Under $50 Gift Guide: For Coworkers, Secret Santa, and more!

1. Advanced Clinicals Beauty Junkie Bundle * | 2. 2021 Candle * | 3. Silk Scrunchies ** | 4. HRH Book *** | 5. Star Baker Apron | 6. Blk & Bold Coffee *** | 7. Ew Covid Mug ** | 8. Holiday Coffee Capsule Gift Set | 9. Aged & Infused Alcohol Infusion Kit * | 10. Pizza Recipe Print ** | 11. Actually Curious Card Game *** | 12. Alice & Wonder Mask Chain ** | 13. Chicago Campfire Mug * | 14. Cancelled Plans Candle * | 15. ‘Doing My Best’ Cross Stitch Kit ** | 16. Salt Cellar | 17. Super Diva Sweatshirt | 18. Dog Pajama Top & Dog Pajama Pants | 19. Bombas Socks | 20. What’s Gaby Cooking Pasta Sauces | 21. Bando Weighted Bangle Set ** | 22. ‘Fuller Easy On The Pepsi’ Ornament & ‘You’re A Mean One, 2020’ Ornament * | 23. Untamed Book ***

*Chicago Business/From A Chicago Shop
**Woman Owned Business
***BIPOC Owned Business

Under $50 Gift Guide: For Coworkers, Secret Santa, and more

I may have posted 5 different gift guides so far… but I’m pretty sure this one is my favorite! While it’s really nice to spoil your loved ones from time to time, I think the majority of us are watching our budgets this holiday season. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that material items (especially expensive material items) just aren’t all that important in the grand scheme of things.

So, everything in this guide is under $50! Last year, this post was really focused on coworkers, Secret Santas, teachers, etc – but I think these goodies could work for so many different people in your life this year! Also, I keep getting requests for small businesses, especially based in Chicago, woman owned, and/or BIPOC owned. All of my guides have a lot of these in them already, but I realized it would be helpful to create a little labeling system – that’s what all of the stars above are for ? Please just keep in mind that some of them fall into more than one category!

For The Beauty Junkie

You do NOT need to spend a ton of money to get great skincare products – and Advanced Clinicals is the PROOF. Their Tea Tree Oil, Tea Tree Gel Mask, and Hemp Seed Oil Cream are 3 of my all time favorite skincare products ever – and none of them are over $15! Plus, to make the holiday season easier this year, they’ve created awesome gift bundles that range from $16 up to $75. (I also love that they’re a small business in Chicago!)

Also, if you live in Lincoln Square, pop by Lena Rose! She carries a ton of clean beauty products, including her own house line. You can also purchase directly from her website and have it shipped anywhere in the country, too!

For the lover of all things British

If you know someone who loves Great British Baking Show as much as I do, this Star Baker apron is such an adorable gift idea! I also looooove following Elizabeth Holmes whenever she dissects Royal fashion on Instagram – and now she has a book! Of course you can get it off Amazon or at Target, but if you have time, I recommend ordering it from Semicolon, which is Chicago’s only Black female owned bookstore!

For The Coffee Lover

My friend Kate surprised all of us with this Ew Covid mug back in August and it makes me laugh every single time I use it. I also really love this sweet campfire mug that says “My heart beats differently in Chicago” ?

And why can’t you give coffee as a gift?! The majority of us drink it every single day, so it’s a gift that definitely won’t go to waste! Back when I still had my drip coffee maker, I was LOVING Blk & Bold coffee, which is a Black owned business that is also sold at Target now! 

Now that I have my Nespresso machine, I’m realizing what an amazing gift this Holiday capsule set is, too! It has 5 limited edition holiday flavors: Salted Caramel, Peppermint Bark, Holiday Blend, Cremoso Mocha, and Irish Cream. Yes PLEASE!

For the Cocktail Enthusiast

I usually include some sort of ice molds or cocktail glasses in each gift guide, but these alochol infusion kits are WAY cooler than those! Aged & Infused is Chicago based company that will help you bring out your inner mixologist. Each kit comes with a reusable jar, a custom pour spout, all-natural dehydrated fruits and spices, and a recipe card. They are also sold at Uncommon Goods if you’re buying any other gifts from there!

For Game Night

It’s going to be a while before we can all socialize in crowded bars again, but game nights at home are more likely – and there are so many great games out there! A friend of mine just told me about Actually Curious, a card game designed to bring people together and foster meaningful conversations. As a Black man, the founder wanted to create a tool to help fight divisiveness in this country back in 2018. Since then it’s been featured in the New York Times, on Beyonce’s Black Parade Business list and even Goop. It’s also sold at West Elm if you’re already placing an order there!

For The Home Chef

This is the silliest thing, but I love my salt cellar so. freaking. much. It’s one of those things that a home cook in your life might not ever think about… but once they have it, they’ll love it! I recommend getting a box of Maldon salt to go with it so they can start using it right away!

For the Holiday Obsessed

Well, my friend Ali’s shop, Alice & Wonder, officially launched their Holiday collection and it is PERFECTION. She has holiday sweatshirts, hilarious ornaments, lots of candles, and even drinkware. (This play on WAP kills me ?) Also, don’t forget about her Chicago collection! A lot of the sweatshirts aren’t under $50 but they’re SO CUTE.

For the Feminist

This Super Diva sweatshirt is such a fun homage to the notorious RBG – and super cozy for quarantine! They also just restocked my “I’m Speaking” sweatshirt (seen on me here!). If they don’t need any more sweatshirts, I highly recommend Untamed by Glennon Doyle. I loved it SO much and I’ve found myself thinking about a lot throughout this difficult year. You can read more of my thoughts on it in this post!

For The Practical One

When in doubt, get them socks or pajamas. I mean, who doesn’t want to freshen up those drawers every once in a while?! Bombas definitely makes the best socks for both men and women – and for every pair purchased, they donate a pair to someone in need. The BEST! As for pajamas, this pair has dogs on them and they’re only $15 for the top and $15 for the bottoms right now. Does every gal in my life need these?! I think yes.

PS. You might also like The Best Gifts By Chicago Artists/Companies/Shops, Sustainable Gift Ideas, Gift Guide For Her, Gift Guide For Him, Gift Guide for Parents & In-Laws, and my Our Place Always Pan Review.