Perhaps you’ve recently read “The Five Love Languages” and realized that your partner/parent/sister/neighbor/bestie/workmate/kid’s teacher/barista/mail delivery person/child’s/ ______ (fill in the blank) love language is “receiving gifts”, or perhaps it’s just that time of year (again) and you refuse to give more money to Amazon. Good for you!

In any case, here’s your local San Francisco shopping guide. Come for the ideas and discount codes, drop some cash, and stay for the merriment. ‘Tis the season.

SF is filled with extraordinary present ideas. Voila! An org chart to help you navigate this guide:

1. Holiday Open Houses
2. Gift Cards to…
3. Physical Gifts
4. All around amazing gift stores
5. Services
6. Experiences

1. Holiday Open Houses!

What a spectacular way to meet artists and purchase their creations directly from them. 

• George McCalman and Georgia Hodges: These two awesome local artists are opening up their studio for 1 day only, on Saturday December 2nd from 11am-5pm! Come snag her ceramics and his prints or a signed copy of his “Illustrated Black History” book. Location: 1379 43rd Ave @Judah
  
• 1890’s Holiday Show & Sale:   Art Span’s Open Studios month is over, but if you want to stock up on presents for everyone, visit the art studios at 1890 Bryant St on Sunday December 10th from 12-5pm.  Discover 40 local artists who will all be selling an amazing array of gift sized items: jewelry, pottery, paintings, candles, photography, etc… Plus, the bakers downstairs are going all out, so pastries and music will be part of the celebration on this wonderful shopping day! 

2. A gift card to your favorite restaurant or museum!

These can be delivered on any night during Hanukkah, tossed into a stocking, handed out at the beach on Winter Solstice or revealed on the 25th of December. Here are a few tips for your treasure hunting:

• The Laundromat: Yes, this has appeared frequently in recent media because it is so HOT HOT HOT, but it’s well worth it. Give the gift of Sicilian pizza joy to that special someone in your life who loves to know the latest and best spots in The City, and who hasn’t yet ventured out to this outer Richmond gem. Ambiance rules, as do their sweatshirts.
  
  
  

• Front Porch: Oldy but goody in the outer Mission. Also, excellent cozy cool vibes with scrumptious southern flair food and delicious cocktails. If you haven’t been yet, this is the time to up the joy in your life and your belly.

• The New Taraval Cafe: Not your typical diner, or is it? Stan is keeping the family legacy alive by holding down one of SF’s best old school diners, located in the Parkside. Yet, he’s also taking it up a notch by slinging burgers on special nights and even hosting fun pop ups. This gift card looks particularly cute when delivered on top of one of Stan’s famous “Cookie Man Stan” cookies.
  
• Gumbo Social: Casual dining spot in the Bayview serving up hella good gumbo, and hot sauce! This food is crafted with so much love, which you can truly taste and feel. Sweet deal right now until December 15th: 25% off of gift cards over $25! Buy one for $50, but only spend $37.50.
• Joe’s Ice Cream Shop: This awesome local Richmond ice cream shop has been around since 1959, serving up great homemade ice cream, burgers, dogs AND a Korean salad.
• Coco’s Ramen: Head to the outer Mission and choose from 8 different broths then slurp up a mountain of noodles, heaped up high with veggies, a soft boiled egg and other yummy fixings. Perfect food for San Francisco weather any time of year.
• A membership to the Zoo, Academy of Sciences, DeYoung/Legion of Honor, SF MOMA, etc…This gift is a splurge but lasts 365 days.

3. Physical Gifts!

Not gonna lie, “receiving gifts” is one of my Love Languages. Enjoy these treat ideas below:

• The Plant Lady: San Francisco is an excellent resource for gifting some gorgeous greens.  Spruce up your giftee’s home with a succulent, a leafy queen or a cute pot. Plants are literally the gift that keeps on giving. Stop by the shop for a chat, or to ask some questions about your current plant needs. Then, choose a new varietal for the best white elephant gift of this season’s pile.

SAN FRANCISCO BEER PASSPORT (2024)

• Case For Making: Pick up some neon paints, brushes, zippered pouches or just about anything in this fabulous outer Sunset art store. This place is filled with cool clutches, art supplies and they even have online workshops. So many gifts at so many price points, and great for all ages.  Use code BAS2023 to receive 15% OFF online or in the store just mention BrokeAssStuart- until the 25th of December!

For example:

• CfM Mini Bundle: For $48, this includes a small Hasami Porcelain Mixing Dish, a Case for Making Round Brush in size 8, and three CfM Blended colors: Fuchsia, Turmeric, and Topaz!
• Crayon Rocks for kids (or anyone): For $7, you get 8 colorful soy rocks and for $12, you get 16. These come in an adorable muslin bag.
  
• Glitter Markers: For $21, take coloring up to the next level by introducing sparkles into your felt tip dreams.
  
