They’ve got the goods • Cambridge Artists Cooperative, 59A Church Street, Cambridge, (617) 868-4434, www.cambridgeartistscoop.com • Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, 6 Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 491-8888, www.cardullos.com • Formaggio Kitchen, 244 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, (617) 354-4750, www.formaggiokitchen.com • Harvard Collections, 1350 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 496-0700 • Harvard Coop, 1400 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 499-2000, www.thecoop.com • Hungry I, 71 Charles Street, Boston, (617) 227-3524 • Kitchen Arts, 161 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 266-8701 • L.A. Burdick Chocolates, 52 Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 491-4340, www.burdickchocolate.com • LouLou’s Lost & Found, 121 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 859-8593 • Monroe Salt Works, 202 Mass Ave, Arlington, (781) 646-6699, www.monroesaltworks.com • Museum of Fine Arts online store, www.mfa.org/shop/ • Pear Tree, 1355 Beacon Street, Brookline, (617) 277-9330 • Selletto, 1356 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 441-3636; 244 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 424-0656 • Shreve, Crump & Low, 330 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 267-9100 • Women's Educational and Industrial Union, 356 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 536-5651 • WordsWorth Gifts, 30 Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 354-5277, www.wordsworth.com • XV Beacon, 15 Beacon Street, Boston, (617) 670-1500, www.xvbeacon.com • Zoe, 279 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 375-9135

IT’S THAT TIME of year again, when you must — whether out of affection, desire, or mere obligation — make a list and check it twice. To lighten your burden, we’ve thoughtfully sought out 50 gifts for people you love — and even those you don’t, but still have to shop for. In most categories, gifts are suggested in three price ranges: under $30, $30 to $75, and over $75. (For gifts given most reluctantly, we’ve capped our suggestions at $60, so you can spend more on the people who are actually good to you.)

And yes, we know it’s the thought that counts, but since you can’t give the thought, we’ll tell you where to find the goods (see sidebar) on both sides of the Charles and beyond to cyberspace. So get cracking and knock off that list, knowing you’re supporting Boston-area businesses and artists while making spirits bright for another year.

For the parent you’re close to

Remember how your parents used to get an ornament that represented each new Christmas? (No? Well, you missed out.) The problem now is trying to remember which ornament went with which year and what its significance was. Put a new spin on the old tradition with a holiday journal ornament (Museum of Fine Arts online store, $20). These are 2.75-inch hardbound miniature books with a seasonal cover and 96 blank pages inside for recording the year’s memories. For a keepsake that can’t be forgotten, write your own thoughts inside as part of the gift, and let the folks fill in the rest.

Out of sight doesn’t have to mean out of mind. If you don’t get to see your parents very often, you can send an illustrated narrative of your life in a handsome handmade photo album (WordsWorth Gifts, $34). Parents will love the contents, of course, but they’ll also appreciate the uniqueness of the album itself, made in Sanford, Maine, of recycled materials such as pressed paper and old cloth patterns.

When kids stop coming home for the holidays, parents face one of their hardest adjustments. If you can’t get home for the holidays, you can still be a part of the celebration by sending the folks silver candlesticks or a handmade menorah (Pear Tree, $92). Israeli artist Anat Brigg’s menorah features slim silver candlesticks sitting on a tray complemented by pale stained glass. It isn’t the same as being there, but every time your parents light a candle, you’ll be brought closer in spirit.

For the parent you have issues with

Generally, you’re safe with simple home-decoration items, which can look tasteful even if they don’t especially reek of affection. Sending an actual (formerly live) butterfly under glass (Harvard Collections, $15-$17) not only guarantees you won’t duplicate a sibling's gift, it’ll also send a subliminal message (Mom, Dad: you stifled me) even as it looks like a lovely and thoughtful choice.

Here’s a gift that allows parents to think of you as much or as little as they like. A leather photo box (Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, $45) is hemstitched and features only one inset photo on the top; inside, you’ll find open space to hold dozens of photos — of you, or someone your parents prefer. With a leather tie to lock up the box, you’ll never have to know.

