Under $20 gifts for acquaintences and secret santas

Secret Santa things can be tough. So can buying presents for anyone you barely know but owe something to. How annoying is it to shop for random people like your office mail guy or your kid's teacher or your grandmother?

I think the key to buying these is to make them general and regiftable just in case they don't hit quite right.

Also, consumables are good.
Scarves are not good. EVERYONE HAS A MILLION SCARVES ALREADY! Stop buying people scarves.
Socks are better, if you want to do the cliche "I don't know your size" gift.

Here are some universally appealing gifts that say "I am sure if I knew you better I would like you"

 
$11 Lego keyboard decal
Makes your coworker's laptop more festive


 
 $8 Shark bite socks
Even funnier if the recipient is not caucasian.


 
$20 Bath bomb 6 pack
Fun fizzy times, and they can give 1 or 2 away if they want.



$14.99 2013 Owl planner
Adorable owls, useful gift, easily regiftable if she doesn't like it.
Just make sure not to write in your birthday. People seem to take that the wrong way.


$10 Superman socks with cape
These will make him feel awesome. A secret confidence builder for big meeting days or interviews.



 
$20 Korres lip butter trio
I've heard these are really smooth and silky and amazing

 
$16 Melee mug
He likes his coffee strong? How strong?

Under $100 gifts for the woman in your life

Girlfriend, wife, sister, aunt, whatever. Get her these things.


$72 Labradorite stud earrings
These cushion cut stones have a cool shine that changes color depending on the light you are in, so they always go with your outfit. Big earrings are in now, but studs never go out of style.


$38 C Wonder contact case pouch
This cute metallic pouch holds a contact cast and a little bottle for lens solution. She won't forget it if it's always in her purse.







 
$78 Haushund wool slippers
Cute! These look warm and I like how the dog spans both feet, like real dog who decide to settle down on you sometimes do.


$45 Sephora Lash Stash set
A collection of 10+ of the most popular mascaras at Sephora in sample sizes, plus 2 full sized ones.
It would be extra nice of you to include a $25 gift certificate to Sephora so she can later get the full size one of her favorite sample.


$89 Philosophy Care Package
This set includes a bunch of great full sized products including
- 8 oz Purity Made Simple® 
- 8 oz The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash™ 
- 2 oz Hope in a Jar™ 
-1 oz The Microdelivery Peel™ Vitamin C/Peptide Resurfacing Crystals 
-1 oz The Microdelivery Peel™ Lactic/Salicylic Acid Activating Gel 
- 0.5 oz Hope in a Tube® High Density Eye & Lip Firming Cream



 
 $50 Betsey Johnson Cashmere blend heart tights
These also come in gray, and they look really soft. 



 
$26 Gold leather envelope clutch
She can use this as a purse or to hold her checkbook and cash, or to store makeup in, or hold small things in a larger bag..... 

Under $50 Gifts for the Man in your life

It's the time of year when you really should have bought everything for your friends and family already but you probably haven't.

That's ok! Neither have I.

Let's start with the guy in your life. These are presents for your boyfriend, husband, nephew, cousin, whatever.

 
$48 Turquoise ipad sleeve
The geometric prints are very "in" right now, and these are made by Native American craftspeople and 20% of proceeds go straight to the artist (which is much higher than if you buy the equivalent of this at Urban Outfitters or something).


 
$20 Malin + Goetz peppermint shampoo
Men like fancy beauty products too, and this line has masculine scents and non-girly bottles like this peppermint shampoo or cilantro conditioner.
I gave a travel set to E and he said he came out of the shower smelling like a thai salad, which I think is a good thing.





 
$18 Vertical Aluminum Business card case
It's amazing what a little difference it makes that this card case opens from the vertical instead of horizontal axis. Everyone will be astounded and think he is the coolest when he pulls this out.




$42 Rothco M51 engineers bag
This canvas and leather bag looks way more expensive than it is.
 It's a good carry-all for a dude and can be casual or work- appropriate as long as he is not in a very corporate place.



