This year, lets give gifts that are different.
Ones that help empower women, clean our waterways, support small businesses, family farms and artisans, guarantee living wages for workers, are made with recycled and sustainable materials, and encourage environmental stewardship.
In short, lets give gifts this year with intention.
Not in a pretentious way, but in a way that comes straight from the heart.
I constantly get asked “what do you use for ___”, so this gift guide is a compilation of those items that I use on a daily basis, ones that are on my wish list this year, and ones that I am actually gifting to friends and family. I would earn more money from this blog post if I linked to everything on Amazon, but for the most part, these products are ones I can’t earn a commission on- but they’re in line with my shopping values, so I’m going for it.
This list is a little less flashy than some others out there on the internet, but it’s honestly a list of things I would be 100% thrilled to be gifted- things that wouldn’t get stuffed into a closet and eventually donated in a few months after the thrill of the holidays wears off and you realize you won’t actually ever use any of the things you’ve been given.
I hope you love it!!
links below are affiliate links
HANDMADE CERAMIC CHEESE PLATTER
Why I love it: it’s surprisingly thin and delicate looking for a piece of pottery (but not so much so that it’ll break easily), EXTREMELY affordable for a handmade ceramic piece, perfect for entertaining, and just the right size for a few different cheeses. you’ll recognize this one from lots of photos on my site- I love using it for everything, including the cookies above.
Who to gift it to: all the cheese lovers in your life (you have lots of those, right?) like: your dad, your aunt, your sisters, your best friend’s mom… this is also a great hostess gift, housewarming gift, gift for new couples, or a fun addition to a gift basket.
THE X RING
Why I love it: I love just about everything ABLE makes, but this X ring is so simple and delicate that I can’t stop reaching for it. It’s handmade by women in Nashville, TN, is totally understated but people ask about it every time I wear it.
Who to gift it to: your bestie, your sisters, your mom, your significant other, yourself.
click here to buy on live fashionable.com
A SLEEK INSULATED MUG
Why I love it: It actually keeps drinks cold/hot forever, is my ideal size for a travel mug (12oz), is dishwasher safe, and is just as welcome at home when you might not be able to drink your coffee before it gets cold as it is while you’re traveling. Plus, they’re made by a certified B corp (which helps ensure fairly strict ethical/sustainable standards) and it feels like drinking out of a real mug, as opposed to most travel mugs that have a slightly odd top.
Who to gift it to: coffee/tea lovers; that family member who shows up everywhere with a to-go cup of coffee; coworkers; friends into sustainability.
click here to buy on amazon.com
THE DREAMIEST CHOCOLATE COVERED CBD CARAMELS
Why I love them: They’re made by a small family farm in Vermont who grows certified organic hemp to make their own line of CBD products- the latest of which is these caramels, made from Big Picture Farm’s goat milk caramels infused with hemp, then dipped in dark chocolate and stamped with hemp leaves or the Luce Farm logo. They’re rich, creamy, a little earthy, and so perfect to enjoy during the holiday season. (For more info on CBD, click here).
Who to gift them to: your bestie, your mom, your open-minded boss, or buy them for yourself and stick a box into your stocking for Christmas morning!
click here to shop at lucefarmvt.com
SMALL BATCH COFFEE IN COMPOSTABLE BAGS
Why I love it: All of their coffee is certified organic, sourced from small farmers, hand-roasted in tiny batches, and carefully selected by the team at Northbound Coffee for it’s quality and taste. They then roast and bag it up in home-compostable bags and ship it right to your door. They make a great decaf, too!
Who to gift it to: literally every single coffee drinker in your life.
click here to peruse the coffee at northboundcoffee.com
SNEAKERS MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC
Why I love them: they’re soft, comfortable, durable, made from recycled plastic, plastic bottles, and gold certified leather (by a company that publishes it’s workers’ wages and is very transparent about their ethics/standards), and they actually look pretty darn cute! Plus, these shoes a carbon neutral purchase, as the emissions used to produce them (all the way from the cow’s raised to grow the cattle for the leather, to shipping them to your door) have been offset, and are working on being reduced to the minimum possible.
Who to gift it to: yourself, someone whose shoe size you know very well such as a family member (they come in men’s and women’s sizes, and I recommend sizing up a half size!).
click here to buy Everlane TREAD sneakers
A BRIGHT YELLOW CAMP MUG
Why I love them: These are such quality enameled mugs, with the cutest designs and so many fun colors!! They’re obviously great for camping (they can go directly on a fire, if needed), but are such a great shape/size that I love them for everyday use, too! Plus, for every item purchased, United By Blue removes 1 pound of trash from our waterways. I can’t say enough good things about the quality of the products made by this company.
