Happy holidays, Fug Nation! The long tunnel that is 2016 has been weird at best, and as we head toward the end of it, we hope your festivities are gloriously successful and full of love and happiness. With any luck, this gift guide can help you replace the big ????? on your list with a !!!!

Or, you know, you might find something to give to yourself. We won’t tell.

As ever, if you have an Etsy shop (or the like), feel free to post about it in the comments, so Fug Nation can shop Fug Nation. We’ve also had a TON of book-related chats this year, and if you’re still looking for bookish inspiration, you may find it in any of the following:

And as charitable giving goes:

  • Deadspin recently ran a post that purports to list the top charities in terms of your money saving actual lives, which might be worth a look if you’re searching for new places and ways to donate this year.
  • We’ve talked before at length about the wonders of Donors Choose, where you can indeed pick and choose what teachers’ educational needs speak to you the most, whether it’s music and art or basic literacy supplies. Fug Nation recently fully funded the classroom of one of our own, because our readers are just wonderful.
  • And again, our friend Kristin Burke has a grassroots organization called Second Families that is making Amazon wish lists for Syrian refugee families trying to start over in the greater San Diego area. Each list has the family’s story as well as the items they seek to try and restart their lives, their businesses, their educations… even just a pair of decent reading glasses. Those aren’t tax-deductible donations, but if you’re in search of something you know is actively changing someone’s life, that’s a great place to start. (Heather is personally always low on ideas for charitable work that’s appropriate for kids of her children’s age, and which can help them to look beyond themselves at the world, and hopes to identify a few families’ stories to share with them and then let them help shop the wish lists. Just… as something. One foot in front of the other.)

Merry Everything, Fug Nation. We treasure you. (And if you need a chuckle, last year’s chat about the worst gifts you’ve ever given or received will probably provide.)

Tags: gift guide
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