Every year, the holidays remind us that love takes many forms. Some people say it with homemade cookies or heartfelt cards. Others say it with … enabling. Or can we just call it being supportive? We’re supportive of our friends’ and family’s quirky fixations, favorite indulgences and self-care rituals — those harmless (or semi-harmless) obsessions that keep our favorite people ticking.
A lot of those obsessions are easy to spot: The friend who treats the latest camping gear like they’re collecting Pokémon cards, or the cinephile who sheds actual tears over any swag referencing classic movies, or the person whose bathroom cabinet is an aromatic shrine to bergamot and grapefruit. They can’t get enough. And honestly? We adore them for it.
This gift guide is a toast to all those wonderfully specific passions. Not to fix them, not to temper them, but to fuel them. Because the gift that says “I get you” is the perfect holiday flex.
Let the holiday enabling commence!
The well-poured vice
Nite Owl Coffee Liqueur
$18 (375 ml) or $32 (750 ml)
When it comes to little vices, sometimes the best indulgence lies in the convergence of two worlds. Such is the case with Nite Owl Coffee Liqueur, which solves the age-old dilemma of whether you should have caffeine or booze by offering them both. This delectable concoction screams Missoula, blending the spirit-crafting savvy of Montgomery Distillery with the bean-roasting panache of Black Coffee Roasting Company. Based on personal experience, Nite Owl is the perfect gift for the person who enjoys their Christmas eggnog with a little extra zing or for the person who will no doubt add it to their next mouthwatering batch of homemade holiday tiramisu. —Alex Sakariassen
📍 Montgomery Distillery, 129 W. Front St.
The epicurean urge
Antler shed server
$60 – $75
The dedicated Montana baker in your life deserves something special to serve that slice of homemade apple pie or elk-sausage pizza. Behold the antler shed server found at The Artists Shop. Montana company Bella’s Bones forages for shed antlers, which are naturally discarded every year by deer and elk, and transforms them into rustic yet decadent kitchenware. The stainless steel server unscrews from the handle for ease of cleaning. Such an epic kitchen tool deserves to be mounted on the wall when not in action. (And note that for the cooking-challenged, the brand also makes dramatic-looking antler corkscrews.) —Kate Whittle
📍 The Artists Shop, 127 N. Higgins Ave.
The passionate pursuit of presence
The Yoga Deck
$14.95
Do you know someone who treats yoga like a personality type? A friend who’s either heading to class, coming from class, or talking about chakras at brunch? The Yoga Deck at Butterfly Herbs’ provides a little something to deepen their practice. Packed with “50 meditations for body, mind and spirit,” each card offers a moment of grounding they can tap into anywhere. Whether they’re unwinding from work or trying to stay centered in the face of the relentless onslaught of the 24/7 news cycle, this deck gives your resident yoga connoisseur a portable retreat. And a new ritual to obsess over. —Sam Phillips
📍 Butterfly Herbs, 232 N Higgins Ave.
The film-buff indulgence
Roxy Theater-themed soap
$9
Missoula’s favorite arthouse theater always seems to be forging more local partnerships, from film festivals and date-night pass deals to popcorn-flavored cookies and movie tie-in ice creams. This holiday season, they’ve got a surprising collaboration at the concession counter for any cinephile: Roxy-themed soap crafted by Missoula-based Buff City Soap. Each bar captures that iconic rocket ship crash from George Melies 1902 silent film A Trip to the Moon, now immortalized in the Roxy’s logo. And who doesn’t want to bring the magic of the silver screen into the tub? —Alex Sakariassen
📍 The Roxy Theater, 718 S. Higgins Ave.
The compulsion for calm
CBD balm at Greenhouse Farmacy
$35
The older I get, the more going to bed early and getting a solid night’s sleep feels like the biggest indulgence. On a purely anecdotal level, the 750 mg CBD balm made by local dispensary Greenhouse Farmacy is lovely and powerfully soothing to apply before bedtime. I would recommend it for your recipient who can’t party like they used to, but could still use some relaxation and pain relief. Pair with a white noise machine and a relaxing NA beverage for a sober but blissed-out experience. —Kate Whittle
📍 Greenhouse Farmacy, 1541 S. 3rd St. W.
