Showing posts with label Gifts. Show all posts


I've seen a lot of gift guides floating around the internets, and while there seems to be a gift guide for every type of boyfriend/husband/dad out there I haven't found the Gift Guide for Your Grumpy, Sober, Pregnant Friend/Partner/Sibling/Person You Are Obligated to Get a Gift For". In preparation for black Friday and holiday chaos I'm sharing the products I actually use regularly that have made this pregnancy doable, as well as recs y'all shared. I received feedback after posting this on IG that this should actually just be a gift guide for people who appreciate comfort, it's not exclusive to pregnancy. So if you are preg or prioritize comfort do send this list along to people buying you gifts for black Friday shopping. 

Listing the original prices but black Friday should give us some heavy discounts.

My Recs

Lululemon Align High Rise 28" Leggings ($98): These are pricey but they are MAGICAL which makes them a great gift. I'm in my regular pre-pregnancy Lululemon size (8) at 33 weeks pregnant, and everyone has said these are also great post-partum. A lot of y'all also recommended the Align Joggers. 

Origins Leg Lifts Lotion ($30): A friend gave me this lotion and I wish I had discovered it earlier. I've put my legs through some crazy sh*t (like running a marathon) but they have never ached/been as tired as they are in pregnancy.

Bombas Socks ($16+): I cannot express enough how sweaty pregnancy is and how uncomfortable my feet are. Nice socks that feel like sweaters hugging your feet help. 

I also recommend the grippy socks as hormones loosen pregnant people's joints which makes us clumsier. Lawd knows I was already falling all over myself. 

Supportive Fuzzy Slippers ($12-$24): On the topic of aching feet, I found these on a list of podiatrist recommended slippers and then read in the reviews that TIBAL recommended these at some point so we KNOW these are good. **Make sure to get the hard bottoms NOT the fuzzy bottom sandals - they are different!

Mermaid Noire Candle ($16): During first trimester every smell, including the smell of my home, made me feel sick to my stomach - EXCEPT this candle. I burned it 24/7. Now that I'm out of the throes of first tri I'm burning the Brown Sugar Milk Tea candle.

Meundies Hooded Robe ($72): Y'all know how I am about robes. Harrison got me this for Christmas a few years ago and it has carried me through 3rd trimester. It has a hood and pockets which I thought are mandatory features I have never used but I hear from the moms will come in extremely handy during nighttime feedings.

Baggage Claim Eye Masks ($25): These under eye gels feel glorious after a night of insomnia. Sidenote: I thought I was adjusting well to the insomnia but recently saw a picture of myself and realized I am in fact not coping as well as I thought. But these eye gels feel good and that counts for something. 

Cooling Pajamas ($45+): NIGHT SWEATS ARE VERY VERY REAL and I swear by these pajamas - sweat wicking, cooling, comfortable. Note: I got a few DMs about pajamas and I feel the need to clarify that these are NOT sexy pajamas - they are purely functional.

Kindle Paperwhite ($89) : The adjustable backlight means you can read poolside while everyone else is taking shots, or in bed when you are up with insomnia and don't want to turn on a light and wake up your partner from their precious, amazing, easy to come by sleep. 

Savage Fenty Jumpsuit ($90): Pockets, hood, extremely soft and warm. This was a Christmas gift last year and the medium is carrying me through the end of third trimester. The zipper front means it should work for breastfeeding, pumping, and anything else one needs to whip out a boob for. You can sign up for a membership, purchase the items, and then cancel the membership to get discounts.

Love Scrub Mesh Body Exfoliator ($18): I am one of the white people who washes every part of my body regularly. This is like a loofah except it stretches out to be FEET long so you can wrap it around yourself to scrub and exfoliate hard to reach spots and spots get harder to reach and bending over becomes impossible.

Nike Free Run 5.0 Shoes ($100): Harrison got these for me after I complained about my feet hurting. Super supportive, foamy soft, and they slip on which is mandatory as bending over to tie shoes is no longer an option. I had to go a size up in these.

Slides ($28): I've always been opposed to adults wearing slides because they feel like I'm going to high school soccer practice but these slip on and off so easily and are v. supportive. Third trimester has turned me into a person who leaves the house in socks and slides. They're that good.


