Nostalgia Alert — Here's How To Channel The 2014 Tumblr Aesthetic With Modern Flair

Peiduo Small LED Light Birch Trees

These tiny trees lit by twinkly LED lights are perfect for topping your mantle or dinner table. I think they add just the right amount of whimsy to your space, no matter how you decorate with them! They're not necessarily Christmas-specific, either. Their simple design allows you to spruce 'em up in all kinds of ways year-round. Similar pieces at Target and Anthropologie range from $21 $68 for one tree, but you can get two trees for just $25 on Amazon right now.

Plaid Throw Pillow Covers

Plaid – specifically red plaid – is timeless when it comes to Christmas decor. It never fails to make a space extra cozy! These 18x18-inch covers are perfect for throw pillows on your bed and couch alike. You can snag this set of 2 in a few other holiday-ready colorways for just $10, and they'll likely last you a while with the right care.

Artgar Real Touch Pine Garland

If you have a mantle, use it! A mantle is prime real estate for Christmas decorations like stockings, candles, and cards – but none of that is truly complete without a good garland! This 6-foot faux pine garland can easily span your mantle to fill in any negative space and simply make things cozier. It comes with attached LED lights (no wall plug necessary, just a few batteries) as well as pinecone accents to make the garland itself feel fuller. Plus, $30 isn't so bad for a statement piece like this!

Vintage Bow Decorative Tray

This piece reminds me of a tray Pottery Barn Teen and LoveShackFancy sells in their collaborative collection, except it literally costs $60 less. It's not a total dupe, but the one thing it does have in common is bows: the most adorable reference to gifting season! I think this $9 pick could be so cute as a serving platter for Christmas desserts or even as a festive catchall you keep on your coffee table throughout the holidays.

Kate Aspen Retro Floral Drinking Glasses

The intricate design on these green-tinted glasses really has me hooked. They'd look so good with any sort of Christmas party tablescape – as long as you're sipping Christmas cocktails out of them! A similar set of 6 is currently being sold on Quince for $48. This one's only $26.

When's the best time to do holiday shopping?

The best time to do holiday shopping really all depends on your personal shopping goals. Do you want to get a jump on items you know will sell out soon? Do you want to save the most money possible? Do you want to focus on handmade, personalized gifts? These factors will undoubtedly influence your holiday shopping schedule.

Shopping early can be advantageous for all of the aforementioned goals. A lot of retailers start promoting their holiday products early on, giving you ample time to snatch up that limited-time lip kit or fancy water bottle you’ve been eyeing way before the holidays.

Plus, some of the best deals for holiday shopping happen ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – in 2023, Experian observed a surge in early spending in October, thanks to early discounts, a trend likely to continue in 2024.

Finally, shopping early can be especially helpful if your plan is to focus on handmade or personalized gifts, giving the artisan you buy from (or yourself, if you’re DIY-ing your gifts) plenty of time to craft the item with love and care.

Gallup reported in 2023 that one in four shoppers start shopping as early as September, a trend likely to continue in 2024 – so you might already be embarking on your shopping spree!

If right now is just still too darn early for you to start holiday shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best times to shop since so many retailers offer their largest discounts of the entire year. Plus, the late November-early December timeline can feel a bit more appropriate for the gifting season opposed to late October-early November, when everyone’s still recovering from Halloween.

The only thing to consider during this time is the shipping timelines for the items you purchase – but most retailers will typically advise their specific shipping schedules, so you don’t risk your goodies arriving late.

Where should I shop for gifts?

You have three main options when it comes to where to shop for holiday gifts: online, in-store, and via our amazing gift guides. Of course, each method has its advantages and disadvantages.

Shopping in-store offers a tangible experience: the opportunity to hold specific items in your hands and gauge exactly what they’ll be like when you give them as a gift. The pitfall with shopping in-person is that it typically requires a commute and journeys through potentially very busy malls and shopping strips, which can add to the already-stressful holiday experience.

In-store shopping can be more physically exhausting, but it’s all about preference! Sometimes strolling through the stores that get all dolled up for Christmas is the best part of the season.

Per Google, 65% of those planning to shop for the holidays say they will shop online more. Shopping for gifts online can be super helpful since you can centralize your findings in your browser’s bookmark tab or via virtual cart(s). Plus, shopping online can pose more opportunities for saving some money: lots of retailers typically offer discount codes for online users, especially if you sign up for their digital marketing channels (like email and text) and make a purchase.

Shopping online isn’t just shopping, either. The internet can be a stellar research tool to help you vet whether certain products are worth it, where they can be bought, and when they’ll be available. In fact, Google reported that more than half of U.S. holiday shoppers who went into a store last year say they looked up product reviews online and/or located an item in-store by checking it online.

Last but not least, scrolling gift guides has to be our favorite place to shop for gifts – and not just because we write and publish them.

