If you’ve got $50 to spend, you’re probably shopping for someone you care about, but maybe aren’t the PEAK people on your list (like a spouse or child). Siblings, best friends, nieces and nephews, favoured relatives, lovely couples, and so on come to mind. Today I’ve picked out 10 great gift ideas for $50 or less that would make splendid gifts for whoever you’ve got this budget for.
Bolaball Rollors – $49.99 @ Home Hardware + Amazon.ca
First up, a gift idea under $50 that appeals to the whole family. Bolaball is – as I mentioned earlier this gifting season – a very cool game maker based here in Canada. While they’ve created high quality takes on the classics like washer toss and beanbag toss, they’ve also innovated their own games, like Rollors, which has won the Creative Child of Seal of Excellence Award and was named one of the Top 10 Active Games for Kids in 2010. The gist of the game is somewhere between horseshoes, curling, bowling, and bocce ball. Your aim is to roll sturdy wooden disks at targets – points are awarded to whoever gets theirs closest. It sets up in minutes, is easy to transport, and is plenty of fun for the little ones to those with creaky hips.
Vichy Aqualia Light or Aqualia Rich Gift Sets – $39.50
If skincare is a top concern, you don’t need to spend buckets of money to treat your loved ones right. Vichy has a whole host of skincare gift sets for the holidays designed to target everything from anti-aging to shaving (for him). My personal pick of the bunch? Their Aqualia kits, which are specifically focused on hydrating parched skin – a common winter problem. The products are essentially the same between the two kits, but for those worried about too rich of an experience, Light may be the way to go; the Rich set offers 48 hours of hydration while the Light is meant to be reapplied every 24. With a 1-2-3 combination of daytime and nighttime creams, plus the brand’s refreshing Boosting Essence Water, it’s a great reprieve for the dry, cool winter months ahead.
Melton Scarf – $48 @ Muttonhead
I did a little spiel about the wonderfulness of Muttonhead earlier this month, but I’ll give you the highlights again: this Canadian brand is focused on ‘slow fashion’, creating timeless unisex pieces using high quality materials and methods, right here in Canada. One of those pieces is their cozy Melton Scarf, which comes in an assortment of neutral shades. Made from a cozy wool and polyester blend, this bestselling scarf keeps the winter weather at bay and wraps snuggly against the neck. It’s a fantastic accoutrement if you’re gifting someone with a lovely new winter coat – or if they’re simply in need of a new winter accessory that’ll become a fast favourite.
Cheese Lovers Variety Soft Cheese Kit – $30 @ MakeCheese.ca
Are you shopping for a foodie? A cheese connoisseur? Then give them a chance to make their own morsels of tastiness with one of MakeCheese.ca’s cool cheesemaking kits. I’m actually featuring their latest and greatest one here, which allows you to make the soft cheese of your choice – from cream cheese to sour cream to mascarpone (and five others!) Like all of the brand’s kits, everything you need to make cheese is included, such as the rennets or cultures, as well as all of the equipment like cheesecloth and a thermometer. There’s also handy recipe guides inside that give you the step-by-step assistance you need. Plus, the kits are designed so you can make multiple batches of cheese, allowing you to experiment or give things a second try if they go awry the first time. All your giftee needs to supply is the milk!
SEPHORA COLLECTION Ombre Obsession Eyeshadow Palette – $43 @ Sephora
This pretty palette is as lovely to look at as it is to put on! It includes four solid shadows and four unique ombre shadows with a range of tones, allowing you to completely customize the intensity of your eye makeup look. It also makes applying makeup pretty foolproof – one swipe is all you need to deliver a bold strip of graduated colour. And with a total value of $221, this awesome palette also comes at one pretty great price.
Anne of Green Gables: 20th Anniversary Three-Part Collectors Edition DVD – $45.99 USD @ Shop at Sullivan
Did you grow up dreaming of puffed sleeves and visits to the White Sands Hotel? Like many Canadians, I watched many of Sullivan Entertainment’s infamous programming, including Road to Avonlea, Wind at My Back and of course, Anne of Green Gables. The latter book and its film adaptations have captured the imaginations of generations of readers and viewers, and now you can own all three of the original Anne of Green Gables mini-series in this collectible DVD set. From Anne’s earliest days on Prince Edward Island drinking raspberry cordial and making bosom buddies, to her time as a young teacher reluctant to give into her feelings for Gilbert Blythe, to the battlefields of Europe, where her husband has gone missing, the films will rekindle your love for these stories in no time – they’re also a great gift for anyone who has yet to experience them! And for the record, there’s *plenty* of gift ideas at the Shop at Sullivan store, for fans of any of the company’s productions.
Lush Snow Time Gift – $48.95
Lush always has the most unbelievable gift sets, but I gravitated toward this one simply because it’s loaded with some of the brand’s new seasonal products (and yes, the price point helped in this case too). Each of the six goodies packed inside this covetable gift are designed to give your skin a refreshing tingle – just like those first few flakes of snow dotting your nose. Case in point? Try the Christingle body conditioner, which has menthol crystals and an energizing scent of peppermint, spearmint, grapefruit and cassia. And that’s just one product! There’s also the new Salt and Peppermint Bark, which is loaded with 50% sea salt to seriously exfoliate that dry, winter-blasted skin (although the included oils will also help soften it). There’s also the fresh-smelling Ice Blue Soap, the classic almond-infused Snowcake soap and the classic Dream Cream, and to polish things off, Mint Julips, a tasty minty lip scrup. It’s a six-pack of awesomeness at a fabulous price!