  
• Rampant Wine Co: For the natural wine lovers out there, pick up a bottle or two or gift a wine club subscription. These outer Richmond guys are opening up their brick and mortar next Spring (yayayayayyy!), but until then they’re highly responsive, deliver locally and have a great selection. Perhaps you’re a natural connaisseur or this is your first rodeo into the land of fermentation sans additives.
  • In any case, buckle up because these flavor profiles are not what you’re used to. So fun, so fresh! Bottles start in the $20s and Wine Club is around $100 for 4 bottles every two months. Use code BAS2023 to receive 15% OFF ALL ORDERS until January 15th! This gives you a 15% discount and 5% of sales goes back to BAS. Woohoo!
    
    
    
• Record Stores: The gift of vinyl is for the young, the old and the in between.
  • Tunnel Records: Swing by their Taraval or Clement Street locations and grab some records, or beanies. They specialize in jazz, soul or rock.
    
    

• • Thrill House: Explore their punk selection or their free arcade. Yes, you read that correctly. Time to game it up in between browsings.
  • Dark Entries: Hit up their Tenderloin store for out of print or unreleased underground music, inspired by the DIY days of the 1980s independent record labels.
    
    • If you’re looking for music recs….Dive into the vibes of these fantastic musical artists:
      • Say She She: played at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB) 2023
      • Valerie June: played at HSB 2023
      • Brian Eno and Fred Again- played at HSB 2017 (Tom Thomp)
      • Hermanos Gutierrez: played at HSB 2023
      • Kurt Vile: played at HSB 2011, 2017, 2019 & 2023
      • Lucius: played at HSB 2022
      • Shannon & The Clams: played at HSB 2016
      • Dehd- how do we get them on the HSB list for next year? #obsessed

• Movie passes to the Balboa, Vogue and 4 Star: Yup, while you’re at Tunnel records on Clement, consider picking up some tickets for your friends who have kids. The weekend “Popcorn Palace” at the 4 Star includes popcorn and a beverage with each movie ticket. For $10! Great deal.

• • And, if you adore movies AND championing local small businesses then their Cinema SF Membership options RULE. A full year of movies at the 3 locations for one or two people, with or without popcorn, starting at $365! These theaters are the best; relics of San Francisco’s architectural past and constantly providing art and community festiveness.
    
• Neon beanies from Martell’s Liquor store on Geary between 20th and 21st Aves. Love a corner store that also sells something fun. Cheap ($5), colorful and so good for SF days or nights.
  
• Ina Botanicals Tea: Hand crafted in San Francisco, by Bernadette, this is a wonderful gift for the tea lovers in your life. Perfect combo: the tea is delightful, and the packaging is beautiful.

• Coffee roasted in house from any of these local places is a real heart warmer! See the full list for all 10 spots from SF Magazine’s article this month. Some examples are: AndyTown in the Richmond or Sunset, FLYWHEEL in the upper Haight, Sextant on Folsom, Ritual started on Valencia but now everywhere, Sight Glass started in SOMA but now several locations, Linea in Portrero and Mission, etc…

4. Overall excellent gift stores!

• Wood Goods and Hot Sauce: This is such a cute store in the Richmond. It not only has an excellent curated selection of fine gifts but highlights an array of hot sauces! #HOOKED. Their “Lemon Drop” one (front row left side in pic) is to die for. For that matter, so is the Bullwhipped Barrelaged one. COULD NOT STOP POURING THAT OVER MY CHILI THE OTHER NIGHT, know what I mean?Come any time, or come 12/3 for a hot sauce tasting event or 12/9 for their fab holiday market/Balboa Sidewalk Party. Explore their vintage rack, eat some tinned fish and leave with arms full of hot sauce and presents.They’ve even crafted some adorbs black gift boxes that hit a great price point. These two boxes are $75 each and include 4-5 items. Was my favorite item the picnic silverware set that screws together and includes a spoon, fork, knife and chopsticks ($31)??Use code BAS2023 to receive 10% OFF online or in the store just mention BrokeAssStuart- until the end of December!
  

  
  
  
  

• Rare Device: How many times have I gone here to pick up a treat for someone? Or even, myself. From gorgeous cookbooks, to beautiful journals, local jewelry, colorful kitchen towels, adorable toys and books for kids, awesome print sweatshirts, cool pens, rad art and stellar home items, this is your spot to find something for everyone on your list. Need ideas? Use code BAS2023 to receive 10% OFF online or in the store until December 7th!
  • Start or add to your collection of ghost ceramics ($26-$28).
  • CHINATOWN PRETTY book is a beautiful omage to one of SF’s unique distinctive neighborhoods ($25).
  • Baggu socks are the best ($14)
    
• SF Mercantile: Support local artists by buying beautiful gifts with a local flair created by a diverse group of local artists and artisans! This store is connected to Welcome Haight/Ashbury and Welcome Castro, both visitor centers providing info and retail goods honoring these historical neighborhoods and people. There are so many amazing artists at these spots. For example, check out prints, paintings and even commissions by Colette Hannahan who has works prominently displayed here, and even did a live painting session during last month’s Art Span Open Studios. Her prints start at $40 and make beautiful presents. Use code “member” to receive 10% OFF online or just mention BrokeAssStuart in any of these 3 stores – until the end of December!
  

