A book subscription from Book of the Month

Know someone with a New Year’s resolution to read more in 2021 but doesn’t know where to start? Delegate the curation to Book of the Month, which selects the best reads and sends them to your door every 30 days. 

US$14 a month

A whatever-you-like subscription

Since the first packages hit doormats almost a decade ago, the subscription box has grown into a multi-billion-dollar segment of the retail industry. It’s easy to see why, especially at this time of year: what better way to say “I care. I just don’t know you that well.” 

Order the classics like cheese, beer and tea delivered to your friend’s door once a month in 2021. For the entrepreneur that misses travelling, order a ramen box or a collection of snacks from countries around the world from Universal Yums. Just because we can’t travel, doesn’t mean our taste buds can’t.

Purist water bottle

For better or worse, water bottles have become a workplace status symbol. If you’re rolling your eyes at that sentence, answer me this: would you go to a high-level meeting with a plastic bottle? Exactly. Stand out from the S’well-ing crowds with this insulated canteen from Purist, which looks beautiful and prevents flavour transfers thanks to its glass-lined interior.  

HK$400

Bathroom wine glass holder

It’s been a helluva year. To make matters worse, bars are closed and we’re mostly stuck at home. The solution: a boozy bubble bath. Affix this wine glass holder to your bathroom tile, put it within reach of your tub and you’ve got the perfect night in. If you don’t have a bathtub, put it in your shower. Sure, the shower sounds less joie de vivre and more desperate wino, but this is 2020—no judgement.

US$15

7-Day Gummy Bear Cleanse

For people who say that they want to detox in January, but not really, this is the cleanse for them. The gummy bears in this ‘cleanse’ have 30 percent less sugar than traditional gummy bears, plus vitamins A and C, so let’s call that a win. 

US$25

MasterClass subscription

From Helen Mirren to Hans Zimmer, MasterClass has some of the world’s best-known faces deliver workshops in engaging video tutorials. It’s more akin to a Netflix binge than Harvard Business School, but MasterClass does offer insight along the way, whether you’re looking to learn photography from Annie Leibovitz or chess from a grandmaster. If you hate homework and love your couch, this is the style of learning for you. 

US$180 a year

Hard tea

Just because you’ve been working from home so long you've lost the concept of time, doesn’t mean it’s okay to open a bottle of wine at 10am. But you could maybe justify a cup of tea? These hard teas from Loverboy are made from organic brewed tea, botanicals, juices and monk fruit, combined with gluten-free alcohol. The lack of sugar, they say, means no hangover and a beverage you can drink all day. We’ll cheers to that. 

US$15 a can

CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 Starter Kit

Raspberry Pi’s DIY computer packs a lot into a small package. With a curious mind and a lot of patience, you can build your own smart home sensor, retro gaming arcade or desktop PC—and learn about the inner workings of computers at the same time. An ideal gift for anyone looking for a new hobby to ride out the remainder of the pandemic. 

US$85

Oura Ring

The latest wearable everyone is talking about, the Oura Ring is a sleep tracker that also provides data on your heart and respiratory rate, body temperature and more. If you’re as fanatical about getting your eight hours as Arianna Huffington, the Oura Ring can offer eye-opening insights into your own body.  

From US$300

Secret Santa Ideas

These ideas are hardly inspired, but if you’re looking for a quick and easy win that the recipient is bound to find useful, consider one of the following gift ideas, most of which are under US$100. 

Pomodoro timer
Breaks your time into 25-minute segments to optimise efficiency. US$20.

Native Union wireless charging pad
Charge all your devices at once and make your desk look cooler at the same time. US$130.

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker 
Life’s too short for bad coffee, but too often the day is too short to be making the perfect pour-over. This AeroPress coffee maker brews quality coffee in a matter of seconds. US$30.

The coolest desk chair
Gen.T honourees Alaric Choo and Ian Alexander Ang design these Secretlab chairs with gamers in mind, which means you just know they are going to offer a lot of support and comfort to anyone sitting in front of a screen for hours on end. From around US$370.

Portable charger 
The Jackery Bolt portable power bank can charge most smartphones twice from empty to full, which means you can fit even more doomscrolling into your day. US$20.

Guided meditation app subscription
Probably don’t need to explain the reasoning behind this one. US$70 a year. 

Scratch pad
Say goodbye to Post-It Notes and hello an an environmentally friendly scratch pad on your desk to jot down phone numbers and office coffee orders. US$30.

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