21 Simple and Inexpensive "Just Because" Gifts for Anyone

One thing I LOVE to do is give gifts to people I love. "Just because" gifts are always sweet no matter how small or simple, because it shows that you were thinking about the person. Fortunately there are many ideas where you do not have to break the bank, but can still put a smile on someone else's face. 

Here's a list of 20 simple and inexpensive gifts for your special someone, best friend, or family member! 

1. Alex & Ani Charm Bangles 
These bracelets have become quite the trend lately, and they're adorable when you have several of them stacked at a time. Each charm has a different meaning. My favorites are the arms of strength bangle, initial bangle, seashell bracelet. All of these are under $30! 

The one that is closest to my heart is the best friends bangle. My best friend Sabrina got them on my birthday, and I wear the "best" bracelet so she wears the "friends" bracelet. We wear ours every day. 


2. Flowers 
I think I can speak for the majority of women when I say that we love receiving a nice bouquet of flowers. Flowers do not always have to be special delivered from a flower service. If you are visiting your mom, grandma, or girlfriend for the day feel free to grab a simple bouquet from any store. Trader Joe's has beautiful arrangements, and you can usually find a nice arrangement at other grocery stores for under or around $20. 

It is the thought that counts, and regardless of price the gesture is always appreciated.  


3. Frame with Photos Inside 
This gift does not take too much effort. It especially comes in handy when someone you love is moving into a new place, and struggling with decor ideas. Grab a frame, develop some photos of you and the person, and put the photos in the frame! 

Some cute frames for family are this one and this one. 
For a special someone I really like this love frame. 

There are so many different frames out here, but those are just a few of my favorites. 



4. Lush Bath Bombs 
Any woman who has been on social media in the past 6 months has heard of lush bath bombs, and I am obsessed with them. They are a great addition to any bath. They make your skin super soft, and they make you smell good. Different bombs have different scents and surprises inside but my favorites are the sex bomb and space girl bomb. 



5. Wine Aerator 
For the wine lovers, I can guarantee you that they will love a wine aerator. This device makes your wine taste better, and it improves the aroma of the wine. The best part is that you can snab one for under $20. This is one by the brand Vinturi, or you could try this one from Basily. 



6. Portable Phone Charger 
In this day and age, phones are essential. We use them for everything, and having the battery run out is more than inconvenient. 

We all have that friend who is constantly charging their phone and will do nearly anything to locate an outlet, so why not get them a portable charger to save them the hassle.

You can find some cute patterned ones at Tilly's. I also like this Macaron pattern that you can find at Charming Charlie's. Maybe even get one for yourself while you're at it. 



7. Gift Card 
I will never turn down a gift card, and I do not know anyone who will. 



8. Personalized Pillow or Blanket
The possibilities are endless when you are personalizing something. You can use a quote, their name, a photo, or anything you would like! Whenever I need something personalized for someone, I go to Zazzle. I have yet to be disappointed in any of my purchases. 



9. Candles 
I'm a candle fanatic. If I am in relaxation mode (which is always), I can guarantee that a candle has been lit.

I usually get mine at Bath & Body Works. They have sales on their 3 wicks often. Not only do they smell amazing, but they last for a while and really fill the room. 



10. Journal  
This will be much appreciated by writers. You could get a pretty one from Kate Spade like this "chic happens" journal, or get a personalized one from Zazzle. 


11. Cupcakes 
Who wouldn't love to have someone show up at their door with some cupcakes? I know I would. Surprise them with cupcakes and treats from a local bakery, and then hope that they will share them with you :) 


12. Makeup Palette 
Any makeup lover will appreciate a new and good quality palette. If a woman takes the time to put on makeup, we want it to stay for hours and we want the colors to be noticeable. 

My absolute favorite palette right now is the Urban Decay Naked 2, but an inexpensive alternative is the Urban Decay Naked Basics. 



13. Jar Filled with Things They Love 
A great idea is to get a jar and fill it with several inexpensive little gifts. Some ideas are lip balm, lipstick, a beauty blender, lip gloss, or candy. You also could fill it up with cookies. 

