20 surprisingly great gifts for someone you don't know very well

Your dad's given you the world, and now it's time to return the flavor — I mean, favor. Each month, Universal Yums will send him a selection of snacks from a different country — make South Korea, Pakistan, Greece or the United Kingdom the first stop on his food-filled adventure. The Yum Yum Box is the middle-of-the-road option with anywhere from 10 to 12 snacks per month, but you can also sign him up for a smaller ($18/month) or larger ($40/month) box, depending on how much of a snacker he is. 

This colorful gizmo is our best mini outdoor speaker of the year, and its compact size makes it just right for looping onto a backpack. "I was constantly surprised by the quality of music I heard from this little thing," says Yahoo Tech Editor Rick Broida. "Also impressive: Soundcore promises up to 12 hours on a charge; I'd have expected half that, given its size." The built-in light effects are a tween-friendly cherry on top.

As her sister, it's your job to keep track of all the things: her latest food obsession, the TikToker she can't stop watching and, ya know, her daily water intake. If she's skimping on the latter, take a cue from Deputy Editor Izabella Zaydenberg and give her this bestselling water bottle. The fun colors will catch her eye, but soon enough, she'll see why Zaydenberg loves it so much: It has a dual-purpose spout with a built-in straw, keeps water cold for up to 24 hours and can be flipped around without leaking (looking at you, Stanley). Looking for another kind? We've rated and reviewed the 12 best water bottles. 

Make her garden sparkle with flying jewels — er, hummingbirds — as the weather warms. These beloved fast fliers are drawn to red hues, so this feeder with ruby glass and flower-shaped feeding ports is your best bet. "As soon as I switched to this feeder, there were six hummingbirds coming at once," one birder boasted.

Dad is funny from his head to his toes. Speaking of toes (like what I did there, don't ya?), sign him up for this monthly sock subscription so they're appropriately dressed for even the silliest of occasions. Choose from a month-to-month plan or pay for a six-month subscription upfront — it comes to about $12 a pair.

It's all in the name: This Lucky Bamboo plant is said to bring good fortune and prosperity to whoever builds it. He can spend a rainy summer afternoon assembling this 325-piece Lego build, then put it on display in his new digs to remind him of all the goodness that awaits. 

This set of two 100% Argentinian pebbled leather pouches is worth the splurge. She can use one to hold beauty products and the other for tech accessories — or whatever else she needs to wrangle.

Candles are a safe (yet predictable) gift. And while I'm strongly against including candles in gift guides (for good reason), accessories like this trendy candle warmer have my stamp of approval. More than 10,000 Amazon shoppers have picked up this beauty in the last month, with one flame-tastic fan writing that it's like "a warm hug for your home" since it "melts jar candles evenly, so every drop of wax gets used and the scent fills my space beautifully."

Her next at-home spa night is on you! Snag this pair of hydrating booties to make sure her feet are in tip-top shape ahead of sandal season. It just requires 10 minutes of idle time to work its moisturizing magic, which is the perfect excuse to catch up on the latest season of her favorite show.

With plenty of festive get-togethers on the horizon, this collection of cheese board ideas is a fun gift for hosts of all levels. This deck of 50 cards features gorgeous pictures, helpful ingredient lists and creative tips on how to take your next savory or sweet board up a few notches.

There's no better way to get to know someone you don't know well than a fun card game. The cards pose questions like, "What title would you give this chapter in your life?" and "Has a stranger ever changed your life?" to help you further connect to those around you. Break this out at your next gathering and walk away knowing old and new friends on a deeper level.

Papier makes our all-time favorite notebooks and planners because they are so thoughtfully designed. If you do sort-of-kind-of-know your gift recipient, Papier has tons of notebooks that you can personalize with their name or initials.

A suitcase tag and a portable charger are two things everyone could use, so why not gift both this season? This luggage tag and charger combo is an airport superhero and a favorite of Initiatives Writer Ellie Conley. With this convenient gadget, you'll never have to deal with a dead phone or tablet when on the go again. 

While you may not know them well enough to pick out their next signature perfume, you can certainly help them make it. The Olfactory At-Home Customization kit allows the user to blend up their favorite scent right at home and then receive a full-sized bottle of their creation. Now this is one DIY project that will actually get done.

Any coffee or tea drinker will appreciate this heated mug. Another Broida-approved pick, this mug displays the temperature on both sides, has three temperatures to choose from and comes with a lid, so you can keep your beverage hot when you're away from the heating coaster.

See how their smarts stack up in this fast-paced, family-friendly trivia game (ages 14 and up), where players lose points for each (and every) wrong answer. "Just came off of a 20-hour road trip and these kept my husband and I entertained for several hours," one trivia buff wrote, adding that it's best for adults since the "questions are pretty hard."

You don't know what they're working with, so I'd steer clear of big kitchen buys and spring for smaller upgrades instead. These multi-purpose minis fit the bill: At 4 ounces each, these stoneware stunners are just the right size for divvying up ingredients while cooking, storing condiments for barbecues or elevating charcuterie board staples. Plus, they come in four neutral tones that'll complement their other dishes. 

Raise a glass to your new pal with this on-theme trinket dish. And since their drink of choice is probably still a mystery, you'll be happy to know that Urban Outfitters chooses for ya. The cocktails on the menu? An extra-dirty martini or a sweet-but-strong Cosmopolitan.

You're not exactly best buds yet, so you probably don't know how green their thumb really is. No need to frond, er, fret because these wildflower seed pops are pretty much foolproof. Just unwrap and plant the whole thing (stick and all) in the ground to grow a garden that gives back to the busiest of bees (and other pollinators, too!).

A candle is likely a go-to gift of yours for someone you might not know very well and, hey, we don't blame you. But instead of reaching for a run-of-the-mill option, lean into today's trends with this whimsical pick, which looks just like a tin of sardines (but luckily, smells nothing like it). 

Give the gift of hydrated skin with this travel-sized bundle from Osea. We swear by the brand's body oil, so when we saw this kit that also includes the brand's top-selling body butter, body balm and body scrub, we knew it deserved a spot on this list. This body care set is suitable for all skin types and is valued at $70, so it's truly a steal for $48.