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November 23, 2016 Theme Issue » Holiday Gift Guide

Yule Haul: The 2016 Vermont Holiday Gift Guide 

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As the holiday season rolls around, it’s time to embrace the spirit of giving. Be kind. Be generous. Help nonprofits in need. Celebrate your family and friends. Gather together and have fun. Let this guide filled with staff picks inspire presents of mind. And, please, support the home team and shop locally!

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Wearables & Accessories top

click to enlarge Keep Vermont Weird cap
  • Keep Vermont Weird cap
Keep Vermont Weird Cap

You and your cousin are politically polarized, and the recent election didn’t help. But if there’s one thing you both agree on, it’s that the Green Mountain State is already pretty great. That’s why a Keep Vermont Weird cap is both a perfect gift and a peace offering. Plus, the mesh top will help him keep a cool head. $24 at Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center and other locations.

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click to enlarge OtterBox Defender
  • OtterBox Defender
OtterBox Defender

Your grandma prides herself on being as tech-savvy as a millennial — she’s all about posting pics of her garden produce on Instagram. But when she’s digging in the dirt, sometimes her iPhone takes a tumble. Help her protect it with a bulky OtterBox Defender case that says “tough and feminine” — because, yup, it’s bubble-gum pink. $49.99 at Small Dog Electronics in South Burlington.

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click to enlarge Cashmere V-Neck by Repeat
  • Cashmere V-Neck by Repeat
Cashmere Sweater

Baby, it’s cold outside. At least it’s going to be, and nothing feels better on a chilly night than a cashmere sweater. Treat your ladylove to a V-neck option by Repeat. It’s a splurge, but she’ll cherish it — and, hopefully, you — for years to come. $278 at Ecco in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Sorel booties
  • Sorel booties
Sorel Booties

Your preggers girlfriend has been running around town preparing for her firstborn. Make sure that she, and the baby, stay safe and stylish in a pair of Sorel booties with stellar treads. With their low heel, waterproof leather and minimalist lines, she’ll rock them long after kiddo comes. $170 at Dear Lucy in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Brass Métre Band ring
  • Brass Métre Band ring
Brass Métre Band Ring

Your designer pal drinks Italian liqueurs, has the full Adobe Creative Suite and a lot of air plants. Clearly, she also needs a Brass Métre Band ring — handmade from a vintage European folding meter stick. It’s unique, sophisticated and smart, just like her. $78 at Rackk + Ruin in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Chippewa Super Logger Boots
  • Chippewa Super Logger Boots
Chippewa Super Logger Boots

Your flatlander nephew is a woodchuck poser who couldn’t drop a tree if his life depended on it. But give him a pair of Chippewa Super Logger Boots, aka badass shit-kickers, and he’ll have instant cred at high school. And maybe you can get him to rake the yard. $350 at Green Mountain Shoe & Apparel in Bristol and other locations.

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click to enlarge Chan Luu Scarf
  • Chan Luu Scarf
Chan Luu Scarf

For a militant vegan and card-carrying member of PETA, your sister sure likes wearing a lot of animals. No, not fur — faux. From zebra stripes to fake snake, she’ll don it proudly. Add a touch of sophistication to her menagerie with a cashmere-and-silk Chan Luu scarf with leopard-like black spots on gray. $215 at Well Heeled in Stowe.

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click to enlarge Himalayan Sling Bag
  • Himalayan Sling Bag
Himalayan Sling Bag

Your best friend is peeved that all you got her during your yoga retreat in Nepal was a lousy magnet. Make it up to her with a stylish sling bag imported from the Himalayan country but found much closer to home. $10 at Deepa Clothing Store in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Christine Nightie
  • Christine Nightie
Silk Nightie

A silk slip-style nightie is not the most practical item, but who cares? It’s one of the most blissful garments a woman can lounge or sleep in. Plus, it’s sexy. Give your honey a taste of the lush life with a mid-calf-length black number by Christine Lingerie. She’ll spend her nights dreaming of you. $267 at the Fitting Curve in Burlington.

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Stretchy Legwear

Fighting the patriarchy is active work. That’s why your best feminist friend needs jeans with some flex, like stretchy legwear by Just Black. Bonus: They’re made in the U.S. $60 at Tangerine in Burlington.

