Gift It: Totes.

I don't often consider the usefulness of totes. I was inclined to think they were the hipster's territory, but I can no longer ignore their mass appeal. A good tote can serve as your primary bag (fits books, magazines, and notebooks perfectly), or can be folded up into your regular bag to keep on hand for grocery shopping or stuff collecting (I don't know...whatever). That's handy, no? Especially if you live in New York and you decide to go grocery shopping after you've already gone clothes shopping and there are so many things to carry that you wish you had another cotton/canvas bag with a cute print on it. Totes totally solve that. Also, they are ch-ch-cheap. Most are $15 or so, or you can stalk your favorite haunts and see if they ever give out a lil satchel with their logo on it, which has happened to me more than once. If you'd rather purchase than stalk, here are some bags from online boutique Little Paper Planes or your consideration:

Robots, spatulas, bikes, antler girls? There's something here for everyone! Click any of the images for more information.