$27 Custom size belt
Why do guys have the worst belts? I don't know. It seems like it is hard for even the best dressed guy to realize that maybe the reversible belt from when he was 14 isn't in style anymore.
These come in black or brown. Show him it's ok to have two belts.




 

$37 Double sided bow tie
Chic and useful (I know I just made fun of reversible belts, but these are different). I like this one that is red and black patterned.

Target and Neiman Marcus collaboration

Target and Neiman Marcus have paired up to offer a bunch of gift items by high end designers that will sell in both stores for the same prices.
I've heard that the NM ones are sold out but that pieces are still available at Target because the prices are low for NM and high for Target.

If you want to buy them, try Target first.

Here are my picks, based on what I like and then also the reviews on Target's website. I liked some pieces that then got terrible reviews for not being made well, so I removed them.



 
$29.99 Band of Outsiders Best Friends hat set
Comes with 2 matching hats, which are apparently pretty big so not for my tiny noggin, but maybe for yours?

 
$69.99 Rag and Bone men's sweater
I got E a non-Target sweater similar to this one for Chanukah two years ago and he wears it all the time. It's really soft. This one looks like it would be equally awesome, though it's made of cotton and wool instead of wool and cashmere. That's probably where the price difference comes in.

 
$79.99 Altuzarra tray
This is a lot of money for a random tray that you probably won't use that much, but when you do use it, it's going to be great. Really modern and elegant, and the reviews are over the top happy.
Just learned a lesson, too: it's Altuzarra, not Altazurra, like I'd thought.

 
$39.99 Carolina Herrara makeup bag set
Comes with 3 linked bags in different sizes and with cute prints featuring elephants and dogs.
These would be really good for packing.

 
$69.99 Philip Crangi trinket box
This looks like a grenade, so I like it.
It has an unknown quality which makes me keep wanting to look at it. The bronze color would go with pretty much any room. It's small (3") but would make a great gift, maybe with something fun inside it like earrings or a little figurine.

 
$39.99 Tracy Reese Dessert plate set
These have gold edges that the internet can't seem to get enough of. The prints are pretty and the set would make a great hostess gift if you are going to a nice holiday dinner at someone's house.
Dessert plates are also great for when you want to cut down on the amount you are eating and use them as dinner plates instead.

Glass Tupperware

As I have written before, I'm am on the glass tupperware or glass food storage wagon.
Might as well use a non-porous material that has been around for centuries when in doubt.

That previous deal doesn't seem to be available anymore, but these are!

One thing that annoys me about all glass container sets is that they pretend you are getting more than you are by counting lids and containers as separate pieces. Do you really think I can't see that the 10 piece set is only 5 containers? That is bullshit.
I will tell you how many there really are.
 
$18 Set of 7 Pyrex containers with lids
This is an awesome deal, and pyrex can go from the fridge to the oven (though I'd prob let it warm to room temp before doing that to avoid shocking the glass)




$17.98 Set of 5 Pyrex containers with lids
Same price but 2 fewer than the set above? Why would I show you these? Well, these are bigger.





 
$29.98 Anchor Hocking set of 10 glass containers
These cover a range of sizes and would be a good starter set if you wanted to overhaul and throw out your plastic tupperware.

I am slowly replacing what we have.

Sale Surfing at Anthropologie

Anthropologie has so many desirable things but at such insane prices sometimes.
But the sale section can be your friend.

Brace yourselves, this one is kinda long.

Here are my picks:


$99.95 Flashed back shift dress (was $228)
I love digital prints on dresses, especially when they are landscapes.
Anthro does these well.

Not into the whole dress?
There is this skirt as well:

$49.95 River school skirt (was $98)
The dark blue waistband on this skirt is great because it takes the place of a belt and sets the skirt apart from your top.


$19.95 Watercolor blooms asymmetric v neck top (was $88)
The multicolor wash on this is very feminine and pretty.


$29.95 Color swatch top (was $58)
I like the fan pleating on the front, it makes this seem more like a blouse and less like a tee shirt. The grayscale colors are versatile.


$2.95 Beetle drawer pull (was $12)
How cute are these knobs?
And if you had a bunch on a dresser, it could look like they were all migrating somewhere together.