  
  Photo taken of Colette Hannahan’s paintings during Art Span Open Studios at 1890 Bryant street.
  Mention BrokeAssStuart to Colette during the 1890 Bryant Holiday Show on 12/10 and receive 10% off!

• Green Apple Books: When it’s someone’s birthday, I usually just bike to their Inner Richmond or Inner Sunset locations because their book and gift selection is so on point. Love that you can also buy a Green Apple swim cap for $12 or one of their pretty “I love you Green Apple” t-shirts in mint green for $20. Buy political books, ones filled with poems, cookbooks, kid stories, or choose a puzzle, local art or just a swim cap.
  
• Gamescape: MUNI it over to Divisadero to purchase some games! This haven has been around since 1985 and is the perfect place to pick up something for the whole fam, not just the kiddos. Put the phones down, and release holiday cheer the old fashion way.Use code BrokeAssStuart to receive 10% OFF online or in the store just mention BrokeAssStuart- until the end of December!

5. Moving on: Instead of a physical gift, consider offering a service!

What an eco friendly, non cluttering move you just made.

• Foot Massage:  Wonderfoot Health Center: Spend $60 and relax your holiday stress away with a 75 min foot and back massage. This is not your luxury spa situation. If that’s your jam, then head over to the Kabuki or Imperial Spas in Japantown. If C&C (cheap and cheerful) is more your taste then this outer Richmond nook will melt your tension away and not hit your pocketbook that hard.
• Styling Sesh: Call Carole at Neat&Kind for a look revamp or just to purchase some of her gorgeous vintage items from her shop at The Coven Project. Your mom, brother-in-law, auntie, or bestie might not splurge on this themselves so it makes a perfect gift. Her Holiday Special includes: an in person 1-hour consultation at the store post survey, measurements, a style board and a shopping list with 5 items tailored to you! This fun package is $120, but 15% off for BAS readers. For a bigger splurge, she can also do an entire closet refresh. In any case, what a treat! Look good in 2024 thanks to Carole.
• Reiki from the San Francisco Herbalist: Lily is not only a reiki healer, but can also read your Akashic records and provide advice on clinical herbs. Help your giftee feel amazing, and reenergized. Offering a healing hour is such a beautiful way to say “I love you”! A Reiki session is $122 but there’s a sliding scale for BIPOC, educators and front line workers. BONUS: Mention “BrokeAssStuart” when booking, and receive 10% off of your service!
  
  
• Photography: Gift a portrait, headshot or family session and see how your giftee will light up each time they see the fruits of this experience. Nicole captures people’s authentic beautiful genuine selves, not fake smiles or cheesy poses. BONUS: Mention “BrokeAssStuart” when booking, and receive 3 COMPLIMENTARY 5×7 prints!
  
  

6. Curated experiences!

Want to surprise that special someone with the gift of “quality time” (yes, that love language speaks to so many of us!) then organize a day, night or weekend itinerary as your present.

• Have you read my CITY COUNSELOR articles on Broke Ass? Each one of them is a date night/weekend adventure through different SF neighborhoods. There are 7 articles in different SF neighborhoods. Choose your adventure. Or take your person to Paris, that’s article #8.

Shows to watch out for:

• Stevie Nicks’ rescheduled concert at the Chase center December 15th. There are still tickets available. Join me for this epic evening!

• Atsuko Okatsuka Comedy Show at the Palace of Fine Arts January 10th (her Jan 11th show is already SOLD OUT!). Watch her HBO standup special and then catch this hilarious woman live, who was named one of the top 1o comics in 2022.
• Marc Maron Comedy Show at the Castro Theater Feb 3rd. His WTF podcast is listed in the top 50 most listened to shows. Epic performance in an epic locale.
• Say She She Concert: February 6th at Novato’s Hop Monk Tavern. Fingers crossed they add an SF show, but this trio who performed at the last Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and most recently at The Chapel a few weeks ago, is all the rage. They’re on fire and all you’ll want to do is dance, so a short drive out of the 7×7 is well worth it.

This list could really go on and on. If you have items or stores you wish were included, send me an email at Hello@bigbellybreathing.com and I’ll include more ideas. 

Have fun shopping!

Don’t forget to #treatyoself too 🙂

Cheers and Happy Holidays.

Photo of Kate Tova‘s street art