Wrap a bow around the jar, and there you have it! 


14. Camera Strap 
If your special someone is a photographer, consider making them a new camera strap out of fabric. This will really make the gift sweet and personalized. Tutorials on how to do make these are here. 



15. Photo Magnets 
Instead of putting your photos into a frame, make them into magnets for their fridge. 

You can either make your own magnets - tutorial here - or buy a magnetic frame. 



16. Cute New Mug 
I am a lover of tea and hot chocolate, and at least 1/4 of my joy comes from the mug that I am using. 

There are a plethora of mugs out there, but I am in love with this Minnie Mouse one and this Elephant one. 




17. Make a CD 
I've gotten these in the past, and they're always adorable to receive. I have CDs that have been made for me still in my car from years ago, and I will sometimes still listen when I'm having a long drive. I doubt many people use CDs anymore, but they can be a really adorable "just because" gift. 

Get a CD and put some songs on it. Either put some that you know the person loves or put some on it that make you think of them.  



18. Satin Sheets & Pillow Cases 
This is kind of a random idea in contrast to the others on the list, but it's so much better for your hair to sleep on satin than cotton. Your special someone (and their hair) will be grateful for your gesture to help fight split ends and conserve their edges. Find some satin sets here. 



19. Nail Polish
A few new polish colors is a great gift for any woman. 

One of my all time favorites is OPI's Cajun Shrimp.  
My most recent go-to is OPI's Koala Bear-y. 

You can find many other colors on loxabeauty.com. With the code LAUGH10 you receive 10% off your entire purchase. This code applies site-wide. 



20. Phone Speaker 
When I'm taking a shower or getting dressed, music is essential. My phone's built in speaker, though, is simply not loud enough for my needs - my phone speaker comes in handy for these times. Get one for the music lover in your life, and snag one for yourself while you're at it! 


21. Laptop Stickers and/or Cases 
Having a case on your laptop personalizes it, and really makes it all your own. I got mine in pink. I'm even more in love with my leopard sleeve. Get it here. 

A Lesson About Thankfulness and Complaining

Since the school year is over and my schedule has dwindled down, I watch a ton of Netflix. A. Ton. I am milking this down time before starting grad school. The other night I was having a binge on one of my new favorites, Chasing Life. It's a rom-com/drama about a woman named April who has leukemia and is dealing with every day life while battling this illness. I ,for one, have never seen how cancer affects a person first hand. Yes I have known and lost family members from cancer, read about it, and heard people discuss it, but it's always different when it's someone you know really well. 

It puts things into perspective when you actually see a person in a certain predicament, and experience it with them. I get pretty attached to my favorite tv show characters, so of course by Episode 5 I felt like me and April were best friends. I'm sure I sound like a total goober finding inspiration from a tv show, but hey you get your inspiration from wherever you get it. 

There was a line in the show where her doctor said, "if you do not get treatment immediately, you only have 2-6 weeks to live." Man. Hearing someone say those words out loud really threw me off. It may only be a tv show, but that is the reality for some people in real life. This really made me think. I'm sitting over here distraught over the fact that I ran out of my Bath & Body Works Holiday scents while there are people dealing with problems like this somewhere else in the world. Now I feel pretty ridiculous.  

Since that day, I have been trying to refocus my thoughts and stop complaining. I have so many things to thank God for, and I have begun a new strategy to find joy in everything. Whenever a complaint comes to mind, I stop and think of a reason why I am thankful for the exact thing I am complaining about. 

- Elevated gas prices are super annoying, but I'm thankful that I am in a place financially where I can even afford to pay for it and take care of my car.   

- Listening to my mom nag can get frustrating, but how blessed am I to have a mom who cares enough to call me and nag me at all? There are people out there who would die to have a mom like mine. 

