5 Really Good Gifts to Make Everyday Feel Luxurious

I love finding ways to make everyday feel luxurious. Once I stopped reserving my “special” things for the unknown, I realized how wonderful it is to get to actually enjoy things. The “special enough” days didn’t seem to arrive and I found myself surrounded by nice things that made me feel unworthy because the day hadn’t arrived to open them.

I’m not a fan of “stuff.” It’s most likely a takeaway from moving every year for the last three years, but if I’m going to have it, it’s either going to be useful or beautiful and ideally both. Know that I don’t have extra space in my condo in downtown Chicago, I have been able to rid myself of carrying around extra stuff “just because” and instead get to actually create a life with simple, daily luxuries that I also love gifting to people.

Here’s five things I used to help make everyday feel luxurious that make fantastic gifts! If you’re interested in other gifts, check out what to get a new dog parent, gift basket ideas and no-cost friend gift ideas.

Picnic Kit

Listen, you can’t be over 30 and not have thought at least once, “I need a picnic basket.” While it’s only been about once a year that I’ve actually been on a picnic, my $20 random picnic basket I got on clearance years ago, (You can see it here.) it’s been worth it. Thus, I am here to make a case that this is an incredibly handy, affordable luxury gift that you can give to someone. Trust me, it might take a second for them to realize how practical this is, but it’ll be used for years.

I once went on a date where a guy pulled out a picnic kit, complete with a cheese knife and wine bottle opener. He had gotten it from work years ago and just kept it in his car. I don’t want to know exactly how many dates he had used it on, but the man was a seasoned pro so I am here to say this is a gift EVRYONE can use.

You can find picnic kits here and lots of options here.

Bath Towels and Sheets

While we all know I love a boujee lifestyle, your girl is truly one that is going to wear $500 sweaters and then think towels should cost only $10 for top-tier quality. Although I haven’t found a $10 miracle towel (and never will), I have found what I consider great everyday luxury towels. Are they lifechanging? If you’re used to bad towels, yes. If you are looking for the absolute best towel, these may be a temporary stop for you in your towel journey.

I love these towels so much I have sent them to my parents and friends. It’s a great housewarming, graduation, really for any occasion. These towels are also fantastic because you can easily buy more on your own to build a cohesive towel collection. I first purchased four bath sheets, two towels, hand towels and wash cloths. After I decided to commit to this brand I went back and bought more bath sheets.

P.S. No one wants to have to buy towels for themselves. What a boring expense. So instead I gifted myself towels. From me to me. See the difference?

Olive Oil

I saw a few food bloggers I trust (and didn’t run ads for) talk about Brightland olive oils. I’ve become quite a savory fiend in the last two years. Suddenly things like olive oil and pistachio ice cream appeals to me more than a slice of chocolate cake. Because of this, I’ve started understanding that nice olive oil is truly impactful for good flavors to shine. I love Brightland olive oils because they are from California, healthy and made thoughtfully. They are a great way to make everyday feel luxurious.

I love a finishing drizzle for any of my toasts. I love cooking breakfast potatoes for a little extra spice (Awake). There’s pretty much nothing I make that doesn’t pair nicely with one of the many flavors they have. I use sparingly so they last quite a while. (I’d recommend getting the spout for a little finesse finishing. You can get also get one here.)

You can get Brightland Oils locally in Chicago at Humboldt House, Foxtrot and ship anywhere online. They are a GREAT gift to give for weddings, housewarmings and for the person who loves to cook. I’d recommend getting the Duo to start.

Nice Dispensers

I am not the person who loves taking everything out of containers to be put in different containers. That is a life mess that isn’t needed and I don’t have time for that. However, what I am into is having an aesthetically pleasing lifestyle. I cannot stand the mashup of having a soap pump with a random bottle of lotion and then Dawn dish soap out on the counter. (In case you were wondering, I use Mrs. Meyers Honeysuckle dish, hand soap and lotion.) When I moved to Chicago over a year ago (cannot believe how fast that year went by) I found these brown bottles and they have survived a move and still bring me joy.

I like having a label-less house. I truly want to create a cozy and comfortable home and unsightly things like soap and other dispenser-type things are just a nuisance. It took about five minutes to fill the soap containers. However, the lotion was another story. I don’t exactly know how long it took because I did it wrong, multiple times and it got messy. But as Kamala said, we did it Joe. We did it. It’s there now and that’s all that matters.

You can get these amber dispensers here, but if you want more of a clear aesthetic, you can shop these. There’s also general cute dispensers here.

Candle Care Set

This is arguably the most luxurious and non-essential thing I deeply love. I love fragrance and having a dog also means I care a lot about ensuring my home doesn’t smell like an animal lives here. (You can tell below I like to layer fragrance to create my home scent.) Candles are a huge part of this, especially as I’ve found it’s a great way to support local makers and small online businesses. I’ve learned there is a LOT more to the care and keeping of candles. Although not complex, you shouldn’t just keep lighting a candle without taking some care.

You can spend as much or as little on this as you want to. I don’t display mine so I didn’t care about anything too nice, it’s all about function for me. I trim my wicks with this rose gold trimmer every time I light a candle (which should be burning for no less than two hours the first time you light it). It’s just fun and a good way to ensure you get the best candle burn.

This is one of those gifts that at first the person might be like oh…. thanks? But then once they use it they are going to realize how thoughtful of a gift it is! They’ll find themselves convincing everyone they need a wick trimmer other than their everyday scissors and be horrified at the thought of someone blowing out a candle.

P.S. If anyone wants to get me this match cloche I’ve been drooling over…

P.P.S. I also like this one.

If you’re looking for more ways to make every day feel luxurious, check out this post on five affordable ways. Many of these also make great gifts! It doesn’t take much, just a few thoughtful touches to make the everyday feel a little more luxurious.