Ethanol Table Top Fireplace – $34.99 @ Clair de Lune
Not every home is so lucky to have a fireplace to hang the stockings by – although Clair de Lune offers a perfect alternative with their table top fireplaces. Whether used as a toasty dining table centrepiece or set on a sideboard or coffee table for a warm glow of ambiance, this sweet little fireplace offers modern sophistication and total ease of use. Ethanol is a clean-burning gas, meaning it’s odorless and smokeless, so you don’t need to worry about staining your walls or ceiling (or putting off guests with a chemical smell). Suitable for just about any room in the house – imagine a little fire greeting you when you step out of the tub or settle into your bed for some nighttime reading – this is a fantastic decorative gift for tons of people on your shopping list! Just be sure to include a bottle of Eden liquid ethanol so they can keep the fires burning.
Otherware Bracelets + Teethers – From $20
As part of my ongoing quest to highlight great gift ideas for every member of the family, I’m super excited to introduce you to Otherware – a Canadian brand committed to creating fashionable and functional pieces that babies can teeth on and mom can wear without fear of having her fave gems destroyed. The beads, sourced from within Canada, check all the boxes for what you want to avoid putting into your kid’s mouth – made from 100% food-grade silicone and untreated wood, they’re happily non-toxic, latex, lead, cadmium mercury, phthalate, BPA and PVC-free! But of course, the real selling feature here is how lovely the designs are! Available in four unique little collections that touch on different colour themes (some also contain special beads), it’s easy to pick up a few pieces to go with any outfit and have handy to help soothe your little one when out and about. If you’re shopping for a new mom or a pending mom, Otherware should definitely be at the top of your list for an affordable, special gift she’ll treasure!
Modern Gent’s Post-Party Rescue Kit – $32 @ The Body Shop
If you need a good go-to gift for the guys on your list, this affordably priced set from The Body Shop is just the ticket. The idea? If your bloke’s been throwing back egg nog till the sun comes up, this cool kit contains two products loaded with energizing maca root, that also helps hydrate and protect the skin so he can look fresh as a – pardon my non-masculine language – daisy. It’s actually valued-priced as normally these two products would be $40, but for just over $30, you can nab their For Men Maca Root Eye Rescue Serum and For Men Maca Root Energetic Face Protector to perk up the skin and put a smile on his face (even if his insides are roiling). Incidentally, this is also one of The Body Shop’s gifts that are part of their charitable commitment to WaterAid this season. Buying this great gift will also allow an Ethiopian family one safe day of water. Heartwarming bonus!
Once again I’ve gathered up a bunch of these top gift ideas under $50 and bundled them into one exciting prize package valued at $325+! If you win, your prizing will include:
Bolaball Rollors Game
Vichy Aqualia Products
Muttonhead Melton Scarf
MakeCheese.ca Soft Cheese Kit
Anne of Green Gables: 20th Anniversary Edition Three-Part Collectors Edition DVD
Clair de Lune Tabletop Fireplace
Otherware White & Black Burly Teether
The Body Shop’s Modern Gent’s Post-Party Rescue Kit
Here’s how to enter for your chance to win!!
1) First off: you must be a subscriber to the Canadian Gift Guide to enter this giveaway. It’s as simple as finding ‘The Gift of Gab’ box in the righthand column and dropping in your email or clicking follow. Then leave me a comment below by December 4, 2015 telling me your favourite gift ideas under $50 from this list!
2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 5, 2015 to select the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.
3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.
4) Bonus Entries: Do as many or as few of the following as you’d like. For every bonus entry you rack up, be sure to leave a separate comment with proof (i.e. a link) or your bonus entries won’t count! For example, leave one comment to start, as per step 1 above. Then, if you decide to like one of the brands on Facebook and leave a wall post, leave a link back to your wall post in a separate comment below. And so on! Google is a helpful resource for learning how to link back to social posts online.
Bolaball – Like them on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall about why you’d like to try out their Rollors game. You’re under no obligation to mention the CGG.
Vichy – Follow them on Instagram and Regram a photo from their feed OR share a photo from their site onto your own Instagram. Be sure to tag Vichy in your photo.
Muttonhead – Follow them on Instagram and Regram a photo from their feed OR share a photo from their site onto your own Instagram. Be sure to tag Muttonhead in your photo.
MakeCheese.ca – Like them on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall about which cheese kit of theirs you’re interested in trying. You’re under no obligation to mention the CGG.
Shop at Sullivan – Like them on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall about which of their products you’re most interested in. You’re under no obligation to mention the CGG.
Clair de Lune – Like them on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall about which of their products you’re most interested in. You’re under no obligation to mention the CGG.
Otherware – Follow them on Instagram and Regram a photo from their feed OR share a photo from their site onto your own Instagram. Be sure to tag Otherware in your photo.
The Body Shop – Follow them on Instagram and Regram a photo from their feed OR share a photo from their site onto your own Instagram. Be sure to tag The Body Shop in your photo.
