The Good Life: Gifts of Comfort & Joy, Nesting Reign

It's no surprise that we're all nesting this season, favoring the joys of hearth and home and creature comforts over frivolity even as we enter the most festive weeks of the year. With the housing and job markets in the toilet, gas prices acting completely manic, and travel budgets for vacations and airfare nonexistent, all signs point to a society focused more on family, crafts, and sentimentality than on superficiality—especially in our retail purchases and our gift giving choices.

"As a psychiatrist and media analyst, I have been seeing a trend towards giving gifts that promote nesting and nurturing, as well as gifts that have a giving-back feature to them," said Dr. Carole Lieberman, a nationally acclaimed psychiatrist and media expert who often appears on Oprah and the Today Show. "There seems to be a lot of interest in gifts related to food, from cookbooks to chocolates, and from gourmet gift baskets to gadgets for the kitchen."

But, we wondered, beyond the obvious—why?

"Unconsciously, we want to return to the days when mommy cooked and baked for us, and made us feel safe," Dr. Lieberman said. "Since the outside world seems like an increasingly scary place, with terrorist attacks, a crashing economy and natural disasters, we want to nest, keeping ourselves warm and our tummies full. When the country is not in crisis, we tend to take home and family for granted, and we restlessly look for adventure. But, since 9/11 we have become more vulnerable to shake-ups in our security, whether on a personal or global scale, in health, finances, politics or weather."

The increased interest in gifts that give back has saturated media and advertising this fall, with seemingly every retailer, from major brands to mom-and-pop boutiques, tirelessly promoting items that give a portion of each sale back to charity. We asked Dr. Lieberman about this connection between cultural crisis and the increased urge to donate to those in need.

"Consciously, we think that we are simply being compassionate, generous, or concerned citizens," she said. "Unconsciously, we are feeling grateful that we are not as bad off as some, and hopeful that by giving to others we will be protected from their fate."

Aside from charitable donations, home furnishings retailers report that they're also experiencing a major boost in sales this year, with home owners who previously may have had listed their property for sale instead hunkering down for the long haul and investing in making those homes more comfortable, energy-efficient, and attractive, from the curtains to the curb appeal.
Esther Steinfeld, public relations and marketing manager for Blinds.com, an online retailer specializing in window treatments, said that business has been way up for her company since 2006, but especially this season, with overwhelming demand for both energy-saving and luxury styles.

"If you buy your window treatments from an interior designer, you pay a 50% to 75% markup," Ms. Steinfeld said. "With us, customers are paying $50 for a window treatment that used to cost $200, making those redecorations more attainable. Puddling draperies in opulent fabrics for formal dining rooms and living rooms are huge this year, and also swag valances for windows. Basically, anything that you would see in Architectural Digest that customers want to recreate at home."

Gift certificates have also been more popular, even as financial experts advise against them due to the risk of a retailer filing for bankruptcy before the gift card or certificate can be redeemed. An unprecedented number of online and offline retailers are offering big discounts (between 10% and 50%) on gift cards, however, which is apparently enticing enough to outweigh any risk for consumers.

Ms. Steinfeld said that at Blinds.com, the average gift certificate value has risen from $50 to between $500 and $1,000, which she partly credits to a 15% discount promotion they recently offered customers, but also to the nesting factor.

"Many customers we surveyed said that their reasoning is to give a loved one the gift of something that they had been putting off, like redecorating a room," she said. "It's the best thing people can do to feel happier at home, plus it adds curb appeal and increases resale values."

To make the loved ones in your life feel happier at home during this special season, here are our favorite holiday gifts by personality type:

The Homebody
For the bookworm, the grandmother, the glue that keeps any family together, you can never go wrong with the luxury of a cashmere throw blanket. Get the most bang for your buck with this 2-ply version from SmartBargains.com for $130. If it passes the test on a Stylista challenge in the high fashion world, it's sure to be a sensation in yours. Plus, by shopping through the link above, you'll save an extra 10% off your entire order.

The Hostess
For any domestic goddess or gourmande, there's nothing better than a gift basket of goodies from Stonewall Kitchen. Based in York, Maine, this catalog epitomizes hearth and home, with handmade specialties and partnerships with celebrity hostesses like chef Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame. Try the aptly named Entertaining Basket, ready to cater a cocktail party from the moment it lands on the doorstep and just under $80.

The Haute
With partners in over 15 states plus Washington D.C. and parts of Canada, you can't go wrong with the posh pampering of a Spa Week gift card. Plus, through December 22nd, all $100 Spa Week gift cards are only $80.

The Holistic
Giving green to those already practicing what they preach can be tough. The win-win solution for every eco-friendly enthusiast on your list? A gift certificate for the Gaiam catalog, a whole living company. Your friends and family members can stock up on everything from the newest yoga gear to non-toxic cleaning products, including departments for fair trade, gifts that give back, even an online outlet with frequent sales.

The Huddlers
Spending on entertainment has sadly slipped from most family and household budgets, so why not treat your favorite clan or couple with the culinary gift of at-home movie popcorn for Netflix night. Our favorite is this $99 popcorn gift set from Williams-Sonoma, including the Cuisinart popcorn maker, a gourmet popcorn sampler, and a stylishly old-fashioned ceramic popcorn bowl.

The Highchair Set
Archibald's Swiss Cheese Mountain, an award-winning children's book that donates a portion of its proceeds to children's charities. "It is perfect to be read to children cuddled by the fire or in their beds," Dr. Lieberman said. "[It's] the inspirational story is of a little mouse with a big heart who teaches children how to reach their big dreams." It also happens to be written by Dr. Lieberman's mother, Sylvia Lieberman.

The Hipster
For the starving artist or student in your life, we recommend the gift that keeps on giving: food. Whether it's a gift card to a local grocery chain, an "of the month club" like Harry & David fruit, or a weekly local produce delivery service, because keeping them nourished is definitely nurturing and nest-worthy. Feeling more festive? Offer them an introduction to fine wine with monthly delivery from Wine.com of a bottle of red and a bottle of white with the Discovery Tour Wine Club, starting at just $19.99 a month.

The Hound Lovers (and Cats, Too)
In the spirit of charity, give the pet lover in your life the penultimate present: a donation in their name to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). With home foreclosures on the rise and an unforgiving rental market, abandoned animals need more support this year than ever before. A donation of just $25 or $50 also includes a 2009 calendar and an ASPCA bracelet for your gift recipient. Also check out the ASPCA's online store for more sentimental or humorour gifts, like the Shelter Dogs photography book for $20 or the "That's How I Roll" T-shirt for $16.

Copyright 2008 Shoestring, LLC. Photo: iStock