As we approach the end of 2020 — the year of coronavirus — all we really want for the holidays is for our lives to go back to normal (or that “new normal”), so we can safely be with our friends and family members, and can freely travel the world again. Thankfully, several vaccines are coming soon, the first step toward ending this worldwide pandemic. In the meantime, we must strive to find ways to bring joy to each day, as we dream about and plan for future travels.
Intangible things that money can’t buy are paramount to us now, as a couple of our members have expressed below. Others chose to share one thing – food, wine, or travel-related – that is on their list to give or receive this holiday season. So here they are… Feel free to add to the conversation in the Comments section. What’s on your list?
Debbra Dunning Brouillette
Tropical Travel Girl
My photo blanket, ordered from Collage.com. Great gift idea! ©Debbra Dunning Brouillette
While I am waiting to safely return to a tropical location, I enjoy reliving my travels through my photographs. I have created photo gifts, blankets, pillows, and mugs for others through Collage.com; photobooks through Shutterfly.com, and canvas prints of favorite photos for myself through CanvasPop.com and CGProPrints.com. If you’re looking for a unique, personalized gift, check out these companies!
Judi Cohen
Traveling Judi
New York City is where my family is! ©Judi Cohen
All I want for the holidays is to be able to travel to New York City to see my son and his new wife. We were not able to cross the border to walk our son down the aisle. Hugging them would truly be turning a dream into a memory!
Chris Cutler
Cold Pasta and Red Wine
Briggs-Riley Luggage
I have bought five suitcases—different brands and styles—in six years. They were all name brands, and not one lasted more than one or two trips. Please, Santa, bring me Briggs & Riley’s Expandable Spinner. Expensive? Yes, but the quality is tops. You get what you pay for.
Mary Farah
Along Comes Mary
©PortoVino wine
As a wine lover, one of my favorite gifts I’ve received is from PortoVino. This line of bags ranges from backpacks to chic totes and doesn’t just hold your belongings. Each PortoVino is capable of holding up to a full bottle of wine! Discreetly take your drink on the go and pour from the attached spout.
Scott Kendall
PlayStayEat.com
Scott Kendall at LOVE statue ©Scott Kendall
At a time when we are such a polarized nation, I would like to see all of us pull together and be more thoughtful, tolerant, and kind. Let’s listen to other people, even if we don’t agree, and do our best to at least understand points of view that may differ from our own. We don’t always have to agree, but we should always give thoughtful consideration to all points of view.
Noreen Kompanik
Heading out from Stavanger on our boat adventure to the Norway Fjords ©Noreen Kompanik
Our family gifts each Christmas are adventure experiences in lieu of wrapped presents. We believe that vacations provide the best of memories. This year, our favorite holiday present will be planning a family trip for 2021 to the Virgin Islands, the Mediterranean, or some other amazing destination we decide on.
Robyn Nowell
©Robyn Nowell
All I want for the holidays is to travel to visit friends and family, with my car packed with baskets of fresh local produce and a jar or two of my own preserves. Let’s not forget to throw in the wine and champagne. It’s a time to count our blessings.
Sharon Rigney
Flygirl Subscription Boxes ©FlyGirlBox
I’ve recently become a fan of subscription boxes. It’s like a wonderful surprise every month, filled with things I may not pick out for myself or even think I’d need. I’m eyeing up this adorable box from FlygirlBox on Instagram filled with terrific items catered to the traveling woman. Receive 10% off your first box through this Referral Link.
Paula Schuck
Thrifty Mommas Tips
Quebec City Food Tour ©Paula Schuck
In May 2018, I did a food tour in Quebec City. One notable stop on the tour was Délices Érable at Cie Boutique and Bistro, which included a wide range of maple items. l left with a bottle of salad dressing that had just the right hint of sweet maple and fruity cranberry flavours. I’d be thrilled to find a bottle of that under the tree this year!
Elizabeth Smith
Herbs blend ©Elizabeth Smith
While we cannot travel to Europe’s Christmas markets this year, bring the market home with Sonoma-based Pentacle Herbs’ Hippocras Mulling Spices ($16). Its proprietary blend of clove, cinnamon, star anise, orange peel, and allspice is ideal for mulled wine and cider, as well as cake, cookie, and pie recipes.
Cori Solomon
The Written Pallette
Enjoying a virtual wine tasting ©Cori Solomon
This challenging year brought us webinars including virtual wine tastings. I would love a new MacBook Pro and/or a new Coravin with the latest bells and whistles to make viewing and writing my articles easier as well as opening both screw top and cork wine bottles simpler for single seatings.
Renate Strub
My Corners of the World
All I want for the Holidays is that we all stay safe and healthy. For 2021 I want COVID-19 to climb on a rocket and disappear in a far galaxy. And I want, want, want to hug our family and friends in Switzerland and Germany.
Shelly Wilfong
This Is Texas Wine Podcast and Toast Wine Talk
The Wines of South Africa book by Jim Clarke
All I want for the holidays is … a case of South African wine and the new book The Wines of South Africa by Jim Clarke. Since this year’s South Africa trip was postponed, I’ve got more time to read, taste, and learn about this fascinating wine region.
Stacey Wittig
Unstoppable Stacey
Wines from Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes ©Stacey Wittig
Wines from Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes make elegant holidays gifts, and to be honest, I’d be overjoyed to receive them myself. Choose Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery Rkatsiteli, Domaine LeSeurre Chardonnay Unoaked, and Weis Vineyards Dry Riesling to enhance holiday turkeys or hams. Each exhibits the distinctive minerality of the south Finger Lakes terroir.
4 comments
So many good ideas here. Thanks so much for including my Quebec salad dressing idea. After seeing that luggage that Chris wants, I might rethink my answer…FYI, I also have one of those collage.com blankets and love it. I had it made for my oldest daughter one year as a present and it is such a treasured gift. It has photos of many of our trips together on it and when my daughter’s youngest cousins visit they adore finding photos of them and remembering the beach and cottage trips we have had together too.
I’m glad you’ve discovered photo gifts, too, Paula! I made two with family photos as gifts for our Moms and they have become one of their all-time favorite gifts.
An excellent and very unique post for the holiday! Would love to see the Pandemic gone from this world and to travel again very soon! 🙂
We are all impatiently waiting to travel the world freely again! So glad you enjoyed the post. I hope you found some gift ideas, in the meantime, for yourself or others. Happy Holidays!