It's Time for the 2024 HOLIDAY GIFT CONCIERGE!!!
Truly one of my favorite threads of the year
First off: As a community, we have raised $5088 (including my $500 match) to help clear the wish lists of refugee families settling into their first American homes via Miry’s List.
For example: The Hatam Family just arrived in Virginia from Afghanistan with six kids ages 1-14, and they’re in need of a toddler bed, a kids bunk bed, a bed for the parents, and bikes “so they can get outside and play with their new friends in the neighborhood.” Can we cover this? I think we can cover this!!!
My goal is to get us to at least $10,000, so if you have the resources right now, consider donating to the fund so we can cover these big ticket items. You can Venmo me at annehelen or PayPal at annehelenpetersen@gmail.com — and I’ll of course link to all cash-out and purchase receipts.
Second off: an unanticipated joy of Sunday’s ONE GIFT GUIDE TO RULE THEM ALL is seeing how the community’s collective gift attention can have an outsized affect on a small business. The post below from Effing Candle Co made my month — *you all did this*!
(Also, while I recommended the Rooftop Margarita Candle, I have it on a good authority that the Head Bitch in Charge Candle is a revelation).
And if you missed the 98 weird and wonderful small business gift recs, with everything from gifts kids will actually like and gorgeous size-inclusive robes to my favorite wee mugs and jewelry people will not shut up about…. go check it out now.
Okay, but let’s talk about the Gift Concierge.
This is one of my favorite threads of the year because it taps into my favorite Culture Study resource: people taking pleasure in helping others, particularly people whose tastes and loves and pleasures aren’t always legible to mainstream culture.
In other words, this is the place for anyone who’s ever read one of those Gift Guides for Moms or Dads or Friends or Brothers and been like…..my loved one would hate all of this shit.
So here’s how it works: you post a description of the person you’re gifting for with as much details about their tastes/personality (and additional parameters, like what you’ve bought before and/or how much you’re looking to spend) as possible. Then the Culture Study community comes in and we try our very best to help.
A few examples of past posts (which also give me joy because it’s a joy to try and describe the people who make up our worlds):
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You get the picture. So let us help you, let us help each other! And be sure to come back later to check on the thread (and sort for “Newest” comments to distribute that sweet sweet gift advice as widely as possible).
As always, this is a private, subscriber-only forum; don’t be butts about people’s plaintive requests for gift help and let’s keep it one of the good places on the internet.