When I think about the best gifts I’ve ever received, they’re unique, sentimental, and far from your everyday or even every year type of items. A handwritten cookbook from my grandmother of all her recipes. A small stone from my other grandmother’s wedding band set on a necklace after she passed. A painting of my favorite place in the world that my best friends and I painted during a guided class.
These are those once-in-a-blue-moon type of gifts, likely for a special one-time occasion, like a graduation, wedding, or another life event. As our editors thought about our favorites, we talked about surprise visits from a loved one, a celebratory vacation, family heirlooms, and other, thoughtful, not-from-a-store items or experiences. Of course, these extra special and sentimental presents will always top our Best Ever lists.
But every birthday, holiday, and milestone can’t be filled with surprise vacations and family heirlooms—that’s part of what makes them so special in the first place. So today, we’re sharing the best gifts we’ve ever received outside of the ones that brought us to (happy) tears. We’re sharing the gifts that, while purchased from a store, still hold a special place in our hearts.
There’s a thread that ties all of these favorites together: the thought behind them from the gift-giver, making it all the more meaningful to us. Read on for the best gifts our editors have ever received.
When my husband and I bought our first house—a 900 square foot cozy spot in the Lincoln Square neighborhood—I loved looking for art pieces to fill the new walls. I spied an oversized original vintage map of Chicago (similar to this one) in my favorite shop and casually mentioned it to my husband. He snuck out and bought it (after going to two stores, because he couldn't remember which one I mentioned). It still hangs lovingly framed in our current home as a reminder of where our family started.
After each of my kids was born, my mom surprised me with personalized rings with their names. I wear them daily and love having a little reminder of them throughout the day while I’m working. They’re elegant, dainty, and perfectly stackable, so they can be worn together or with other rings. Plus we can always add another if we have more kids. I can’t even count how many times I’ve received compliments on them. I love this idea for a gift for a new mom friend or to suggest to someone as a gift for yourself.
I’ve always loved reading physical books (I designed book covers once-upon-a-career!), but when we started doing a lot of pre-pandemic traveling, I found that it was tough to fill my suitcase up with hardcovers and fit in my clothing necessities. Novels win over underwear every time! My husband stepped in and gifted me this tablet with tons of storage for my books, as well as the ability to stream shows and download apps (hello, Candy Crush). Our daughter soon took over the Kindle with her own book downloads, so it’s now a shared family device—our favorite one yet.
My husband is a great gift giver (it’s so frustrating to try to buy for him!), so he’s given me an assortment of amazing gifts throughout the years. This year, he got me a weighted blanket for my birthday, and it might have been the first time in my life that I actually slept through the whole night. It is nice for watching TV at the end of a long day or for snuggling into the bed and making it through a whole seven hours of actual sleep. I love it so much!
I had been wanting a Vitamix for years and was so excited to add it to my wedding registry. And then no one bought it for us. I instead ended up using a bulk of the gift cards we received to buy it, so I suppose it’s the best gift I’ve ever given to myself. The blender is pricey, but it truly is worth the money for all that it does, from smoothies to soups to baby food and beyond. Plus, it basically self-cleans and will (hopefully!) last forever. I’m obsessed.
Last Christmas, my husband surprised me with this beautiful Opal ring. He wrapped it in box after box as a surprise to replace my favorite ring that I had lost a few months earlier. He had gotten a similar ring years earlier when we first met, and it meant a lot that he found almost a perfect dupe because it made me happy.
Last year, my mother-in-law surprised me with this classic tote over the holidays to replace the well-worn canvas bag I was using as a work tote. She even added personalization with my new initials as an extra-special touch. I had just gotten married a few months earlier in June and having something monogrammed so soon after was such a thoughtful gesture. The bag is really high-quality and perfectly-sized—I’ve used it so much since last Christmas!
Years ago, I uncovered four beautiful Alphonse Mucha prints during an estate sale. Since then, they’ve been rolled up and tucked away in a corner of my office, just waiting for a framing solution. They’re so pretty and would make any room instantly more vibrant, but they’re an odd size, making professional framing prohibitively expensive. I swear my heart flipped with excitement when I discovered that my husband had snuck them down to the basement to build frames for them himself. Now, I don’t know what I love more: the beautiful prints or the sweet sentiment surrounding them!
I know we’re in a digital age where iPhone photos are all the rage, but I still love getting out my DSLR camera. When I got it, I was so excited because now that I’m a mom I want to document those special moments. I like to be intentional about taking photos, and using my DSLR for holiday photos or my son’s first birthday has been great for that. It’s also SUPER simple to use!
Read More: Our Editors’ Go-To Gifts for Kids of All Ages