Who to gift it to: coffee/tea lovers; that person in your family who loves camping; coworkers; friends into sustainability.
click here to buy on unitedbyblue.com
MERINO WOOL TRAIL SOCKS
Why I love them: They actually keep my feet warm and dry on long walks, are soft and cozy for wearing around the house, and after over a year of constant use, the pair I bought myself last Christmas is still in perfect shape. This is another one from United By Blue, who works to clean up our waterways with every purchase made.
Who to gift it to: all the hikers/walkers in your family, anyone who works outside, or use as a stocking stuffer!
click here to buy on unitedbyblue.com
MAPLE SWEETENED DARK CHOCOLATE
Why I love it: it’s made by hand in small batches from super simple ingredients (raw cacao, maple sugar, raw cacao butter, salt, etc) and comes in alllll the best flavors: extra dark, coconut milk, almond + smoked sea salt, coffee crunch, freeze-dried raspberry, etc.
Who to gift it to: me, specifically. or maybe yourself. or all the dark/craft chocolate lovers in your life. it. is. so. good.
click here to buy on nohmadsnackco.com
MY FAVORITE FRENCH PRESS
Why I love it: It’s the perfect size for just 1 or 2 cups of coffee (though they have a 4-cup capacity size, too) is made in Japan entirely from stainless steel and heat-resistant glass, and is great for loose-leaf tea, too!
Who to gift it to: coffee/tea lovers; someone in need of an upgrade on their coffee brewing situation; that friend who goes to a drive through for coffee every day; anyone who lives alone and doesn’t need a huge coffee pot!
click here to buy on amazon.com (though the smaller one is cheaper right now on unitedbyblue.com)
FUZZY FLEECE SWEATSHIRT
Why I love it: It’s SO soft and cozy but has a high-pile eco-friendly fleece exterior (sort of like a faux sherpa effect), and is cropped and fitted so it doesn’t look like you’re just wearing a standard cotton sweatshirt.
Who to gift it to: all your gal pals. I love it in rose!
click here to buy on alternativeapparel.com
THE 100% RECYCLED POM HAT
Why I love it: It keeps my head toasty warm, is made from 100% recycled polyester, is big enough to pull down to cover my ears (but not so big that it looks silly, which is a problem I have with winter hats), and has the cutest pom on top. Plus, it comes in lots of colors and patterns, and is another UBB item that helps remove waste from our waterways with each purchase!
Who to gift it to: yourself. your significant other. all of your family members. then take a family photo. it will be the best.
click here to buy on unitedbyblue.com
THE FLAKIEST SEA SALT
Why I love it: It’s the perfect fishing salt for desserts (think brownies, cookies, anything with caramel), one little box lasts FOREVER, and effortlessly makes any dish feel extra special. I keep this in a little jar on my counter 365 days a year!!
Who to gift it to: all the food lovers and bakers in your family. They need this salt in their life!!
click here to buy on amazon.com
SUPER COZY SLIPPERS
Why I love them: the no-slip soles. the super fluffy interior. the cute patterns. the mission-driven company helping to empower women and children worldwide. If it was financially responsible to own more than one pair of $60 slippers, I WOULD OWN THEM ALL.
Who to gift it to: everyone. not even joking. they have a men’s version, too, and come in a cute gift box instead of a standard shoe box.
HANDMADE SERVING SPOONS
Why I love them: these gorgeous serving spoons are handmade by women in India who are paid a living wage for their work, and the spoons have so much character to them. They look great on a holiday table but are humble enough to use on a daily basis, too!
Who to gift it to: newlyweds, your mom, your best friend, your aunts. also makes a great housewarming gift!
click here to buy on livefashionable.com
That’s it! I hope you find something on this list that could work for anyone in your life you’d like to send a gift to this year.
And, if not, remember this: it is actually more meaningful to show up, take someone out to eat, bake a batch of cookies, go see a movie with them, etc. You do not need to buy anyone a gift, and if you’re really struggling to think of what to get someone, that’s a good sign that you probably don’t need to buy them anything at all! I would honestly much rather a Sunday brunch or a walk at the beach with a friend, or a meet up at the dog park over an obligatory, I-couldn’t-think-of-anything-so-I-got-you-this-random-thing-you’ll-never-use gift.
XO,
Chelsea