12 Days of Boozy
Scratching your head for just the right gift for a friend or loved one? The recommendations below are quintessentially BoozySitters Club -- Books, Booze, Independent Entrepreneurs, Gifts That Give Back, Local and Ridiculously Overpriced (But That We Still Want).
Be sure to listen to our holiday Boozy Extra for some pod-exclusive gift recommendations. One way or another, we’ll help you find the perfect gift!
Books
Of course books! The pod started because of our love of The Baby-Sitters Club series, but listeners know that our love of books inspired us to launch the Boozy Book Club extras. Bottom line – we read a lot, and here are two recommendations that are not only ones Stephanie and Nell loved this year, but meaningful enough to be worthy of gifting.
Maisie Dobbs (Anniversary Version)
“A female investigator every bit as brainy and battle-hardened as Lisbeth Salander.” Maureen Corrigan, NPR’s Fresh Air, on Maisie Dobbs.
Maisie Dobbs got her start as a maid in an aristocratic London household when she was thirteen. Her employer, suffragette Lady Rowan Compton, soon became her patron, taking the remarkably bright youngster under her wing. Lady Rowan's friend, Maurice Blanche, often retained as an investigator by the European elite, recognized Maisie's intuitive gifts and helped her earn admission to the prestigious Girton College in Cambridge, where Maisie planned to complete her education.
The outbreak of war changed everything. Maisie trained as a nurse, then left for France to serve at the Front, where she found--and lost--an important part of herself. Ten years after the Armistice, in the spring of 1929, Maisie sets out on her own as a private investigator, one who has learned that coincidences are meaningful, and truth elusive. Her very first case involves suspected infidelity but reveals something very different.
In the aftermath of the Great War, a former officer has founded a working farm known as The Retreat, that acts as a convalescent refuge for ex-soldiers too shattered to resume normal life. When Fate brings Maisie a second case involving The Retreat, she must finally confront the ghost that has haunted her for over a decade.
About the Author: Jacqueline Winspear is the author of New York Times bestsellers Among the Mad and An Incomplete Revenge, as well as eight other Maisie Dobbs novels. Originally from Kent, England, she now lives in California. This is her first book in the critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling Maisie Dobbs series.
The Alchemist (25th Anniversary Edition)
"A sweetly exotic tale for young and old alike.” – Publishers Weekly
The Alchemist tells the story of Santiago, the young Andalusian shepherd who dreams of buried treasure in Egypt and embarks upon a challenging journey to find it. With all the simplicity and symbolic richness of a fable, Coelho's novel is both a hunt for buried treasure and a spiritual quest, with a hero who overcomes trials along the way with the help of teachers who guide him.
About the Author: Paulo Coelho, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947, is one of the bestselling and most influential authors in the world. The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries, Brida and Veronika Decides to Die, among others, have sold over 175 million copies worldwide, and The Alchemist has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 360 weeks.
Booze
A must category given the theme of our podcast. Since we talk about the actual drinks we imbibe on the pod, we’re sharing some of the tools we’ve invested in or rely on to create the libations. (Stephanie sends a big shout out of thanks to friends Denny and Amanda who set her up for BoozySitters Club success by gifting her the below items at Secret Santa events over the years.)
Bar tools, such as these found on Wayfair because you absolutely need a martini shaker, jigger, strainer and such.
The Essential New York Times Book of Cocktails, Stephanie’s go to resource for inspiration.
Independent Entrepreneurs
We salute Kristy Thomas’ entrepreneurial vision in creating the Baby-Sitters Club to fill a void in the marketplace and Ann M. Martin’s desire to showcase female empowerment in 12-year-olds. So, in the spirit of Kristy and Our Girl Ann, here are a couple of independent entrepreneurs offering unique and beautiful items that would make the perfect gift.
You’ve heard her ads, now shop the gifts! The shop offers many handcrafted creations, but our favorites are obviously the holiday themed wine glasses! Bonus – you can request custom orders (allow 1-2 weeks for fulfillment on custom requests).
This talented pair upcycles favorite wine or liquor bottles into contemporary lamps that will forever remind you or your loved ones of a favorite drink or a special event.
Gifts That Give Back
It’s good to give and to give back at the same time. The below recommendations support causes that are near and dear to our hearts.
This “music with a mission” album, the first from non-profit charity The Baby Mine Project, supports the health and wellness of children in underserved areas of Africa. A true labor of love, the music collaboration features a diverse group of world-renowned artists and has been endorsed with a Five-Star Review by Kids First, The Coalition for Quality Children’s Media and selected as a 2020 winner by the National Parenting Product Awards.
Following their mantra of Drink, Recycle, Donate, Repeat, this organization recycles craft beer cans into candles and donates a portion of the profits to charities suggested by their fans. The charities change throughout the year.
Local (to us)
We believe in “Buy Local,” and for us that means the St. Petersburg, Florida area. We love these two stores, both of which offer gift cards. And if you’re not from St. Pete, we encourage you to look to the local stores in your town for gifts!
A bookstore with wine and a wine bar with books, this merchant is everything that the BoozySitters Club is all about.
When looking for unique home furnishings, high style accessories or that special gift, ZaZoo’d is the place for you! We particularly like their sweary jewelry.
Ridiculously Overpriced (But That We Still Want)
Whether you like looking at high end gifts for fun and whimsy or Watson Brewer has just become your stepdad, you might like these cocktail related gifts.
This tool infuses cocktails and food with savory, smoky flavor, a must have for adding an earthy, smokey note to your drinks. If Nell had this for Episode 12, her Old Fashioned would have been even better. If you want to kick your handcrafted cocktails up a notch, this is the gift for you.
Bespoke Gin from The Ginstitute
Nell and Stephanie sometimes craft their cocktails with bespoke gin blends that they created at The Ginstitute during a pre-pandemic trip to London. While having a gin blend crafted to your specifications isn’t super costly, when you add the travel to London, it lands in this category. The good news is that you don’t have to travel to London to enjoy Portobello Road Gin London Dry No. 171 – The Distillery London
Are you ready to channel your inner Morbidda Destiny and explore the dark art of turning base spirits into cocktail gold? Evoke mixology magic through transmutation of 24 different herbs! In addition to all the tools you’ll need and a recipe book, the kit comes in a bespoke cloth-bound trunk.
