for a little helper. | LEGO Home Alone House THIS is a super detailed version of the McAllister home complete with booby traps and iconic scenes from the holiday classic, it might take three Christmas breaks to assemble (J/K, we did it in a weekend, and YES, it is as awesome as you think it is.) |
Your Parents | --> | If There are Grandchildren: Crafts/ homemade items or photo gifts! Milk those! | Oxford Chef 8-Inch Chef's Knife This knife from Oxford Chef is affordable (compared to other chef’s knives). This Japanese-style model is light in weight and stays sharp for long periods of time. | Le Creuset Heritage Square Baking Dishes The larger size is ideal for desserts, casseroles, roasting vegetables, marinating meats, etc. The smaller dish is perfect for breading and prep work, or casseroles and gratins for two. Both dishes are crafted from stoneware and feature a colorful glaze that is virtually nonstick for easy cleanup. | Victrola 8 in 1 Stereo With vintage looks & modern features, this turntable not only plays your vinyls, but also has a CD & cassette player, FM radio, Bluetooth, and aux & headphone jack for audio streaming from your smartphone. |
Your Kids' Teachers | Muji Gel Ink Ballpoint Pen Set These pens don't smudge or bleed through pages, either. Once they run out of ink, the brand sells refills that are easy to insert by just unscrewing the top of the pen—this cuts down on waste since there's no need to repurchase a whole new set of pens. | Corkcicle x Rifle Paper Co. Coffee Mug This product features Rifle Paper Co.’s signature vibrant flower pattern, has a shatterproof lid, and is triple insulated to keep any and all hot beverages warm and toasty. | - | - | - |
Co-workers | OontZ Angle Solo Bluetooth Speaker This speaker comes with impressive battery life, compact design, and 100 feet of Bluetooth range. It's affordable and has a high waterproof rating, too! | Vobaga Coffee Mug Warmer Keep their beverages at the perfect temperature—no reheating required. They can toggle between three temperatures with the tap of a button, and the heating plate will automatically shut off after four hours. | - | - | - |
Partner | Coupon Book Think about those chores/ tasks you know they hate and offer coupons to tag out. Perhaps you could also team up with kids (Dad’s day off? Mom’s manicure?) | Adopt an Endangered Species Kit from WWF Choose a favorite animal; various price points available. | Convertible Garment Bag I’ve linked a sample on Amazon, but there are many options out there. The fold-in-half, single-purpose garment bag is a thing of the past. These convert to duffles! Can be monogrammed for that little extra. | Therabody Theragun Mini This compact massager will give anyone a deep muscle treatment that targets knots, tension, and soreness. Thanks to its portable size, it can go in a gym bag, hiking, or work bag so they can address any cramps any time. | Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones They feature built-in microphones that isolate sound, and best of all, they feature have a powerful battery (10 minutes of charging results in five hours of playback). |
Bestie | Hair Clips A mega-pack of acrylic, golden, and pearl hair clips for immediately improving any bad hair day. No one will ever guess the last time you washed your hair. | Mark & Graham Leather Tassel Zipper Pouch This leather pouch comes in 2 sizes: the small pouch is able to hold cards and cash while the larger version is big enough to fit a smartphone, makeup, and more. This is on the list because Jenny will love that the Leather Tassel Zipper Pouch is the available for monogramming! You can get 2-3 initials monogrammed in ten different styles, ranging from two-toned shadow script to cursive and even sports-themed logos. The pouch comes in all sorts of colors, too. | Canon IVY Mini Photo Printer for Smartphones One of the biggest problems with smartphone pictures? Printing the pics! Canon has solved that problem by coming out with a printer that connects to your smartphone and tablet via Bluetooth. The printer doesn’t require ink and prints pictures that come out completely smudge-free. It can be charged via USB and is so small (5.6 ounces) that it can be carted around while out and about with friends or family. Keep in mind that photo paper is sold separately. | Custom Stationery This is typically a splurge item that people don’t prioritize buying for themselves any longer. Choose an embossed or printed flat card with matching envelopes or an ensemble that includes a notepad and cards. | Experience Together Decide to buy each other tickets to an event together. You’ll enjoy the experience, make memories, and can tell your spouse that your bestie bought the ticket! |
Sources
Article | Items We Talked About |
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Heritage Square Baking Dishes, Set of 2 | |
Victrola 8-in-1 Bluetooth Record Player & Multimedia Center, Built-in Stereo Speakers | |
Melissa & Doug Personalized Shopping Cart | |
Garment Bag |
Happy Shopping!
Love,
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