Stocking stuffers for the bakers and foodies in your family (plus one just for fun)
Some wonderful gifts to show off your great taste.

Whether they’re being baked for your loved ones (or just yourself), the one thing we should all be able to agree on is that holiday treats go better with a warm beverage sipped straight from a steaming mug. And while this list will certainly up your stocking game, we won’t blame you if you give these gifts a little early (or stick them in your own stocking). Plus, each of our top picks are from ethical, sustainable, incredibly unique brands who have all agreed to donate 10% of sales made through this gift guide to Feeding America, to help alleviate hunger for people in need this holiday season.
Peace Coffee - Organic and fair trade, in addition to being women and LGBTQ+ led, Peace Coffee brings freshly roasted small-batch coffees straight to your door. Gift their Decaf French Roast to serve after the holiday dinner, or a Seasonal Coffee Subscription so dashing, beans will be brewed as soon as they’re pulled from the stocking. And if you feel like you need to give yourself a little boost to get through this holiday season, check out their signature blends like Birchwood Breakfast Blend or Black Squirrel Espresso.
Verdant Tea - Sustainable, small family, farm-to-table Verdant Teas are unmatched in quality and taste. Perfect for the foodie or travel bug, these teas bring the very best of China’s tea country straight to your door. Gift something unique like a tea tasting kit featuring six individual farmers, or a 2018 white tea aged with mandarin peel from the Wu Family. And for those bigger stockings, consider adding a Golden Ginko Glass Brew Mug or Long-Handle Contemporary Glass Teapot.
Javamelts - Enjoy gifting these naturally-flavored sugars that bring your morning cup of joe or holiday baking to that gourmet level. The French Vanilla and Mocha sugar packets are ideal for traveling, and if it’s your S.O.’s first time meeting your family, the least you can do is sweeten up their morning coffee after a restless night sleeping on your mother’s lumpy couch. Or, if you’re hosting the holidays, make this show-stopping caramel chai martini, because isn’t it more fun to drink your desserts?
Burlap & Barrel - These premium, ethically-sourced spices have never been available in the US before Burlap & Barrel partnered with farmers from different regions around the world. Give the foodie in your life the Chef’s Collection, which includes spices like Black Urfa Chili and Tomato Powder. For the home cook, give the Salt and Pepper Collection, with blends like Black Lime and Chili Salt. Feel like giving a bit of both? Build your own set of spices and move this present from the stocking to the box under the tree.
Behrens - You may need a real heavy-duty stocking, but if you have a sustainable-loving chef on your list, you can always gift them Behrens’ indoor kitchen composting pail. Not only does it compost any food scraps quickly and effectively, but it looks great on your kitchen counter doing it. And if your chef is lucky enough to enjoy a warm, outdoor holiday season, consider giving them some of Behrens fantastic gardening and party products to throw an outdoor holiday get-together that’ll make all their snow-dwelling friends jealous.
Gem Joy - While the baker on your list is waiting for their next treat to come out of the oven, why not gift them the fun of a Gem Joy augmented reality bracelet? These beautiful gems allow you to feel like a sorceress and have enchanting encounters like flying with dragons and riding with unicorns. Play games, learn, and explore new worlds any time you want a little break from the holiday commotion.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.