For the sibling you love dearly

Remind your brothers and sisters of happy childhood nights, when a cup of Swiss Miss was the closest thing to bliss, while rewarding their grown-up palate with a rich hot-cocoa kit (Burdick, $10.50). A deceptively simple brown bag contains pure cocoa, sugar, and vanilla beans, along with a whisk and instructions for whipping up the most rewarding cup of cocoa ever. With every sip, they’ll be glad you’re family.

If you want to memorialize your bond, consider a funky multi-picture frame with photos of you both. This frame (Zoe, $50) seems to undulate — three curved plastic waves bow out of a brushed-metal frame, each holding one photo. Choose a photo of you, one of your sibling, and one of the two of you together, and you have a great testament to your relationship.

Young at heart and cool as all hell, this is the kind of gift you want to keep for yourself — which makes it all the more special as a gift. Lightning Bug Lamps by artist Brian Landau (Zoe, $195 and up) are works of wonder: tiny light bulbs are ensconced in the glass torso of a firefly, lady bug, or bee, which seems to fly on metal wings as it bobs on two-foot-long wire springs that rest in small pedestals for tabletop mounting. These are unforgettable gifts for unforgettable people.

For the sibling you tolerate

Everyone can use candles, so these are a safe bet even for the grumpiest sibling. A box of four round beeswax candles (Selletto, $23.50) will last your difficult brothers or sisters longer than your average argument (unless, of course, they realize that you gave them beeswax because you want them to mind their own).

It’s part joke (hey, look, a fancy remote) and part stylish gizmo (hey, look, a tasteful remote), but either way it’s functional and distinct: a silver remote control (Shreve, Crump & Low, $30). Made by Lunt and covered in silver plate, it has all the standard features — just don’t expect to be able to turn your sibling off on command.

For your grandparent

Enough with the tchotchkes — after decades of well-intended novelties from the grandkids, the senior set need gifts that they can actually use, not ones that simply take up space. A pair of Japanese soup bowls (Harvard Collections, $24) will warm their hearts and make even leftovers more special. These heavy brown-and-black bowls have lacquered, pale-blue interiors and come, for those feeling dexterous, with chopsticks.

You can also amuse the old folks while giving them something they’ll use all the time with a gurgling cod pitcher. In white, green, or cobalt blue, this classic (Shreve, Crump & Low, $40/large) is a water pitcher shaped like a cod that pours your beverage and then glugs happily for several moments. Your grandparents will look forward to their Metamucil like never before.

Your grandparents are old enough to remember a time when craftsmanship was a matter of pride, when elegance and endurance went hand in hand. Take them back to the pre-plastic era with a beautiful Tiffany-style dragonfly lamp (Selletto, $130). Thick panes of stained glass form a pattern of linked dragonflies that glow with timeless grace.

For the person you’re dating

Especially when you’ve just started going out, it’s all about finding ways to touch each other. So why not fall back on a classic ruse: a game of Twister (Harvard Coop, $25.98). It’s less overtly suggestive than spin-the-bottle, but still forces you to get comfortable with each other. No attitude, plenty of contact — it’s the game everybody wins.

To set more grown-up games in motion, consider a cocktail shaker and drink book (LouLou’s, $24.95 and $12.95). Whether it’s just the two of you or a party for friends, you’ll enjoy a bit of the lush life with a stainless-steel cocktail shaker and retro recipes from Atomic Cocktails.

You can keep the fun going with a Le Creuset fondue set (Kitchen Arts, $97.50 and up). Swingers in the ’70s knew how to make anything sexy, including cheese. Dipping ingredients into the molten fromage is sensual enough, but there are rules that add to the pleasure: if you drop a morsel, you have to kiss the person next to you. So fire up, drop something, and enjoy.

For your live-in significant other

When you’ve lived with someone for a while, sometimes you need to spice things up. Return to those early, heady days of dating with a romantic dinner lit by Medusa candles (WordsWorth Gifts, $22/pair). Described on the label as "bodacious," these tapers curve sinuously as they rise from base to tip, bringing a touch of sensuality to the table — and perhaps beyond.

