The most wonderful time of the year is quite literally around the corner, which is news that produces just as much smiley-ness as it does bone-chilling anxiety – how is it the end of the year!? What the hell!

This silly season, instead of frantically prowling through busy shops that are packed with equally-panicked patrons and are playing nothing but Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé, take a gander at our lovely list below. (We reckon it’ll save you time, stress and give you little-to-no headaches.)When the inevitable heat wave arrives on our doorsteps, you can expect to find “lounging by the closest pool” to be at the top of our to-do list. This super-cute trinket tray from TYPO encapsulates this lovely summer vibe stupendously – our favourite jewellery and knick-knacks deserve a dip, too.We love accessories. We love art. And we definitely love this belt bag decorated in Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey’s designs. Kaylene uses pop culture to explore Country, politics and the merging of Western consumerism with her Anangu culture. Pretty cool, eh? Nab it from the NGV Design Store online and at Fed Square.There are a handful of festive foods that we’re eagerly anticipating on treating ourselves to this year, but we all know the real star of any Christmas dinner is pavlova. If you’re keen on zhuzhing up the classic dessert, then look no further than Mabu Mabu’s neato Wattleseed Pavlova Kit, which utilises native ingredients that’ll give your pavlova the blue ribbon treatment. Here’s some more good news: Melbourne/Naarm pals can pick up a pav kit at Big Esso in Fed Square.In a time when images are easily captured and curated in a digital space, tangible photographs are becoming more and more special. So, if you’re planning to jet off to a holiday destination this season, we suggest you ditch the polished Instagram post in favour of a travel photo book – like this one cooked up by Once Upon. These customisable books also make for a cracker present – just imagine the smile that’ll appear on your loved one’s dial when you gift them a book full of treasured memories.For the unlucky bunch of us who deal with runny schnozzles, weepy eyes and constant sneezing due to hay fever, sleeping on a bed of flowers isn’t nearly as dreamy as those Pre-Raphaelite artists made it out to be. As a welcome alternative, we recommend checking out Beddie’s swish floral pillowcases that’ll give you all the flower power you need – without having to take antihistamines.There are lots of things that many folks consider the pinnacle of human invention, but in our eyes there’s truly nothing better than the ingenious creation of noodles. It looks like we’re not the only ones who feel this way, since the creatives over at Alterfact cooked up this swish candle holder, available from Some Design Store, that reminds us of our favourite carby staple.In 2016, Istanbul honoured one of the city’s many street cats, named Tombili (which is the Turkish word for chubby), with a statue that highlighted the tabby’s quirky way of reclining. Australia is yet to honour any laidback cool cats with a statue, but in the meantime, we’re happy to honour our moggies with this adorable feline lamp by TYPO, instead.This festive season calls for sipping on champers, which is why we recommend pouring your next tipple into these lovely two-toned glasses, which are inspired by the Nigerian expression for ‘sweet sun’. How can you not smile while using these bad boys? Nab them from the ACMI Store.Looking to get some good reads in before the year comes to a close? Well, allow us to introduce you to UQP’s pack of First Nations Classics: eight ripper books ranging from novels and poetry to memoirs and more, written by some of the country’s most prominent Indigenous writers. If you’re looking to finish off any final reading challenges you optimistically made at the start of the year, we reckon these titles will help you cross the finish line.The task of exercising is a bit of an uphill battle (sometimes, literally), so you don’t want to put yourself out there while wearing daggy leggings or a pasta-stained t-shirt. Instead, treat yourself to Lunae’s swish fitness wares that’ll make even a 15-minute walk feel like you’re in the Olympics.Activewear label Mama Movement describes this colourful little number as “a little bit cheetah, a little bit polka dot and a whole lotta rainbowy fun”, which sounds right up our alley. If you’ve got a pal who could do with a super-roomy gym and weekender bag – and loves colour – we recommend snagging them this one.This ceramic vase is a bit special. It’s inspired by the traditional practice of controlled burning, and acts as a symbol of “the cyclical nature of life and the enduring connection to the earth”. As such, it’s the perfect vessel to display your favourite native blooms in your abode. Grab it from the Koorie Heritage Trust Shop.Humans spend a heap of time in the kitchen – cooking up a storm, making coffee, doing the endless pile of dishes – so our kitchens should be nice places to spend time in. Zhuzh yours up by starting with arty and practical gadgets, like these sleek Dusen Dusen grinders, available at Some Design Store. And here’s the best bit: you can adjust the grinder strength from coarse to super-fine. Beauty and brains!We’ve gabbed about how much we love decorating our kitchens with pretty appliances enough already, but what the hell – we’re going to drive the point home. This Crumble Air Fryer isn’t just easy on the eyes (thanks to it being draped in Hermes Blue), it’s also big enough to roast a whole chook without any nasty plastic smells. A big win-win in our books.There are a number of badarse rocker ladies who we can only dream of being half as cool as, like Joan Jett, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Debbie Harry and, of course, Avril Lavigne. Follow in their footsteps by grabbing this Fender electric guitar in Ultraviolet, to allow your long-forgotten rockstar dreams to spring back to life.