A year ago on this date, I revealed my best $10 gift suggestion for the 2018 holiday season. I recommended that my readers purchase an LED cinema lightbox for their next Chinese Gift Exchange or simply for their holiday sweetheart. Leading up to that blog post, I had vigorously used my own lightbox that I won at a gift exchange during the 2017 holiday season. I still use it to this day.

Throwback of Sloan playing with our lightbox. This was my recommended gift idea for the 2018 holiday season.

From what I heard, my endorsement of the product led to an additional 1,923,431 lightboxes being sold.

But a new year is here and that means I have to throw my support behind a new gift. In 2019, I am ditching last year’s $10 or under stipulation and simply recommending a gift that would be worth any cost you pay for it.

My 2019 holiday gift suggestion is a blanket.

If you need to purchase a material gift for someone, I feel there is no better option. In terms of use, a blanket should last forever. My parents still routinely use a couple blankets they received as wedding gifts. Sid still uses a blanket she received as a child. We have blankets that we have had since we started dating.

Blankets rule in our house!

Blankets don’t lose their warmth over the years. In fact, I would argue that they age like a fine wine, becoming more form-fitting and comfortable as the years go by. You don’t grow out of them, you don’t lose interest in them, and they don’t break. A blanket is for life.

You also need not worry about whether someone will put a blanket to use. Our family lives in one of the warmest climates in the country and we use blankets on a nightly basis. If you walk into our living room, you will find a large wicker basket containing five different blankets. Each one is used on a regular basis.

Or living room wicker basket holds our blankets.

Which brings me to my next point. Out of those blankets in our wicker basket, a couple were homemade just for us and the remaining ones came from stores. Although the homemade ones are very special and have love woven into the fabric, we really enjoy the ones that were purchased for us as well. So if you can’t sew, don’t think you can’t give someone a blanket you bought from Target…it will still be well-used and appreciated.

In closing, shut your eyes and think about someone draping a warm blanket around your body on a cold winter night. The practical feeling of warmth is nice but the psychological feeling of protection and homeyness isn’t too bad either. Remember what I said above about blankets being worth more than what you pay for?

Struggling for a gift idea this year? Want to be the hero at your gift exchange? In 2019, go with a blanket. Trust me. Don’t Blink.