Gift Guide #2: Your Husband Who Makes You Coffee Every Morning and Still Tells Good Stories After All These Years.

Just wanted to say thank you for the All the Restaurants idea! I was excited to see that they had Grand Banks, where my fiancé and I went on our first date. I put it in a simple frame with an oversized mat and we both love it. What a great cause too!

Curious that almost everyone gets a donation suggestion BUT NOT boyfriends/husbands. It’s a little reverse sexist huh? Just a thought–loved the array of guides, this is just a growing edge nudge. Please know I’m a huge fan!

Has anyone gotten an order from All The Restaurants? I placed mine the day this was posted (thank you COJ!) and it was confirmed but no details on shipping or time and none replies to email inquiries. Wondering if i need to start thinking about a back up gift and super disappointed (also i was charged). thanks!

Great ideas! I’m trying to find a good book for my partner. I would love to have book recommendations from Alex!

I have tried and failed to make it a good game with two people. What am I missing?

OMG Thank you for this great guide! I love the restaurant prints. Was able to get one where we had our first date and one where we got married. Love.

So sweet that he makes you coffee every morning! My father in law does that for my mother in law. Sadly, it’s too dangerous for my husband given his previous attempts at making coffee led to melting one stove top espresso and nearly burning down his sister’s flat

Negronis in a Box? That can only end badly.

Add to cart…

Love these ideas, especially the restaurant prints! Anything that reminds us of the happy few years we spent in NYC is always a winner.

My husband makes me coffee to enjoy in bed every morning and it always blows people away when they find out…but my dad has made my mum coffee in bed every day of their marriage, so to me, that *is* marriage. On his birthday, I get up and make the coffee, but otherwise, it’s all him!

I just bought a drawing of JG Melon- my husband’s favorite spot from his years of living in NYC, and the first spot we go to when we go back to visit. I plan to give it to him with a note that promises a trip once we feel safe to fly. I can’t wait for that burger, sitting at that bar. The print will surely remind us of both a favorite spot and a hard year, for the rest of our lives. Thank you for the idea. xo

I had to click on the ham link, and this ham comes from Surry, Virginia, a quaint little town. Surry and Smithfield, Virginia are known for their hams and pork products, and also peanuts. I saw that the ham is sold out, but here is the link directly to Edwards’ Hams. https://www.edwardsvaham.com/edwards-ham-shop
I have ridden by there several times on the way to the Virginia Diner in Wakefield, which serves Southern style food at its best, and it’s also home to Virginia Diner Peanuts, some of the best peanuts. Virginia peanuts are larger and crunchier peanuts than your typical Planters’ Peanuts. You can order them from the diner and have them shipped. I live just outside Richmond, Va. and a couple of local grocery stores stock them. When my brother was alive, he’d ride down to the Virginia Diner on his motorcycle, have lunch, and buy peanuts for Christmas gifts. When he passed away 10 years ago, I kept up the tradition. Here is the link to Virginia Diner:
https://www.vadinerrestaurant.com/

Funny story about the card – a few years ago both my husband and I gave that exact card to one another for Valentines day. We really wondered if we were soulmates or needed to spend less time on our phones!

The joy in these comments just made my morning, and this list is perfect. Have a wonderful day internet friends <3

Cup of Jo friends, I’ve had a ceramic pan for several years, and everyone (previous roommate, current spouse, mom, and myself) who tried it hates it. It’s been sitting in the bottom of a cupboard and we never use it. I paid about 75$ for it. Am I doing something wrong? Did I get a bad one? The brand is Cool Kitchen.

Thank you for linking a dart board from Target! I’ve been trying to break my Amazon this year, and have found that Target offers every convenience I thought I’d miss from Amazon–free fast shipping, easy returns. AND they actually pay taxes and invest back in their community. Obviously it’s better to shop small, but sometimes you just want two day delivery on essentials

Who has two thumbs, no partner, and might order a box of Negronis just for herself? THIS GAL.

I love your gift guides! Joanna, would you ever consider a list of COJ makers? Or maybe just a post where people could comment with their product and website? I’m not sure how many of your readers are also makers, but I know I would love to support them with my dollars. (As a tiny mom and pop shop, my husband and I are grateful for every single customer, as they directly support us and our five kids.) It’s been a rough year for everyone (us included – people don’t really need belts to hold up their sweats on Zoom – lol!), and I hope I’m not being inappropriate by suggesting this. I can’t imagine how much work goes into these posts,
they are just so perfect and thoughtful! I just figured it might be nice to be able to support others, especially if we had something specific in mind. Thank you!

I love the restaurant drawings. I need to find something similar in Chicago.

Three years ago, my husband and I had an immediate-family only ceremony followed by brunch at Cindy’s, which overlooks the lake and Millennium Park. Later that evening, we invited friends over to celebrate. PQM catered. Drawings of those two restaurants would be a perfect accompaniment to a small watercolor we picked up on our honeymoon in Lisbon.

This was just the list I needed for my husband in a moment when I was feeling very grumpy. I bought him a pan (to be HIS, as I am always hovering over him when he uses “ours”), the book (he idolizes Jimi), and the cured meats (MEAT)! But the best was the reminder of the restaurant prints, as I’d emailed with the artist last year about the restaurant we went to the night we got engaged. I went to look at the site and HURRAH, there was The Mermaid Inn (RIP). Ordered that, too. THANK YOU, for both the ideas and the reminders of so many things I love about him, which softened my attitude completely.

hi, COJ readers! what kinds of small things do you gift to people like mail carriers, bus drivers, trash guys (i only say guys because my particular one is a guy :), etc?

I get gifts for my hubby off of this list every year. Thanks for the book and dartboard suggestions!

The Birth of Loud is so good! Highly recommend!

Thanks for the great list. I was wondering, isn’t Codenames for 4 or more people? How have you played during Covid? Just curious because I’m considering it!

FYI looking at the meat gift sent me off to look for cheese, naturally. Found plenty of cool sets, particularly the beer lover set for my husband and wine lover for my SF wine aficionado BFF.
Thanks for sharing, COJ!

Your board game recommendations are always the best. We played code names with my in laws over the holidays last year and my SIL said “Game, 2” and EVERY word on the board applied to game. Set, match, net, ball, score, point, win, play, and on and on. It was hilarious and mortifying at the same time. I always laugh when I think of it.