$2.95 Flowering twig pencil (was $5)
This would make a great random gift or hostess present, so I'd keep a few of these around in case you need them.


$49.95 Kittiwake Jumpsuit (was $198)
This one is probably not for everyone, but I love the way the wide leg pants flow. It would look great on someone with olive or darker skin. I think the beige can wash a lighter girl out.


$49.95 Illusion tie pullover (was $98)
The bow on this is part of the stitched design, so it can never come untied.
I like pieces like this sweater because they make you look put together and like you thought about different parts of an outfit but you don't actually have to try hard or layer.


$39.95 Capon robe (was $78)
I would probably try to get away with this as a dress. It is so nice!
It would also make a great mom or aunt or grandma gift.


$59.95 Lyra Ankle boots (was $148)
These also come in a cinnamon color, but don't get those because the elastic ankle part clashes.


$79.95 Zip wedge ankle booties (was $168)
These are awesome! I love the zipper design and the tiny wedge heel and the pointed toes. These would look great with pretty much any pants or skirt.
The gray is better than the black. (CoughSize37formeCOugh)

Good boots for the post apocalyptic future when you might have to kill someone

Right?

These would go great with any shiv or jury-rigged gun.
You can step over dead bodies or pools of radioactive waste without worrying that the boots will come off, because they have those extra 2 ankle buckles.
Also, don't worry if a zombie rips your shirt a little, that disheveled vibe goes well with the look of the shoe.


$217.99 Matiko Knightly boots in brown

The metal accents show you mean business.
And the covered toe proves you can kick ass and take names, if for instance anyone tries to hoard their last remaining cup of potable water.

It's hard to find a boot that can go from surreal nuclear day to after-the-bomb-complete-darkness night, ya know?

Surfing the Target Clearance section

You never know what kinds of weird and good stuff you can find in Target's clearance section online.

My picks:

$14.98 Mossimo Vivian neon heels
Barbie shoes for grown ups!

$10.98 Mossimo V neck patterned maxi dress
I like the kimono shape of the dress and the chiffon fabric. I haven't seen the fabric in person though so it could feel weird. Worth a shot?

$12.48 Mossimo V neck jersey maxi dress
If the fabric of the other one puts you off, this soft jersey version comes in a ton of colors.

$7.48 Crochet collar top
This is a little peasant-y, but if you tie those strings in a crisp bow and pair with skinny jeans and ballet flats, it will look more nautical.

$6.98 Liz Lange knit top
I know this is a maternity shirt, but I think it is pretty and you could wear it not pregnant, too.

$12.98 Mossimo Black flutter top
I can fly higher than an eeeeeaaaaagle...
I like the pattern on this one, not the other colors though.

$11.18 Mossimo convertible dress
You can do all sorts of neck lines with this, by switching the position of the two long top flaps.

$149.98 Avington two seater sofa
I like this little love seat for a bench in an entry way or an accent in an office or at the end of a bed.

$89.97 Cherry storage bench
This looks like the bench is on a platform, but also it has become that platform. The shape is strange and I keep looking at it. I think I like it.

$90.98 Black serving cart with mirror
Where is the mirror? I don't get it.
Even without a mirror, this is a useful cart which could double as a bar.

Last but by no means least:

$17.98 Women's frog footies
Yes, that is a onesie for an adult. With a dissatisfied frog face on the hood.
I wonder why this didn't sell out at full price?!

Corner shelves

$25 Corner baker's rack from Walmart

I like the look of this shelving unit and I think it could be really versatile.
I would also like it spray painted turquoise blue or bright red.

You could use it as a teeny desk, or to hold your fancy dishes, or as a plant stand.

It's nice to have corner pieces. I have a corner bookshelf from Ikea that has been moving with me for 8 years. It's been a clothes organizer, a tv stand, a bookshelf, and now it holds dishes and cookbooks and party supplies in the dining room.

This one is a winner because it takes up so little floor space and gives you a bunch of display and storage options in return.
It has pretty good reviews, though the paint job seems suspect.