Recs from y'all: 

Shipt membership ($99) 

Frida Mom Recovery Kit ($39)

Frida Mom Hospital Bag Essentials ($99)

Bidet ($50) *IYKYK*

Compression Socks ($20)

Gift cards for maternity clothes and essentials:

Gift Guides: Gifts for the Pregnant People in Your Life

Tuesday, November 23, 2021



Shopping Black owned is more important now than ever. On top of the fact that Black entrepreneurs face significantly more barriers in starting and maintaining a business than their white peers, Black owned businesses have been disproportionately impacted by COVID - I broke it all down visually here and at the bottom of this post. One small act you can do today in the fight against systemic racism is to shop Black-owned businesses for your holiday gifts this year. I sourced the IG following for a list of your favorites and compiled below - check out these products and let me know if there are others I can add to the list!

This is a living post, I will continue to update as more recommendations come in. Last update 11/19/2023.

Art

Ink prints: Love the art on Winnie Weston (based in Alexandria, VA! hey local to me!).

Prints and paintings: Beautiful artwork from Lindsay Bri Adams, I'm eyeing this.

Prints and canvases from Hello Allison Art. Love.

Prints: ArtxMariah creates amazing hand drawn prints and even temporary tattoos!

Prints: Black Girl Free has prints and inspirational cards made my an IRL friend of mine who paints inspirational murals all over the world (follow her IG for some real inspo).

B&W Prints from Pretty In Ink - I'm digging this Fight the Power print!

Textiles, prints, workshops from Jen Hewett.


Athletic/Athleisure Apparel

Athleisure: Solely Fit for athleisure - I have my eye on these leggings .

Running: For the runner: running mittens and face masks from White Paws Run Mitts.

Activewear: Love love the bright colors and patterns at Glamourina! Sizing goes up to 3XL. No one can have too many leggings in 2020 and these Sahara colors are perfection.

Yoga: Beach Hours is a Black and woman owned brand with fun patterns. Sizing up to 3XL. 

Sets: Roam Loud has tops, bottoms, and matching sets. I like that you can filter for the intensity of the workouts. Sizing up to 2XL. 


Books

Select one of these independent Black-owned bookstores. I get my books from Mahogany Books here in D.C. (they ship nation wide).


Boozin

Whiskey: Uncle Nearest small batch whiskey is run by the first female and first BIPOC to run a major whiskey or spirit brand ever. 

Wine: Theopolis Vineyards' California wines come highly recommended from a few friends - the Sirah was specifically mentioned.

Wine and Rosé: McBride Sisters Collection has holiday gift collections and their Brut Rosé and canned SHE-CAN Spritzers come recommended!


Candles

Adishaah Candles has some great scents in this small batch, hand poured candle shop.

3 brothers started FRÈRES BRANCHIAUX, a hand poured soy candle company that donates 10% of proceeds to homeless shelters in the US. A Forever Wakanda candle!! I cannot!

Glo Through It  : wish I could smell through the screen. Just ordered the Peace candle for myself!

KSM Candle Co has gift options from candles to virtual candle making classes to candle of the month club memberships to curated gift bags.

Mermaid Noire hand pours candles in Maryland. I have and regularly burn Yemaya and Eye of the Tiger.

Vela Negra sells black wax candles in unique scents. The Coquí candle looks divine.


Clothing

Positive Messages: Natural E Beautiful has a "Love Yourself" collections that I...love. For kids and adults.

Leisure: Really fun looks Dressed in Joy. LOVE these biker shorts.

Pre-loved: Sustainable fashion at Pulchritude. This striped pouch is a great stocking stuffer.

Hoodies: The Museum DC has sweatshirts, hoodies and hats.

Women's wear: Day to evening women's clothing at MDOTROSS, eyeing this maxi for myself or a giftcard for a friend.

Hoodies and hats from Double or Nothing Apparel.

Make a statement: IN X OUT Apparel has all the clothes with the positive messages. My SIL got this sweatshirt from me last year!

Lingerie: Suzy Black for lingerie, including plus size.

Stylish: Addie white for trendy clothes, I have my eye on this grey comfy looking dress.

Political: Bailwick's Madam Vice President T and "America: Under New Management" T are perfect for about 73 million Americans.


D.C. Stuff

Ts:  Nubian Hueman's Native T and Locals Only T are great gifts for D.C. locals.

