My 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: 11 Gifts to Make Your Holidays Extra Fun, Relaxing, and Delicious

This blog post is a very special holiday edition of 5-Bullet Friday, my very own email newsletter!

I dislike shopping, but I do love finding the perfect gift. Finding that gift, though, gets harder with time. Those damn adults seem to have everything. So… If you’re having trouble thinking up great options, below are some goodies that deliver. I’ve recommended or gifted all of the below to my close friends.

I also reached out to some of my favorite companies to get special deals for subscribers. I use all of these products on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the season and activity. Literally everything I mention below lives in my home somehow. Each sponsored bullet is indicated with a star at the end of it, just like this sentence.*

Happy holidays!

A few books I’m gifting this holiday season

Awareness: Conversations with the Masters by Anthony de Mello. Non-fiction, 184 pages. I’ve gifted this at least 50 times, so I’ll keep gifting it.

​Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow​ by ​Gabrielle Zevin​. Fiction, 416 pages, which go very quickly. #76 on the NYT’s list of The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. This was a new find in 2025.

Gold by Rumi and Haleh Liza Gafori. Poetry, 112 pages. A vibrant selection of poems by the great Persian mystic with groundbreaking new translations by Haleh Liza Gafori, an American poet of Persian descent. Read 1–2 poems before bed each night and thank me later.

Small fitness tool I’m loving

​Tune Up Fitness – Alpha Ball​. This was recommended to me by ​Nsima Inyang​, a mutant among mutants. The Alpha Ball solves a few different problems at the same time: (1) It’s precise. Foam rollers are big amorphous objects. It can be hard to get them to certain spots (e.g., hips—TFL, glute medius, piriformis), which the Alpha Ball can easily access. (2) It’s compact enough for luggage and travel. This also means I can use it against a wall for spinal erectors, rear of the shoulders, etc. (3) It has a Goldilocks density: not too hard and not too soft. The firmness hits the sweet spot—hard enough to work out deep knots but not so aggressive that it causes excessive pain or bracing. I’m writing this from Japan and literally have it in my suitcase five feet from me.

Stocking-stuffer game that I’m playing with friends and family

Coyote the card game (38% off)​, which I co-created with Exploding Kittens. It just won the Pop Insider “Best Geeky Game” of 2025 and also “Best Stocking Filler” in the MadeForMums Toy Awards 2025 (UK). If you have any kids or relatives aged 8–15, you can start playing—and laughing—in minutes. Think charades + hot potato + brain fun. The game is available at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Exploding Kittens, and more.

It’s currently the cheapest it will probably ever be, at $7.99–$9.00 for Black Friday savings. Buy it here​!

​​Supplement I’m using daily

Momentous Creatine Chews. I’ve relied on Momentous products for years now, and I take their creatine as a daily staple for strength, recovery, and—particularly—brain health. Recent studies have highlighted how creatine can support cognitive function, even boosting performance when sleep deprived. Creatine works best when taken consistently, and Momentous Creatine Chews make it as close to effortless as possible. I typically aim for 5 grams per day.

Each tablet contains one gram of Creapure® creatine, the gold standard for purity in sports science. Like all Momentous products, the Chews are NSF Certified for Sport®, meaning independently tested for purity, safety, and label accuracy. Use code TIM from this page for 35% off your first subscription order and 10% off of future orders.*

Kitchen gadget I’m absolutely loving

Maestri House Rechargeable Milk Frother​. OK, I never expected to have a frother in this newsletter, but this is a great example of “there is always a market for the best.” 

It also reminds me of sage wisdom from Kevin Kelly, found in his tiny, practical book titled ​Excellent Advice for Living​: 

Take note if you find yourself wondering “Where is my good knife?” or “Where is my good pen?” That means you have bad ones. Get rid of those. 