This is one of those gifts meant to be shared with someone you love. When you give your sweetie the L.A. Burdick Big Box (L.A. Burdick Chocolates, $56), you’re beginning an orgasmic tasting experience. A pound of handmade chocolate and two chocolate mice presented in a wooden box, this gift is impressive just to look at. But one bite of these upscale treats, with ingredients like lavender and pistachio, and you’ll swoon — together.

If you’re in the mood to really shoot the moon, surprise the one you love with a Romantic Getaway at XV Beacon ($675). Sip champagne in front of your private fireplace before soaking in your own whirlpool. Roll among Italian linens under a canopy and dream of the pastries delivered in the morning for breakfast in bed. The only drawback: eventually, you’ll have to leave.

For the roommate you adore

If you love your roommate, give him or her gifts you can enjoy together, cementing your bond and making more happy memories. One such present is a Michael Recchiuti smores kit (Formaggio Kitchen, $11.95). Graham crackers, marshmallow, bittersweet chocolate — you’ll think you’re back in summer camp, swearing to be Friends 4-Ever.

You know you like your roommate when you actually do sit-down meals together. (Some families don’t even like each other that much.) And you’ll be sitting pretty together with Hilary Law’s hand-painted placemat sets (Cambridge Artists Coop, $36 and up). Cool modern designs are hand-painted on 100 percent cotton placemats and matching napkins. Each item is then treated with a water-resistant finish for easy clean-up, so you and your roomie can be total slobs and still come off looking sophisticated.

Apartment living often requires multitasking equipment, especially in galley kitchens. Your roommate will get a lot of mileage out of a new Panini Grill and Book Set by Krups (Kitchen Arts, $99.95). This heavyweight grill is designed especially for pressed sandwiches (like the ones you find in a Cuban sandwich shop), but you can also use it to grill meats to perfection. You won’t touch your dowdy old microwave again.

For the roommate you put up with

Don’t waste your time trying to find something sweet for someone you only tolerate. Think of something the apartment needs, like flour-sack dish towels (Formaggio Kitchen, $7.95), thereby improving your living conditions in the name of giving a gift. Vintage French-poster images on Kentfield’s flour-sack dish towels make them look so nice, your roommate may not even notice that you’re actually hinting you wish he or she’d help out around the house.

Because most people can always use another picture frame, it’s a gift that’s sure to be well received. But that doesn’t mean it can’t come with a little attitude. The prickly frame (Zoe, $35) offers the perfect metaphor for a difficult relationship, while still managing to be a cool and funky home furnishing. In burgundy or white molten plastic, it’ll make all kinds of statements.

For the co-worker who makes work bearable

With cubicles resembling veal pens, many workers don’t have room for a lot of junk on their desks. That’s why your office gift must be small, but memorable enough to merit a spot in a tiny workspace. Desktop-size wire motorcycles from Mali (Pear Tree, $16 and up), as individual artworks by African artisans, manage to combine whimsy and craftsmanship. Better yet, the motorcycles hint at escape — a glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkest workday.

Fresh flowers can liven up even the dullest corporate cube, but who thinks to keep a vase at work? Give your co-worker an Architectural Vase (Museum of Fine Arts online store, $58), and that’ll never be an issue. These modernist-style green Hungarian vases are less than eight inches tall, so they won’t dominate the space, but with their combination of hard and soft lines and bubble-texture glaze, they’ll make a big impression.

If you really think the world of a co-worker, give one to him or her in the form of a brass globe (LouLou’s Lost & Found, $175). This 3-D globe sculpture has the outlines of a sphere, including longitude and latitude, with an airy visible core and a zodiac ring circling within the perimeter. It stands on a wooden pedestal and may be so nice your co-worker won’t dream of leaving it at work.

For your boss

This is the ideal gift, no matter what your boss is like. The Nutty Squirrel Nutcracker (Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, $20) is a fully functional nutcracker: put the nut in the squirrel’s mouth, pump his tail, and voilà! If your boss is lighthearted and kind, it’s a witty reminder of that spirit. If your boss is a jerk, it’s a cheap answer to the office gift dilemma, while subtly hinting that the job is crushing you.

