Best Gift Ideas For This Holiday Season
Pictured: Ornament by Ornaments 4 Orphans
Do you know what's even better than giving someone special in your life a very special gift?
Choosing a gift that will not only bring joy to their heart, but also make lasting impact by giving back to a greater cause or supporting your community.
Gifts that give back can take many different forms, and support all sorts of important causes, from supporting small local businesses, to supporting the LGBTQ+ community to preserving national parks, to creating a future for orphans and vulnerable children, to protecting the planet, to name just a few ways to do good while checking off your holiday shopping list.
Opting to buy from ethical, sustainable, diverse and small brands that are working to make a change is a great way to shop with intention and impact in mind.
It's certainly not the only way to help those who are less fortunate, but it’s one practice you can easily make part of your routine this holiday season, as well as year-round.
Here are some ideas to get you started, happy shopping!
1- Ornaments with purpose:
Ornaments 4 Orphans is a for-profit, fair trade social enterprise dedicated to providing critical support for orphans and vulnerable children in Africa. They use ethical and sustainable business practices to advance society. They create jobs, fight poverty, preserve intact families, empower communities, and ultimately prevent children from becoming orphans.
I saw some of their ornaments last night and they’re so beautiful! If you act fast I have a feeling you’ll have them in time for decorating your tree or a gift for a loved one’s tree.
https://ornaments4orphans.org/
2-Holiday treats
Some of you may know, I’ve recently started offering some of my home made bakes and treats. Everything is Vegan, Organic, mostly Gluten free and made with love. I’m accepting a limited number of orders for holiday sweets and treats this year, timeline December 15th to order for delivery before Christmas.
Email me for more info
3- Sponsor a gift bag:
Food for life is an organization that I’ve been involved with for many years and it’s very close to my heart. Based in one India’s most vulnerable areas, their work includes free Meal Distribution, Cleaning and Tree planting, Paper Recycling , Organic farming, Sewing and Embroidery Centre (providing training & employment opportunity for village women) and ending child marriage. Since 1997, FFLV has distributed more than five thousand gift bags annually to Vrindavan’s poor children, For most of them it's the only gift they receive that year. You can sponsor one or many gift bags ($6 for one bag) from your behalf or on behalf of a loved one.
https://fflv.org/causes/new-year-gift-festival/
4- BTR Beanie
A perfect gift for the cold season and ethically made in New Jersey, NY, this pink beanie is a must have!
re—inc is making a donation to the Human Rights Campaign supporting the Count Me In initiative advocating for transgender and non-binary rights in local communities.
https://re-website.com/collections/under-50-gifts/products/btr-beanie?variant=39887214903385
5- Shroom Oil
This face oil is one I can’t do without! I use this face oil every day after shower and my skin loves it. Shroom Face & Body Oil is made locally in California and is handcrafted with one of the most abundant and revered mushrooms, Shiitake! Dense in kojic acid, shiitake extract works to naturally balance your skin-tone without the use of harsh chemicals delaying the skin's aging process, keeping you looking young and radiant.
https://shopremedy.com/shop/p/indigo-ray-botanicals-shroom-face-body-oil
6- The gift of wellbeing:
A perfect gift for a loved one or your bestie, you can choose a nutrition consult session or a private yoga and breathwork practice with yours truly.
The session can be in person, if in LA, or online for anywhere else around the world.
https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=25402456
7- For your activist friend:
The perfect gift for every abortion rights advocate! Support 7 organizations in one gift! Proceeds go to: Indigenous Women Rising, Keep Our Clinics, Kind Clinic, Mariposa Fund, National Network of Abortion Funds, NOISE FOR NOW, Seeding Sovereignty
https://noisefornow.org/shop/holiday-gift-bundle
8- 2023 Planner:
From my favorite astrologer, Chani Nicholas, the Astro Planner is your map, compass, and companion for the coming year. The 2023 Astro Planner is filled with 282 pages of rituals, reflections, exercises, astro cheat sheets, planetary movements, and daily and monthly calendars that allow you to map out your year, track your intention for the day, and make the most of the current astrology.
https://chani.com/products/2023-astro-planner
9- The gift of deep relaxation:
Nothing like a juicy Yoga Nidra session to calm your system, ease your heart and bring you back to life and no one better than my favorite guide, Cathy Dirkx!
https://www.yogaaveccathy.com/workshops/gift-card-1
10- Anyone can cook!