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Food & Drink top

click to enlarge Instant Noodles
  • Instant Noodles
Instant Noodles

Your college-age brother slurped through his ramen stash during midterm exams. Expand his culinary horizons with a variety of instant noodles from Nepal, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. 50 cents to $1.99 each at Central Market: Taste of Asia in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Vacu Vin Wine Saver
  • Vacu Vin Wine Saver
Vacu Vin Wine Saver

Your best friend insists she only polished off that entire bottle of Hill Farmstead because she didn’t want it to go flat. Show her the light, and the way to a healthier liver, with the Vacu Vin wine saver (good for beer, too!). It’s so much more than a cork. $12.49 at Kiss the Cook in Burlington and other kitchen stores.

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click to enlarge HIC Cast-Iron Bacon Press
  • HIC Cast-Iron Bacon Press
HIC Cast-Iron Bacon Press

Your little brother loves all things bacon, but you recently caught him microwaving that flimsy precooked stuff to get his fix in a pinch. Help him step up to the bacon plate with some serious hardware: the HIC cast-iron bacon press. $12.99 at As the Crow Flies in St. Albans and other kitchen stores.

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click to enlarge Bamboo Steamer
  • Bamboo Steamer
Mortar and Pestle / Bamboo Steamer

Your sister is a Type A dotcom executive who lives on takeout and needs to calm the heck down. Encourage her to try some Asian cooking at home using low-tech equipment. She can pound away stress, and fragrant spices, using a mortar and pestle. And won’t this high achiever be proud to serve the family Chinese buns she cooked in a bamboo steamer? $16 to $22 at Thai Phat in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Lyman’s Country Style Pickled Fiddleheads
  • Lyman’s Country Style Pickled Fiddleheads
Lyman’s Country Style Pickled Fiddleheads

At the age of 3, your granddaughter discovered her love of pickles and announced she was going to be a “peed-trician” when she grows up. Now 7, she hasn’t wavered on either but is better at pronunciation. Up her sour game with a jar of Lyman’s Country Style pickled fiddleheads. Bonus: It looks like a medical specimen jar of … something. $6.75 at Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center and other locations.

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click to enlarge 2013 Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 2013 Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon

Your father-in-law is a wine enthusiast. You overheard that his dealer couldn’t supply the coveted 2013 Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon. As luck would have it, you discovered the only place in Vermont that stocks this highly sought-after vintage. It’s pricey, but the props you’ll earn are worth it. $270 at the Waitsfield Wine Shop.

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click to enlarge Dedalus Wine Club
  • Dedalus Wine Club
Wine Club Membership

You’ve tried to explain the difference between zinfandel and white zinfandel to your college BFF — a self-proclaimed “wino.” But she’s clinging to the swill she’s favored since freshman year. Improve her palate with a wine club membership: Shop oenophiles will treat her to two or three excellent, ever-changing bottles per month. Watch as her love for wine, and you, pours forth. $30 to $65 at Dedalus Wine in Burlington.

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Yule Log Cake

Grandma and Grandpa would cherish a traditional Yule log cake from the old country, but you don’t have time — or, let’s be honest, the patience — to do the baking. Guess what? You can give a cake and help eat it, too. $35 or $45 (8 and 12 inches) at Chef’s Corner Café & Bakery in Williston. Order before December 21.

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Arts & Crafts top

click to enlarge dug Nap’s “Happy Everything” Print
  • dug Nap’s “Happy Everything” Print
Dug Nap’s “Happy Everything” Print

You want to get your kid’s teacher a fun holiday gift but don’t have a clue where she stands religion-wise. Also, better not to go there. Dug Nap’s “Happy Everything” print covers all the bases and lets you remain festively neutral. $19 at the Warren Store and other locations.

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  • Knitting Accessories
Knitting Accessories

Your “nasty woman” cousin and her gal pals are facing four years of hardcore stitch-and-bitch sessions. Thing is, she needs some help with the crafty part. Set her up with a knitting kit and a ceramic knitting bowl. $32.50 and $32, respectively, at Yarn & Yoga in Bristol. Next door, find a set of repurposed-wood knitting needles. $14.99 at the Prescott Galleries at Verde Mountain.

