A bit about European Starlings: these feisty, metallic birds are the most numerous bird in North America despite being from, well, Europe.
Annoyingly, in 1890 a drug manufacturer named Eugene Schieffelin thought he knew better than Mother Nature and released around 60 of them in Central Park. He thought it was ‘a shame’ that America didn’t have the birds that Shakespeare wrote about.
Today, the ancestors of these birds decimate crops, resources and nests of native birds.
Every farmer or naturalist will tell you that the only good European Staring is a dead one - unless perhaps it resides in native Europe.
So, we’re putting some from pest control to good use in my classic Birds 101 class.
We’re not saying you want to enable them (OK, maybe we are), but you definitely know someone who works too much. They chip away at their to-do lists on weekends. They are probably even going to slip away at some point during the holidays to check work email. If that’s the lifestyle they’ve chosen, embrace it by picking gifts that can either live at their desk, or come with them while they’re trying to get work done on the road. Our list includes everything from a comfy desk chair to a wireless charging desk lamp to our favorite laptopanddesktop keyboard. You might not be able to persuade them to change their rigid habits, but at least you can make them more comfortable while they toil away.
For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don’t forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guidehub.
The 12 best tech gifts for the entertainer in your life
You know the type: Someone who loves throwing parties. In fact, you will probably partake of egg nog and sugar cookies in their home before the season is up. So why not get them something that helps them do what they do best: entertain. If your friend loves to cook, you might consider an easy-to-use WiFi sous vide, asmart kitchen scale or a smokeless infrared grill. For entertaining, a countertop draft beer system is convenient – and then your friend can servepour-over coffee as the party is winding down. Finally, we have some ideas on how the hostess in your life can keep guests amused – try the Cards Against Humanityscience pack expansion,USB turntableorLomography instant camera.
For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don’t forget to stop by our mainHoliday Gift Guidehub.
Are you looking for a cheap, easy, and original holiday gift idea? Make these Witches’ Spell Napkins using tea/coffee dyed thrifted napkins and iron on transfer paper. I have had great luck using these tee shirt iron on paper - the images come out sharp and can be machine washed over and over again.
If you aren’t up to tackling a huge embroidery project, why not choose a short word to needle punch? You can customize a gift by picking the perfect word for your gift recipient.
Here are a few of our picks for the mushroom lover who has everything!
For the Forager:
The national pastime of mushroom nerds is foraging for mushrooms, usually in the woods but sometimes in fields and urban areas. When stalking some of the more illusive mushrooms, a dogged hunter could spend hours, days even, belly down in leaf litter waiting for fungi to reveal themselves. When they finally do appear, it’s good to be prepared.
Mushroom Hunting Knife - $19 - $49
Mushroom hunters often carry a mushroom knife for harvesting and examination. Though many knives work for this purpose mushroom knives are the standard in the field. They often have long wooden handles, with a small curved blades that fold down for easy storage. A belt clip is always a nice feature since you’ll want to keep it from getting lost. In addition, some knives come with a little brush which is useful when uncovering dirty mushrooms. Even fancier ones have a compass for finding your way out of the woods with your haul. You can find our favorite knives hereandhere.
Mushroom Collecting Basket - $150 - $300
If you’ve ever heard Ella Fitzgererald sing A’Tisket A’Tasket about a long-lost beloved basket you might think maybe Ella’s basket had some shrooms in it. She seems pretty upset about it. We feel you Ella.
Whether you’re recovering from a lost basket episode or just looking to level up in the foraging world, consider a dedicated foraging basket. It is our sincere wish that someday we’ll acquire a sweetgrass basket for foraging because these baskets in particular hold a lot of meaning for us.
Growing up in Charleston and the Sea Islands of South Carolina, I was introduced to and grew to love the rich history of basket-making among African American Gullah and Geechee people. This history deserves a whole library of scholarship but let’s just say this: Sweetgrass Basket making is a cultural practice that fuses art and environmental stewardship of African descendant peoples. The lines between “folk” and “fine” art are blurred and upended. They were never legitimate to begin with.
The actual work is painstaking and a basket the size of the one pictured could take dozens of hours. The skill is taught to kids at a young age and passed down along with the history of the family and the culture. Families and individuals cultivate signature styles and elevate the art constantly.
Sweetgrass and bullrush, the sea-grasses that most baskets are made of, have also been found to have a lot of beneficial properties and to be keys to the survival of coastal ecosystems. Wanna guess who’s been trying to make sure these species stay viable? I’ll wait…
Hear Vera Manigault, veteran basket maker and Gullah Historian, talk about the history of basket-making among her people. Watch her demonstrate cultivation techniques and talk about how real estate development has endangered her wait of life.
