Cheap (but Fabulous) Gifts!

Alright, there are tons of holidays coming up, and when my parents were together I not only had to get end of year gifts, but birthday gifts for both parents and anniversary gifts for them all within a 10 day period! Needless to say I was pretty broke.

Because I've stayed pretty broke, I've found some amazing gits for folks that are under $20, which is usually my budget for people in my life. Here are some of my favorite gifts to give that are within that $20 budget! (Dag, I'm sharing all my secrets with this post!)

Crafty Chica's Wooden Frame $5
You can decorate it yourself or give as a gift to the crafty person in your life! I also suggest the Mojito papers and consider the Love Shrine. I've got the Love Shrine and have shared what I created earlier this year.

Eyes Lips Face $1

This cosmetics line by Nordstroms has almost all of their items priced at $1. I'm a HUGE fan of their nail polish in plum, their blending eye brush, and have gifted these lip balms in fun tins to younger girls/people in my life. (For some of my homies reading this DON'T buy yourself some until AFTER I give you your holiday gift because you may get some of this!)

Socks $7.50

I LOVE socks and I love giving socks as well! I've found this spot Sock It To Me, and I've also given th0se socks that are the "softest socks ever" kind of feel. I have large calf's and a size 10 foot, but these socks in "portland" (because that's where I first purchased them) go up my calf without leaving a mark because they aren't tight and stretch easily.

Books! Discounted or FREE
I love books and I love giving books I know have helped me in the past with hearing a new story or helping me see things differently. One of the ways I've decided to go about this is to look on the sales racks at major bookstores, but also I've signed up at PaperBackSwap.com which you swap books with others, set up a wish list of books and it's all FREE. All you do is pay for shipping which is usually about $2.50 for standard paperbacks. 90% of the books are brand new or in excellent condition so they are in great gift giving condition. I've also visited the library and found great finds for only twenty five cents!

Stamps $6-$13
I love to send mail, and I love to get mail too. One of the things I've done is give as a gift stamps that are fabulous and fun and can still be used to send snail mail! I love the Ella Fitzgerald stamp, Vintage Black Cinema stamps, Love: King & Queen of Hearts (although heterosexist super cute for the heteros in your life) UPDATE: I purchased the King & Queen of Hearts & they are NOT heterosexist as they are individual stamps per image so you can make them queer or poly!, Celebrate! stamp, and the Polar Bear.


Wine $10


I'm not a big drinker, many people know this about me already. However, I do like sweet flavored wines, such as Moscato, and I've been working my palette up with Sangria and Cosmopolitans. My favorite Moscato is Barentura and it is also Kosher! Beware, the three times I've gifted this wine I've been told people look at grapes in a whole new light!

Handmade Soap $5

I went to Rehobeth Beach one year for spring break and we stumbled upon the Soap Fairy. Handmade soaps by a queer couple. I can speak personally to the amazing scents of the Milk & Honey, Almond Oatmeal, and Sensuous Sandalwood.

Microfiber Screen Cloth $6
Many people I know have computers but rarely have the items that they need to make sure their computer is working properly. One of the things I've found to be extremely useful is this cleaning cloth to make sure your screen is clean. There is even a Plasma Screen cloth as well.

Capsule Pill Container $5
I carry one of these all the time. It fits over 30 ibuprofen's in a round shape in the container. I've had mine for over 5 years and it's still going strong. Although the color is coming off a bit, it gets the job done and it is compact.

SHAMELESS PLUGS
Here are gifts I've received and would definitely gift especially because they are created by some of my favorite people!

Super Hussy Shop Cards $2-$12
My homegirl Super Hussy has crafted some amazing and beautiful images of Black women on these post cards that are essential for any educator, or parent of a child. I've seen them for myself and they are of the HIGHEST quality!



Welfare Queen Bag
$20
I carry this everywhere I go if I don't have my backpack. Actually, even when I am carrying my backpack I have this too. Not only does it have a wide strap which is great for me because I have big arms, but that wide strap is great for colder weather when you layer on heavier coats. It also fits lots of stuff! I've packed this bag with 6 loaves of bread from the bakery, I've also carried 2 large cartons of orange juice along with a few lighter items. Seriously, you can fit 2 infant children in this bag, which is probably more appropriate than the groceries I carry.....

Girl Tuesday Jewelry $14 and up

I bought some barbed wire earrings from her, but she has amazing silver jewelry that she handcrafts. She's in NJ so you get your items fairly quickly if you are on the East coast!

Speak! CD & Zine $12-$17
From the Speak! Radical Women of Color Media Collective comes a CD and zine featuring and created by some of my favorite activists: La Mamita Mala, Black Amazon, and cripchick as well as baby bfp of spoken word, poetry, and song! I've used this album in my teaching on Women's Studies and they even created a curriculum with some guiding questions and ideas to encourage conversation among listeners. It is well worth the price and helps to support the ability for all Speak! members to go to the Allied Media Conference. These are going fast so I encourage you to contact them to see if supplies are available!

Adipositivity 2010 Calendar $19


Now, I've shared already that I've been photographed for the adipositivity project semi-NSFW (I'm December 3rd, September 3rd, April 2nd, January 1, and December 12, 2008)January 19th). Although none of my fotos are included in the calendar, they are still spectacular, and I'm included in the poster.

UPDATE
Musica $10-$14
My homegirl Sirena Riley is a jazz singer and you MUST buy her album. You see Sirena and I met in DC and then she moved to the UK to live her dream! What better gift to give than one that inspires in this way? You can purchase it on Itunes and at this music website. Here's her video



Handmade & Upcycled Accessories & Charms $10-15
My homegirl Li Bruno just left Chicago to head to the other side of the pond where all the Dutch culture is! However, she's still creating amazing and fun items that she's coined "from the sublime to the ridiculous." Here are a few examples. You can check out the rest of her store products here. Which one are you going to get?