Post-It notes may well be remembered as one of the great office-technology innovations of the 20th century, but as they multiply across a desk, they look like so much junk. For the busy boss who needs a way to keep on top of endless messages, but whose workspace could use a makeover, Jim Santagati’s "Postage Due" series of framed-postage-stamp magnets (Cambridge Artists Coop, $37.50/set of five) is an artistic equivalent. Buy them in sets based on past US Post Office series (masks, country singers, sports, classic movies) or mix and match to best fit the temperament of your boss.

To raise a glass to excellent bosses and enable them to raise a few of their own, give them a wrought-iron wine rack (Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, $100). A six-bottle wine holder won’t take up too much space, and the brass leaf motif is simple enough to look comfortable in any home. Your boss will be toasting your good choice.

For the good neighbor

Neighbors are tricky: you don’t want to get too personal (or they’ll think you’ve been peeping) and you don’t want to give them anything too ostentatious (after all, gift pressure within families is bad enough). Czech glass ornaments (Monroe Salt Works, $4.50-$6.50) bring a little holiday cheer to your neighbor, without going overboard. There are ecumenical shiny blue fish and traditional frosty snowmen, both ethereally light because of the thinness of the glass.

You may have noticed that your neighborhood flutters with flags and bunting as of late. Post–September 11, glitz is out and rustic is in, as a kind of design shorthand for community. If you’re so inclined, you can ride this bandwagon without resorting to gingham and straw by seeking out handmade versions of items that hint at Americana. You’ll dazzle your urban neighbor with a blown-glass chicken sculpture (Selletto, $43/large), each subtly distinct and made by artisans in the Swiss Alps. Consider it your contribution to freedom from kitsch.

To show your neighbors that they’re truly one of a kind, consider artwork — but keep it small enough in scope that it doesn’t overwhelm. Every framed quilt square by Muriel’s Fantasy Fabrics (Cambridge Artists Coop, $120) is a unique creation hand-stitched in beautiful colors, matted, and framed under glass. It’s a homey way of letting someone know that he or she, too, is an original.

For the person you have a crush on

Stop with the subtlety already — it’s time the object of your affection got a clue. A "Blu Water" glass heart soap dish (Selletto, $21.50) is both an announcement (take my heart, please) and — if it seems to terrify the recipient — a practical gift that you can explain away as functional. But who knows — this blue glass keepsake could be the start of something beautiful.

If you’re craving someone who craves sweets, you can lure him or her in with this sinful box: 60 squares of dark chocolate. Valrhona’s Le Grand Cru de Chocolate (Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, $39.99) is a sleek little box that opens to reveal five dozen individually wrapped squares of the purest dark chocolate. The unwrapping alone ought to get you in the mood, and if the rumors are true about the stuff’s aphrodisiac powers — watch out!

If you’re a true romantic at heart, you need to make reservations for dinner at the Hungry I on Charles Street (dinner for two, with drinks and tip, around $150). With 50 seats spread among several Victorian rooms in this cozy townhouse, you’re guaranteed an intimate evening. Candlelight and a fireplace add to the ambience, and the continental cuisine (like venison in a burgundy sauce) will warm your rapidly beating hearts.

For the person you’re grudgingly buying a gift for

Someone you didn’t get a present for ended up giving you a gift last year, so now you feel obligated. Or you’ve been assigned to give a gift in one of those loathsome Yankee swaps favored by some companies and large families. What to do? Try this traditional Christmas pudding from London (Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, $28). It’s not quite a fruit cake — that would be too obvious — but it’ll do: chock full of raisins, currants, orange peel, and almonds, all soaked in syrup and ale. Festive but a wee bit intimidating at two pounds, it clearly announces, "This is your holiday present," while also whispering, "Don’t expect anything else."

For a gift that’ll last a bit longer, give the useful Salt & Pepper Steamer Ship (LouLou’s Lost & Found, $59.95). Made by Authentic Models, it’s a replica of a transatlantic steamer, with salt and pepper shakers for smokestacks and a salt cellar in the middle. (To keep things friendly, do not include the soundtrack to Titanic.)