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click to enlarge Vermont Country Glass Pressed-Glass Plate
  • Vermont Country Glass Pressed-Glass Plate
Vermont Country Glass Pressed-Glass Plate

Your beloved grandmother provides a constant flow of treats and snacks and loves to serve them on pretty dishes. Show your gratitude with a Vermont Country Glass pressed-glass plate. They come in a range of juicy colors and feature elegant floral designs. $22 and up at Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Frozen Charlotte Doll
  • Frozen Charlotte Doll
Frozen Charlotte Dolls

Let’s face it: Your cousin is vain. And foolish. She refuses to cover up her stylish outfits with a practical down coat. She’s a perfect candidate for a handful of miniature Frozen Charlotte dolls. Just be sure to include a note that tells the story of the silly girl who froze to death on a sleigh ride to the ball because she wouldn’t cover up her pretty dress. $8.50 each at Vintage Inspired Lifestyle Marketplace in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Faux-Vintage Vermont Travel Posters
  • Faux-Vintage Vermont Travel Posters
Faux-Vintage Vermont Travel Posters

Your stockbroker uncle in the city can’t get enough of Vermont — he loves to ski, cycle and leaf-peep in the Green Mountains. You want to give him a unique memento that doesn’t involve shipping maple syrup. Burlington artist Kevin Ruelle makes convincingly faux-vintage Vermont travel posters that celebrate the great outdoors. Put one in an old frame, and he’ll never know the difference. $49 at ruellefineart.com and local artisan shops.

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click to enlarge Dave Laro Assemblage
  • Dave Laro Assemblage
Dave Laro Assemblage

When you’re stumped for a present for just about anyone, go with art. Also: Support a starving artist. No doubt your rebel-with-a-cause sibling would love a Dave Laro assemblage. The resourceful White River Junction artist creates provocative, pop-inspired pieces from found materials. Like, say, “Conviction,” with its graphic bull’s-eye and gangster-y ’tude. $3,600 at West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park in Stowe.

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click to enlarge Meta Strick’s Coloring Book
  • Meta Strick’s Coloring Book
Meta Strick’s Coloring Book

You already know your niece is not one to color inside the lines. From her, um, surprising fashion choices to her genius fairy houses, she’s got “artist” written all over her. Encourage her creativity with Vermont artist Meta Strick’s coloring book, which features 22 fantastical illustrations. They’re loose-leaf, so you can frame them later. $19 at Artist in Residence gallery in St. Albans.

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click to enlarge Alex Tape & Make Art Kit
  • Alex Tape & Make Art Kit
Alex Tape & Make Art Kit

When your grandkids come over, they love using tape in their art projects. But they always steal it from your office supply drawer. You love the little buggers, but they need their own damn tape. The Alex Tape & Make Art Kit has everything they need to rip and stick their way to fridge-worthy works. $13.95 at the Collection in Waitsfield and other locations.

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Outdoors top

click to enlarge L.A.M.B. Waffle Tee
  • L.A.M.B. Waffle Tee
L.A.M.B. Waffle Tee and Suzi Jumpsuit

Your best friend ain’t no Hollaback Girl, but she loves Gwen Stefani. While she waits for March to go out like a lamb, layer her in the new L.A.M.B., a collaboration of the pop singer and Burton. The waffle tee goes for $69.95; the Suzi Jumpsuit is a splurge at $359.95 at Burton in Burlington and other outlets.

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  • YakTrax
YakTrax

Your dad’s become an avid runner in recent years, and you’re worried he’s gonna break a hip. Keep him safe with YakTrax. The rubber and metal treads reduce the slip-and-slide effect of snowy streets, so he can complete his daily burn without hitting the ice. $39.95 at Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington and other locations.

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click to enlarge Mad River Rocket Sled
  • Mad River Rocket Sled
Mad River Rocket Sled

Your thrill-seeking bestie has a need for speed. When it comes to shredding backcountry powder, there’s nothing quite like the Mad River Rocket sled, which is especially designed for unparalleled control and agility — and did we mention speed? Spring for the clear version so broseph can at least see the rocks he’s about to hit. Base model $179 at Onion River Sports in Montpelier.

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click to enlarge Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro
  • Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro
Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro

Your kid loves to jump on his mountain bike and head into the wilderness. You love his adventurous spirit but worry his lack of prep might land him in a 127 Hours-type situation. He needs the Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro, a tiny speaker and a lot more. He can mount it on his handlebars and play his tunes, charge his phone, light his way and even turn on the “strobe” setting for a rural rave. $79.95 at Alpine Shop in South Burlington and other outlets.

