[music]

Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC as we are deep in the holiday season now. The last night of Hanukkah is tonight. Christmas is right around the corner, and Kwanzaa the day after that. If you are a diligent gift giver, you've probably already picked out presents for everyone on your nice list this year, but many people tend to procrastinate when it comes to holiday gifting, and you can understand why, right. It can be a lot of pressure to pick out the right gift for the people you care about. You want to make them happy, express how much you value them, and doing that through a physical item however or buying some experience can be quite daunting. We are actually going to give you some access to a gifting advice giver right now. If this is a struggle that you're currently going through, racking your brains, trying to figure out what to get your mother who already has everything she could ever need, or your husband who didn't really appreciate last year's gift, maybe you've got a 10-year-old niece but you have no idea what 10-year-old girls are into nowadays, or perhaps you're looking for the right gift for your team members at work that says, "I appreciate you," but doesn't break the bank or do anything inappropriate.

Call or text us with your holiday gifting dilemmas right now. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692, because joining us is the perfect person to answer any of your gift-given questions, it's Caroline Weaver, founder of The Locavore Guide, a digital discovery guide to New York City's independent brick-and-mortar stores. That's a good category, independent brick-and-mortar store. She's currently running a holiday shopping hotline that you can call with your specific gifting questions, but the hotline for the moment is going to be here, 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Call or text. Let me ask you first, do you say Carolyn or Caroline?

Caroline Weaver: It's Caroline.

Brian Lehrer: Welcome to WNYC.

Caroline Weaver: Thank you for having me.

Brian Lehrer: Do you have an underlying philosophy, first of all, or game plan when it comes to picking out a gift for people?

Caroline Weaver: Well, the best thing you can do is be organized first of all. Sit down, think about every single person you want to buy a gift for, and just simply make a list to start, and maybe add in some keywords about what they're interested in or any immediate ideas that come to mind, and also to just stay flexible. Unless a person asks you for something really, really specific-- It's nice to have a really solid idea, but in New York City especially, it's also a easier strategy to just go out and see what you can find.

Brian Lehrer: Is there a most common question that you get on your holiday shopping hotline?

Caroline Weaver: Well, people have been asking us mostly where to find really specific things. For example, somebody texted us wanting to know where to find nonwoven vinyl placemats.

Brian Lehrer: Whoa.

Caroline Weaver: Yes. It's a lot of really specific things or a $500 gift for a vet tech who really helped out a family this year. People get really specific. It's a really fun challenge for us.

Brian Lehrer: There's always at least one person in everyone's lives who is seemingly impossible to shop for, maybe because they have a lot of stuff already, or they're picky in ways you don't understand. How do you shop for people like those?

Caroline Weaver: I think that those types of people, I think, first of all, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Some people are just impossible to impress. I think it's fun to take a lighthearted approach to gifts like that. Maybe think about something that is really specific that they're interested in and then go from there, and don't expect to do all the research yourself. You're not an expert on the same things that they're an expert on. Find a shop that can give you good advice and go there. For example, somebody plays tennis. Go to New York City Racquet or Mason's Tennis and ask somebody there what a great gift is for a person who plays tennis, or Manhattan Saddlery for people who ride horses, or if somebody is really into a particular genre of things-- A trick that I love is to go to Tiny Dollhouse, which is a miniatures shop that sells dollhouse miniatures, and get them just a really beautiful, detailed, weird, and funny miniature of a thing that they love. Take a lighthearted approach to those types of gifts, and don't put too much pressure on yourself.

Brian Lehrer: All right, here's the gift-giving advice seeker I think in the professional context. Alexis in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi, Alexis.

Alexis: Hi. I always have a problem of not getting gifts that I actually use and then wanting to give something that is useful and that's not going to get stuffed in the closet. These are for clients, like, "Please don't get me another water bottle. I don't need another water bottle. I don't need nothing that I'm not ever going to use again," and I don't want to give them something that they don't actually want.

Brian Lehrer: You hear the dilemma, Caroline?

Caroline Weaver: Yes, that's a big dilemma, and this is one that I've talked about with a lot of different people. I think especially in this day and age, we all have too much stuff. The last thing we need is more stuff that we don't want to keep forever, and then the burden of having to dispose of it. It's just too much. I get that. In that type of situation, a consumable gift is always a great idea, and by consumable, I don't necessarily mean edible. It could be something like a stationary item that will get used up, or nobody hates a really thoughtfully chosen fancy candle or beautiful incense. Or it could be something like-- My coworker this year is gifting. There's this really weird sunscreen that comes in a whipped cream can that she's gifting to people who she knows who spend a lot of time in the sun. It could be things like that or just--

It could be something self-care-related. There are many avenues of consumable gift to consider, but that's what I would do when you're worried about burdening somebody with an object.

Brian Lehrer: Alexis, I hope that helps. Ava in Fort Lee has a question for you. Hi, Ava. You're on WNYC.

Ava: Hello. I'm calling because I have a boyfriend. He's one of those guys that just buys anything the second he needs it. There's things that he said he's needed and then I know he's ordered it right away, and I just have no idea what to get him at all. I know what his interests are, but he has everything in those interests, and I'm completely at a loss. I'm at the same idea where it's like I want it to be something he's going to use and not just get him something to say I got him a gift.

Brian Lehrer: I'll bet a lot of people are in that position, right, Caroline?