I've taken on the same strategy when it comes to questioning my body, and the things that I do not like. For example, I have very strange and wide feet. My toes are on the chubby side, and my 2nd toe is longer than the first (tmi?). Anyways, at one point these things used to really bother me, but there are people who do not even have ligaments - people who had them amputated and people who were not born with them at all. 

Once you put things into perspective, you realize that you sound pretty silly complaining - especially when it is about something that you cannot even change. Never stop counting your blessings, and reminding yourself of the reasons why you should be grateful for every single thing that you have. 

I of course am not a perfect human so at some point a complaint may slip out my mouth, but my goal is to continue to work on it. 

I hope you found a bit of inspiration from my little rant. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

xo, Deija 

9 Tips For Healthy and Blemish Free Skin

Today I am talking about keeping your skin healthy and free of any break - outs or blemishes. When you are a busy and young college student, at times your skin can be the last of your worries. But there is no better time than now to start preventing premature wrinkles and lines.  I am no dermatologist, but I have found that this is what works for me. 

1. Clean Your Makeup Brushes 

This is one of those tedious tasks that no one ever wants to bother to do, but it is absolutely essential to keep your face clean. I mean think about it - you are putting these things on your precious face over and over again. If you never clean your makeup brushes, you are just causing more harm than good. 

The brushes you use for your foundation and concealer should be cleaned more often than other brushes, since the product on them tends to build up - about once a week. All other brushes should be cleaned every few weeks. I don't like the hassle of figuring out which ones need to be cleaned at which time, because it can just become too much to keep up with. So I usually just clean them all every week and a half - 2 weeks. 

If you'd like a tutorial on how I clean mine, let me know! 

2. Drink A Lot of Water 

I drink a TON of water - partially because I know it's good for me, but also because I just like it. I drink water with each meal and periodically throughout the day. I rarely drink juice, lemonade, or anything else - especially not pop. Drinking water not only benefits your skin, but as you probably already know, it has huge benefits for your body all around. Read more about the benefits of drinking water here. 

3. Get Enough Sleep 

Sleeping is my jam. I sleep on average 9 hours per night (sometimes even more), and I refuse to let anything come in the way of me and my nightly sleep. You can ask my friends. My nightly sleep means everything to me. 

Not sleeping enough can not only make you grumpy, but it can accelerate the aging process. It can be difficult to get enough sleep, especially with the college life but that is where proper planning comes into play. If you cannot figure out how to get enough sleep, then I suggest planning it into your schedule. You will thank yourself later when your skin is still beautiful decades from now. 

4. Rock Your Bare Face  

I go without makeup at least a few days a week. If I have no plans for the day and am lounging at home - no way am I going to bother with makeup. I also do not usually put on makeup when I have errands to run. If I need to make a quick Target or grocery run, I usually go with a bare face. 

5. Clean Your Face in the Morning AND at Night 

Whether I am leaving the house or not, I start my day with a proper face cleanse. Lately I have been using the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser. I use this as well before bed. 

It is important to use what is the best for YOUR face. My skin tends to be more dry, which is why I use a cream cleanser instead of a wash.  I have used face washes in the past, but they tend to make my face more dry and give it that "squeaky clean" feel. I am a person not a car, so I prefer the feeling that I get from a cream cleanser instead. 

6.  Use a Face Mask 

The mask I have been using for the past few months is the Lush Mask of Magnaminty.  I use other products from Lush, but this is hands down my favorite. I really love the smell, and how it feels on my skin. I use this once or twice a week. It is a deep cleanser that also exfoliates the skin. 

7. Moisturize 

After I cleanse my face both in the morning and at night I put on a moisturizer. This is especially important for me since my skin can be on the dryer side. For the last year or so I have been using the Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturizer.  

When I remember, I will follow up my moisturizing with an eye cream. I use Neutrogena Healthy Eyes. Eye creams claim to reduce the look of lines and wrinkles, but I use mine more as a preventative measure for the future. 

