Don’t know what to get your roommate this year, because the gift of washing her towering pile of dishes just doesn’t seem like ~enough~? Luckily, our editors and staff came up with exactly what they want to get this holiday season, from a copy of their favorite novel (English major approved) to the Moroccan oil treatment they needed, like, yesterday.
So take a page from our lists and consider this your gifting survival guide.
1. Useless Magic: Lyrics and Poetry
“Florence writes lyrics that are unlike anything else- her poetry is sure to be interesting.” – Kelly Donaghey, University of Mary Washington Staff Writer
2. Portable Record Player
“There’s something about listening to records that’s unlike any other way you can play music.” – Elizabeth Rioux, University of Iowa Staff Writer
3. Cat Mug
“I love cat themed anything, especially a mug like this.”- Natalie Wollenzien, University of Iowa Staff Writer
4. Another Record Player
“I’m dying for a record player so I can hear how good my favorite bands sound with a raw recording instead of just the usual cording.” –Dorothy Metz, University of Iowa Staff Writer
5. A Flat-Iron that Actually Works
“I’m just really sick of knotted, crinkled hair and I do not have the time to blow dry it every day. So this flat iron that my mom uses to get her hair magically done in 5 minutes will solve all my problems.” – Alexandra Blackwell, Florida State University Editor-in-Chief
6. Reusable Straws
“Because we’re making sustainable moves only in 2019.” – Hilary Droke, University of Florida Editor
7. Salt Lamps
“I keep on eyeing salt lamps when I go to stores! I don’t believe that they have magic powers or anything, I’d just want it for the vibes.” – Lianne D’Arcy, University of Florida Staff Writer
8.A Bougie Pen
“Because a writer should be able to write beautifully.” – Jennifer Croy, University of Florida Staff Writer
9. Essential Oil Diffuser
“I really want an essential oil diffuser this year. They can be stress relieving and honestly just smell great.” – Selina Scott, University of Florida Staff Writer
10. Lin Manuel’s Poetry Book
“Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tweets always brighten my day. I would love to have some of his poems in book form with adorable illustrations—what a perfect addition to my nightstand.” – Sydney Foster, University of Denver Staff Writer
11. A Photo Album
“With our phones being so important, photo albums have become sadly almost obsolete. Filling out an album of pictures from this year would make me very happy.” – Faith Allen, University of Florida Staff Writer
12. Sarah J. Maas’s Kingdom of Ash
“I’ve been following this series since the first novel was published in 2012, eagerly waiting for each successive sequel. Now the wait is finally over! As the final novel in the series, Kingdom of Ash promises to end with a bang! I love to read for fun during the winter break while snuggling under a blanket and with a hot cup of tea next to me. If someone gifted me this book, they’d make my winter break dreams come true.” – Kaitlyn Tang, University of California, Los Angeles Editor
13. A Face Mask
“I think a nice, quality face mask would be an incredible gift. I’m a huge advocate for skin care, so a new face mask would certainly peak my interest.” – Samantha Spotswood, Staff Writer
14. Good Headphones
“I’m always looking for new music to listen to. I play the “Discover Weekly” tab on my Spotify account so much that I’m probably running out of genres to listen to. I thought a pair of Air Pods would be around thirty dollars, but I promptly saw the actual price and went “haha nope.” Safe to say that it’s a good Christmas/birthday combo when you turn 22 only eight days before one of the biggest holidays in the world.” – Susan Fanelli, Tulane University Staff Writer
15. Wireless Headphones
“I always need a good jam to brighten up my day as I am walking around during the day or some good energizing music when I’m working out at the gym. These wireless headphones are truly my best friend because I don’t need to worry about a chord getting tangled every ten seconds. Truly an amazing gift for any college student who enjoys music, and I’ve never met a college student who doesn’t.” – Natalie Maxam, Boston College Staff Writer
16. A Transparent Umbrella
“Walking in the rain on sidewalks in New York can get really ugly, really fast so I would like to at least look cute struggling in it.” – Destine Manson, NYU Staff Writer
17. Alarm Clock
“I really need an alarm clock, so why not go all out?” – Brooke Miller, College of William and Mary Editor
18. Donna Tart’s The Goldfinch
“I’ve been a huge fan of Donna Tartt ever since The Secret History and I’ve heard nothing but praise about her other works. I’d love to get a copy of her novel, The Goldfinch. It’s got art history, mystery, eccentricism and coming of age; everything I would want in a book to read in between classes.” – Omonike Ajiwe, Temple University Staff Writer
19. Moroccan Oil
“Ever since middle school I’ve had to deal with my curly hair. Once I got to college I discovered the magic of Moroccan oil. No matter where I shop or where I get my beauty supplies, I always try to get a bottle of this great stuff because it tames my hair and actually makes me want to go out and wear my curls freely the way they are.” – Alexandra Ramos, Pennsylvania State University Staff Writer
20. Laptop Case
“I am getting a new laptop and I am already feeing protective. This seems like a stylish solution.” – Cody Elliot, College of William and Mary Staff Writer
21. Dante’s Divine Comedy
“Now that I’m graduating and finally have more free time to read, I want to start building my proper English major library. I figured I should start with the classics, so I want a nice copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy, like a hardback copy too so I can look all fancy.” – Shelby Fintak, Florida State University Editor
22. Yet Another Record Player
“A few months ago, my mom (yes my mom) got a new record player. At first I didn’t want to the “basic” world of Urban Outfitters, but after listening to classic records with my mom, I think a new record player is definitely an essential.” – Alyson Peters, Florida State University Staff Writer
23. A New iPhone
“I have had my phone for three years now and it is slowly giving out on me. So hopefully Santa will bring me a new brand new iPhone XR, fingers crossed.” – Jess Badinghaus, Ohio State University Staff Writer
