My friend April had a great idea: “you should write a blog about the best French gifts for Christmas!”

I’ve never had the good fortune of spending Christmas in France, and I’m sure not going to have the chance to start this year. And while the only gifts appropriate to 2020 seem to be a barbed wire hula-hoop or a water pistol that shoots hot molten lava, I love the idea of putting a beautiful, sexy, playful, sentimental French spin on holiday giving.

This big-ass mudpie of a year has made gift planning a little more challenging for me; you too? It’s just so hard to know what life is going to be for the coming months. Theater tickets are out, travel gear is questionable, and clothing that fits below the waist and therefore won’t be seen on a Zoom call is fairly useless.

So with my best champagne-glass-half-full attitude, I’ve put together a list of bright ideas to help you with your holiday shopping:

Loungewear/pajamas – soft, sexy, or cozy, for those days when nightwear turns into daywear. My personal favorites are Lunya for her (free gift and free shipping when you use my affiliate link here) and Lahgo for him.

Kitchen gear – this could be the perfect time to invest in a beautiful cast iron dutch oven for French stews and cassoulets, a pasta maker for some romantic home cooking – Italian style, or that exquisite chef’s knife. (By the way, there’s a superstition that giving a knife as a gift “cuts” the friendship. The only way to break the curse is to tape a penny to the knife, which the recipient returns to the giver as soon as it’s received.)

Scented candles – since we’re spending more time at home, shouldn’t it be as pleasant as possible? And a French life includes beauty for all the senses.

Edible/consumable gifts – decadent truffles, fine cigars, a special wine or bourbon. There are even websites such as cuiline.com and cozymeal.com that will deliver a complete meal kit to prepare with an online chef.

Online subscriptions – Masterclass.com has plenty of somethings for everyone, from dog training to gardening to writing to acting – anything you’d want to learn for vocation or avocation. (Right now, if you use my affiliate link, they have a special offer – buy one annual membership and get a second one FREE.) And then there’s streaming subscriptions to entertainment channels like Netflix and Disney +, for a gift that keeps on giving.

Books – remember those? Restoration Hardware’s gift page offers a selection of drool-worthy coffee table collectibles on everything – art, fashion, wine, watches, you name it.

Sexy, luxurious bedding – linen sheets, silk pillowcases, down comforter and pillows, all the things that let you fall into a cloud at night.

Games – get your Queen’s Gambit on with a beautiful chess board, or a backgammon board. It’s fun for two and a lot classier than cornhole.

Heirlooms – maybe it’s time to pass down grandma’s wedding ring or grandpa’s pocket watch. It could be just the ticket for a sweet close to a tough year. Cost, free. Value, priceless.

Friend, the new year is right around the corner and with it, always a new beginning. We’ve got a lot to look forward to – like a vaccine that will hopefully protect us without making us grow a third ear in the middle of our forehead.

In the meantime, I hope I’ve sparked some good ideas to put more joy in your joyeux Noël!

And thank you, April!