Holiday shopping on a budget

Written by Rubab Ali | Graphics by Juana Garcia

Holiday season is right around the corner! Being a college student can be super difficult during this time of year because there’s so many gifts that we need to buy for our friends and family. All the holidays seem to fall around the same time of year: Eid-e-Zehra, Eid-un-Milad-un-Nabi, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Diwali, and more! Having friends and families who celebrate these holidays can sometimes be a pain, because buying gifts for all of them can be very costly and expensive. Lucky for you, we’re going to give you 5 gift suggestions that your friends and family will adore and cherish their entire lives.

Paintings

Paintings are personal gifts that anyone would love to receive--- regardless of their age or gender! Art is so powerful, and it is the perfect way to let someone know how much you mean to them. Hobby Lobby or Michaels are great places to buy canvases in bulk, and paints are very accessible and affordable to purchase from stores like Walmart or Target.

Second-Hand/Thrift shops

Thrift stores are on the come-up once again. Since the 90’s trend is back in style, thrift store finds are the perfect way to put a smile on your friends and families faces. Vintage band t-shirts or even a second hand vinyl will make your music-loving friends’ entire day. Finding good stuff at the thrift store can be timely, but once you spot those cute pair of Chanel flats, it’s all worth it.

DIY Sweater

Homemade stuff always hits the spot because it lets people know that you put a lot of thought into what you made them. A sweater will be the best way to keep the people you love warm during chilly weather. Places like Walmart even have sweatshirts for under seven dollars. Buying accessories like pom-poms and fabric paint cost another three or four dollars and voila! You have yourself a personalized sweater that your friends and family will value tremendously when those random cold mornings hit Houston.

Embroidered Beanies

Beanies are so trendy this season, and would be even better if they were embroidered with love to give to your someone special. Embroidery is so creative and intricate, so your friends and family will love having an exclusive piece from you, by you! Embroidery kits can be found for as little as ten dollars at any craft store or even places like Walmart! These beanies will keep your loved one’s heads and hearts warm!

DIY Sugar Scrub

As the colder weather is approaching (very slowly...thank you Texas!), dry skin is inevitable to appear. Taking care of your skin is very important because it is the largest organ (and come on, no one wants zits or peeling skin). Making a DIY sugar scrub for your folks will ensure their skin to look flawless--- whether they’re under the mistletoe or not. You need 4 simple things that can be found anywhere: granulated sugar, either white or brown (organic works best), olive oil or coconut oil (whichever you prefer), any type of essential oil (this depends on how you want the scrub to smell; lavender, vanilla, or eucalyptus are amazing. You could also add a little vitamin E oil which has great benefits for facial skin!), and a small little mason jar to store the scrub. All you have to do is mix these ingredients together and you have yourself a cute little gift for all your besties!

We here at Cooglife, hope you find one of these ideas useful! We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and see you at powerhouse in the New Year!

A holiday photo shoot: Christmas store edition

Writing and Photography by Ambarina Zenab | Model: Jaicey Johnson

Christmas Rocks is a quaint, cute little shop in between the River Oaks and Montrose area of Houston. It’s a shop inside of a house— entirely dedicated to Christmas décor. The kitchen is lined with ornaments, the stairs lead up to a storage room, and the living room holds the cash register and an array of pretty trees and decorations.

While taking photos at your local Christmas lights establishments yields cute, and fun photos, a photoshoot inside of Christmas décor stores comes with warm internal lighting, creative backdrops and settings, and all of the holiday season vibes without the chilly weather. That’s exactly what we did at Christmas Rocks.

As a photographer, I love creative portraiture and shoots. With that, I knew I wanted to change up the scene when it came to doing a holiday themed photo editorial. Photos from Page 29-31.