
These Holiday Gifts For Bae Will Have Him Leaving Cookies For You Every Night

If your bae has been nice and not naughty this year, it may be time to reward him with a treat other than yourself, but what exactly should you get him that's equally sweet? That's a question that may have you spending your nights thinking rather than cuddling and we wouldn't want that, so we've done the work for you!
Put on your Mrs. Claus hats, and be ready to be kissed many times under the mistletoe with these thoughtful gifts that will make your boo want to cook up a special batch of cookies to leave by your bedside.
Below you will find plenty of gifts that have been specially chosen to cater to every kind of guy who wants his needs to be fulfilled and not just his desires.
For the Trendsetter Guy: Art 4 All
How many men can say they have a hat featuring one-of-a-kind traditional Indonesian art known as Batik? Your bae will when you take his love for hats to a whole new level with one of these unique hats styled with wildlife and nature images! His boys will definitely be copying his style.
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For the Baller: The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant
Credit: MCD
Ready to score high points with your man? Well, if he's a fan of basketball and loves a good story, then this collector's item written by Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant will be a slam dunk under the tree. Written in his own words and with amazing photos taken by legendary NBA photographer, Andy Bernstein, readers of this book will be pleased to learn all about the mental and physical preparation that it took for the NBA star to excel at the game.
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For the Dapper Man: Fine Accoutrements
Bring retro luxury to your man's shaving game with Fine Accoutrements' double edge safety razor. He will surely be thanking you when he uses the "Marvel" Safety Razor that flaunts vintage class but also gets the job done effortlessly!
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For the Digital Guy: Skagen Smartwatch
Got yourself a man who has a love for gadgets? If so, shock his circuit breaker with this Falster 2 Smartwatch that boasts an interactive, swimproof touchscreen and a range of smart features powered with Wear OS by Google! From heart-rate and Google Assistant to everything in between, not only will he be double tapping all your posts, but he'll also be wanting to share his love in other ways that gets his heart pumping (hint, hint)!
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The Hungry Guy: Pizza Grilling Man Crate
Gift giving has never been this delicious and this Man Crate has everything needed to satisfy your man's hungry belly. We've all heard a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so why not fill it with a themed gift that comes with an assortment of carefully-curated, high quality goods, packaged inside a rugged wooden crate to make the perfect pizza? Yup, you can thank us later!
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The Classy Man: Anson Belt and Buckle
A real man wears his pants around his waist not under his behind. With that being said, treat the man in your life to a gift that is stylish and functional. A great gift is a cinch with this Anson Belt & Buckle because it's a micro-adjustable hole-less belt that always ensures the perfect fit.
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For the DIY Guy: Elba-Macht Magnetic Wristband
If you love to watch your bae doing handywork, then you're going to be drooling when you see him equipped with the "Magnetic Wristband" that keeps all the small metal items like nails, screws, bits, and even small hammers attached to it. Talk about giving him a helping hand!
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For the Professional Man: RAWHYD Leather Co.
RAWHYD Leather Co.
Your bae may like to write those checks and collect that cash, but does he have a wallet that is not only functional but also handmade with quality leather by artisans in India? We didn't think so, and that's exactly why we made wallets by RAWHYD a must-have for a professional man. And don't worry, if he loses it, the RAWHYD Leather Co. offers a 1 year no-hassle warranty!
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For the Sexy Beast: Bunch of Animals Underwear
Gift your man a luxe gift that he can enjoy everyday! These soft, comfortable, and breathable underwear created with eco-friendly materials will not only benefit your man's jewels, but it will also give you some serious eye-candy with its vibrant patterns! Bonus: No more sweaty balls.
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For the Music Maniac: COBY Premium Bluetooth Headphones
Ladies, if you want your man singing tunes about your greatness, then these rechargeable PREMIUM hands-free Stereo Headphones are that gift for the music lover or amateur singer. Not only do these earphones offer wireless music, but they also double as a Bluetooth® phone headset for hands-free calling. How dope?
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For the Charismatic Man: Smile Direct Club
Help keep your bae's smile picture-perfect with this professional-grade teeth whitening system designed to get his teeth to their brightest in just one week – right in the comfort of his own home. Gift him the kit filled with whitening pens and a LED accelerator light that will keep him smiling from ear-to-ear.
