Wirecutter Weekly: The Gifts We Want to Give in 2018

Gifting season is both a blessing and a curse. Don’t worry, we are here to help. [View this email in your browser]( [Wirecutter Weekly] The best from Wirecutter in your inbox, every week. Wirecutter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [Learn more]( The gifts we want to give in 2018 Ganda Suthivarakom, acting editor-in-chief ʼTis the season for twinkling lights, mulled cider, and the stress of figuring out what to give your friends and family. Maybe I’m the only one, but I have a hard time giving gifts under pressure. I prefer to send loved ones gifts when I come across something I know they either absolutely need (like the [Dyson Cordless Vacuum]( my mom has been perma-borrowing from me) or something that they’ll get a total kick out of, even if it is not useful in any way. And that’s how we’ve separated out our gift guides. We collaborated with The New York Times (our parent company) on [its gift guide]( to provide our tested, vetted recommendations from our staff of beat experts so you know which model will be perfect for the person you want to give a gift to. On the other end of the spectrum, we put together [The Gifts We Want to Give in 2018]( a list of delightful and not-always-practical things that we buy to elicit a smile or chuckle from the people we love most in the world. The best part about putting this second list together is that I always learn more about my eclectic and talented coworkers. (Our senior editor Grant Clauser, who spends his days on the smart-home and audio-visual beat, is also a poet who teaches poetry. He recommends [American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time]( with a plea for giving everyday poetry a chance and a description that starts, “I know, it’s a poetry book, and you may already be starting to scroll past, but hear me out.”) Trust me, it’s worth hearing him out. And this year, we also have [gift guides for kids]( separated by age group, and filled with great gifts, from [tie-dye projects]( you can make together over the holidays to [magical tents]( they can set up in their rooms to get away from it all. The thing I’m most looking forward to, though, is time with my family, another long weekend of picking at cold food on the kitchen counter between naps while my nieces entertain each other. I hope you (and I) spend less time in stores and more time under a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea this year. & GIFT GUIDES [The Gifts We Want to Give in 2018]( A list of weird and wonderful gifts picked, with love, by our staff. & GIFT GUIDES [Our Favorite Gifts for 1- to 3-Year-Olds]( From a first piggy bank to fun temporary tattoos, gifts to make any toddler happy. & GIFT GUIDES [Our Favorite Gifts for 3- to 6-Year-Olds]( Unexpected and delightful gifts that were the biggest hits with our favorite kids. & GIFT GUIDES [Our Favorite Gifts for 6- to 10-Year-Olds]( Memorable gifts for young explorers that we promise won’t end up in the junk pile. Behind the scenes Want us to test something? [Let us know](. “The countdown to 1000 begins! As of now, I’ve tested 978 headphones since starting at [@wirecutter](. Should reach a grand by the end of the year. What should I do to celebrate?” —Senior staff writer [Lauren Dragan]( on testing all kinds of [headphones]( Top picks from our newest guides [Brother ADS-1250W]( $200 from Amazon Read more in [The Best Portable Document Scanner]( [Lutron Caséta Wireless In-Wall Dimmer Starter Kit]( $80 from Amazon Read more in [The Best In-Wall Smart Light Switch and Dimmer]( [SmartLab Smart Circuits]( $27 from Amazon Read more in [The Best Electronics Kits for Kids and Beginners]( [Waterpik Aquarius]( $50 from Amazon Read more in [The Best Water Flossers]( [Anker PowerPort II PD]( $30 from Amazon Read more in [The Best Wired Fast Chargers]( [Traveler’s Company Traveler’s Notebook]( $47 from Amazon Read more in [Our Favorite Paper Planners]( Things we’ve been enjoying lately Watch: [Jelly Cam]( [Monterey Bay Aquarium] Suggested by Erin Price, community lead Erin says, "This is the Monterey Bay Aquarium jelly cam, where you can watch a soothing live stream of jellies drifting through the water from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. They also have [a lot of other good cams]( just saying." [How Restaurants Got So Loud]( [The Atlantic] Suggested by Tim Barribeau, lead editor Tim says, “Restaurants are too damn loud—here’s how they got that way.” [Why You Should Resist the Urge to Clean Out Your Closet]( [Medium] Suggested by Kimber Streams, lead editor Kimber says, "A great read about why we declutter and feel compelled to buy new stuff, and how to be more mindful of that cycle." [Announcement] Do you have a minute? We’re always busy making improvements around here and we’d love to get your thoughts on some stuff we’re working on. New this week at Wirecutter [The Best Leaf Blower]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 30 [The Best Balance-Transfer Credit Cards]( PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 30 [Our Favorite Kids Pajamas]( PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 29 [The Best NAS for Most Home Users]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 29 [The Best TV for Video Games]( PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 29 [The Best Custom Photo Card Service]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 29 [The Best AV Receiver]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 28 [The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 28 [The Best Laptops for Video and Photo Editing]( UDPATED NOVEMBER 28 [Our Favorite Paper Planners]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 27 [The Best Electronics Kits for Kids and Beginners]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 27 [The Best In-Wall Smart Light Switch and Dimmer]( UPDATED NOVEMBER 27 [The Best Portable Document Scanner]( PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 27 all reviews]( Let’s be friends! [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Pinterest]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( First time receiving this email? [Subscribe and we’ll send you the latest once a week](. 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