The apron from The Bear

Your friend who loves food has watched The Bear, and even if they haven’t, they have probably heard of Hedley and Bennett.

Everything I have from them is great, but you can grab the apron from The Bear here or my favorite sneakers of all time here (seriously).

Delicious - Robert Dunn & Monica Sanchez

I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Dunn at an event this year and devoured his latest book (pun intended).

Delicious takes a scientific and anthropological look at flavor that will totally change the way you think about sneaking your dog food under the table.

Matheson Food Company

In case you didn’t know, Fak from The Bear is the only real chef on the show.

Matty Matheson is a phenomenal sub on YouTube, writes incredible cookbooks and now has an e-commerce brand of pantry staples you should definitely buy.

Dungeons and Dragon’s Milk

For the beer-loving nerd, there really is no greater gift than the recent New Holland Brewing Company x Dungeons and Dragons collab.

They did a bourbon, a beer and some cool limited edition dicey things.

That’s a nat 20 as far as I’m concerned.

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England - Brandon Sanderson

One of the most prolific authors of our generation did something unexpected: he won Kickstarter.

Back in 2022, Brandon Sanderson had a deal with his published to release one new book. Instead he wrote five.

When his published said no, he said 🖕 and launched was is now the highest grossing Kickstarter of all time, raising over $40,000,000.

All four are great, but I think The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook is particularly underrated.

D&D 5E Field Notes

A few years ago, Draplin and the other minds behind Field Notes started making pocket sized D&D 5E Character Journals.

If your favorite neighborhood nerd friend already has enough dice, these are a great stocking stuffer.

Oh, and check out the DM and Monster journals as well.

Shinola Runwell Desk Clock

There are a few brands that I am so partial to, but I have to be careful how many of their pieces I wear at the same time.

Otherwise, people ask me if I work there.

Shinola is one of those brands. (Woosah below is another.)

The Runwell desk clocks make for fantastic gifts if you’re up for dropping a few Benjamins.

Schoolhouse Big Picture 2025 Wall Calendar

If I ever have a house fire and had to replace everything I own, a lot of it would come from Schoolhouse.

Initially known for their lighting, Schoolhouse has really just mastered making me want to spend money.

I recently picked up this full year calendar for my own office.

Also, the back is a cool poster for… 2026.

Building a Second Brain - Tiago Forte

A clock for keeping track of time, and a calendar for keeping track of the day. What about everything else?

Tiago Forte’s Building a Second Brain, and the PARA method he outlines is an incredible way to make sure 2025 at least starts with some organization.

It’s how I run my own life.

Oh, and both Building a Second Brain and The PARA Method are free on Spotify Premium audiobooks.