The celebrity guilty pleasure
Celebrity saint candles
$16.99
Does someone in your life ingest an unhealthy amount of tabloid gossip or know a little too much about the Kardashian lineage? Rockin Rudy’s pyramid of celebrity candles offers a tangible outlet for their, uh, devotion. These waxy shrines feature everyone from Chappell Roan to Jim Carrey, so you can satisfy just about any flavor of fandom. Your favorite fame fanatic will be speechless when they unwrap a cylindrical ode to the star they worship most — and you’ll walk away looking like the real celebrity of their Christmas. —Sam Phillips
📍 Rockin Rudy’s, 237 Blaine St.
The outdoor obsession
Crazy Love Co. metal mug
$24
Gearheads can be damn tricky to shop for during the holidays. Skiing, fishing, kayaking, biking — the requisite equipment for outdoors pursuits is often pricey and subject to all sorts of personal preferences and potential brand loyalties. But there’s one thing no adventurer can have enough of in the camp tote: camp mugs. And Missoula’s Crazy Love Co. offers a new line of metal mugs that riff on local recreational hotspots. With fun designs featuring Pattee Canyon, the Clark Fork and the Rattlesnake, these vessels are destined to add extra warmth to that first cup of cowboy coffee or apres-ski schnapps. —Alex Sakariassen
📍 The Trailhead, 221 E. Front St.
The inclination to lounge in luxury
The ‘Martha‘ robe at Betty’s Divine
$192
It’s hard to find loungewear that feels both glamorous and warm during a Montana winter when drape-y satins just won’t cut it against the chill of a drafty house. The “Martha” robe at Betty’s Divine, made by indie brand Hanker, is a functional and joyful antidote to gray sweatpants. The high-quality cotton velvet exterior and woven cotton lining are brightly printed in groovy motifs, with big practical pockets. It’ll have your recipient feeling like a 1970s movie star lounging on a tropical vacation, no matter how cold it is outside. —Kate Whittle
📍 Betty’s Divine, 509 S. Higgins Ave.
The art-on-everything fixation
Many-Leg Bison sticker
$5 or $10 for XL version
We’ve all got at least one on our Christmas list: that person who loves to carpet every surface in life with humor and flair. Any laptop, Yeti mug or car bumper in sight is fair game, and Missoula-based Indigenous artist Stella Nall has just the dash of whimsy to add to anyone’s adhesive-backed collection. The “Many-Leg Bison” stands — on all eight of its legs — as a prime specimen from Nall’s growing menagerie of fanciful creatures, which have appeared in a host of spaces from Lowell Elementary to the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian. If you really want to stuff that stocking, consider upgrading to the XL version of the Many-Leg Bison, which clocks in at 23 legs and just over a foot long. —Alex Sakariassen
📍 Missoula Makers, 112 W. Front St., and at stellanall.com.
The expertly scented thrill
Panier Des Sens perfume and hand cream
$22
This prettily packaged pairing of perfume and lotion is exactly right for the person in your life who craves good smells. Available in three scents — precious jasmine, rose geranium, and Provence — this floral combo box makes a charming stocking stuffer. When Montana’s cold, dry winter air starts stealing moisture from everything in sight, the hand cream will restore it while the perfume keeps summer vibes alive. Step into Butterfly Herbs, and these patterned boxes lining the perfume shelf are impossible to miss. The French name, Panier Des Sens, literally means “basket of senses,” which is just fancy enough to make your perfume-loving friend feel very sophisticated. —Sam Phillips
📍 Butterfly Herbs, 232 N Higgins Ave.
The vinyl infatuation
Ear Candy Music’s branded cork slipmats
$18
It’s 7:30 a.m. and the needle drops, waking Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers from their album jacket snooze. The music mixes with the smell of morning coffee, and the tunes keep coming throughout the day. Thundercat, Patti Smith, Sharon Jones, Van Morrison. The only frustration is that this vinyl enthusiast already has everything. Except, just maybe, a little added insurance for their most cherished LPs — and it’s an object showcasing one of their favorite local music emporiums. Ear Candy carries a special stash of branded cork slipmats designed to dampen vibration, reduce static and keep those vinyl treasures from slipping, as well as protecting grooves and needle during those long days of long plays. —Alex Sakariassen
📍 Ear Candy Music, 624 S. Higgins Ave.
