Don't hate on gift giving just yet

People do last minute Christmas shopping

By Defne KarabaturAudience Engagement Editor

Nov. 27, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning! Just a heads up: Essential California will be taking a holiday break, but we’ll be back on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

Our annual gift guide can help you prepare for the holidays.
Trump tees up tariff hikes on top trading partners. What’s at stake for California?
25 things to do in L.A. to feel like you’ve walked into a holiday movie.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

Be your best Santa with The Times’ gift guide

‘Tis the season of secret Santas, white elephants and gift exchanges — the perfect excuse to hand-craft a present or spend money on trinkets that you hope (but secretly know) your loved ones will cherish.

This is also the time of year to put the things you want or need and can’t rationalize buying — because you find them silly, expensive or unnecessary — on your wish list as ideas for what your friends and family can get for you.

Whether you’re a gift giver or receiver or both, you might find the gift exchange to be a rewarding experience, a testimony to your relationship with the other person. But, it can also feel like the most daunting part of the holidays.

To make this journey less stressful and more joyful, the L.A. Times has put together its annual gift guide full of recommendations for where to shop and what to get. Here are some of the best selections from the guide.

Gifts can be nontraditional

Close your eyes and think about the word gift. Are you seeing a neatly wrapped box? Well, if so, it’s time to think outside of that ribboned box and realize that experiences can be gifts too.

Maybe it’s cooking an authentic Italian dish with the aid of a professional to help your cooking-obsessed friend or family member tap into their inner Carmy and Sydney from “The Bear” — without the drama and screaming — at Eataly Los Angeles. Or, flying over scenic mountain terrain at Skull Canyon Ziplines with your favorite adrenaline junkie.

If a friend or family member doesn’t want a traditional gift, or if you’re hoping to share an adventurous moment with your gift receiver, these are the best experiences to give. And if you’re looking for something for those who might need a self-care day but are too stubborn to admit it, these relaxing experiences under $100 might be the perfect gift. (Who wouldn’t want to receive a Chinese scalp treatment or spend two hours in the presence of hundreds of thousands of bees to find calm?)

When in doubt, think simple

The best way to un-complicate the gift-giving process is to think about how your gift recipient spends their free time. Are they a hiker? A gardener? Someone who enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes?

Because the best gifts can also be practical, something that your giftee will use frequently, if not daily, while also adding quality to their lives and making something they already do even more enjoyable.

The California Explorer Annual Pass provides prepaid access to most California state parks, which typically charge a vehicle day use fee, and is valid for 12 months. Or consider the CoolJob bamboo touch screen gardening gloves, which elevate the gardening experience for multitaskers who use their phones while taking care of their plants and flowers.

Scrap online shopping, hit the town

The internet, with all its positives, can be a stressful place. There are too many online stores and services to choose from and too many pages to scroll through to find a special gift. Yes, it’s great for last-minute gifts that are delivered on time. But it can easily detract from the gift selecting experience, especially if you prefer browsing through a physical store.

If you’re in L.A., check out these special shops where you might be surprised by what you find and opt for a different, more unique handmade gift. And as a bonus, you might be supporting a small business with your purchase.

You might also find it more enjoyable by inviting a friend or two to join your gift buying escapade. And maybe at the end of the day, you’ll each find something the other would like.

Whether you start early or procrastinate, finding the right gift for the holidays, birthdays or any other celebrations can be a stressful, overthought process. We hope our gift guide makes it a little easier.

Today’s top stories

A photo of a cargo ship leaving the Port of Los Angeles as a fisherman waits for his catch.

Trump tees up tariff hikes on top trading partners. What’s at stake for California?

Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico could have damaging effects on California’s globally integrated economy, affecting thousands of businesses and many more jobs, consumer prices and choices of goods.
Here’s a look at how the proposed tariffs could bring higher prices for groceries, cars, clothing and other products.
Meanwhile, world leaders and economists are trying to figure out if Trump’s tariff threats are a bluff or a negotiating tactic.

L.A. officials asked Trump for $3.2 billion to pay for Olympic transportation projects

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board is asking the incoming president to set aside funds for the Olympics in his 2026 federal budget.
More than $2 billion will be needed to run enough buses to get spectators to and from venues. Local officials are worried that they are running out of time and money to prepare for the Games.

