Christmas is approaching quite fast and it’s time to think about presents!
Are you happy or incredibly stressed at the mere thought of it? I have to admit that I love giving presents and I always do my best to buy the perfect gift for the people I love.
Sometimes I even buy presents throughout the year: if I come across something nice, I just can’t resist. I buy the perfect thing, even if it is a hot summer day in July, and give it to the person I love at Christmas.
However, if you are not as maniac as I am – which I totally understand – and you start thinking about presents by mid-December, I decided to help you and give you some ideas. If you have a friend who loves Italy, you can think of an Italian-themed present: I am sure he or she would definitely be pleased. Or maybe, since you are reading this blog, you are a fan of Italy yourself and you can find ideas for a present for you – the best of presents, you know.
Let’s see what I selected for you.
The first idea that came to my mind is something quintessentially Italian, something you can find in every single Italian household: it’s the moka. Moka is the way we call our traditional espresso maker, which we use to make espresso at home. There are many other professional coffee makers nowadays, but we will never abandon our trusty moka: it’s part of our DNA.
If you want to buy an espresso maker for you or one of your beloved ones, just make sure that you buy a Bialetti, which is the most famous brand for moka pots – and the only one we take into consideration. It comes in different sizes, depending on the number of cups you can make with it: the most common ones are the 3 and 6 cup versions.
You can buy it here. If you don’t know how to use it, you can check this video.
Then maybe you can think of a print. Is there somebody who doesn’t like a nice print? I don’t think so. Prints are perfect to give some character and personality to a white wall and a great way to showcase one’s passions. They are also great to take you back to a place you like or miss, like Italy for example.
I have taken a look on Etsy and I found endless Italian-themed prints. I selected two of them, which I think make a nice present for someone who is fascinated by this lovely country. The first one is by Victorian Wall Decor and is an amazing old-fashioned print of Florence, the second one is by Orchid Printables and features one of the most famous Italian sayings.
If you have a friend who loves cooking and is fascinated by Tuscany as well, Giulia Scarpaleggia’s book is the perfect gift. No doubts about it.
Giulia Scarpaleggia is an Italian food blogger, writer, and photographer. She lives and works in Tuscany, where she also gives cooking classes. This love for cooking and for her amazing region has made her write a book, called I love Toscana, which not only is a great cookbook but a nice tour around Tuscany as well. You will learn how to cook Tuscan food and the stories behind a certain recipe or a certain tradition as well. I keep recommending it and I will never stop!
Another incredibly talented Italian lady is the illustrator Roberta Ragona, who is known as Tostoini. As she declares in the bio on her website, she has a soft spot for anthropology and actually she’s famous for her prints of cute animals and fishes.
She has recently created an illustration for Jamie Magazine Italia for an article about Sicily. Such print is now available on Society 6, where you can choose whether you want it as an art print, a bag or a pillow. I personally adore the pillow, I can see it bringing a lot of color and life to a gray couch.
The print is the one here below, isn’t it lovely?
Another nice gift idea for someone who loves cooking Italian food is a pasta machine. Like the moka pot, it can be found in many Italian households but it is probably less used as making pasta at home in quite challenging – for myself, at least. However, if you have a friend who is not scared at kneading and stretching the dough, this pasta machine will surely be a hit!
As for the moka pot, you have to choose the right brand, which is Imperia – sometimes, in Italian, we even refer it to the pasta maker as just the Imperia. It is the gift that moms usually give to their daughters when they move on their own or just get married, but can you imagine that my grandmother didn’t even know about it? She used to do it all on her own, no machine needed!
You can buy it here and, if you don’t know how to use it, you can watch this video.
I hope I helped you with some gift ideas. If you still haven’t found the perfect one, you can maybe think of DVD of an Italian movie (you can find a list of Italian movies here), maybe a book about living in Italy, or about learning Italian, or just an Italian book) or maybe a virtual trip to Italy!
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