My Favorite Things: 25 Gifts Under $25

Lauren Catron
Nov 22, 2020
10 min read

Christmas is just around the corner! That means its time to do some shopping!!

Small businesses have been hit hard this year no thanks to Covid-19, so I have made it my goal to buy local as much as I can this Christmas. Let's help out our local businesses! The great thing is many of them have their shops online, so it's easy to purchase even if you are not in the St. Joseph area! (Or, if you don't want to get out in the crowds due to Covid).

I've created a list of my 25 favorite gifts to give (and receive!) this Christmas! These are perfect for stocking stuffers, Secret Santa gifts, or just a little something to brighten someone's Christmas - because let's face it, 2020 has been less than ideal and we could all use a little merriment!

Happy Shopping!!!

Plants

What better way to brighten someone's day than the gift of a plant? If taken care of properly, plants can last forever, and every time they look at it, they will think of you!

This adorable plant is from a new shop in downtown St. Joseph - The Unique Unicorn. They have a variety of plants to choose from.

Price: Varies

My Favorite Local Shop: The Unique Unicorn, LLC

Photo Courtesy of Unique Unicorn, LCC Facebook's Page

Bath Soaps, Scrubs, and Bombs

The past year I have really been big on #selfcare. One way I take time for myself is with a nice, hot bath. And nothing makes a bath better than some bath soaps, scrubs or bath bombs. Last Christmas, my brother bought me a box of Life Around 2 Angels bath bombs and I'm pretty sure I used them up within a couple of weeks.

Another great place for bath bombs is the St. Joseph Hy-Vee. They have a great selection and great scents!

Nesting Goods has a great selection of handmade local soaps. They are $6.00 a piece, so you can grab a few! My favorite scents are Lavender and Moroccan Sands.

Price: Varies

My Favorite Local Shop: Nesting Goods*

Nesting Goods Locally Handmade Soap - Lady Lilith — Photo Courtesy: Nesting Goods

Welcome Mat

Whenever it's socially acceptable to invite people over to your home again, what better way to greet them than with a cheeky welcome mat?!

Nesting Goods currently has some of their welcome mats on sale - originally $28, on sale for $19!

Price: $19

My Favorite Local Shop: Nesting Goods*

Pardon My French Doormat - Nesting Goods — Photo Courtesy: Nesting Goods

Cook Book

Ok, so I know this one isn't local, but I couldn't pass it up! It's a mashup of two of my favorite things - cook books and The Golden Girls!!!!

The Golden Girls Cookbook: More than 90 Delectable Recipes from Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophie can be found anywhere cookbooks are sold.

Price is listed at $16.36 on Amazon.

Photo Courtesy: Amazon, Author Christopher Styler - Publisher: Kingswell

Jewelry

What woman doesn't love jewelry?! One of my all-time favorites for earrings, rings and necklaces is Nichole Lewis Designs.

Nichole is the owner and designer based out of Savannah, Mo. and sells everything from personalized items, to necklaces, earrings - even hair clips! And there are SooOoOo many styles to choose from!

I'm personally eyeing these druzy & suede tassel earrings! 😍

Price: $18

My Favorite Local Shop: Nichole Lewis Designs LLC

Photo Courtesy: Nichole Lewis Designs - Druzy & Suede Tassel Earrings - Tan

Calendar

I know the thought of buying a calendar right now might seem daunting. I'm sending positive vibes into the universe, and praying for a better 2021.

I'm loving this Bad Girls Throughout History Wall Calendar from Manic Snail. And if nothing else, at least you'll get some inspiration from these badass females!

Price: $14.99

My Favorite Local Shop: Manic Snail

Photo Courtesy: Manic Snail - Bad Girls Throughout History 2021 Wall Calendar

Tile

Are you like me every morning looking for your car keys? If it weren't for the Tile Mate, I would probably lose my head.

