Merry Blogmas, Day Seven! Unfortunately, I missed my daily posts these past two days because of some very heavy journalism commitments (I recently became an Associate City News Editor for the Daily Free Press at BU!), but I'm back at it today, and hopefully stronger than ever...ha. We'll see about that part.
This year, my best friends and I decided that we would hold a Secret Santa party instead of all of us buying gifts for one another like we usually do. I actually ended up having to trade names with someone because out of my entire group of friends, the generator paired me with Ryan. But now that that fiasco is over, my mind immediately flew to what the heck I was going to buy for my Secret Santa - and I know that many of you must be thinking the same.
This time of year, it's common to go to Secret Santa parties, whether it's for work, school, family, or friends. Depending on how well you know the person, figuring out what to buy for your Secret Santa can be a breeze - or, it can pose a serious dilemma.
That's why today, I'm bringing you another post in my 5 Under $50 series: Secret Santa gifts!
Many Secret Santa parties come with limits on how much money you can spend, so I thought that this would be the perfect fodder for the next 5 Under $50. In fact, this post is organized by price range, so there's a gift for every budget, ranging from $10 all the way up to $50.
And these gift ideas aren't exclusive to Secret Santa parties, either. If you have ever done a Yankee swap, or participated in another Christmas gift-giving tradition, you know that there are a million ways to host a party of this kind. No matter what you choose to call it, the important thing is that you're having fun and spending time with the ones who matter most to you...
Okay, let's face it: the gift matters a little bit, too. Thankfully, that's where I come in.
Clean Up Your Fractal DIY Soap Kit
As Secret Santa, it's your responsibility to make sure your recipient shines bright like a diamond when he or she opens your gift. Luckily, this soap-making kit will help you achieve that goal - both literally and figuratively!
This DIY gemstone soap kit was produced through a collaboration between Honestly WTF and Makers Kit. For $39.99, you'll gift your Secret Santa everything he or she needs to create two bars of gemstone-shaped soap entirely from scratch. Perfect for the craftsiest lady-slash-dude in your life, or anyone you feel like spoiling this Christmas as their Secret Santa. Available from ModCloth.
iRig Karaoke Microphone
Whether your Secret Santa match-up is an aspiring YouTube sensation, loves to record podcasts, or just wants to host the best makeshift parties around, this gift is the perfect way to support that person's passion.
The iRig karaoke microphone costs $40 - and despite its name, it can be used for so much more than singing loudly (and drunk-ly) along to Aretha Franklin on a Saturday night. Simply plug the cable into your phone's headphone jack for high-quality voice recording and sound quality. If your recipient does happen to be a fan of karaoke, he or she can download free apps like EZ Voice for a fun time with friends. Equally perfect for your techy best friend and your crazy coworker who wants to quit her job to audition for The Voice. Available from Urban Outfitters.
Imbibe the Vibe Crystal Set in Friendship
Send good vibes your Secret Santa recipient's way this Christmas season. For a boost of positive energy, gift him or her this collection of gemstones, each individually selected to bring a different benefit to your friendship.
The $21.99 set includes five stones: hematite, for relationship improvement; rhodonite, for forgiveness; rose quartz, for enhancement of (platonic) love; unakite, for partnership; and emerald, for balance. All five stones come in a spartan, yet beautiful pouch. Gift it to that friend who's always trying to read your tarot cards, or the guy at work you want to not-so-subtly friendzone for all eternity. Available from ModCloth.
Binge-Watching Survival Kit
If you care about your friends' health, you won't tell them to stop sitting in front of the TV and start exercising - you'll buy them one of these survival kits and sit down next to them instead. Whether Scandal is his or her passion, or Grey's Anatomy is more their speed, look out for your loved ones this holiday season by gifting them a binge-watch survival kit.
This binge-watch survival kit comes with two face-cleansing towlettes (so you can freshen up without missing the big plot-twist), two stain-removing towlettes (for the inevitable pizza-in-lap debacle), two packets of dental floss (for getting rid of those pesky popcorn kernels), breath drops (for the "chill" part of Netflix and chill), socks (for keeping those toesies warm at all times), two coasters (you know why), a chip clip (to keep that bag of potato chips from going stale, on the off chance you can actually keep from finishing them), and more goodies for your next binge-watching session. For $20, this kit is an absolute steal. Give it to the bestie you wish would watch the Gilmore Girls revival already, as a subtle-ish impulse. Available from Urban Outfitters.
DCI Merry Charger
Last but not least, for the gal who's on a tight budget, give the gift of holiday cheer this season for the affordable price of $9.95.
This colorful, twinkling charger is compatible with iPhones 5 and beyond. DCI even gave this fun and festive product an exclusive blinking feature, to light up your room like a Christmas tree. TBH, reviews are mixed, but I think the novelty of this product far outweighs the functionality in precedence, and is well worth the price you pay. Overall, this would make a great gift for that friend who thinks he's Buddy the Elf, or that annoying coworker who just can't even with the Christmas cheer. Available from American Eagle.