Stickers and mugs: Feed the Malik creates guides and reviews Black-owned restaurants in the DMV. Support her work AND D.C. Central Kitchen by purchasing these Bring Black Chocolate City mugs and stickers.

Apparel: Bailwick makes my favorite D.C. gear. I own this tank top, this t, and have my eye on this hoodie. Yini

Experiences: Sweatbox DC is a high intensity interval training gym with locations in DC and VA, gifting sessions is an easy idea!


Foods

Baked Goods: Brotha Bakes' online bakery has me 🤤. These cupcake jars look... just wow.

Baked Goods: Ke's Konfections for bundts, brownies, cookies, and ice cream. Harrison is getting these cookies n cream cookies in his stocking and can we talk about this cookies n irish cream bundt???

Popcorn: When you've had real good gourmet popcorn there's no turning back. Hello, Lammar Marie Gourmet Popcorn. This Double Chocolate Pretzeltopia Popcorn looks like Heaven.

Juice/Cocktails: The handcrafted juices made from all locally sourced ingredients from T is the Name look perfect. Someone send me a gintini stat. And if I were in NY I would be ordering the Capricious Sun on the reg. 

Herbs and spices: Shop Herbs and Spices has curated gift boxes so it is literally 0 work for you.

Biscuits: I'M SORRY BUT BACON CHEDDAR JALAPENO BISCUITS TO MY DOOR? Mama's Biscuits has vegan and gluten free options, and donates thousands of biscuits each month to local causes. 


General Gifty Things

Home Goods: Yowie has home goods with a whole collection dedicated to homes for plants, perfect for all those who are celebrating their first Christmas as pandemic plant parents! Also love their prints.

Stationery and Cards: Neighborly Paper for stationery, paper, and cards - spoiler alert: a lot of you will get this one from me, I can't stop laughing.

Goods: Fair trade fashion and unique goods at Nubian Hueman. Into this white sage bundle, and if you're shopping for anyone in D.C. this is it.

Flowers: Taylored Grace has beautiful florals for local delivery.

Kitchen, kids, wellness, fashion: So many great gifts from Post21.com.

Socks: I bought lots of gifts from Define Socks - the recipients loved the taco socks and the watermelons.

Journal: The Journal You'll Actually Finish provides prompts to inspire creativity and help you get your ish together in just a few days each month. 

Calendars: Practice self empowerment with these 2021 affirmation calendars from Black Girl Free.

Christmas Shop: Midnight Reflections has adorable printed wrapping paper , plus some fun ornaments like this Black Santa emoji ornament.

Plants: EcoVibe has you covered for all things plant gifting - check out their gift collections in all different price ranges! 


Kids

These make great additions to your baby registry too!

Puzzles: Every kid on my list is getting an empowering Puzzle Huddle puzzle. Obsessed. Plus 20% off with the code HOLIDAY2020!

Baby Clothes: For the bb's - Random Rompers Apparel

Clothing: Buddha Babe has all the accessories, bibs, blankets, and clothes for the BBs covered. This Local Legend long sleeve bodysuit and this Big Poppa bib are adorable.

Clothes and Toys: Little Nomad Shop has so many great gifts. #CoolAunt coming through with some sweet toys.

Teethers: Pretty Please Teethers makes natural, modern, minimalist teething toys for littles. We have the Rainbow + Rays Teether, and I really like their gift boxes.

Baby products: Eizzy Baby makes easy modern baby products. We have their silicon bibs, suction plates, and snack cups!

Representation: Little Muffincakes make products that represent diversity. We have the Make Believe Majestic Blanket and I love their pillows!

Jewelry and Accessories 

Golds: Lelia Mae has beautiful gold jewelry including personalized items and a great under $50 section.

Jewelry: I want all of it from Lingua Nigra. The I Can See the Light earrings have my name all over them.

Jewelry: Sassy Jones Boutique's jewelry and accessories make great gifts.

Jewelry from Get Bold Jewels with a founding story I love.

Jewelry: My grad school classmate runs Chapman's Jewelry out of Detroit, love that they do custom jewelry.

Jewelry: Clay earrings from Bobbi Made This. Step up your Zoom game with these green arch earrings.

Jewelry: Beautiful earrings and accessories from sister-run BR Design Co. A whole section for neutrals!!