Bird flu warnings go unheeded at many California dairy farms

H5N1 bird flu may be more widespread among people than the reported numbers indicate, according to new research and discussions with dairy farmers in the Central Valley.
Bird flu poses a low risk to the public, government health officers say. But some experts warn that nearly all the conditions needed for the virus to develop a threatening mutation are now present in many dairy farms.

The worst times to drive on L.A.’s 405 Freeway before Thanksgiving

Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving are the worst times to drive on the 405, a Times analysis of Caltrans data found.
An estimated 6.6 million Californians are expected to hit the road for the holiday. And LAX expects more than 2.2 million passengers to fly through it between Thursday and Monday.

What else is going on

Here’s everything we know about Hannah Kobayashi, the woman who vanished after missing flight at LAX.
Burglars and vandals have hit Los Angeles public schools 171 times since August.
A man is accused of killing four adults in Lancaster and setting the house on fire.
An L.A. icon of coffee shop architecture will give way to a fast-food chain.
Neuroscientists discovered a brain circuit that instantly deflates stress.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Commentary and opinions

As Thanksgiving approaches, columnist Gustavo Arellano gives thanks to undocumented immigrants who could be deported by Trump.
Don’t panic this Thanksgiving: You can survive political disagreements, writes Kenneth Barish, author of the forthcoming “Bridging Our Political Divide.”
The Menendez brothers’ plea for clemency is a learning moment, observes Melissa Breger, a professor at Albany Law School.
California officials are finally going after a zombie regulation whose effect can be seen on Los Angeles streets, the Editorial Board writes.
“Record of the year” can’t begin to capture Kendrick Lamar’s brilliance in a dark 2024, columnist LZ Granderson writes.

This morning’s must read

A woman stands outside in front of phone poles.

Copper thieves cut off this SoCal suburb’s phones for months and the bills kept coming. Hacienda Heights has been without landline phone service for six months due to copper wire thefts. Some schools’ power lines also have been cut.

More must reads

Seniors over the Medi-Cal income limit struggle to afford payments.
The son of a Sinaloa cartel legend seeks a new family legacy.
A company pitched “exclusive” access to the Mt. Waterman ski resort. The Forest Service says that’s problematic.
From closeted teens to a kiss that went viral on TikTok, TrinoxAdam share their story.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your downtime

An illustration of a holiday scene including Christmas trees, glowing tulips and Victorian houses.

Going out

🎄 From a holiday boat parade to tree lightings, here are 25 activities in L.A. that will make you feel like you’ve been transported into a holiday film.
🎥 Will the box office success of “Wicked” rejuvenate the tricky business of Broadway adaptations?
🍿 Director Sean Baker and actor Mikey Madison discuss how they pushed the “Anora” vibes to the brink.
🍴 These 13 standout restaurants are where L.A. chefs eat on their nights off.
🐔 The Hainanese chicken rice wars are heating up in the San Gabriel Valley.

Staying in

🦃 Cooking Thanksgiving dinner? This Iron Chef has some tips.
🧙‍♀️ Kathryn Hahn explains why she was so game to play a witchy woman in “Agatha All Along.”
📚 Cher’s real name is revealed in the singer’s memoir, “Cher: The Memoir, Part One,” but here are three more interesting Cher facts.
🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for green bean gratin.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

A question for you: What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

David Burns writes: “My mother came up with a recipe for orange rolls that we traditionally had at Thanksgiving all through my childhood, and my sister and I have continued the tradition as well. I think she first made them when we moved into a new house in 1954, so this will be the 71st year. “

And Ron Yukelson writes: “Keep the turkey, can the cranberries, yank the yams and mash the potatoes — give me stuffing. Any kind will do. Bread stuffing from scratch, Stove Top, Mrs. Cubbison’s — it doesn’t matter — just serve me stuffing!”

Thanks for all the emails this week. It was nice hearing from you.

And finally ... your photo of the day

Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.

Three students at UCLA stand in a dark dorm room that has been transformed into an escape room.

Today’s great photo is from staff photographer Wally Skalij, who was recently on assignment for a story about how a student at UCLA transformed his dorm room into an escape room.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.