Like quality wines, so many things get better with age, including you. We know you checked out this Pasadena Now Gift Guide when it appeared last week, but that was so last week. The beauty thing about our Gift Guide is that throughout the holiday season, it grows like a living thing. Check it out through the season, and you may find something new each time you look. This year, the City of Roses is overflowing with cool stuff in the $50–$1,000 range, perfect for partners, parents, friends, and the particularly selective people who insist they “don’t need anything.” Here is a look at what Pasadena shops, restaurants, and boutiques are offering this holiday season. And you just keep checking back with us, this list is going to grow!
Oh Snap!
Need a kid’s gift that says “I love your kind of chaos”? The myFirst Camera Insta 20 is a pint-sized photo fun machine — quick to snap 16 MP pics, record 1080p video, and pump out instant prints in under 10 seconds (with no messy ink!). It’s small, child-friendly, and pops out cute photos faster than you can say, “Say cheese!” Bonus: include an email gift coupon for a bit of mystery and surprise — your lucky giftee just needs to open their inbox and start shooting memories. Perfect for tiny photographers, wild family moments, and guaranteed giggles.
Lightweight, BPA-free, and built for kids, it encourages laughter, discovery, and stories — from first snowflakes to bedtime giggles. Best of all: send the joy instantly with an email gift coupon. One click and the magic begins. It’s more than a camera — it’s a time capsule of love, laughter, and family memories. Start the magic here.
Design the Physical World
Ready to turn doodles into real-life mini masterpieces? This cheeky little 3D pen is the creativity upgrade every kid (or kid-at-heart) didn’t know they needed. With an OLED screen, adjustable temperature and speed, and eco-friendly PLA filament included, the myFirst 3D Pen Artist lets young inventors draw in 3D — building quirky toys, custom jewelry, or wild sci-fi gizmos. It’s ergonomic, lightweight (just 46 g), and fantastic for budding artists, makers, or anyone curious about hands-on creation. Whip out this pen, add some filament, and suddenly your fridge magnets are 3-D creatures ready for world domination (or, you know, the fridge door). Click here, Peeps.
Maybe Some Disney Dining?
It’s gonna be crazy crowded, and take you an hour to find a parking space, but your kids are going to be thrilled.
If your holiday shopping marathon has you teetering between “festive” and “feral,” Naples Ristorante e Bar is the kind of pit stop that feels like the holidays—no wrapping required. Tucked way down the 5 South at Downtown Disney, it’s bright, bustling, and unapologetically loud, the way Italian restaurants in theme-park orbit tend to be. But that’s part of the charm: families spread out with shopping bags, grown men in Mickey Mouse ears, servers glide by with pizzas the size of steering wheels, and the patio offers people-watching at its absolute Disney-est.
The wood-fired pies are the safest bet—crispy edges, blistered just right, and generously topped without getting into “gravity-defying cheese pull” territory. The pastas are hearty and dependable, though not exactly life-changing, and that’s fine; nobody comes here seeking enlightenment. They come because it’s easy, it’s cheerful, and it reliably feeds a table full of kids, parents, aunts, uncles, and that one cousin who claims to be “gluten-light.”
The real gift here? A meal that lets everyone exhale before plunging back into the holiday crush. Book a reservation, skip the stress, and treat your group to the kind of simple, relaxed dinner that quietly becomes part of the season’s best memories.
Something Traditional Perhaps?
Yes, Pasadena does have a traditional children’s toy store. It’s Union Street Toys, situated on Madison Avenue. (We don’t know. Go ask them.) How about the Color-Splash Wooden Building Blocks Set? Think classic building fun with a modern twist. These colorful wooden blocks turn tiny hands into little architects: stack, build, topple, rebuild — again and again. Perfect for kids with big imaginations (anywhere from builders to story-makers), the blocks are safe, sturdy, timeless, and encourage creativity, spatial thinking, and lots of giggles. Buy it at Union Street Toys and — bonus! — enjoy their free gift wrap to make it holiday-ready in a flash. A playful, open-ended gift that never goes out of style.
Or maybe the Surprise-and-Sparkle Marble Run Set? Think giggles, “aha!” moments, and marble-zooming chaos in the best possible way. This colorful marble run set turns dinner-table hideout hours into engineering adventures. Kids (or grownups who refuse to grow up) click together curved tracks, chutes, and loops — then drop in a marble and watch it swirl, bounce, and zoom down the circuits. It’s puzzle-like, kinetic, and wins on both brain-boost and belly-laugh potential. Add cozy socks and hot chocolate, wrap it up at checkout (yes — Union Street Toys offers complimentary gift-wrap) and you’ve got a no-fuss present that screams “play all day, rebuild again tomorrow.”
Union Street Toys is at 65 N Madison Ave, Ste 103, Pasadena, CA 91101. (626) 244-7454. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Union Street Toys
That Sinking Feeling in a Good Way
Looking for a bed upgrade that feels like sinking into a cloud — without an actual mattress swap? This Saatva featherbed topper is your affordable shortcut to “hotel-suite” softness—a plush, 700 GSM down-alternative/ lyocell fill that gives your bed that cozy, float-on-air vibe, while breathable, moisture-wickling fibers keep it cool and comfy all night. Elastic corner straps keep it glued to your mattress (no midnight slip-and-slide), and — bonus — it’s hypoallergenic and easy to care for.