Caroline Weaver: Yes, definitely. Obligation gifting is a really scary territory to be in, especially for men who just aren't stuff people or who buy the things they need on their own. This is another scenario where I would go to an expert. He could have a hobby and still not know everything. For example, there's a shop in Greenwood Heights called Tools for Working Wood that sells the most amazing and extraordinary specific tools for woodworking. If he's at all into that kind of thing, go there. Another nice approach is to just think about things that he's mentioned, particular hobbies or activities that he's mentioned but hasn't necessarily pursued yet. You could get him something to get him started there, whether it be a book or a tool, et cetera. Then, depending on his aesthetic, there's a wonderful shop in Dumbo called Front Street General Store, and that's one of my go-tos for men who I don't know what to buy for because they have really beautiful little clips and hooks and just like thoughtful masculine jewelry items and home things. That's a great place to start. I'm sorry, I don't think I answered your question entirely, but yes, that's what I would do.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, you're saying kind of maybe an unusual thing in an area of interest for the boyfriend. Ava, thank you. I hope that helps you a little bit. Go ahead, Caroline.

Caroline Weaver: Or you could also throw in a little subliminal messaging. Without being passive-aggressive, is there something that you want to encourage him to do, whether it be a sport that he's expressed interest in? That can be a really thoughtful approach as well.

Brian Lehrer: I'll take this opportunity to plug our own shop listener online gift guide at wnyc.org/shoplistener. Caroline, we did a whole week of call-ins for people in the different geographical parts of our listening area who have brick-and-mortar stores that sell holiday gifts and one for people who sell online only. One of the things that surprises me every year when we do shop listener is how many people call in with suggestions for experiential gifts, so maybe it's classes and something. We got a dance class caller this year, a horseback riding lessons caller, all kinds of experiential things. I wonder if you think there's, for the person who "has everything", the experiential gift where you can go ahead and do something is a good option that you sometimes recommend, even if it's not something you can buy in a brick-and-mortar store.

Caroline Weaver: Absolutely. Experiential gifts especially are probably the most thoughtful approach you can take for a very last-minute gift because you don't have to physically get something. You can buy a gift card to that place or book it for that person. What's nice about it too is that you can book these things for yourself and that person. That's not just about the experience, it's about sharing that experience. We're lucky to live in a place where there are experiential gifts for everything. You can take a blacksmith class, you can take a lingerie making class, you can learn how to make sausage. There's literally everything.

Brian Lehrer: Jackson in Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi, Jackson.

Jackson: Hi, Brian. How are you?

Brian Lehrer: All right. What you got?

Jackson: I wanted to just promote my sister's store. I'm her number one fan, but she just opened a store in the East Village called Babs Home and Pantry. It's on Avenue [unintelligible 00:11:13] [crosstalk]--

Caroline Weaver: I know Babs Home and Pantry.

Jackson: Yes. Do you?

Caroline Weaver: Yes, I was just in there two weekends ago.

Jackson: Oh my God, amazing. Actually, she opened the first location in Astoria that was more off the beaten path, but she opened the East Village location in October, and I'm so happy you've been in there. My sister and I both grew up in New York, and I'm biased, but I really think it's the most unique gift shop. She features a lot of local artisans, and she really has a focus on wanting to-- she has a gallery wall where she has different rotating local artists and their artwork, but she herself is one of the most creative crafty people I know.

Brian Lehrer: Wait, say the name of the shop again, Jackson.

Jackson: It's Babs, B-A-B-S, that's her childhood nickname, home and Pantry.

Brian Lehrer: Good luck to Babs, and go ahead and post it if you want on our shop listener page, our gift guide. You can still post there as well as people can shop there, wnyc.org/shoplistener. Let me get Craig in Morganville in here, which might be the ultimate last-minute gift buying question. Craig, you're on WNYC. Hi.

Craig: How you doing? I think for people hard to buy for, I'm sure you know what that person likes. Just get them a gift card for that place or get them a gift card at a nice restaurant. You'll be helping the economy in New York as well. Everybody loves a nice night out, and either go with that person or for their boyfriend or girlfriend to go out.

Brian Lehrer: Craig, thank you. Where are you, Caroline, on the gift card question and the how general gift card? Just buy somebody an Amazon gift card is a most general thing you could do. It certainly doesn't support a local brick-and-mortar store, but the gift card question.

Caroline Weaver: Yes, I am all for gift cards, especially last minute, but I think that you should still add a little thoughtfulness in there. Choose a small business that maybe they don't necessarily know about. I think it's cooler when you pick something that you want to introduce them to. If they just moved into a new house, think about what their personal style is and find a home good store that sells really wonderful things in that vein, or restaurant gift cards are also great. One of my favorite things to do is to get somebody a gift card to a restaurant and maybe also to like a local movie theater in the same neighborhood and encourage them to not just go to dinner, but make a nice little night out out of it. I think that's a really nice thing to do. There are ways to give gift cards and not be lazy about it.

Brian Lehrer: Sarah in Clinton Hill will get the last word. She texts, "This never fails me, buy the fancier version of what someone likes." Let me just let you, Caroline Weaver, promote the Locavore Guide. What's your hotline where people can call you or however they get in touch with you for this last-minute gift advice?

Caroline Weaver: Yes. Our hotline is reachable at 646-965-2455. We're also online at thelocavore.com and on Instagram @thelocavorenyc.

Brian Lehrer: The Locavore Guide, Caroline Weaver. Thank you. This was really helpful to a lot of last-minute gift shoppers I think. Thanks for coming on. Happy holidays.

Copyright © 2023 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.