so bossy

Lady Boss.

So, you’ve probably got plans for some kind of Christmanukka gathering with your friends and maybe a few people will be there. You love them all dearly and would love to spend hundreds of dollars on all of them, but let’s get real. We’re at the Good Friends & Bosses ring of the Circle of Gifts. Our budget dollars are getting lower ($15-30) the further out from the center we go. I put bosses in this category because you don’t want to be the cheap ass that gets them a “Best Boss” coffee mug, but you really don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on them. Just think, in 3 years are you even going to still be at that job? And if so, do you want to lock yourself in to a $50 gift every year for this person? The answer is, “probably not,” at least to the later.

So, let’s get started. Boss gifts can be sparingly generic. You don’t want to be BFF’s with the boss, but you don’t want to come off as completely thoughtless and cheap (unless of course Stan is organizing the ugly sweater party with Dottie from accounting, and then we’re talking $5 gift cards to TGIF’s).

This is where a trip to the Ybor City Saturday Morning Market will come in handy! Whether you work for a boss man or a lady boss, you can find middle of the road items under $30 without a second glance when you shop at local markets.

For the Lady Boss:
Earrings are always a nice gift. You can just look at the person and see what style she likes. You can get unique earrings at lots of wonderful vendors, like Full Circle Creations, Rockman Studios, Tres Claudine Artisan Crafted Jewelry and Reusin by Susan. You probably don’t want to get the Lady Boss a necklace – too personal – but bracelets and fun earrings are a good bet.

There are also lots of great vendors that make soaps, lotions, lip balms and candles that would make a nice ‘basket’ you could throw together for a reasonable price. Check out Soap Handmade by Jeannie, Body Silk by Robin and The Good Stuff (really nice soy candles that smell fresh and not perfumey).

For the Boss Man:
Beards are in. Does the Boss Man have a beard? You can always get him some organic beard oil from every other booth at almost any market these days. A lot of them have “manly” soaps and lotions with black labels to make them look manlier than manly so men will use it and not think they are turning into a woman. I would recommend a specific vendor, however, my lady beard has yet to come in and I don’t expect it to anytime soon. This is just a suggestion. From a lady. Without a beard.

Boss Man are more likely to like sports, so stop by and see Creations by Robin and her awesome employees. She hand paints signs with all your favorite sports teams (and all their rivals). She also makes signs for the home, so this could go for the Boss Man or the Lady Boss. Either way, stop by and tell her Meghan sent you ... and then watch her run!

Food is always nice, if you know their preferences. It’s almost EASIER at local markets to find your gluten free, vegan, soy injected, no-turkey-but-fish-is-ok, lacto-pesca, anti-zucchini, going vegan for the holidays, vegetarian sometimes, only red meat diets. This is where all the off the eaten pathers go for this stuff! This is where small businesses are experimenting with new ideas, fresh foods and tasty tidbits. You’ll have to wait until the last minute to purchase any food gifts, but a few suggestions to start would be The Happy Baker (with some of THE tastiest tiny loaves of Pilgrim Pumpkin Bread you’ll ever have). If they have their little oven out at the market, you'll probably smell the bread cooking before you see them in their orange aprons! Or, grab some cupcakes from Angie’s Cupcakes – you may need to get a baker’s dozen, because I will tell you now at LEAST one will be gone before you get them home. A DELISH vegan option is A3 Confections. Yes, vegan CAN be delish, so pipe down there, meat lovers. Stan’s probably a meat lover that hates vegans. Red velvet. You’re welcome. Also, check out Mammoth Foods for their hummus. Pick me up a bucket while you’re at it.

Of course, I can't possibly leave out the suggestion of a Hogan Made shirt as a gift for the boss! You can also find Hogan Made at the Ybor City Saturday Market. And, look! You are already on my website, so SHOP NOW!!

You can find a lot of the above-mentioned at the Ybor City Saturday Market, and Tampa Indie Flea is always a great source of reasonably priced gifts.

Next time, we’ll get back to the Christmakwanzukkah party your friends are throwing.

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Boss Man.