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click to enlarge Hydro Flask
  • Hydro Flask
Hydro Flask

Your best friend is always on the go, but you might just scream if you see her with a paper coffee cup one more time. Not just a travel cup, the Hydro Flask is the dual-purpose, hot-or-cold Nalgene of 2016. Get it in her favorite color, and she may forgive your annoying eco-moralism. Starting at $24.95 at Kevin Smith Sports in St. Albans and other outdoor stores.

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click to enlarge Fleece Steering-Wheel Cover
  • Fleece Steering-Wheel Cover
Fleece Steering-Wheel Cover

Your brother can’t be bothered to fix the heat in his pickup. You’re not going to cover that bill for him, but you can warm his hands, and his heart, with a fleece steering-wheel cover, in black or charcoal. Just assure him it’s a guy thing. $14 at Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel in Barre, Williston, St. Albans and Plattsburgh, N.Y.

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Home top

click to enlarge Mason Jar Cozy
  • Mason Jar Cozy
Mason Jar Cozy

You’re spending the holidays with your Martha Stewart-wannabe aunt who cranks out DIY presents from random objects. Think seashells glued to thrift-shop saucers. Give her new inspiration with a hand-stitched mason jar cozy by Starksboro crafter Brenda Preston. $28 to $32 at Raintree Handcrafted Fine Jewelry in Vergennes.

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click to enlarge Mistaken Lyric Coasters
  • Mistaken Lyric Coasters
Mistaken Lyric Coasters

Even with a karaoke prompter, your drinking buddy howls the lyrics of classic rock songs embarrassingly loud and hilariously wrong. Don’t mock; give him a set of laser-cut Mistaken Lyric Coasters. Botched lyrics include “On a dark desert highway, Cool Whip in my hair,” “I’ve got two chickens to paralyze” and “Hold me closer, Tony Danza,” among others. $4.99 at Vermont HoneyLights in Bristol.

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click to enlarge Mongolian Sheepskin Pillow
  • Mongolian Sheepskin Pillow
Mongolian Sheepskin Pillow

Mom is obsessed with pillows and changes them seasonally in nearly every freaking room of the house. Here’s one she’ll keep out year-round because it is the softest, cuddliest thing ever: a Mongolian sheepskin pillow by Creative Co-op. Tell her it’s OK to sleep with it, too. Comes in rich black or off-white. $69 at Stowe Kitchen Bath & Linens.

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click to enlarge Tiny Air Plant & Holder
  • Tiny Air Plant & Holder
Tiny Air Plant & Holder

Your best friend from college gushed over your garden when she visited you in Vermont last summer. Give her a taste of what she’s missing in the city: a tiny air plant to fit her shoebox apartment. Prices vary at Gardener’s Supply in Burlington and Williston. Even better, add an adorable little plant holder made by Burlington woodworker Steve Hadeka. $15 to $30 at pleasantranch.com.

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click to enlarge Turk Criss-Cross Iron Fry Pan
  • Turk Criss-Cross Iron Fry Pan
Turk Criss-Cross Iron Fry Pan

Your Georgia-born father-in-law has a thing for cornbread and peach pie, but he’s been cooking in the wrong pots and pans. Treat him to a Turk Criss-Cross Iron Fry Pan, which crisps cornbread, flakes piecrusts and tenderizes meats with its hot-iron surface. And it needs soap only once in its lifetime. $99 at Chef Contos Kitchen & Store in Shelburne

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  • Italian Water Glasses
Italian Water Glasses

You love your artist bud but are tired of him hating on cow imagery. Paintings, murals, whatever — if there’s a cow on it, he hates it. Gently let him know that bovines are beautiful, not to mention the source of that milk in his latte, with a set of Italian water glasses stamped with — you guessed it — a cow. $5 each at Bennington Potters North in Burlington.

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click to enlarge Orbit Basic Turntable
  • Orbit Basic Turntable
Orbit Basic Turntable

You brother isn’t a credible hipster if he doesn’t own a record player. Sleek, simple and customizable, the Orbit Basic turntable from Massachusetts’ Orbit Audio is the perfect fix — or, perhaps, fixie. As store co-owner Xavier Jimenez describes it, the Orbit is “the fixed-gear bicycle of turntables.” $179 at Buch Spieler in Montpelier.