When you buy a sweetgrass basket, it’s important to buy directly from the artist, not a dealer or middle-person. You get better service and get to know the provenance of the basket and the name of its maker. Basket-makers will often guarantee the basket for up to 100 years and will make repairs in case of damage. These are our favorite basket makers on the internet:
Do we really need to explain? Just as our love for mushrooms knows no bounds, our love for all dishes that respectfully feature mushroom is the same. What better way to accompany hand harvested or farmer’s market snagged fungi and on a bed of tasty hand-made noodles!! Go forth, make ramen!
For the Fairy:
Mushroom Chess Set - $125
Was this the tuffet? I think it was. Play this classic and complex game with mushroom guides on your side. Available from the ErinLes House Etsy Store
For the FIY-er (Fungi It Yourself) - $15 - $30
Give the gift of Grow Your Own. Mushroom kits make great gifts because they produce a beautiful tablescape that you can eat! The can be uber fancy like this one from Williams-Sonoma’s “Agrarian Collection.” Tres posh!
Or they can be down to earth like the ones we’ll have this Saturday. Either way, they are pretty cool!
Happy Shopping and, while this list is merely a dalliance, we made sure that, were any of these things to land on our doorstep, we’d make good use of them. :)
Be festive this year with some Yuri!! on Ice Glass Ornament designed charms! Hang em on a Christmas tree, hang em on a wall, do whatever you want!
Made from clear acrylic. These will be 3 inches and one sided instead of double sided. Back side will be white. Will come with a strap, a real pink tied ribbon, and a snowflake charm accessory.
Preorders start today November 14th and end November 22 at 12AM EST. I may extend it by a day or two and I may order a couple extra just in case. I plan to ship early December. Get them while you still can!
Also, MY STORE IS FINALLY OPEN! Don’t want Yuri!! on Ice? No problem! Visit my tictail custom shop where I have charms from other series! Mystic Messenger, Zelda, Boku no Hero Academia and more! I’ll be adding a few more things later so keep an eye out! Buttons and Large prints are currently unavailable but will be soon! Spread the news, tell your friends! :D
I’m going to extend the preorders to tomorrow around midnight (Nov. 23rd 11:59 PM EST) for anyone maybe making last minute decisions. I’ll be ordering a few extra so a few ppl can still buy em and see photos if they are interested. ^^
PREORDERS END TONIGHT AROUND 11:59 PM EST! LAST CHANCE!
Be festive this year with some Yuri!! on Ice Glass Ornament designed charms! Hang em on a Christmas tree, hang em on a wall, do whatever you want!
Made from clear acrylic. These will be 3 inches and one sided instead of double sided. Back side will be white. Will come with a strap, a real pink tied ribbon, and a snowflake charm accessory.
Preorders start today November 14th and end November 22 at 12AM EST. I may extend it by a day or two and I may order a couple extra just in case. I plan to ship early December. Get them while you still can!
Also, MY STORE IS FINALLY OPEN! Don’t want Yuri!! on Ice? No problem! Visit my tictail custom shop where I have charms from other series! Mystic Messenger, Zelda, Boku no Hero Academia and more! I’ll be adding a few more things later so keep an eye out! Buttons and Large prints are currently unavailable but will be soon! Spread the news, tell your friends! :D
I’m going to extend the preorders to tomorrow around midnight (Nov. 23rd 11:59 PM EST) for anyone maybe making last minute decisions. I’ll be ordering a few extra so a few ppl can still buy em and see photos if they are interested. ^^
The gold snowflake charm accessories came in today! I’m so excited to see this project through! ^^
If you’d like to preorder do so here on my online store! Preorders may end around November 22nd (I may extend it, I will see on the 22nd). Order em while you can!
Ethikal is a pop up boutique at 1 Hotel South Beach during Art Basel Miami featuring luxury ethical fashion and beauty brands including Accompany, Maiyet, AUrate jewelry and Victorine.
We love the Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll beauty fragrance oils by Victorine. Perfect as a gift for a friend and maybe an extra set for us too! www.victorinenyc.com Post link
We all need a relaxing way to unwind from our busy lives. These clever and creative bath bombs are just what the wellness doctor ordered. Perfect to give as gifts to loved ones or to yourself, these colorful spheres will turn an ordinary bath into a luxurious spa experience. Available in a variety of fun designs, peruse the entire collection at Bath House.
