It’s officially less than one week until Christmas! And I still have a bit of shopping left to do, eek! If you are like me (and many, many others) you too may still have a few items to check off your list. During the holidays, I try my best to give sustainable, healthy gifts – although many times (especially with nieces and nephews) it can be hard to do. So here are a few of my favorite healthy, sustainable holiday gifts:
1) Holistic Lifestyle and Recipe book/Magazine Subscription: Healthy cookbooks and magazines are a great gift for newbies to the healthy cooking scene, but also for novices. You can never learn too many recipes! Some of my favorite magazines are Natural Health, Natural Solutions, Yoga Journal, and Veg News. My favorite Holistic Books are Crazy, Sexy, Diet and Crazy, Sexy, Kitchen by Kris Carr; Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Berenstein; Yoga Body, Buddha Mind by Cyndi Lee; and Mariel Hemingway’s Healthy Living from the Inside Out. What I love about each of these books is that they are not just cookbooks or a detox books, or a yoga/meditation books. All of these really teach you to dive deeper into your life, personal and health-wise.
2) Soy Based, Essential Oil Candles: Soy candles burn cleaner (less sooty) and essential oils are real fragrance, not a chemical disguised as a fragrance. These together are a winning combination, and create a bit of warmth to any room.
3) Yoga Mat: Many companies make sustainable, heavy duty, highly functional (aka slip proof) yoga mats that last. A few favorites are Jade Yoga Mats (my personal fave), which are always made from eco-friendly materials and are very slip-resistant; Manduka mats, which have a lifetime warranty and do come in an eco-friendly option, are a favorite among many of my yoga friends for their high durability and super grip; and Lululemon, which has sustainable practices within the company and the mat absorbs most liquids, making it great for any hot practice.
4) Sesame Oil or Coconut Oil: Although great for cooking with, this is also a great gift for the body! Both oils can be used as moisturizers, just like any lotion. Sesame oil has warming qualities on the skin and is great for dry, wintery skin. Coconut oil is also moisturizing, but is better for cooling the skin, such as when you have itchy, hot, broken out (rashy) skin. You can find either at your local health food store – just stay away from toasted sesame oil. You end up smelling like stir fry – trust me 😉
5) Mind-Body DVD’s or Yoga Gift Certificates: My favorite DVD’s are Gaiam yoga DVD’s (because they have a HUGE variety of styles and instructors, such as Kathryn Budig and Seane Corn, two fabulous Yogis) as well as the collection by instructor/teacher Ellen Barrett – I find her mind-body approach to exercise refreshing and enlightening. If you are looking for any ideas, both of these can be found on www.gaiam.com, www.ellenbarrett.com, or www.amazon.com. Yoga gift certificates to a local studio are another great option as well.
Not on the list, but another great present – Homemade Organic Goodies! Make your favorite treat, find an awesome jar or glass to hold them in and…Voila! An easy, thoughtful, homemade gift 😉 Some 3 Ingredient Fudge would do nicely here…just saying.
Enjoy the shopping and the quality time with Loved Ones!
Happy Holidays,
Peace and joy,
Jessi
NATURAL|HEALTH
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