True story :)
But first, put your apron on!
100% of net proceeds will be donated to support + feed, an intersectional nonprofit organization dedicated to creating an equitable, plant-based food system and combating food insecurity and the climate crisis. Founded in Los Angeles by Maggie Baird, Support+Feed has expanded to ten US cities, worked with over 80 community organizations and supported local economies across the country.
https://store.supportandfeed.org/products/support-feed-apron
11- Pants that make you dance!
My love for comfy clothes is no secret to anyone that knows me. I’ve been a buddha pants lover since 2014 and they’re truly pants I can’t go without. They’re comfy, organic, fun, colorful, multi-functional and they last a very long time.
Click the link below to get $15 off your first order
https://www.buddhapants.com/a/rewards/r/3A2C46E6
12- Yantra Deck
I was introduced to Sarah, a true gem, some years ago, while we were both living in NYC, and I thank the universe everyday for it. Her Yantra deck is one of my favorite ways to connect with myself and receive inner wisdom.
Yantras are geometric symbols that contain the specific energy of a planet or deity. Each Yantra imparts a healing energy that you can harness in your life. Yantras come from Northern India around 2,000BC. Yantras remind us of the places in ourselves we have forgotten, like our greatness, our capacity to love, our strength, or effortless abundance, and they mirror back to us their positive qualities, thus we are whole again..
https://www.sarahyantra.com/yantradeck
13- Do it for the planet:
An indoor Kitchen Composter that helps you recycle waste into something wonderful! This unique, odorless indoor composting system ferments and pickles food waste in less than half the time of conventional composting methods using the Japanese method of Bokashi. An all-natural compost starter containing beneficial micro-organisms that aids in fermentation. Once the bucket is full, it will take only 10 days to produce a pre-compost product ready to bury in the garden. After planting, the compost will be converted to rich topsoil in about one month. Compost inoculates the soils with beneficial and effective microorganisms which detoxify chemically treated soil, feeds the natural soil ecology, and attracts beneficial insects and nematodes. It also enhances soil fertility and increases plant yield and produce quality. Without bokashi, the product can also be used as an organic garbage pail (for fruit and vegetable waste).
Uncommon goods
14- Have a cup!
One of our favorite herbal guides, Cove Natural, has some of the best herbal tea blends for all occasions. From Painful cycles to overall relaxation, her blends are here to heal.
I got my own stash of goodness last night, a blend of Linden, Oatstraw, Lavender and roses, and I’m about to make myself a cup as soon as I finish writing here.
https://www.instagram.com/covenaturals/
15- End Ocean Plastic:
Single-use plastic bags are still one of the top items our crews recover from the ocean. While grocery bags always top the list, any plastic shopping bag can be a problem. 4ocean Market Bags are an ocean-friendly replacement for single-use plastic bags anywhere and everywhere people shop. Each bag purchased funds the removal of one pound of trash from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines.
https://www.4ocean.com/products/mission-market-bag
16- A clean tongue for a better taste:
I’ve been using my tongue scraper since 2011 and I’m not sure how I managed all these years before knowing such a thing existed!
Use this stainless steel tongue scraper to help to freshen your breath and fight bacteria. Plus, it also helps to enhance your sense of taste.
https://packagefreeshop.com/products/tongue-scraper
17- For bulk lovers:
A space created with love and lots of hard work in upstate NY, by my dear friend Kenda Payne, The herbal scoop shop is your one stop shop for loose herbs and plants, that not only supports your health and vitality but also supports many small businesses all in one place!
https://www.theherbalscoop.com/shop?category=Loose+Herbs
18- Do it for the furry friends:
Choose from a variety of gift ideas from “ Best friends Animal Society” the largest no kill sanctuary in the US. Your purchases helps them provide safety, a warm bed, food, medial care and lots of love.
https://shop.bestfriends.org/collections/shop-all
Much love,
Nousha
xx