8. NEVER Sleep in Your Makeup 

This tip goes hand and hand with tip #5. No matter how exhausted I am from a night out, I always remove my makeup before bed. Makeup is fun when you are all dressed up and having fun, but the moment you are heading to bed it must come off. I nearly never get break outs or blemishes, and I swear that this is the reason why. 

My nightly routine involves removing the makeup with my makeup remover that I get from Target, cleansing my face, and then following with moisturizer. Some people claim that they sleep in their makeup and have no problems, but I am too terrified to think of all the clogged pores I will have if I sleep with even an ounce of makeup on my face. 

9. Eat Fruit Every Day

My favorite food is fruit, and I eat it at least a few times each day. My favorites are apples, pineapples, and watermelon. Fruit, especially those high in Vitamin C can help your body produce collagen which is great for your skin.

Applying to Graduate School

Welcome to Lipstick and Laughter!

I decided to create a blog where I could have a creative outlet, but also where I could share my experiences and what I learned from them.

I have spent the last 9 months or so preparing for graduate school from the application process, to the interview process,  to the process of selecting a graduate school. I will be the first to tell you that it can be daunting but it can also be exciting if you are well prepared and have some idea of what you are doing.

Here I will provide you with the steps and tips that helped me get started, and what to keep in mind while you get ready for this next journey in your life.

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Decide What You Want in a School 

This is the most important step, in my opinion, but keep in mind that what you want out of a school may change. Depending on how long your program is, you are committing to being a part of that program for YEARS, so you must apply to schools that you can really see yourself attending.

When I first started out looking I only knew that I wanted to go to a school in a city where I could see myself living for the next few years, and I wanted the program to be accredited by both the National Association for School Psychologists and the American Psychological Association. As you continue to read about different programs online, you may find that there is more you want.

Make an Organized List of Schools 

Before I started to get too deep into the process, I created a list of schools where I was interested. It is up to everyone how to make their list, but I began my search with the area where I wanted to live. I was born and raised in the Midwest, and knew that I wanted to go to a completely different area for graduate school - after all, my program is 5 yrs long and that is a long time to live in one city. I picked states where I was interested in, and then began to research programs within those states.

I organized my list in a Google Drive Spreadsheet and created columns and rows where I could compare each school side by side. Here I compiled my notes about each program - the city, ranking (if your programs have a ranking list), if the program is accredited by a particular educational association (American Psychological Association, for example), training model used by the program, average GPA of admitted applicants, average GRE score of admitted applicants, APPLICATION DUE DATE, notable faculty, funding information, etc.

Call me OCD, but I cannot stress how helpful it was to have a chart of compiled notes so that I did not need to go back to a program's website every single time I forgot something. It saves you time when you have the most important information already in one place.

Talk to References Early 

Each graduate school program where I applied required 3 letters of recommendation. This can be the easiest step of the process if you ask your references as early as possible. My applications were due in November and December, but I spoke to my references in July. It is never too early. I suggest speaking to your references as early as possible so that you can begin to focus on the more stressful parts of the application process like your personal statement and GRE.

In your first conversation with your reference, make an effort to talk to them in person. Let them know that you are applying to graduate school, ask them politely for a letter, and give them a general idea of when you would like the letter to be submitted. Follow up with your references within the next week via email, with your resume attached, and include specific information about each program in this email. We do not want to overwhelm them, but at the same time we want to make sure that they have all appropriate information. In the next coming weeks and months, make sure that you are reminding your references about the deadline. After all they are probably very busy people, and they are not nearly as concerned with your application deadline as you are.

Study for your GRE (or whichever entrance exam is required)

Each program where I applied required a GRE score, but there are also others that may require something else such as the GMAT. Regardless of the exam, make sure that you create a study plan that works for you and your schedule, and try your best to stick to it. I suggest seriously devoting about 3 months to studying, and take this test seriously. The score you receive on this test may not be everything - it could actually be the least important part of the application - but you want to be confident in each aspect of your application.

Click here to go to my post about how I studied for the GRE, and which resources I used to get prepared.

Submit Your Transcripts and GRE Scores to the Programs 

This is a very very important step! Some programs will not even consider your application if they have not received your transcripts and test scores by the deadline.

