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Holiday gifts

For hosts, family and the people you most want to get right, whatever you celebrate: things for the table, the sofa and the season.

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How to plan your holiday gifts

Make the list before you shop: everyone you need to buy for, a budget for each person and a date by which it must arrive. It keeps you from overspending on the first few names and rushing the last ones at the end of the year.

Shop the hardest people first, usually partners, parents and anyone who “has everything”, while stock is full and shipping is reliable. Leave hosts, colleagues and small extras for later, since good options at those prices stay easy to find.

Under $100: hosts, colleagues and small extras

Consumables and small luxuries work best here: candles, good olive oil, chocolate, a beautiful notebook. They are welcome in any home and never take up space.

$100 to $500: family and close friends

This is the range for the people you know well. Choose something they will use for months, such as a throw for the sofa, an upgrade to the kitchen or a fragrance for the season, and add a short handwritten note.

Ordering in time

Retailers publish their own holiday shipping deadlines, and they change every year. Check them on the product page before you order, and for anything personalised allow at least an extra week.

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