Well my friends, it’s the most wonderful time of the year – even in 2020! Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but the holiday season is definitely bringing me joy! I decided to write a gift guide this year for two reasons: mainly to start getting in the Christmas mood earlier than usual, but also to share gifts that your loved ones will love even if they have to stay home. I love getting gifts for my friends and family, so I hope I’ll be able to give you some suggestions!

PLEASE READ: This year has been brutal for all of us, but it hit some more than others. I did not create this gift guide to push anyone to buy materialistic presents, but rather to share gift ideas that work well with the current, *unprecedented* times we are living. All of the items listed below cost less than $70, and I’ve included a wide range of prices to provide several options.

Without further ado, here is the 2020 STAY HOME HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE!

1. Mapiful Custom Map, $59. 2. Rael Sheet Mask Set, 4ct., $15. 3. Cottonelle 6 Mega Rolls, $7.69. 4. Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera, $59.99. 5. Athleta Face Masks, set of 3, $25. 6. HALLUCI Women’s Slippers, $23.99 7. Girlfriend Collective Compressive High-Rise Leggings, $68. 8. Resteck Massager for Neck and Back, $49.95. 9. Animal Crossing New Horizons, $49.99. 10. Woodwick Lavender Spa Candle, $19.99. 11. Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, $27. 12. Greeting Card “If Jesus Was Born In 2020”, $6. 

*Disclaimer: some of the links included in this list are affiliate links, which means that I will earn a small percentage of your purchase should you decide to buy the product through my link. This is at no cost to you and it helps me deliver great content!*

Mapiful Custom Map

I always get lots of questions on my Mapiful maps. I have a set of two, Milano and Chicago, in my living room. Obviously, I am obsessed with them. I mean, this blog is called Milano To Chicago. My Instagram handle is @milanotochicago. These two maps are like, my brand! You can purchase these maps at this link. A 18×24″ map will cost you $59. My prints are the larger size, 24×36″. They’re normally $79 each but currently on sale at $63.20! To be fair, I think the standard size is big enough, I just had a huge white wall to fill! Since we’re not traveling, gifting a map is a cute way of traveling from home. You can also gift this to your expat friend who won’t be able to head home this year: it’ll be like having a piece of home with them!

Rael Sheet Mask Set

Remember when sheet masks were our most used face masks? Good times. I have used these Vitamin C sheet masks by Rael before and they’re some of the best masks in the game, if you ask me. Great quality, and you get 4 for $15. Gift them to whoever needs to practice more self care in your friend circle!

Cottonelle 6 Mega Rolls

Toilet paper. I’m not kidding. If someone gifted me TP this year, I would honestly find that pretty hilarious. Cottonelle is undoubtedly the best kind. This is one of those gifts that will for sure be used. It’s a hot commodity. It’s funny. I’d say it checks all the boxes.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera

I love my Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Instant Camera, and I truly thing it makes for the perfect gift this holiday season. Not only is it objectively cute and easy to use, it’s also a symbol of hope: we can only hope that soon enough, we will be able to see people and places, and capture incredible memories. 

Athleta Face Masks

Ugh, face masks. I would have loved to not have to add these to my gift guide, but let’s be real: we will need these for the foreseeable future. Hence, in 2020, a nice mask makes for a great gift. These ones from Athleta are the masks that I use most frequently. They are adjustable and fit nicely on my face. I use them really for any occasion, going to the store or walking around, and apparently, they work really well for workouts, too. Snag this set of 3 for $25.

* UPDATE: this set seems to be gone from the Athleta website (too good of a deal?) but fear not! There’s a set of 5 on sale at $14.99. They are not the super fitted ones like the ones I have but they seem very nice. Otherwise, you can treat your friends (or yourself) and get this fancy pair of fitted masks for $40.

HALLUCI Women’s Slippers

Okay, this is the one item in the gift guide that I can’t personally vouch for, but I’ve wanted a pair of these fuzzy slippers for the longest time so I think they’d be a great present. That’s it. That’s the gift.

Girlfriend Collective Compressive High-Rise Leggings

Believe me when I say that I wear these leggings pretty much every single day. As a matter of fact, I am wearing them as I type this! They are the most comfortable, best-fitting leggings ever invented, and on top of that, they are made of recycled water bottles. Cozy, comfy and eco-friendly? Is this not the perfect gift for 2020? Snag them for $68.

Resteck Massager for Neck and Back

I randomly found this massager on Amazon during the first few weeks of remote working, when my back and neck pain were literally killing me. Okay perhaps not killing me, but definitely killing my productivity. I now can’t live without this object which has its own seat on my couch. It’s a love affair. You need it. Let it change your life or that of others for less than $50.

Animal Crossing New Horizons

I could go on for hours raving about this game but no one wants to hear me rambling about my favorite videogame. With that said, Animal Crossing singlehandedly kept what’s left of our souls together in 2020 and I know that sounds particularly dramatic but is that not the truth? Get this game for your friend, your sibling, your mom, anybody. It makes life a little better and that’s honestly all we need right this moment.

Woodwick Lavender Spa Candle

My friend Anna made me buy this exact Woodwick candle as it was on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond. It looks great, smells amazing and most importantly, it crackles as it burns, which makes you feel as if you were cozied up by the fireplace. I light it everyday while I work my 9-5 job and I love the ambiance it creates! Gift it to a friend for less than $20.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

Best part of working from home? Being able to do your skincare routine all day, every day. This mask by Origin is an ultra-moisturizing sleeping pack, but to be fair, I use it during the day too if I’m feeling dry, since I barely ever wear makeup nowadays. I swear by this lotion, and it’s a great self care item to gift!

Greeting Card “If Jesus Was Born In 2020”

Last but not least, if you aren’t able to give gifts this year, it is completely understandable. You are truly not alone and just know that people would be completely fine with simply receiving a handwritten Christmas card! This year it is really the thought that counts. There are plenty of amazing holiday cards out there, and even funny ones like this one from Alice and Wonder! So, write to your friends, buy some cute Christmas stamps and contribute to saving the post office!

Honorable Mention: ByHuaCreative Apparel!

Oh, don’t mind me, just dropping a shameless plug and forcing you to check out my friend Jess’s new Etsy shop!

Jess and her sister just started an apparel shop focused on women in STEM. The designs are SO cute, so if you have any (badass) female engineers in your life, this is the perfect gift for them!

We’ve reached the end of my first gift guide! Did you find anything interesting? Did I miss some 2020 gems? Please let me know below!