Holiday Gift Ideas, Naturally…

Natural holiday gift ideas

  1. Me Plus You screen printed organic cotton flour sack towel by Earth Cadets, $16
  2. Beeswax Aromatherapy Beehive Glass in Enlightenment by Big Dipper Wax Works, $14.50
  3. Scotch Naturals Holiday Black Tie Collection, $60
  4. Lulu Organics Hair Powder in Lavender & Clary Sage, $30
  5. bkr Bottle in Crush, $28

I’m just going to come out and say it: I dropped the ball on Thanksgiving this year. I have bookmarked zero recipes and I have no idea what I’m going to contribute to our family feast this Thursday. So, in the spirit of being prepared for at least some of the impending winter holidays, I’m refusing to acknowledge this Thursday’s festivities and instead sharing a few of my picks for holiday gifts – or birthday gifts, for those of you who have Sagittarius friends (I’ve got three in the immediate family). Speaking of, today is KATHRYNE’S birthday! Happy, happy birthday, big sis. One of your gifts is included in the collage above. Betcha can’t guess which one…!

And now, for some rationale:

Brighten up somebody’s day (and kitchen decor) with organic cotton tea towels (1)! They’re so versatile (they multi-task as hand towels, guest napkins, photo backdrops if you’re a blogger…) and you can find beautiful, hand-printed, patterned versions all over Etsy (as opposed to the plain/tattered rags that are lurking in my drawers).

I love gifting candles around the holidays (2). Candles are a holiday staple, and instant gratification: your recipient can light one of these babies as soon as she/he unwraps it. But since most candles spew toxins around the living room via paraffin, fragrance and chemicals, I’m on the beeswax bandwagon now. Pure beeswax candles have a naturally, honeyish scent, and not only do they spare your home from chemical nasties, they’re touted to purify the air. My above pick from Big Dipper Wax Works is scented with all-natural bergamont and mint. And I want it. But you know what they say…those who can’t have…give?

What’s the most foul-smelling, chemical laden beauty product you own (3)? It’s gotta be your nail polish (or remover), hands down (pun intended). My boyfriend can’t even stand to be in the same room as me when I apply it. I mean, I can barely stand to be in the same room as me when I apply it. Fortunately, there are a lot of less-toxic/more natural options out there (like Scotch Naturals) for your gifting needs. I absolutely love the colors in this holiday set, which also includes bottles of Scotch’s base and top coat.

Most people who know me know that I hate showering – more on that in a future entry (4). Fortunately, dry shampoo is an amazing hair refresher for “skip days,” and comes in handy for traveling and touchups. And how refreshing that natural dry shampoo exists, because most of the brands I’ve seen contain freaking butane and their overwhelming scent can clear a room (I speak from experience). Lulu Organics is entirely all-natural and would look lovely on anybody’s countertop. This gift is probably best offered without a cheeky comment in the card… (“Hey Pigpen, thought you could use this!”)

I. Love. My. bkr. Bottle (5). My coworker actually likened the ubiquity of my bkr bottle to “Si and his tupperware” (Duck Dynasty reference…have we reached a new low?). But seriously, I bring it with me everywhere. I drink from it all day at work, it goes with me to the gym, and I tote it from couch to kitchen to bed at home. Getting a bkr bottle has vastly increased the amount of water I drink because I love the shape, style and color of my bottle. Most importantly, it’s made of glass so it doesn’t leech chemicals or a foul taste into your water. It sounds stupid, but don’t underestimate the power of a well-designed bottle! Hydration nation. Everyone on your list needs a bkr. They just don’t know it yet.