So what exactly is a Tile? It's the "all-purpose finder for a wide variety of items like keys and bags," according to its description on Amazon. It works via Bluetooth - all you do is download the app. When your keys (or whatever item) is missing, use the app to locate the missing item within 200 ft. The great thing is - if you have your keys, but are missing your phone, it also works in reverse! As a mom on-the-go, this thing is a Godsend.

The Tile Mate (2020) Bluetooth Tracker, Water Resistant with 1 Year Replaceable Battery retails on Amazon for $24.99.

Price: $24.99

Photo Courtesy: Amazon - Tile Mate (2020) 1-pack - Bluetooth Tracker, Keys Finder and Item Locator for Keys, Bags and More; Water Resistant with 1 Year Replaceable Battery — Photo Courtesy: Amazon - Tile Mate (2020) 1-pack - Bluetooth Tracker, Keys Finder and Item Locator

Dry Shampoo

I'm pretty sure I have tried every single dry shampoo on the market, and I've come to the conclusion amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo is my favorite!

Oftentimes when using dry shampoo, you get that white residue. I've never noticed it with this one! Plus it's mineral oil free, sulfate free, phthalate free, and paraben free.

You can buy the small 1 oz. bottle for $10 or the 5.3 oz. bottle for $25.

Price: $25

My Favorite Local Shop: Beauty First*

Photo Courtesy: Amazon - amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

Macramé Fringe Plant Hanger

Remember those adorable little plants you are going to buy from Unique Unicorn? Well don't forget an adorable macramé fringe hanger!! Macramé is all the rage and is showing up in some pretty fun places - earrings, coasters, and wall décor! I might be slightly bias on this one, but be sure to check out Honey-Huck's Macrame by Drew's cousin Addison! She is extremely talented and I can't wait to get my hands on some of her stuff!

Check out her Facebook page, or shop her Etsy site.

Price: $20

My Favorite Small Business: Honey-Huck's Macrame

Photo Courtesy: Honey-Huck's Macrame - Macrame Fringe Plant Hanger

Game or Puzzle

When Drew's family all gets together, we like to play games. We've had some pretty serious games of Spoons, Bananagrams, and my favorite What Do You Meme? There are so many variations now including New Phone, Who Dis?, 4-Bidden Words, and Do You Know me?

Price: $19.99

My side of the family, mainly me and my mom, have started an interest in puzzles. My mom even bought a new puzzle table for us to work on them. Manic Snail has some great puzzle options, including this 1,000 piece Ocean Life puzzle.

Price: $16.99

My Favorite Local Shop: Manic Snail

Photo Courtesy: Manic Snail - Ocean Life 1,000 Piece Family Puzzle

Packing Cubes

My parents use packing cubes religiously when they go gallivanting across Europe. I borrowed some for our trip out west and I felt so much more organized. I used about four for myself, and four for Henry. It was easy to grab an outfit and go. And once you get toward the end, you can use one to keep dirty clothes separate!

Amazon sells a pack of four for $22.99 and comes in six different colors.

Price: $22.99

AmazonBasics 4 Piece Packing Travel Organizer Cubes Set, Sky Blue — Photo Courtesy: Amazon - AmazonBasics 4 Piece Packing Cubes

Pura Vida Bracelets

Pura Vida handcrafts bracelets, providing jobs to artisans and raising awareness for charities. There are a variety of bracelets to choose from including the Suicide Prevention & Awareness bracelet ($6), Protect Our Parks bracelet, ($6) For The Troops Braided bracelet ($15), and Save the Bees Charm bracelet ($12) just to name a few.

For each bracelet sold 5% of the purchase price will be donated to a nonprofit working specifically for each cause. You can learn more about the charities on each bracelet's page.

Pura Vida also sells bracelets not associated with a cause, jewelry, face masks and hair accessories.

Price: Varies

BONUS: Use code LaurenCatron20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase!!!!

Photo Courtesy: Pura Vida - For the Troops Braided Bracelet

Candles

If you know me at all, you know I am obsessed with candles. There is just something about them that calms me and puts me in a good mood. My favorite place to get candles is Weston Bend Candle Company. Their homemade soy candles come in a variety of sizes, and a ton of scents. Some of my favorites include: Sugar Cookies, Sand & Sea, Pumpkin Streusel, and Island Hopping. They are always coming up with new scents, and they are unique to each holiday (another favorite is their Candy Corn candle!!)