For the manly man

He wants to please you, he really does — but he can’t dress up to save his life. Help him look natty while protecting his masculine credentials with a modern-art necktie (Harvard Collections, $23.50). Designed by Alynn, these Worldwide Museum Collection ties are 100 percent silk and come in a variety of patterns; the vivid block prints of the geometric designs look especially studly.

Boys will be boys — they just gotta have their games. Let your big boy play the classic pub sport of darts without leaving the house. A magnetic darts set (Harvard Coop, $34.98) can be set up just about anywhere and won’t wreck the place, and it’ll provide him a diversion he can enjoy by himself or with other kids who can’t grow up.

For a gift whose appeal is perfectly obvious, consider a golf-motif flask (Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, $90). Booze and golf all in one — he’ll think it’s the Holy Grail.

For the girly girl

There’s no point asking why some gals are so deeply femme, or why that should require so many bath/hair/skin products. Just accept your princess for who she is and let her lather up with the regally named Queen Cream (Monroe Salt Works, $14). This five-ounce tube of moisturizing cream bills itself as "fit for a king but a dream for a queen" (so even girly boys can enjoy its silky smoothness).

Your glamour puss would be mortified to show up at a party wearing the same outfit as someone else. To foster her unique sense of style, get her a sarong from Asia (Pear Tree, $55). These colorful silk sarongs, which you can’t find in your local mall, run the gamut of patterns and colors. When she ties on one, as a skirt or an accent, she’s sure to make a singular statement — and your vision is sure to be appreciated.

Any diva will tell you that pashmina has come and gone, but soft never goes out of style. Treat the woman in your life right by wrapping her in a hand-woven chenille scarf (WordsWorth Gifts, $90.) The "Angelic Handwovens" line by Sheryl Anderson of Holliston offers luxurious scarves in deep blues and violets. They’re the perfect accessory for the woman in your life who desires elegance, not trendiness.

For the type-A friend

Type-A people live for efficiency, and that even goes for their mental health. A feng shui kit (Harvard Coop, $21.98) is just the ticket: one-stop relaxation. The kit features aromatherapy bath salts, body wash, lotion, and oil, accompanied by an exfoliating sponge and a candle — all one has to do is open the kit, head to the tub, and indulge. No muss, no fuss, no stress.

Tea is famous for soothing the savage beast in a person. And nothing could be more civilized than French tea by the pound (Formaggio Kitchen, $30 a pound). Danman Teas from France are of the highest quality, with a variety of exotic options such as soleil vert, a green tea scented with blood orange. A cup after work will transform the biggest stress monster back into a human.

If life is perpetually stressful, why not give the gift of perpetual calm? The Moonshadow Fountain (Museum of Fine Arts online store, $175) is just the ticket for Zen pursuits: in a tabletop unit, water cascades down a piece of slate and into a pebbled "creek," gurgling in a soothing fashion that’s sure to lighten anyone’s load.

For the cool kid

Trust us: kids hate any gift they think is meant to be practical — sock-givers take note — unless the gift is disguised as fun. The Fancy Frog Umbrella (Monroe Salt Works, $12) is that kind of present, as it fights off the rain and the blahs all at once. An ample bright-green umbrella crowned with white pop-up eyes, it’ll make the kid you love pray for a downpour.

Try as they might to dream up robotic toys that sing, dance, or chatter until their batteries run down, toy makers will never beat the simple pleasures of drawing and painting. Hand a kid the MFA Big Art Set (Museum of Fine Arts online store, $30) — complete with sketchbook, pastels, color pencils, markers, watercolors, brushes, a ruler, a sharpener, and an eraser — and you’re guaranteeing hours of fun. Thankfully, no batteries are required.

There’s something about a music box that casts a spell over kids. For one that’ll last them a lifetime (and maybe get passed down to their own kids), you can’t beat the Make Way for Ducklings Music Box (Shreve, Crump & Low, $120). Crafted in Italy, the enameled Ercolana jewel box features a scene from Robert McCloskey’s famous children’s book, which will offer nostalgia in the future, as well as a hideaway compartment for their treasures today.

When he’s not out shopping, David Valdes Greenwood can be reached at valdesgreenwood@worldnet.att.net

Issue Date: December 13 - 20, 2001

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