D.C. HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 

Chiara Banez

As the fall Semester comes to close and final papers are close to completion, one thing helping me get through the end of the semester blues, is the thought of celebrating the holidays with my family before I move back to D.C. (eek!) As Christmas is on the brain, with Union Station all decked out with wreaths and bows everywhere, I wanted to create a gift guide for those wanting to bring a bit of D.C. back home, or for those going home that know people obsessed with D.C.!

For the Warm Beverage Lover:

No discrimination here folks, these gifts are great for anyone in your life that drinks coffee/tea/hot chocolate. 

NPR Travel Mug: Don’t tell my dad, but this is one gift that will be under the tree this year. Anyone who loves NPR, podcasts, or just generally being informed, will enjoy this gift! I was told that the Kleen Kanteens that they sell in the gift shop are spill-proof and retain heat well, making them commuter and cold-weather friendly!

Starbucks You Are Here Mug: For anyone who is a mug collector or Starbucks drinker, this is a great choice. One of my best friends collects the city mugs and the D.C. one features both the monuments and cherry blossoms, accurately representing the city’s sights as a whole. This mug would be great to keep at work/home in Ohio to remind you of your time in D.C. and would be a great conversation starter about WAIP and your D.C. experience!

First Lady or American Activist Mug: Fantastic mugs. 

Linked here and here.

For the Sustainably-Minded:

National Gallery of Art Tote Bag: Tote bags are incredibly useful when living in D.C.  to carry your lunch, work shoes, life around, but will also be useful back at school where we are all involved in class all day and student org meetings at night and need some extra space. This tote bag is a great option because it will remind you of the National Gallery of Art but also features some sketches of D.C. landmarks.

Linked here.

Trader Joes D.C. Reusable Shopping Bag: Believe it or not, Trader Joes just got better! The new location at Eastern Market features D.C. specific graphics on the bag, including that of a rooster on top of the White House. If you know anyone moving back to D.C. this would make a great gift as there is a bag tax here so in the long run, you’d be saving them money (the best gift of all)! Also, it is so much easier to use 2 sustainable bags than 20 of those small plastic ones, so really this gift would be great for anyone in Ohio too. 

Linked here. 

For the D.C. Proud:

D.C. Shaped Necklace: This necklace would be a great conversation starter and is a fun way to commemorate your time here in D.C.

Linked here.

For Those Who Love Stationery:

Rifle Paper Company D.C. Art Print: I am a big fan of stationary myself, and this is one of my favorite paper product companies. This art print features the Jefferson Memorial in the spring with cherry blossoms surrounding it.  This would be great to bring back to your apartment/dorm to remind yourself of one of the best cities in the U.S.

Linked here. 

Rifle Paper Company Small D.C. Greeting Card: This is exactly the same print as above, however this is in greeting card style. If you are someone who has a vision board or a bulletin board at work, you could definitely pin this up at your desk! 

Linked here. 

D.C. Neighborhood Sketch: This fun art print features all of the neighborhoods of D.C. written in fun fonts in the shape of the District itself. This would be a great housewarming gift for anyone you know moving to the area, or moving somewhere else after having lived in D.C. 

Linked here. 

D.C. Themed Holiday Cards: These options are great for wanting to remind others (including those from high school) that you live in D.C. and they don't! One set features the Washington Monument wrapped in garland and the other has different D.C. monuments covered in holiday decorations.

Linked here and here. 

For the Politicos:

Democrat and Republican Mugs: I have seen these a couple places around D.C. and love the way they look. Technically they could fall into the warm beverage lover category but they're definitely a partisan gift!

Linked here and here. 

Plastic President Face Masks: These are a complete joke but I found these on Amazon and 100% could not, not share. No matter where you stand, left or right, there's a mask for everyone!

Linked here. 

For the People Who Have Everything:

I Heart D.C. Shirt: I don’t know about you guys but one of my D.C. dreams is to wear an I love D.C. shirt on one of the Hop On Hop Off Tours and fully embrace being a tourist. That being said, I think anyone in your life can appreciate a D.C. shirt and if not, they can wear it as a pajama shirt! They are usually 3 for $12 at the street vendor carts and so it is definitely a price efficient gift for those who maybe had an unpaid internship this semester. 

D.C. Specific Restaurant Gift Card: If someone in your life truly has everything, than they probably have enough money to come visit you! Giving this person a gift card to one of your favorite restaurants that is only found in D.C.  will give them a reason to both travel and use their gift! This person will probably thank you for such a creative idea. An example would be a gift card to Ted’s Bulletin, Busboys and Poets, or We the Pizza.