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The Self-Satisfier: Wicked Sensual Care
Lube as a gift? Why not? Get your man the gift of sexual satisfaction with luxury lubricants that promotes not only a great time but also gives pleasure without compromising his sexual health. You might like this, A LOT.
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For the Candy Man: Holiday Tin Trio
A man with a sweet tooth will fall in love with two pounds of gourmet chocolate that offers him his own stash of three chocolate favorites – chocolate covered vanilla-cream cookies, peppermint pretzels, and chocolate covered potato chips. Don't worry, he's still going to want to partake in your sweetness!
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For the Bearded Brother: Esquire Grooming's The Five Piece Trimmer Set
Nothing is better than a man whose beard is fresh, clean, and soft so why not treat him (and yourself) by upgrading his grooming tools with The Five Piece Trimmer Set which offers power, precision, control and versatility for a full face and body coverage. This gift will put him at the top of the #beardgang!
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For the Natural Man: OTTO by Banana Bros.
Change the game with this "smart," motorized all-in-one grinder and cone maker that's designed with proprietary artificial intelligence and is able to detect the condition of the herb, gently mill buds to uniform perfection, and neatly fill Banana Bros. premium raw fiber cones in just seconds. Talk about a modern ways to enjoy smoking leisure!
Shop here.
'Tis the season! Check out xoNecole's other Christmas gift guides here.
'He Said, She Said': Love Stories Put To The Test At A Weekend For Love
At the A Weekend For Love retreat, we sat down with four couples to explore their love stories in a playful but revealing way with #HeSaidSheSaid. From first encounters to life-changing moments, we tested their memories to see if their versions of events aligned—because, as they say, every story has three sides: his, hers, and the truth.
Do these couples remember their love stories the same way? Press play to find out.
Episode 1: Indira & Desmond – Love Across the Miles
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but for Indira & Desmond, love made it stronger. Every mile apart deepened their bond, reinforcing the unshakable foundation of their relationship. From their first "I love you" to the moment they knew they had found home in each other, their journey is a beautiful testament to the endurance of true love.
Episode 2: Jay & Tia – A Love Story Straight Out of a Rom-Com
If Hollywood is looking for its next Black love story, they need to take notes from Jay & Tia. Their journey—from an awkward first date to navigating careers, parenthood, and personal growth—proves that love is not just about romance but also resilience. Their story is full of laughter, challenges, and, most importantly, a love that stands the test of time.
Episode 3: Larencia & Mykel – Through the Highs and Lows
A date night with police helicopters overhead? Now that’s a story! Larencia & Mykel have faced unexpected surprises, major life changes, and 14 years of choosing each other every single day. But after all this time, do they actually remember things the same way? Their episode is sure to bring some eye-opening revelations and a lot of laughs.
Episode 4: Soy & Osei – A Love Aligned in Purpose
From a chance meeting at the front door to 15 years of unwavering love, faith, and growth, Soy & Osei prove that when two souls are aligned in love and purpose, nothing can shake their foundation. Their journey is a powerful reminder that true love is built on mutual support, shared values, and a deep connection that only strengthens with time.
Each of these couples has a unique and inspiring story to tell, but do their memories match up? Watch #HeSaidSheSaid to find out!
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Feature image screenshot/ xoNecole YouTube
Love Is The Muse: How Skylar And Temi Built A Creative Life Together
When Temitope Ibisanmi DM’d the word “muse” to Skylar Marshai, he knew he was shooting his romantic shot. He didn’t realize, however, that he was connecting with his future business and creative partner, too.
“I was the boyfriend,” Temi says. “Everybody out there knows, you’re the cameraman at that point.”
Skylar sees things differently. At the time, she was shooting content on her iPhone. Temi came into the picture with a new perspective, an understanding of tech, and, eventually, a camera. “He doesn't give himself enough credit,” Skylar says. “He wasn't just my tripod. He wasn't just standing behind the camera and going ‘click.’ He was giving advice. He was giving me insight to how I could look at things from a different perspective. And I was like, 'Oh, he’s an artist.' I think it was maybe a heartbeat of that kind of energy of like, ‘Baby, can you take this picture?’ And it turned so quickly into, we're partners. We can work together in a way where we're advancing each other's creative thinking.”