Their 12 oz. Recycled Glass Container, which has a burn time of 40+ hours), retails for $24.25.

Price: Varies

My Favorite Local Shop: Weston Bend Candle Company

Photo Courtesy: Weston Bend Candle Co - Island Hopping — Photo Courtesy: Weston Bend Candle Company - Island Hopping

Tea Towels

Tea towels are such a fun way to show off your personality. For me, I'm a St. Joe girl, born and raised. And I'm slightly obsessed with this "The City Worth While" tea towel from Nesting Goods.

The towel depicts a rendering of the sign that once stood on top of the Corby Building back in the 1940s.

Price: $12

My Favorite Local Shop: Nesting Goods*

Photo Courtesy: Nesting Goods - The City Worth While Tea Towel

A Festive Apron

My mother-in-law gave me this adorable Christmas apron for my birthday! I also received a beautiful orange and cream stripped fall apron from my mom on my birthday- great minds think alike! This one is from Hobby Lobby and is currently on sale. Gotta love Hobby Lobby sales! These are perfect for all the baking we're going to do now that we are back to working from home!

Price: Varies

My Favorite Local Shop: Bee and Thistle*

Magazine Subscription

Give a gift that keeps them happy all year long! Who doesn't love receiving snail mail nowadays? Especially when its your favorite magazine! Most magazines offer a yearly subscription rate of around $20 to $25. My favs include the Food Network Magazine ($22), HGTV Magazine ($24.99), and National Parks Magazine ($22).

Price: Varies

Mini Notebook

Sometimes some of your best ideas come when you least expect it. That's why I always carry a small notebook with me wherever I go. Have an idea for a blog post? Gift idea for Christmas? boom - I've got a notebook right there waiting. This little habit comes from years of creative writing and working in the news industry.

This cute little Woodstock Wood Mini Notebook from Manic Snail is perfect to fit in your purse or have on your nightstand. You can also add a set of fun gel pens too!

Price: $7.99

My Favorite Local Shop: Manic Snail

Photo Courtesy: Manic Snail - Woodstock Wood Mini Notebook

Phone Tripod

We use our phone tripod all the time. They are perfect for keeping your phone stable while taking pictures - that's how we got such great family pics from our vacation!

I bought this tripod for Drew a few years back. It's got great rubber grippy legs that are perfect for outdoors or uneven surfaces. It also comes with a remote control so you can take photos away from your phone.

Price: $14.99

ree — Photo Courtesy: Amazon - Phone Tripod

2020 Parks Christmas Ornament

I am super excited about this one! Ever since I was a little girl, we always drove through Krug Park at Christmas time to see the lights. Nowadays, I make Drew take me! (He's such a trooper!) So I was so excited to see that this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Holiday Park - they are selling one-of-a-kind ornaments used from retired light bulbs from the park!!

Ornaments are available in a variety of colors for $10. They can be purchased at the Remington Nature Center.

Price: $10

Photo Courtesy: City Link, City of St. Joseph - 40th Anniversary Holiday Park Lights Ornament — Photo Courtesy: City Link, City of St. Joseph

Museum Tickets

St. Joseph is full of great museums - my favorite being the Glore Psychiatric Museum, which shares the 130-year history of the adjacent state mental hospital, and the illustration of the history of mental health treatment through the ages. It has been called one of the 50 most unusual museums in the United States, according to its Wikipedia page.

I've been several times throughout my life, and every time I go, I always discover something new!

Tickets include admission to all museums within the St. Joseph Museum complex including the Glore Psychiatric Museum, Black Archives Museum, Doll Museum, Native American Galleries and History Galleries. Tickets can be purchased online or at the museum.

