{ the jaunty magpie }

I won't stress you out over listing the dwindling days till Christmas, but we all know it's coming down to the wire -- ARE ALL YOUR GIFTS BOUGHT AND READY TO RUMBLE???  I know, that was mean. The Magpie just got bumped to the Naughty List, to be sure. But I'll make up for it -- forget wrestling with mall traffic or contemplating Chia Pets for yet another year, use the magic of subscription services to make your gifts feel unique and ones that will last well into the new year! 

Better than gift baskets and more personal than a gift card, there are so many gift subscription services out there! And it's not as mechanical or unfriendly as you'd think -- I was won over by Birchbox this year, when I was given a 6-month subscription and this lovely little box shows up every month, filled with wonderful sample-sized products that I'm really loving. I loved it so much that I gave several gift subscriptions to friends who love trying new makeup and skincare products but are also busy professionals who don't always have time to research/try different things. And for loved ones who enjoy eating well but don't have time to cook, there's several local/city-based services that work with local chefs from well known restaurants to prepare gourmet meals, delivered ready to eat, to a person's door.

So if you still have some folks on your list and want to get them something they can use and enjoy well into the new year, consider cool interest-based subscriptions and specialty delivery services like these. You don't even have to wrap anything!

• Birchbox - makeup/skincare samples for men and women
• StitchFix - online personal styling for women
• Bombfell - monthly clothing subscription for men
• Curator and Mule Inc - men's accessories sent by season
• Crafted Taste - craft cocktails delivered in monthly kits
• Blue Apron - fresh ingredients with recipes delivered to you - for home cooks
• Munchery - (San Francisco/Bay Area only) chef-prepared meals delivered to you
• Lish - (Seattle only) chef-prepared meals delivered to you
• Farmstr - (Seattle area only) Buy local food direct from the farmers, great for cooks who want to buy local and eat responsibly. They just started doing gift certificates!

Jaunty Fine Print: Illustration by Denise Sakaki