Not a whole new mattress. Yet. But a positive change in your sleeping, for sure. Add a purchase or coupon deal at checkout and boom: instant “I’m never getting out of bed” upgrade. www.Saatva.com.
The reMarkable gets Remarkable-er. Again.
The newest reMarkable “Move Pro” writing tablet leads this year’s guide not just because it’s sleek and brilliant, but because Pasadena Now readers have watched this product evolve year after year—and it really has become more and more remarkable-er. The Move Pro refines everything the earlier models hinted at: a crisp E-Ink display, whisper-light hardware, handwriting-to-text conversion, seamless cloud sync, and that uncanny paper-like writing feel that makes the brain relax and ideas flow. For journalists, students, designers, and analog thinkers who need a digital home, it’s easily one of 2025’s most elegant tools.
$449–$549. Online at reMarkable; also available through Best Buy Pasadena. 3415 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 351-2356.
https://remarkable.com
Let’s Get Groomed
Jack Black’s “Triple Play” grooming trio makes an easy win for men who might never buy upscale skincare for themselves. The set includes a face cleanser, shave cream, and moisturizer—simple, effective, and travel-friendly. At $54, it feels like an upgraded routine without tipping into novelty.
$54. Ulta Beauty – Hastings Village. 3393 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 351-1421. https://www.ulta.com
This Year, Everybody Rocks
For aspiring musicians—or the uncle threatening to revive his college indie band dreams—the Fender CC-60SCE at Guitar Center offers warm tone, comfortable size, and built-in electronics for live gigs. It’s the ultimate “first real guitar” in the mid-$300 range. Let’s rock, peeps.
$329–$369. Guitar Center Pasadena. 2660 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 304-0463. www.guitarcenter.com
Like a Record, Baby, Right Round…
Audio Element remains one of Pasadena’s most refined specialty shops, offering Music Hall turntables that feel like sculpture and sound like a revelation. With grown-up engineering and premium cartridges, these decks transform an entire room—perfect for the vinyl lover who walks by the portable players.
$450–$800. Audio Element. 117 E. Union St., Pasadena. (626) 793-7229. https://audio-element.com
Hömage Confetti Strand Necklace
Hömage’s Confetti Strand Necklace is one of the prettiest mixed-metal pieces in Old Pasadena, featuring sterling silver discs floating along a 14k gold chain. Light-catching, minimalist, and handmade, it’s ideal for partners, sisters, or stylish moms.
$345. Hömage Pasadena. 100 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. (626) 657-9090. homagepasadena.com
Gold Bug Silver Spike Fringe Necklace
For a piece with more attitude, Gold Bug’s Silver Spike Fringe Necklace offers sculptural drama with just the right amount of edge. It’s the perfect Old Pasadena statement piece—bold without overwhelming, artistic without pretension.
Around $395. Gold Bug. 38 E. Holly St., Pasadena. (626) 744-9964. https://www.goldbugpasadena.com
From Inside Your Head
The Meta Quest 3 is this year’s breakout tech gift, if you will. This one has sharper resolution and powerful mixed-reality experiences, so say goodbye for a while to the gamers, teens, fitness enthusiasts, and curious adults in the family who want the closest thing to sci-fi in their living room.
$499.99 (512GB). Best Buy Pasadena. 3415 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 351-2356. https://www.bestbuy.com
Apple 10th-Generation iPad. Because iPad.
Anything more useful than an iPad? Streaming, travel entertainment, sketching, FaceTime, music, homework—it does it all. And with bright colors and a sleek screen, it remains one of the most reliable, popular gifts in Pasadena.
Starting at $349. Apple Store Pasadena. 54 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (626) 463-4760. https://www.apple.com
Warm and Cheesy
A gift card to Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery is a warm night of wood-fired dishes, artful cheese boards, and craft cocktails in the heart of Playhouse Village. Few Pasadena dining rooms feel more inviting during the holidays.
$150–$250 recommended. Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery. 40 W. Green St., Pasadena. (626) 389-3839. https://www.agnesla.com
A Perle on Union Street
Perle brings Michelin-recognized French-inspired dining to Old Pasadena, so its gift cards have gotta be one of the most romantic presents of the season. With seasonal ingredients and refined plating, it’s an instant “special occasion.”
$200–$400. Perle Restaurant. 43 E. Union St., Pasadena. (626) 460-8819. https://www.perlerestaurant.com
Get your Chuan On
For someone who needs true rest (that would be all of us), the Langham Huntington’s Chuan Spa offers one of Pasadena’s most luxurious escapes.
A gift voucher becomes a full afternoon of massage, ritual, and quiet inside one of the city’s most iconic hotels.
About $230 for a 60-minute massage. Chuan Spa at The Langham Huntington. 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena. (626) 585-6414. https://www.langhamhotels.com
Gold Always Works
For big celebrations, both Gold Bug and Hömage offer hand-crafted fine jewelry in the $700–$1,000+ range. Pearls, diamonds, artist-made metals—these are heirloom-level gifts that stay in families for decades. The future begins now.
$700–$1,000+. Gold Bug: 38 E. Holly St. (626) 744-9964 . https://www.goldbugpasadena.com
Hömage: 100 N. Fair Oaks Ave. (626) 657-9090 https://www.homagepasadena.com
