Perhaps the most intimate sense of all, touch can make us feel warm, cozy and loved all at once. Whether it’s a soft handmade blanket or beautifully crafted lingerie, these gifts will help your nearest and dearest feel the holiday spirit.
Glamglow Powermud Dualcleanse Treatment
$22 at sephora.com
This mud-to-oil mask treatment removes daily buildup from dirt, oil and makeup, leaving skin baby-soft.
$75.95 at sheddaquarium.org
Squee! Make friends with a penguin for an hour and touch those sweet little feathers. Plus, learn about the aquarium’s penguin population and take part in a short training session.
100 Essential Novels scratch-off chart
$35 at popchartlab.com
Much more satisfying than simply crossing off titles on a boring old list—scratch them off lottery style! There’s also a “99 Bottles of Craft Beer on the Wall” ($35 at popchartlab.com) if your friend is less of a reader and more of a drinker.
$30 at Lincoln Park Massage Spa (630 W. Webster Ave. 773-296-6300)
The most obvious touchable present of all—pay a stranger to work on your loved one’s feet for 30 minutes.
Chelli Harms Collection Card Holder
$45 at mkt.com/milkhandmade
This mini-pouch crafted with black and white cowhide and adorned with a brass stud enclosure is so gorgeous and fuzzy you’ll want to pet it.
$26.99 at bubblecalendar.com
Not that anyone needs a reason to pop Bubble Wrap, but pop for a purpose by literally bursting a bubble every day of the year.
$98 at handandcloth.org
Wrap up in this beautiful patterned blanket made from reclaimed cotton sari cloth. Its warmth will touch hearts, too, as profits go to help women at risk for sex trafficking.
$30 at alapash.com
Stick a prickly little cactus in this handmade planter to create the perfect desk decoration.
$100 at journelle.com
Touch and be touched. This effortlessly beautiful bra and panty combo is decidedly hands-on.
$30 at sephora.com
Close shaves can be a good thing, and he’s going to need one after going all-out during Movember.
$24.99 at shopchicagohistory.com
Your friend can literally touch the sky with this scarf featuring the city skyline, plus it will help keep them semi-untouched by the wind, too.
$39.99 at sharperimage.com
Sitting in a chair all day is no fun for anyone, especially someone’s back. This cushion comes with a reusable gel pack that will add a cool or warm touch year-round.
$69.99 at 180s.com
Keep ears warm and toasty without messing up hair or interrupting a call or Spotify playlist.
![“Let the music do the talking,” sang Phish vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio at the outset of the band’s concert Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Normally, hearing that advice from a well-disciplined virtuoso who seemingly never tires of the stage and worships the groove would pass without a hint of potential irony. However, given the group was not even one minute into the third of its sold-out four-night stand at the $2.3 billion dome — expressly devised to push sensory boundaries to previously uncharted limits — one couldn’t help wonder how seriously Phish would take its own instruction. Turns out […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CTC-L-ENT-PHISH-04-e1713888536637.jpg?w=620 "“Let the music do the talking,” sang Phish vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio at the outset of the band’s concert Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Normally, hearing that advice from a well-disciplined virtuoso who seemingly never tires of the stage and worships the groove would pass without a hint of potential irony. However, given the group was not even one minute into the third of its sold-out four-night stand at the $2.3 billion dome — expressly devised to push sensory boundaries to previously uncharted limits — one couldn’t help wonder how seriously Phish would take its own instruction. Turns out […]")