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click to enlarge Indian Print Bedspread
  • Indian Print Bedspread
Indian Print Bedspread

Your big sister is moving from dorm to apartment in the spring. Give her that ubiquitous college-student décor item: an Indian print bedspread. The variety is endless — just pick her favorite color. After graduation, she’ll use it as a tablecloth to remind her of the good old days. $18.99 to $37.99 at Homeport in Burlington.

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Kids top

click to enlarge Pink Carhartt Overalls
  • Pink Carhartt Overalls
Pink Carhartt Overalls

Your cousin’s 2-year-old is already Daddy’s little girl: She can milk a goat, knows the difference between a whitetail and mule deer, and will probably drive a Bobcat front loader before she’s out of third grade. Her mom, on the other hand, is a pretty-in-pink type who hunts for closeout deals at Lord & Taylor. Your compromise holiday gift: pink Carhartt overalls, toddler size. $29 at Farm-Way in Bradford and other locations.

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click to enlarge Sweet Pea and Friends: Brave Little Finn
  • Sweet Pea and Friends: Brave Little Finn
Sweet Pea and Friends: Brave Little Finn

You might not know that there are must-haves in the world of baby-animal-themed entertainment — but your parent friends probably do. Released this fall, Sweet Pea and Friends: Brave Little Finn is the true story of an adorable undersheep. The book’s authors are Jennifer and John Churchman, farmers who tend to their flock on Moonrise Farm in Essex. $17.99 at local bookshops.

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Lava Flow and Pistachio Fudge

Your 10-year-old niece has graduated from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to Superfudge. But her FitBit-obsessed friends, paleo parents and sugar-free school have kept her from even tasting the buttery confection. Subvert those agendas with the new Lava Flow, or good ol’ pistachio fudge. $9.95 per pound at the Shelburne Country Store.

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SkiTots Program

You’re pretty sure your grandson is going to be an Olympic athlete, even if he is still in preschool. Get him started on learning the slopes, as well as the ropes, with the SkiTots program for children ages 3 to 5 (with accompanying parent). $195 for four lessons at Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond.

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click to enlarge Oh Little Rabbitt Onesie
  • Oh Little Rabbitt Onesie
Oh Little Rabbitt Onesie

Babies have hard days just like the rest of us. But since your little goddaughter can’t go near a cocktail for another 20 years, get her an Oh Little Rabbitt onesie with a cute illustration of a beverage and corresponding convivial slogan, “Cheers!” It’s 100 percent organic cotton, too. $19 at the Green Life in Burlington.

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Beauty & Body top

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Hot Stone Massage

Your sister desperately needs to get stoned. Help her chillax after the hectic holiday season with a hot stone massage. Yep, placing water-heated flat rocks along the spine eases tight muscles and promotes circulation, enabling a massage therapist to work more deeply. Actually, who doesn’t need this? In the $100 range at day spas around Vermont.

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click to enlarge Marjoram Aromatherapy
  • Marjoram Aromatherapy
Marjoram Aromatherapy

Your new roommate is working out pretty great so far — for a Craigslist find. Except for one thing: She snores like a rusty chain saw, and your apartment has thin walls. Get her a jar of marjoram aromatherapy by Aroma Sedona, which is purported to cure nasty nocturnal nasal noise. It’s so effective that the store owners offer a money-back guarantee and claim they’ve never had a return. $19.95 small or $29.95 large at Splash Naturals in Montpelier.

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click to enlarge Whiskey River Soap for Hipsters
  • Whiskey River Soap for Hipsters
Whiskey River Soap for Hipsters

Your teenage nephew walks like a hipster, talks like a hipster — and now he can smell like one, too. Whiskey River Soap for Hipsters will shroud him in the smug aroma of bacon, coffee and craft beer. Are those things still cool? $10 at the Warren Store and other locations. (Also see soaps for other peeps who need to come clean.)

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Fresh Ink

Tattoo you! After all you’ve been through in 2016, raise your forearm — in solidary or defiance — with some fresh ink. A peace sign, perhaps? Skull and crossbones? Or maybe a scripted message like this one from Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Rates vary with color and size at tattoo salons around Vermont.