Masks: Look good and DO good with SchnelleCares masks. They donate masks and a portion of funds to Boston orgs. The holiday collection has masks that can rival your tacky sweater AND classy New Years designs.


Office and Work Gear

Blue Light Glasses: Uvea sells fashionable blue light glasses, I like these speckles and I've never seen shapes like these!

Laptop and Cellphone Covers: Chic Geek has really fun covers for iPads, laptops, and cell phones. Real into this crocodile case and this unicorn keyboard cover.

Travel bags: TW Totes' luxury weekender, backpack, and lunch bag make great gifts for the person on your list who is returning to the office.


Skin Care

Soap: Refineful sells organic soaps in natural scents that look delish.

Soap and Body Products: Naked Bar Soap Co. has soaps that some of yall absolutely swear by. This Oatmeal Milk & Honey Butter Bath Bomb looks divine, and so does this Sugar Cookie Sugar Scrub. 

Skin products: Garner's Garden carries 100% natural skincare products, I'm eyeing the [extremely affordable] clay mask collection.

Bath Teas: Live Soaked is a mother-daughter team (swoon) who make bath teas. Everyone could use this Calm blend.

Body products: Nude Essentials for clean body products. My skin needs this whipped triple butter.

Sanitization: Brit's on-the-go safety kits are THE gift of 2020.

Body butter and cream: Affordable and free of harsh chemicals, Arome is great for moisturizers.

Body Butter: MedusaButters makes their products with all natural ingredients you can find in the description.  

Body Butters, oils, and creams: Chic Ezotic Body has everything from body wash to whipped butters to beard oils. This sugar bomb whipped gourmet butter  and this beard oil make great gifts.


Why Shop Black-Owned











Black-Owned Shopping Gift Guide

Tuesday, November 17, 2020


My favorite gifts to give (and receive of course) are the ones that also give back. We all know Toms and their "Buy One Give One" program, but here are some of my other favorite affordable stores that give back with each [trendy] purchase made- also, guys listen up, these make great Valentine's gifts! Especially if your someone-special is passionate about a certain cause. Really what better way is there to show you pay attention and care?

  1. The Animal Rescue Site: Each ITEM bought from The Animal Rescue Site funds at least 14 bowls of food for shelter animals in need. My sweet Andi came from Angel Dogs Rescue where the shelter workers constantly fund dog food from their own pockets due to lack of funding- not ok! This site has cool canvas shoes as well as mugs for dog and cat lovers, plus other sweet gifts (my mom gave me this doggie oven glove last year)- and OMG THESE SLIPPERS!!! This site also has links to gifts that give back to autism, literacy, breast cancer, hunger, veterans, diabetes and the rainforest.
  2. Ekata Designs: There are currently 10 million refugees in the world, the majority of which are women and children. These women and children face all kinds of challenges such as overcoming trauma from the past, learning a new language and culture, finding a job and becoming self-sufficient- a difficult process. Ekata Designs is an organization run by my little brother's friend in Memphis, TN who hires Nepalese refugee women and trains them to make jewelry which they sell in their Etsy Shop. The jewelry is beautiful (my brother gave me this necklace for Christmas) and really reasonably priced. I also love these earrings and this bracelet
  3. Soapbox Soaps: Did you know 3,000 children's lives could be saved every DAY with something as simple as clean water and soap?? With ever soap purchase Soapbox Soaps (headquartered right here in DC!) provides soap, vitamins and clean water to children right here in the US and internationally. Their liquid soaps make great host gifts, and these all-natural soaps and bodywashes are less expensive than typical name-brand and drug store soaps. My favorite is the Mandarin Bodywash. 
  4. Twice as Warm (also located here in DC) donates a clothing item to families in need for every item purchased. Unlike similar organizations, Twice as Warm donates the same high quality products to families as you are buying. I love their All American Ear Warmer (also a great gift for your favorite American patriot), DC Polar Bear T, and Classic Fleece Scarf.

What am I missing? Leave ideas in the comments if I've missed some good ones, I like lots of ideas!

Friday Favs: Gifts That Give Back (perfect Valentine's Gifts!)

