It is really crunch time for acquiring holiday gifts. But no worries. These little stocking stuffers, all under $10.00, are quick to order or to buy and will be welcome no matter where they end up, whether you’re actually filling a Christmas stocking, or you just need a bunch of little somethings for a hostess, friend, or co-worker.
You need a “little You need a “little something” for a stocking stuffer and you say you can’t afford anything more than a sandwich and a soda? No worries! Avon has got you covered, with stocking stuffers and little gift-ables that start at under $1.00. No seriously, I’m not kidding. Their Party Polish Mini Set is nicely boxed and just $8.99, and the Holiday Lip Balms with whimsical, colorful, holiday-centric graphics featuring Santa, Reindeer, polar bear and angel, are literally 99 cents. The matching 1.5 fl. oz. hand creams are just $1.99. The Reindeer has a silicone glove formula, the Santa features moisture therapy, the Angel has signature silk, and the polar bear features Vitamoist. These are perfect for a purse, and the entire set at under $8.00 is a great secret Santa gift! Amazingly, Avon’s 5 oz. Bath & Shower Gels also dressed up in holiday graphics, are just $6.00 (*they were on sale for $1.20 when I checked online) and come in plastic bottles with a hook top to hang on your shower head. The angel has a sugar plum and vanilla scent, the Santa is glazed apple and walnut, the polar bear is peppermint and vanilla, and the reindeer is black cherry and nutmeg. I haven’t personally smelled these, but I am suggesting them because the presentation is so adorable, and the price so amazing,.There are also plenty of inexpensive makeup and fragrance items such as festive lip glosses and even some under $10.00 fragrance gifts. Ask your favorite Avon representative, or call 1-800-FOR-AVON, or visit www.avon.com You can’t go wrong.
MARK also has a number of affordable gift-ables, but their In a Whirl Lip Glosses are nicely boxed for just $8.00 each. The glosses are all dressed up in a colorful, limited edition, marbelized swirl (mine were more striped than swirled,but the color combos are the same), mixing subtle shine, color and shimmer: Brown Sugar, Coral Cream, and Pink Souffle. The colors look intense in the squared tubes, but it’s mostl
y sexy, vanilla-scented gloss with a ton of shimmer and a hint of coral, pink or brown, tint.
ll bet your home has a few lip balms lying around, either half-used, dried-out, or simply forgotten. But in the Witner when lips tend to really dry out and even crack, lip balms are the key to keeping your lips from painful cracking. If you’re ever smiled and felt the skin on your lips, separate into a painful crack, you know exactly how long it takes to get your lips back into shape. Keep the skin hydrated with a good lip balm, applied often, and you may not find yourself smiling a lot more often this season!
Lip balms come in all shapes and sizes, types, flavors, and price points. The Advice Sisters have reviewed dozens and dozens of them over the years (just type “lip balm” + “advicesisters.net” into a search engine and you’ll see what I mean). So it stands to reason that really good lip balms make welcome stocking stuffers. And, one of the undisputed champions as a soother of dry lips is Nivea. Although this company has a lot more than a dozen different lip balms,
This August the Advice Sisters attended an event featuring a lip balm case designed by Charlotte Ronson, in conjunction with a FaceBook contest where people could design and customize a Kiss of Moisture Lip Care cap, selecting from numerous design and color options under themes such as “Nature” and “Glamorous.” Ms. Ronson herself picked the top 10 finalists . The lucky winner got to have his or her design featured on the cap in 2013.
For the rest of us, if you want a swivel up stick or a tube of lip loving goodness, you can’t go wrong with affordable, effective solutions from Nivea. There is even a lip balm just for men with SPF 4 without any shine. There are so many it is going to take half a page to list them all, but my personal favorites are the Olive Oil & Lemon (with lemon extract and vitamin E); A Kiss of Protection (with SPF 30), and a Kiss of Recovery (a medicated balm with SPF 15 and omega oils that seal in moisture, when dealing with very dry, sensitive lips). There is also a very nice Kiss of Shine for clear shine in a squeeze tube, and a Kiss of shimmer with SPF 10 (fruity scent and lots of perle). There are fruits, and other emollients. Find the ones you like, they won’t cost much, and all can be acquired for around $3.00
Eco-friendly bags come in all shapes and sizes. The key is to get the ones that work best for the task you want to accomplish. Re-Pack bags, for example, have re-useable fabric bags with zippers that are 100% food safe and stain-resistant. Their lunch-sized bags are always a big hit with moms at editor’s previews. But they also have a lot of smaller bags that can be used for everything from makeup to pet treats. They’re stain, mold and water resistant 100% polyester outside with a 100% nylon liner.
I have received a few of these bags as samples over the past couple of years, and didn’t think much about them until I wear-tested a few. Then I began to see their many uses, and I haven’t stopped using any of them,, since! The smallest bag is just $5.95 and these make colorful and practical organizers for my handbag and tote. One holds pens, the other, my makeup essentials, and yet a third holds the little things that tend to fall to the bottom of my bag where I can’t find them when I need them : e.g. gum, tissues, folding hairbrush. Since the Re-pac bags come in lots of different colors, I color coded my :system” so I know which color bag to grab for whatever I need, on the go. Since they are soft-sided, they also don’t take up as much room and these into the dishwasher when they’re soiled. These are not just great for stocking stuffers, they make an all-in-one “gift wrap” option that lets you lucky recipient re-use the bag as another gift. These are available in a lot of retailers as well as online. Find out more at www.re-packbags.comwww.re-packbags.com
I have always admired the soft, drape-y cotton tees by Splendid. If you want to bring a little gift to someone that is also affordable, try the –for Splendid collection for holiday 201 two teenagers created the looks assisted by their moms, and their company Emi-Jay is a partner in the women’s Network Young Luminaries program, helping girls nationwide to become more confident, career-ready and collage bound. Isn’t that nice? Emily and Julianne have created something so simple that you might not think much of them by just looking, but the stretchy little fabric hair ties that are soft and comfortable, and won’t rip your hair out when you want to remove them, but they really do stay put. Mostly they’re selling 5-packs, but for holiday there are 4 three-packs that are just $7.95 plus shipping and handling. You can wear these as little bracelets, too. There are many different style on the Emi-Jay web site. These aren’t going to make it to your home in time for Christmas unless you can make it to a Splendid retailer, but even if you have to buy them online, just print out a photo of these pretty hair things and stuff a stocking with an “IOU.” Definitely worth the wait! Visit: http://www.emi-jay.com/