Price:

Adults: $7.00
Seniors (62 & Above): $6.00
Students: $5.00
Children Under 6: Free

My Favorite Museum: Glore Psychiatric Museum

Photo Courtesy: St. Joseph Museums Facebook Page

Midnight Mom Devotional

If you follow me on Facebook, I am always sharing posts from Midnight Mom Devotional. Every night Becky Thompson, the founder of the group, shares a short devotion for women (mommas) who are awake in the middle of the night. I don't know how she does it, but they are always so spot-on, and something I usually need to hear right in that moment. Well the exciting thing is they also have a book of these devotions! It's called Midnight Mom Devotional: 365 Prayers to Put Your Momma Heart to Rest. I am so excited to get my hands on this book. A friend of mine also suggested another book of Becky's called Peace: Hope and Healing for the Anxious Momma's Heart. I want to get that one too! Maybe a twofer!

Price: $11.19 for the hardcover

Photo Courtesy: Amazon - Midnight Mom Devotional

Custom Keychain

I had these custom keychains made while I was president of the Junior League. I showed Riley the quote I had in mind and she designed all the rest. And they came out so great! She has a lot of great pieces including key chains, dog tags and charms.

Check out her Facebook page - Handmade by Riley!

Price: Varies. This particular keychain was $5.

My Favorite Local Shop: Handmade by Riley

Photo Courtesy: Handmade by Riley Facebook Page

Mary Kay TimeWise Age Minimize 3D 4-in-1 Cleanser

I started using this MK cleanser when I got pregnant with Henry and now I won't use anything else. I've always been blessed with clear skin, minus the occasional blemish, but wow do I love the TimeWise Age Minimize 3D 4-in-1 Cleanser! It leaves my skin feeling cleaner and brighter.

I get the Combination/Oily, but they also have a Normal/Dry formula as well. Each are 4.5 oz. and cost $24.

Price: 24

My Favorite Local Retailer: Andrea Bradley

Photo Courtesy: Mary Kay - TimeWise Age Minimize 3D 4-in-1 Cleanser — Photo Courtesy: Mary Kay

Catch-All Pouch

Make someone's day with this gorgeous "Hello Beautiful" pouch. An instant confidence booster every time they see that message. Plus who doesn't love a catch-all bag!?

This Katie Loxton pouch is from Garden Gate in their Life.style Boutique. They come in a couple different colors including blue and pink (my favorites - duh!) with fun little sayings including "Life is Beautiful," and "One in a Million."

Price: $22

My Favorite Local Shop: Garden Gate

Photo Courtesy: Garden Gate - Hello Beautiful Pouch

Local Coffee

I love coffee - and I also love a good cause. With Mokaska Coffee, you can enjoy a great cup of joe while supporting our local animal shelter. You can find Mokaska's selection of locally roasted specialty coffee at area grocery stores, Pronto Cafe, and at their downtown location - 705 Edmond Street. This particular brew - Rescue Roast - has proceeds going toward Friends of the Animal Shelter. It's a medium roast and comes in whole beans. Pups and coffee, yes please!

Price: $14

My Favorite Shop: Mokaska Coffee Company

ree — Mokaska Coffee Company - Rescue Roast

When all else fails, a gift certificate. But be sure to get it from a local restaurant or shop.

My Favorite Restaurants:

More Favorite Shops Include:

Shop Information:

Beauty First*

3833 Frederick Avenue

St. Joseph, Mo., 64506

Hours: Monday - Friday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed Sundays

Bee and Thistle*

1137 Frederick Ave

St. Joseph, Mo., 64501

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Closed Sundays and Mondays

Garden Gate - Life and Styles Boutique

3002 Lafayette Street

St. Joseph, Mo., 64507

Hours: Monday - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday - 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed Saturdays and Sundays

Hy-Vee *

201 N Belt Highway

St. Joseph, Mo., 64506

Hours: Monday through Friday - 5 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Manic Snail

124 N. 8th Street

St. Joseph, Mo., 64501

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays

Mokaska Coffee Company

705 Edmond Street

St. Joseph, Mo., 64501

Hours: Monday - Wednesday - 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday and Friday - 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday - 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Closed Sundays