At their very core, gift guides help streamline the holiday shopping process, alleviating the stress that bubbles up when you’re wondering what the heck to shop for in the first place. Our gift guides are backed by real people, real experiences, and real opinions from our editorial team. We only promote products that we really love and believe in, oftentimes ones we’ve tested and reviewed ourselves.

We have gift guides for just about everyone on your list, with more on the way! Check ‘em out:

• Gifts for Him
• Gifts for Her
• Gifts for Foodies
• DIY + Handmade Gifts
• White Elephant Gifts
• Gift Sets

What are the best kinds of gifts to give?

The best kinds of gifts to give are thoughtful gifts that consider the giftee’s interests, wants, and needs. These gifts can be sentimental, practical, or both simultaneously. What matters most in a gift is that it’ll be meaningful to them past just the holiday season, whether it’s helping them get through daily tasks, reminding them of a memorable trip or event, or giving them small doses of joy.

“Shoppers are increasingly looking for personalized and unique gifts that reflect the recipient's personality and interests,” says Mia Anderson, Owner of ChicSew. “With the rise of online shopping, many consumers are opting for curated gift boxes or experiences that add a special touch.”

Gift boxes, personalized items, books of interest, self-care goodies, and even gift cards can all be thoughtful gifts depending on the recipient. If you have no clue what your giftee is into, it’s not a bad idea to ask them what they want the most!

“My idea of a great gift is something that is in tandem with the recipient's interest and offers something new to the person, be it learning a new skill, enjoying a calming activity, or simply spending quality time with the family,” says Alfred Christ, Sales Manager & Marketer at Robotime. “This season, we encourage shoppers to shift their focus on quality and the memories their gifts will create and not just merely material aspects.”

When is Black Friday?

Black Friday is always the Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, Black Friday lands on November 29.

When is Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday is typcally the Monday after Thanksgiving. This year, Cyber Monday will land on December 2. Oftentimes, retailers and brands extend their online offers through the week (coined Cyber Week) after the event. Salesforce reported that 67% of shoppers in 2024 plan on shopping during Cyber Week!

Everything Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Have Publicly Said About Each Other

July 26, 2023 — Travis Kelce Expresses Interest In Taylor

After Taylor's Eras Tour show in Kansas City, Travis told his brother on an episode of New Heights that he had hoped to give her a friendship bracelet displaying his phone number. "I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs that she sings," he joked. "So I was a little butt-hurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her."

“I said what I said,” Travis later told NFL's Andrew Siciliano. “And I meant what I said when I said it.”

October 22, 2023 — Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Basically Hard Launch Their Relationship

You know what they say: a picture's worth a thousand words. After lots of rumors, dates, and car rides, this kiss on the cheek was all the confirmation I needed that these two are serious!

November 11, 2023 — Taylor Swift Changes The Lyrics To "Karma"

While Travis Kelce was in the audience during the Eras Tour, Taylor changed a "Karma" lyric from "Karma is the guy on the screen coming straight home to me" to "Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me." Yeah, it's safe to assume I freaked the freak out.

Even though Travis revealed he had a clue Taylor would change the lyrics, he was still super surprised. "Definitely when I heard it come out of her mouth, [it] still shocked me," he said. "I was like...'Oh, she really just said that, alright.'"

November 20, 2023 — Travis Kelce Calls Taylor Swift "Mind-Blowing"

“I’ve never been a man of words. Being around her, seeing how smart Taylor is, has been f—king mind-blowing," Travis Kelce tells the WSJ Magazine. “Obviously I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them…But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it…She’s just living, enjoying life. When she acts like that I better not be the one acting all strange.”

Even Donna Kelce had something to add! “I can tell you this,” she says. “He’s happier than I’ve seen him in a long time… God bless him, he shot for the stars!”

December 6, 2023 — Taylor Swift Reveals When She And Travis Actually Started Dating

Travis wasn't the only person who spilled on their relationship in a cover story! While speaking to TIME, Taylor revealed that the public's perception of their relationship timeline was (and had always been) way off.

“We actually had a significant amount of time [together] that no one knew, which I’m grateful for, because we got to get to know each other," she said in the interview. "By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

Taylor also mentioned how they "show up for each other" and that they're "just proud of each other."

January 28, 2024 — Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Are Caught Saying "I Love You"

After Travis Kelce and the KC Chiefs won the Super Bowl, Taylor and Travis had some celebrating to do. The first order of business? Saying those three special words!

February 5, 2024 — Travis Kelce Says What We're All Thinking

After Taylor Swift announced The Tortured Poets Departmentwould drop on April 19 (and won Artist of the Year at the Grammys for the fourth time), Travis revealed that he'd already listened to some of the music.

"She's unbelievable, she's rewriting history books herself," he said during a press conference. "I told her I'll have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware too...It's been fun to kind of gather the Swifties in the Chiefs' kingdom and open them up to the football world and the sports world."

"I have heard some of [Taylor Swift's new album], yes, and it is unbelievable," he continued. "I can't wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops."

