Hi all! Today I’m sharing what I got my favorite Hudson Valley adventurer for Christmas – aka Darren. Darren is so hard to shop for – you know those people that want something and then just buy it? That’s Darren – I mean he literally bought a Ducati this year – how am I going to top that? I’m not, so instead I decided this year’s theme would be an ode to my adventure-seeking boyfriend.

First, I got Darren this print – it’s a hand drawn map of the Hudson Valley and I absolutely love it! It’s got Kingston on it – the place we met and so many places we’ve been over the years, like the Ashokan Reservoir, the Saugerties Lighthouse, FDR, and Minnewaska. I think it’s absolutely lovely and the brand does maps of other places we hope to go, like London, so maybe someday we’ll have a whole wall of these and they’ll all have a special meaning.

Next up, I got Darren a new cologne – Explorer – not only does it fit in with my adventure theme, but it smells SO good. It’s a blend of bergamot, vetiver, and patchouli and I think he’s going to love it.

I also got Darren these cocktail glasses on Etsy. When Darren and I moved in last year, we didn’t buy any glasses because we had slowly been accumulating a box of glasses we either got as souvenirs at food, wine, or beer festivals, or ones we had stolen from our favorite restaurants (I know! That doesn’t sound like me AT ALL, but a friend who has a friend in the restaurant business said it’s okay to take them home – it’s like free advertising) SORRY MOM. But anyway, after a year, we’ve broken a few and finally needed a matching set – so I thought this was perfect.

To go with the glasses – I found these cocktail cubes. I think these are just genius – you pour a little hot water on them, muddle them, and then mix with the right spirit – making spirits bright. I found these on Anthropologie and Teaspressa has their own website with even more flavor combinations – what a cool stocking stuffer!

I didn’t get Darren much this year because our plan is actually to get a puppy, but I do still have a few ideas on the back burner, just in case the need arises – here are some other gift ideas for your Hudson Valley adventurer:

1. I’ve always wanted one of these Marshall speakers and while Darren is totally content with his Sonos set-up – I think this would make such a lovely gift for the guy in your life!
2. I also love this Kiel James Patrick Key fob – it’s a little compass rose and just perfect for the guy who gives your life direction.
3. I’m only not buying Darren this knife-set because I know they’re something I want and he just happened to say once in passing – “maybe we need new knives”.
4. I love this cocktail shaker – it just feels so Darren.
5. I actually just ordered this book for Darren, he has a watch collection and I think he’ll have fun looking through it!

Thanks for stopping by, hoping to have more gift guides up soon!