Small, inexpensive gifts aka. “Stocking Stuffers” are usually just a passing thought. Long ago when I was in a marketing program for a big department we had to work the cash registers at holiday time. I was shocked to see people literally pulling anything under $20 off the shelves to give as a gift because it was the last minute. And I knew that most of these things would be a disappointment for the recipients. They’d either be thrown out or returned. Who wants to throw away money, even if it’s not a lot of it? So this story is about little gifts they will actually use, and not stash in a junk drawer, return, or throw away. These make fun gifts for yourself, too.
These Masks are Clean Beauty!
Vegan and cruelty-free facial masks make a great stocking stuffer for everybody. Two brands from the UK are Earth Kiss and 7th Heaven.
The Earth Kiss Super Naturals collection offers vegan, cruelty-free and certified organic facial masks. We tried the Kombucha & Spirulina Hydrating Sheet Mask and a Kombucha & Charcoal Exfoliating Clay Mask. The first mask features key ingredients of Kombucha, dead sea salt, and spirulina powder along with aloe vera, natural clay, and willow bark. Sheet masks are easy to use and this one is a serious drink of hydration for your skin. The clay mask Ingredients include Kombucha, walnut shell powder, and charcoal powder along with Aloe Vera, Natural Clay, Dead Sea Salt, Willow Bark smooth. After 15 minutes (or why dry) wash it off and see smooth, brighter, softened skin. Amazing results with a truly amazing price. Get a bunch on amazon.com for under $4 each.
7th Heaven’s all-natural Charcoal Peel-Off Mask admittedly looks kind of scary, but the results are beautiful. It contains activated charcoal and a touch of black sugar to draw out impurities while witch hazel and birch leaf calm and soothe. One sachet left to dry can be peeled off. If your skin needs a real cleansing, or it’s even dry or sensitive, this mask will cleanse and detoxify. It’s especially good for oily or combo skin though. We found tons of 7th heaven products on Amazon.
The Cutest Tools For Camera Buff & Gadget Lovers:
Kikkerland has some of the cutest items for stocking stuffers as well s holiday gift ideas. We already reviewed two awesome timers featuring Mozart or Beethoven and their music our holiday entertaining story. For stocking stuffers, there was so much to choose from. Camera buffs will love the useful and clever Camera Multi-Tool ($5). The stainless steel pocket-sized tool includes blade, flathead, Phillips screwdriver, 2 x wrenches, saw blade, prybar nail puller, direction auxiliary, bottle opener, butterfly screw wrench, ruler, Sunny 16 rule guide, and keyhole.
Nostalgic Cabin Makes A Room Smell Great:
For a bit of nostalgia, I also chose the Little Cabin Incense Burner ($15). I remember this being sold at gift shops when I was a child. Light the incense (10 sticks of balsam wood incense included) and watch the smoke rise out of the chimney of the little log cabin. It makes a cute housewarming gift and looks and smells great wherever you place it. The cabin is boxed and I just love it! Get more great ideas for yourself and for gifts on the Kikkerland website
Send Rainbows!
There’s nothing better than having a rainbow in your home every single day. Solar Powered Double Crystals Rainbow Maker ($45) is available from Kikkerland in a single rainbow maker ($35) but the double one is double the beautifier. Two crystals are powered to move and shed rainbow colors light around your room, as long as the day is sunny. A large suction cup holds the rainbow maker and its’ gears to your window. You’ll want to move the rainbow maker as the seasons and the sunlight change. I just love looking at this, it always makes me feel happy! Give rainbows and you’ll be remembered very very fondly!
Two From Tuttle Publishing:
Although advicesisters.com completed the holiday gift book review story (it’s scheduled for December 19th) Tuttle Publishing sent two super great little gift ideas.
Wrapping Paper isn’t just for wrapping gifts. You can use beautiful designs for shelf liners, for crafting, and even for framing and adding color to your walls. The Kaleidoscope Gift Wrapping Paper Set ($15) features 24 large (18″ x 24″) sheets of wrapping paper in 6 different designs. The sheets are housed in a shiny cardboard folder featuring photos of all the designs inside.
Challenge your favorite cook to try something new. The book Real Vietnamese Cooking: Everyday Favorites From the Street to the Kitchen by Yumiko Adachi, Shinobu Ito, and Masumi Suzuki ($15) is exactly what the title proclaims. You will need some more exotic ingredients for a lot of these recipes but they can be sourced online. The photography is very nicely done. Some recipes are beginner-friendly, such as the coconut & peanut dumplings with sweet ginger syrup. The photo actually made my mouth water! Visit https://www.tuttlepublishing.com/
A Very Sweet Pair of Socks:
Elevate your shoe style (or hers’ ) with your sock style. And I don’t mean just any socks either. These sheer, shimmery Kiss Socks by Elizabeth Reid ($26) add ankle allure. I’m showing you the red and pink version with 3 kisses but our editorial sample was blue. There is also a green pair and a white pair. Wear them with booties and they will peek out from the top of the boot. Wear them with platform Mary Janes or even ballerina flats or your strappy sandals. The heels and toes and elastic are reinforced so the delicate sheer nylon in-between is protected. Kisses mean love, but also friendship! Find more elegant and unusual luxury socks on the Elizabeth Reid website.
Fantasy Facial Masks:
advicesisters.com has reviewed many masks from Masquebar in the past, but for this holiday season, we’re suggesting these super-cite sheet masks called Fantasy by Masque Bar that let you live our a fantasy while you improve your skin! The seasonal designs are different depending upon whether you shop at Target or Walmart:
Available at Target ($1.99): Gingerbread Man, Reindeer (claiming), Snowman, Penguin Purifying), Unicorn (purifying), Gnome Boy (hydrating), 6-Piece Gift Set ($10), And at Walmart($3.99) Santa Claus Sheet Mask; Elf; Reindeer, Polar Bear (purifying) and Mrs. Claus. These are such a cute and useful and yet totally affordable gift! We also like MasqueBar’s Animalz masks with animal faces (We saw these on amazon).
Get ready for the new year with the one gift everyone needs (including you): a great calendar. The 365 Not So Pretty Kitties in the Bad Cat Calendar 2022 will have you laughing and smiling all year every day. This is my all time favorite calendar every single year. The 2022 version is attached to an eco-friendly cardboard stand. In fact, the entire calendar is printed with soy-based inks on FSC certified paper with no plastic or shrink wrap. I use the back of each sheet for notes!
Fierce, funny, fabulous feline photos are on every page with a cute quip that makes you smile even if it’s just another “manic Monday.” Last years’ bad cat calendar featured lots of photos submitted by besotted “fur parents.” This years’ calendar is no different, with adorable cats showing their “attitude.” They’re so cute and so bad, you can’t help but laugh. The bad cat calendar 2020 from Workman is $15. it’s the gift you give yourself for a happier 2022 (or for someone who really needs CaTtitude!
