Between New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day, most people are forced to consider their own loneliness (unless they’re worrying about gifting their significant other). A solution to both scenarios involves the kind of gift that is thoughtful, even though mystery is half of the allure.

For the romantics looking to take chances and add a little mystery this upcoming holiday, in lieu of excessive planning, blind boxes are the answer. It’s a catching trend where people subscribe to receive blind boxes based on a monthly subscription, costing about the same as a Netflix account. The other option is to purchase one off-blind box, just to try out. This can make holidays or special occasions much more interesting with an added element of surprise.

These blind boxes can be for personal enjoyment, as well. These gifts aren’t just for the romantics. With the start of the semester and New Year’s resolutions to get better grades fresh on the dock, rewarding ourselves for all that hard work is just as important to achieving said goals. With all the different blind boxes circulating the market, there’s one for every niche interest. Here are some of the best ones we at the Mass Media have tried: 

1.    Loot Crate: This is probably one of the more popular blind boxes that boast a different theme every month. They feature popular franchises of superheroes, TV shows, and video games. This collection is geared towards the growing “geek” population. Since the “geek” market is flooded with various memorabilia, it can be tricky for the novice to navigate. That’s where Loot Crate comes in handy. They specialize in hand-picking the items placed in the boxes according to theme. Boxes are filled with t-shirts, toys, key chains, and collectibles.

2.    Try the World: This blind box includes seven to ten locally made gourmet items from around the world. Items include teas, spices, cookies, and jams. Expert chefs from each country choose the items, too. That’s how you know it’s going to be good. Right now, there is a deal for signing up for Try the World. Subscribers get a Paris-themed box for free with the purchase of the Thailand-theme box. All Try the World boxes include informational cards with notes and history about each item in the box. The recent Holiday-themed box included a music playlist, movie recommendations, and funny food traditions from the counties featured. With a new country every two months, a subscription to this blind box is another way to travel the world on a student budget.

3.    Bark Box: Let’s face it: a happy dog makes a happy dog owner. In this blind box, there are toys and treats for the canine in your life. While this is an oddly specific blind box, there are plenty of dog owners out there who love their pup enough to subscribe. Since we know there are two kinds of people out there (cat and dog people), there is some room for crossover with lovers of all animals. Dog owners can still get this blind box for cat owners if it’s for a gag gift. Or, if that seems wasteful (and those post-holiday commercials promoting adoption put you in tears), this is a great gift for your local shelter if you can’t adopt your own dog. Plus, Bark Box donates ten percent of their proceeds to dog-related charities. The mileage of good deeds for giving this as a gift goes pretty far.

4.    Doodle Crate: With what might seem obvious in the name, this is geared towards artists but also towards anyone interested in crafts. This is a great way for artists to get acquainted with new and different materials, but also for novice crafters to get experience. What this is, really, is an activity for a rainy – or snowy – day.

5.    Birchbox: This blind box is unisex. Users can specify if it’s for a man or a woman. For women, these blind boxes include all kinds of makeup, skincare products, and nail polish. It’s another way to sample a variety of new makeup. For men, this company provides beard-taming supplies and skin care products, along with hair products and shaving materials. The best part about Birchbox is that these supplies and products come with how-to guides to make sure the customer is using the gear properly.

6.    Bacon of the Month Club: This service delivers a variety of gourmet bacon to your door each month. No joke. It also comes with recipes, assuming that the plan isn’t to eat it straight out of the box. If so, trust me: no judgment here. The first rule about Bacon Club is you do not talk about Bacon Club. Good thing the bacon sells itself. In case the simple enjoyment of bacon itself isn’t enough and the need to share that love with the world is your calling, these boxes include t-shirts and other memorabilia. Arguably, this blind box was saved for last because bacon is the best.