I’ve owned a lot of frothers for coffee and tea. Most of them are cheap, or I got them for free. They break, batteries stop charging, or they simply have two modes: completely off and outboard motor. Even the “tap here for three different speeds” types will backfire and spray coffee all over the place a third of the time. This Maestri House device fixes all of these problems. It just feels great to use. Plus, anything with “LunaFro” in the name…

One pan I use for nearly everything

Titanium Always Pan Pro. Many nonstick pans can release harmful “forever chemicals”—PFAS—into your food, your home, and, ultimately, your body. Teflon is a prime example; it is the forever chemical that most companies are still using. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to major health issues like gut microbiome disruption, testosterone dysregulation, and more, which have been correlated to chronic disease in the long term. This is why I use the Titanium Always Pan Pro from Our Place. It’s the first nonstick pan with zero coating. This means zero “forever chemicals” and durability that will last a lifetime. There is no degradation over time like traditional nonstick pans. Now through December 2nd, Our Place is having their biggest sitewide sale of the year, including significant discounts ($100 to $825) on their non-toxic cookware sets. Go to FromOurPlace.com/Tim now to shop Our Place’s Black Friday sale.*

Microphone that’s impressing me

Elgato Wave:3​. Based on reviews, I picked up this microphone for a last-minute virtual recording on the road. It’s easy to pack and looks great on camera. Most impressive to me, it seems to cancel bounce and echo far better than my pro studio gear. Go figure. Their tech black magic can work wonders, but there’s one bug to look out for: when you first plug in the mic, it will often auto-select to speaker or headset mode, and you need to press the big button on the front to ensure you’re actually recording on microphone.

Honey I particularly enjoy during the winter

​Premium MGO 1000+ Mānuka Honey from Manukora. I love this smooth and creamy Mānuka honey, and I use it before bed to help with sleep. Per the late Seth Roberts, PhD, and for reasons unclear to me, a tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into hot water (or decaf tea) before bed seems to dramatically accelerate sleep onset time.

Sleep technology I’m using

Eight Sleep Pod 5 Ultra. Several years ago, I started using the Pod Cover for cooling and heating while I sleep, and it has transformed my sleep quality. It’s also probably saved quite a few marriages, since you can change your “zone” and not your partner’s. Eight Sleep recently launched their newest generation of the Pod: Pod 5 Ultra. The Pod 5 Ultra automatically tracks your sleep time, sleep stages, HRV, and heart rate. In addition, the all-new Blanket and Pod Pillow Covers expand the Pod into a head-to-toe sleep experience with real-time temperature regulation. Many of my listeners in colder climates enjoy warming up their bed after a freezing day. Conquer this winter season with the best in sleep tech, and sleep at your perfect temperature. Go to EightSleep.com/Tim and save $700 on the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia. This special offer is valid until December 1st.*

Newest workout staple I can’t leave alone

TANK® M3 Push Sled​. This is, bar none, the best sled I have ever used for pushing or pulling. It isn’t cheap, but I use it infinitely more than the cheaper sleds I’ve bought in the past. 10–15-minute workouts in the morning sun have become my favorite way to set the stage for a great, mood-elevated day. The ease of rotation and traction makes it perfect for even a gravel driveway like mine. From the description: “Designed with patented Mag-Force Resistance Technology, the TANK M3 delivers scalable intensity, accommodating many fitness levels while minimizing the need for weight plates and clunky user swaps. The TANK M3’s three-wheeled design glides effortlessly across turf, rubber, or concrete, ensuring smooth operation on any surface. Ergonomic multi-position handles allow users to switch grips seamlessly, enhancing comfort and workout variety. Real-time performance monitoring helps users track progress and training metrics with an oversized digital screen to empower better workouts.”

What I’m gifting to friends and family who don’t want more “stuff”

The Way​. This is an easy one. I’ve explored a lot of meditation practices over the years. My current hands-down favorite, and the easiest way to get back in the habit, is ​The Way​, taught by Zen Master Henry Shukman. Using the app for just 10–20 minutes a day has reduced my anxiety more than I would have thought possible with any app. Try it for a week, and I think you’ll notice something similar. Here are 30 sessions for free​, no credit card required. Henry’s 10-minute sessions have become one of the highlights of my day, and I know it’s now true for other “non-meditator” friends, too. I recently chose to invest in The Way, given all the above, and I’ve been working with Henry and his team to make the app as good as humanly possible. If you want to gift an annual membership, it costs $99.99 and is worth every penny. Inside the app, tap ‘My Way’ and then go to ‘Account information.’ Then tap the ‘Gift’ button to buy a gift membership for someone.

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And there you go! 11 of my favorite things that make great holiday gifts. I love them all and hope you do, too.
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Have a wonderful weekend and wonderful holiday season, everyone!
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Much love to you and yours,
​
Tim

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