Friday, January 31, 2014

Star Trek Robe Remote Control Beer Cooler Bourbon Ice Balls Rocks Glass Set Silk Bow Ties Bamboo Organizing/Charging Station Watch Sock of the Month Club Membership Bacon Bundles Play Station Games Image Map
How stressful is picking the perfect gift for people-pleasers like us, right? I took a survey of
tons of guy friends asking for their Christmas lists and the best gifts they ever received, and
after weeding out the extremely inappropriate suggestions this is what we came up 
with (as well as the least expensive places I found to buy):



  1. $29.99 Star Trek Bathrobes from ThinkGeek.com: It's a robe AND it's Star Trek. The perfect gift for the sci-fi guy on your list (can you imagine the joy that comes from watching Star Trek IN A STAR TREK ROBE?).
  2. $26 Silk Bowties from Macy's: Really how good looking are these? This is the best price I have found for bowties that are not pre-tied (pre-tied bowties = cardinal sin according to the surveyed males).
  3. $42 Remote Controlled Beer Cooler from Amazon: This doesn't need a description. It holds 6 bottles or cans at a time + ice. 
  4. $34 Bamboo Multi-Charging Office Organizer Station from GreatUsefulStuff: Perfect for the working guy at home or at the office, or at the home office.
  5. $9.99 Makers Mark Bourbon Ice Ball Tray on eBay:  Get the giggles out of your system- I know, iceballs is hilarious- because this is the best gift I have ever given. Williams-Sonoma is selling these like hotcakes for $1,000, or you could get the simplified version on eBay.  The spherical shape of these ice balls causes the ice to melt way slower than ice cubes, therefore diluting drinks less. If you watch Bar Rescue you know ice balls are also the key to saving struggling bars.
  6. $9.99 Rocks Glasses (set of 6) from Target: To complement the gift of iceballs. Also throw in some booze and you are officially the best gift-giver ever.
  7. $155 Tommy Hilfiger watch from Macy's: Every professional needs a good looking watch. And this is a REAL good looking one. Use this RetailMeNot Coupon for 20% off  (huge shoutout to all the readers who have turned me onto RetailMeNot.com) 
  8. $40 3 Month Subscription to Sock of the Month Club: The BF is a member and it is like Christmas once a month when the new, hand-made, one-of-a-kind socks come in the mail. It's the small things, people.
  9. Starting at $19- Bacon Gift Bundles from BaconFreak.com: For the bacon-lover on your list. (also check out Bacon of The Month Subscriptions from Zingerman's starting at $99
  10. COD: Ghosts $41 on Amazon: For the life of me I cannot figure out what is so fun about pretending to blow things up on Nintendo, but this showed up on 90% of the lists so I guess there is something enjoyable about it. Amazon has the best prices I could find.

Runner ups:
  1. $19 NFL Jerseys from Target
  2. $149 Nike Fuel Band
  3. $30 Dri-Fit Athletic Shorts at Kohls
  4. Polos 
  5. iPads (I found the most competitive prices on Amazon but these change daily)
  6. Seasons of TV Shows on DVD: Breaking Bad ,   The West Wing: The Complete Series Collection, House, Star Trek..In my opinion if you're going this route I suggest a Netflix Subscription
  7.  Boxers: UnderArmour ($20) and just plain silk ($50) were the highest ranking

Gifts for Every Guy on Your List for EVERY Budget

Saturday, November 30, 2013

 
Sometimes I think Phil from Modern Family is actually based on my own dad, so needless to say he deserves great gifts. But what to get a man whose hobbies favorite hobbies are roaming around Home Depot, watching Mash reruns and building shelves? Well thanks to Livingsocial  we have a crisis averted for one more birthday season: $25 for $50 to spend at Brookstone, and what do you know Brookstone's website has an entire sections of "Gifts for $50 and under". No joke. Here are some of my thoughts for my dad's gifts:

Stick-n-Find Bluetooth Locator: A thing you put on your stuff (keys, remotes, what else does my dad lose on the reg?) that you can locate from your iphone. O.M.G. I want one for myself






Motorized Automatic Tie Rack: Ok I really don't know how necessary it is to have this, but it is such a dad toy









Emergency 30 Day Lantern: This embodies all elements of appropriate dad gifts: totally unnecessary, rustic, kind of electric, and something all other dads will want to play with



Broke Gifts- Dad Edition

Monday, September 16, 2013