March 8, 2024 — Travis Kelce Gushes Over Taylor Swift (Again)

After spending some 1:1 time together in Australia (and getting hounded by the paparazzi), Travis Kelce had one easy answer for why this couple is so popular: “This is all because Taylor is the biggest and the best thing possible."

April 2, 2024 — Travis Kelce Has Never Been Happier

After a winter and spring full of amazing moments, Travis Kelce revealed just how happy he is with life. "I'm the happiest I've ever been," Travis Kelce told People. "I'm a guy that some people say is glass half full, half empty, and my glass is all the way full. It's all the way full...I'm oozing life right now."

And when asked about his relationship with Taylor, he hypes up how dedicated they both are to their crafts. "I think we both love what we do and any chance that I can show my support to her — knowing that she has shown me all the support in the world throughout the season — it’s just been an amazing experience getting to know Tay," he says in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

April 10, 2024 — Even Travis Kelce Doesn't Know Why Taylor Swift Is Dating Him

During an April episode of New Heights, Travis admitted he doesn't quite understand how he's dating everyone's favorite popstar. "I don't know how I did it because she wasn't into sports," he says. "So I don't know how the f—k I did it."

April 19, 2024 — Taylor Swift Finally Releases Songs Rumored To Be About Travis Kelce

Okay this one might require you to suspend your disbelief for a little bit, but there is NO WAY "The Alchemy" and "So High School" aren't about Travis. Especially after Taylor Swift started mimicking his on-field moves during her concerts!

With lyrics like "Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team" to "We've been on a winning streak / He jokes that it's heroin, but this time with an 'E'" in "The Alchemy" (which I think is about how Taylor literally made his game better) and "Truth, dare, spin bottles / You know how to ball, I know Aristotle" is "So High School," you'll never be able to convince me they're about anyone else.

April 27, 2024 — Travis Kelce Gave Us A DTR On His Relationship With Taylor Swift

When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce arrived at the 15 and Mahomies Foundation Golf Classic in Las Vegas, I don't think Travis intended to confirm his relationship status with the popstar — or to auction off tickets to her concerts!

“I think I was just talking to my significant other, and we might have one other alternate item that wasn’t on the docket," he says (via People). "Um, has anybody heard of the Eras Tour?” The crowd was super excited, and they raised $80,000!

June 1, 2024 — Travis Kelce Comments On Viral Engagement Rumors

The internet has been talking about Taylor Swift's engagement (or lack thereof) for literal years, and it appears Travis and Taylor's IRL friends are talking about it too. During the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend's onstage comedy sketch Jason Sudeikis asked, "Hey Travis, real talk, OK, just the guys here...When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?"

"Guys," Travis responded, "you're really pushing it." Good on you Travis.

June 22, 2024 — Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Finally Go Instagram Official

When Taylor Swift posted a selfie from the London Eras Tour with Prince William, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte, not only was she showing off her new friends but she also went Instagram grid official with Travis (a move she hasn't pulled since 2016!)

"Happy Bday M8!" Taylor captioned the photo. "London shows are off to a splendid start."

September 3, 2024 — Taylor Swift Literally Drafts Plays For The Chiefs

Travis Kelce nonchalantly revealed that Taylor Swift started drafting plays for him, and I NEED to know if and they use them! “She’s a little biased and just creates plays for me," Travis tells the Rich Eisen Show. “She had just been so open to learning the game, she didn’t know much about the rules or anything…I think she was just curious about the profession...I know none of the plays have gotten to Coach Reid yet, but if they ever do I’ll make sure everyone knows it was her creation."

September 11, 2024 — Taylor Swift Calls Travis Kelce Her Boyfriend On Live TV

During the VMAs, Taylor Swift accepted the award for Video of the Year for "Fortnight," and thanked Travis Kelce for his involvement — and confirmed they were boyfriend and girlfriend!!!

"Something that I'll always remember is when I would finish a take and I'd say ‘cut,’ and we'd be done with that take, I would always just hear, like, someone cheering from across the studio where we were shooting it, and that one person was my boyfriend, Travis," she says. "Everything this man touches turns to happiness and fun and magic. So, I want to thank him for adding that to our shoot because I’ll always remember that."

​How did Taylor and Travis meet?

In his WSJ profile, Travis Kelce revealed he had his own assists when it came to connecting with Taylor.

“There were definitely people she knew that knew who I was, in her corner [who said]: Yo! Did you know he was coming? I had somebody playing Cupid," he said — which he found out when Taylor contacted him. “She told me exactly what was going on and how I got lucky enough to get her to reach out."

How long have Taylor and Travis been together?

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been together since summer or early fall 2023. After Travis' friend "played Cupid" and they started talking, they were basically already a thing by the time she showed up to that first Chiefs' game in September 2023!

What is the age difference between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce?

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are only two months apart. Travis was born on October 5, 1989, and Taylor Swift was bornon December 13, 1989.