The pair often says they’re two sides of the same coin. Skylar is an Aquarius. She attended art school, paints, and loves poetry. She’s more than happy to let the couple’s management firm and agency, Kensington Grey, handle their admin work. And, she loves to sleep in. Temi, on the other hand, wakes up early. He’s a Virgo. He loves a to-do list and regularly checks in on the couple’s brand partnerships spreadsheet to make sure everything is on track.
Because his storytelling was steeped in his love of technology, he didn’t always think of himself as a creative person. “Where I [am] the dreamer who wants to pluck things out of the sky and spend all day with my head in the clouds, Temi [is] so good at grounding me and helping me figure out how to make things make sense on paper. We just work together in such a complimentary way,” Skylar says.
It’s been more than six years since Brooklyn-based couple Temi and Skylar started dating, and nearly four since they cemented their working relationship. On TikTok and Instagram, the couple’s travel, fashion, and home content regularly rack up hundreds of thousands of views. They’ve worked with brands such as Coach, Aesop, Away, and Liquid IV, bringing their vibrant perspectives to every campaign they execute. Still, nearly two years since both Temi and Skylar committed to full-time content creation and creative directing, the couple says their romantic connection remains their priority.
“We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting,” Skylar says.
Working from home can make it hard to separate work from personal life for any entrepreneur. It can be even more challenging when your business partner is also your lover. Temi and Skylar had already used couples therapy as a tool to help them effectively communicate with one another. When they ran into challenges while working together, their therapist helped them set physical boundaries to help combat the issues.
"We told each other we would much rather go back to full-time jobs and preserve our relationship than to be full-time freelancers, barely getting a night's rest [and] barely kissing each other because we're so busy shooting."
“It actually took us doing very specific physical things to create boundaries between work and play in our relationship,” Skylar says. “So, for instance, we will only have conversations about work when we're out of bed or we're at the table or in the office. Initially, when we started, we had to light a candle to say that, 'Okay, this is a space where we're connecting, we’re not talking about work.' We needed really hard boundaries at the top. And then it became a little bit more organic.”
The boundaries have been crucial to implement, especially because the couple began working together so naturally. When the pair first met, Skylar was NY-based a social strategist for BuzzFeed and was using content creation to drive business to her lingerie company. She was shooting her own content. Temi was working for Microsoft in D.C. He’d recently traded in his DJing equipment for a camera. “I've always loved taking pictures,” he says. “Even when I was a kid, my African mother would wake me up at 3:00 a.m. [during a] party, and be like, 'Come take the family picture.'”
Growing up, Temi says he watched his parents support each other and be the true definition of partners. He knew he wanted the same for his own relationship. But, the couple also wanted to make sure they were being financially responsible. The pair didn’t quit their traditional jobs until they’d saved up two years' worth of their cost of living. And, Temi received his Master of Business Administration from New York University with the knowledge that it could either help him advance in his corporate career or be applicable to his business with Skylar.
Today, they say their working relationship is more of a “quiet dance.” They still implement some of the boundaries they learned in therapy, but they also lean into their natural strengths and deep love for one another. When we speak, Temi has planned a date for the couple to see Princess Mononoke in 4K IMAX and added it to their Notion so they can factor it into their busy schedules. “I fully plan to date for the rest of my life,” he says.
Skylar says the couple doesn’t just wait for date nights to check in with one another, though. This often happens in the mornings, after Temi has made her peppermint tea and poured himself a cup of coffee. When they ask each other how they slept, she says, it’s not just a “nicety.” It’s a genuine question meant to foster connection.
“A lot of it happens during the day in the midst of work. We'll stop and we'll hug. Or we’ll slow dance in the kitchen,” she says. “Sometimes it's hard to set a whole date night when you have 7,000 things going on. So, we must grasp these moments and check in when we can. And I think it's become so organic to us that I actually didn't even realize how often we do it. But all day long, we're like, 'Are you good? I felt like your energy shifted,' because we're best friends, we just know. We just feel it happen.”
What’s better than being in love? Building wealth while doing it. Watch Making Cents here for real stories of couples who make money moves together.
Featured image by Cj Hart @hartbreak