As soon as you decide which programs you are applying to, I recommend sending off your transcript(s) - some programs require 2 so be mindful of this. There is nothing worse than freaking out last minute wondering if your transcript got to your school in time because you decided to send it off a week before the deadline. Send them off as early as possible, so that you will not have to fret about it. You want to ensure that you have enough time to possibly send off a second or third if the first gets lost in the mail.

As for your GRE scores, those take about 2 weeks to get to the program and they are submitted electronically. I recommend taking your GRE months before the deadline, just in case you want to take it a second time for a better score. After you finish your test at the testing site, you have the option of sending your score to 4 schools for free (this is included in your fee). Later, you can go on the ETS website to have your score sent to any further schools for a fee.

Write or Perfect Your Writing Sample 

Only one of my programs required a writing sample, so it was quite a hassle creating one for just one program - yes I am still bitter about this.

The writing sample is a way for the faculty to see that you are capable of graduate level writing. This is different from your statement of purpose. Your writing sample will be much longer - I'm talking research paper length.

If you have already written a research paper or senior capstone thesis or something along those lines, all you need to do is retouch and perfect what you have already written. Only do this if the topic of your paper was somewhat applicable to your future field of study. If you are like me you had nothing that you thought would suit the application, and had to write an entire paper from scratch. This can be a very time consuming process, so find out EARLY if any of your programs require a writing sample.

Tailor Your Resume 

This is an essential step that often goes overlooked. A graduate school resume is a bit different than a job resume. I am no resume writing expert so in order to get my graduate school resume perfect, I set up an appointment with someone at the Career Counseling at my university. It will not take long to doctor up your resume, but make sure that it is solid. Remember, the faculty of your programs will have many to comb through, so you need yours to stand out.

Craft and Perfect Your Statement of Purpose 

Your statement of purpose or personal statement will probably be the most important part of your application. If you have a stellar GRE score and amazing resume, yet have a poo statement of purpose, do not be surprised if you are not asked to interview for the program.

I recommend getting the GRE out of the way completely before settling down to do the statement. It is overwhelming for me to do a thousand things at once, so I found it easier to finish studying (cramming) for the GRE before I started writing my statement.

Another tip with writing your statement would be to enjoy writing it. This is your time to let a bit of your personality and who you are come through to the faculty. Your test score is a score, your letters of recommendation are not even written by you, your resume is a list of things you've done, but your statement of purpose is where you get to use your voice to explain why you are passionate about your field and their program.

While this is your voice, make sure that you allow others to read and give you feedback. Don't ask Uncle Larry who wears plaid socks to review it for you, but ask professionals who you know will give solid critiques. Find examples of statements online to give you inspiration.

Review Everything 

Before you submit your application for any school, review every thing. Make sure you did not put the wrong school name in your personal statement, and please ensure that you did not check the box "yes" for committing a crime on the application if your record is clean as a freshly Windexed window. These are minor mistakes, but they happen and they can really ruin all your hard work.

I made the mistake of entering my GRE score improperly on one of my applications, and spent the next day panicking attempting to get in contact with someone at the school to fix the problem. I entered a score so low that it is not even possible to get - you do not want this to be you. Take the time to correct these issues to avoid any sudden panic.

Do's and Don'ts to Keep in Mind  

·       Don't take on too crazy of a class and work schedule during this time - You will burnout and suffer from overload

·       Do limit distractions - Social media is not your best friend during this time. It will only make you procrastinate more.

·       Don't become so focused on your process that you are not enjoying your life. I made this mistake, and did nearly nothing enjoyable my entire Fall Semester of senior year. At some point you will have to put the GRE study guide down and maybe have lunch or dinner with a friend.

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That's all I have for now!

Check out my post Preparing for the GRE. 

In the future I will have a post on how to prepare for a graduate school interview.

If you have any questions about this post or the graduate school process, leave me a comment. Good luck with your process! :)

xo, Deija