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click to enlarge "Insanity Is Hereditary" Bath Salts
  • "Insanity Is Hereditary" Bath Salts
"Insanity Is Hereditary" Bath Salts

Your husband has put up with your crazy clan for 15 years now, traipsing to tipsy Christmas and New Year’s parties, being a stand-up man at your brother’s bachelor parties in Las Vegas, and supporting your sister’s charity rides. Give him a turn in the tub with “Insanity Is Hereditary” bath salts. $9.95 at A Little Something in Shelburne.

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  • Gardener's Care Kit
Gardener's Care Kit

Your partner likes to get down and dirty — in the garden, that is. Help her come clean with a Gardener’s Care Kit. The travel-size, gently scented skin products made by Burlington’s Lunaroma can exfoliate, polish and soothe those hardworking hands. $34.95 at Gardener’s Supply in Burlington and Williston.

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Experiences top

click to enlarge Strumstick
  • Strumstick
Strumstick

Every year at your family reunion, you’re forced to endure your stoner cousin’s awful attempts at music making. Since smashing his guitar against the wall is not an option, go high: Give him a Strumstick, the world’s easiest stringed instrument to play. $189 and up at Recycled Reading of Vermont in Bristol.

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click to enlarge Movie Theater Rental
  • Movie Theater Rental
Movie Theater Rental

Your dad has seen The Godfather so many times that he can practically recite it from memory. So why not put him to the test? Rent him a movie theater for a private screening party with 50 of his closest friends. $150 deposit at the Savoy Theater in Montpelier.

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Skate-Rink Punch Card

Your aunt wants to stay fit in her retirement, but the treadmill bores her to tears. You know she’s glued to the figure skating events every Winter Olympics, so why not help her glide her way to cardiovascular health? A skate-rink punch card gives her 10 sessions. Before long she’ll be trying a camel spin. $40 at C. Douglas Cairns Recreation Arena in South Burlington.

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Glider Ride

Your girlfriend is a bit of a thrill seeker. You’ve already gone spelunking in secret caves in Addison County. You’ve jumped off cliffs at Bartlett Falls and gone scuba diving in Lake Champlain. There’s nowhere to go but up. Like, on a glider ride a mile high in the sky. $209 at Sugarbush Soaring in Warren.

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Standup Comedy Class

Your mom is funny. No, that’s not a “your mom” joke. Seriously, she’s hilarious. But her material could stand some refining, and she could use some encouragement to truly realize her comedic potential. Enroll her in an intro standup comedy class, where she’ll learn to “think like a comedian.” By the end of the six weeks, she’ll have a tight, five-minute set, which she’ll perform with her fellow grads before a live audience. $175 at Vermont Comedy Club in Burlington.

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Trail Ride

Every time your boyfriend watches “Game of Thrones,” he longs to feel the wind in his hair as he rides horseback across the Dothraki Sea. Except he’s also a little bit scared of horses. Treat him to a trail ride on a petite equine perfectly sized for your skittish man. $60 and up at the Icelandic Horse Farm in Fayston.

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Windsurfing Class

Your boss has been blowing a lot of hot air lately about presentation due dates, travel to Topeka and end-of-year reports (yawn). Show her what a cool breeze feels like instead with a gift certificate to an introductory windsurfing class on Lake Champlain. $45 at WND&WVS in Burlington.

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Learning / Classes / Books top

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Learn French

Let’s face it: All those Americans who are threatening to move to Canada — including your girlfriend — are probably not going to do it. Still, getaway weekends in Montréal are magnifique, so why not learn French anyway? Prices for classes and tutoring vary at Alliance Française in Burlington.

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The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu

During the holidays every year, you stop by your hometown library to visit the woman who patiently guided you from Harriet the Spy to War and Peace. Show your appreciation for her influence by gifting her this gem: The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu — and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts, by Joshua Hammer. $26 at local bookshops.

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The Essential Oyster

If there’s an oyster happy hour within 100 miles, your boss will find it. Over icy platters of shellfish, he’ll grill the bartender about whether the mollusk du jour was farmed or wild-caught and the state of the oyster industry. Indulge his obsession with Vermont author Rowan Jacobsen’s The Essential Oyster: A Salty Appreciation of Taste and Temptation — a follow-up to his 2008 award-winning index, A Geography of Oysters. $35 at local bookshops.

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Cooking Classes

Remarkably, you’re blessed with a teen who actually likes to cook. Help him expand his culinary canon and techniques with any number of local cooking classes. Say, the new series at Stowe Kitchen Bath & Linens with chef Seasha Scribner; or French style at Café Provence in Brandon with chef Robert Barral. Can you say coq au vin? Prices vary.

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Wicked Plants

You’ve always liked adding a little edge to the office Yankee swap. How about Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities? Offering this field guide to deadly herbs also hints that you know what to do to the next person who microwaves leftover fish. $18.95 at Tempest Books in Waitsfield and other locations.

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Our Revolution

The election is over and now we all have to get along, right? Or at least do our bit for democracy. Help your inconsolable Bernie bro face the music and fight the power with a copy of Sen. Sanders’ Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In. $27 at local bookshops.

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The Kaufman Mercantile Guide

The Kaufman Mercantile Guide: How to Split Wood, Shuck an Oyster and Master Other Simple Pleasures is the perfect present for that mansplaining know-it-all in your life. Whether he parks his copy in his deer-camp outhouse or his prepper bomb shelter, at least you’ll know that his unsolicited advice stands a chance of being right. $24.95 at local bookshops.

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Pets & Their Humans top

click to enlarge Wooden Tree Ornament
  • Wooden Tree Ornament
Wooden Tree Ornament

This past summer, your pal’s 18-year-old pooch joined Lassie, Old Yeller and Marley in heaven. You want to memorialize her dearly departed best friend. Give Vermont artist Gaelic McTigue a photo, and she’ll hand-paint the likeness of your pet onto a wooden tree ornament. $26 and up at All Things Bright and Beautiful in Waitsfield.

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click to enlarge Welcome Mat
  • Welcome Mat
Welcome Mat

Your Lab-loving auntie on the left coast insists on visiting late artist Stephen Huneck’s Dog Chapel every time she visits you in Vermont. She’s got all of his books and probably reads them to Oscar (her Lab) before bedtime. Contribute to her canine collection with a humorous welcome mat featuring two black Labs — the tail end of one and the nose end of the other, sniffing the first one’s butt. $24.95 at the Stephen Huneck Gallery, Dog Mountain, in St. Johnsbury.

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click to enlarge Dr. Pussums Fancy Feline Elixir Catnip
  • Dr. Pussums Fancy Feline Elixir Catnip
Dr. Pussums Fancy Feline Elixir Catnip

Your feline friend is a mutt from the Humane Society, but he’s a catnip connoisseur. Treat him to a legal high with Dr. Pussums Fancy Feline Elixir Catnip. Purportedly approved by a certain “Dr. Earl S. Pussums,” these colorful sacks will inspire Puss to roll on his back and love-bite them ecstatically. For the holidays, pick up a Party Pack that includes a nip-“marinated” toy mouse. $13.99 at Pet Food Warehouse in South Burlington and Shelburne.

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click to enlarge Chilly Dog Sweaters
  • Chilly Dog Sweaters
Chilly Dog Sweaters

You know better than to buy clothes for your city-living little sister. Even if you could find the right piece, you’re not willing to drop $500 on it. Why not drape her doggy in canine couture instead? The hand-knit Chilly Dog Sweaters range in style from basic hunter plaid to argyles, cables, stripes and prints. $30 to $60 at Doggie Styles in Colchester.

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click to enlarge Custom Pet Likenesses
  • Custom Pet Likenesses
Custom Pet Likenesses

Burlington artist Tessa Hill has earned a cult following for her blown-glass pendants and objets d’art depicting flora and fauna, human hearts, and other anatomy. Upon request, she also creates custom pet likenesses. Because, seriously, what else are you going to get the crazy cat or dog lover in your life? $50 and up at tessahillsculpture.com.

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click to enlarge Dried Meat Chews
  • Dried Meat Chews
Dried Meat Chews

You might be a vegetarian, but your dog sure isn’t. Treat Fido to a selection of dried meat chews in a jaw-dropping variety of weird-body-parts jerky. Flavors include cod skin, beef trachea, lamb lung and bully spring — aka bull penis. Yes, really. 50 cents to $10 at the Quirky Pet in Montpelier.

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