Some years I feel like I’m so on top of gift-giving and manage to find the perfect gifts for everyone. Then, in other years (like this one), the whole idea is completely overwhelming and I just want to tell all my friends and family that we’re not doing gifts this year! Sometimes it just feels like we are giving a gift for the sake of giving one. I always endeavour to get gifts that I feel will be useful and helpful or something that can be treasured for a long time. This eco-friendly Christmas-giving guide is more something I needed to write for myself this year, but I hope you may resonate with this and find this guide helpful as you plan to celebrate the season with your loved ones.
WHAT'S IN THE BLOG
This blog is written to help you think about your motivation behind giving gifts and to provide a helpful list of eco-friendly gift ideas as you think about each person you want to buy a gift for. Hopefully, as you understand your motivation behind why you give gifts, you can use the gift list to make a conscious and intentional plan for the gifts you want to give that line up with your values and budget! Don't forget to take a little bit of time to think about the interests of your gift recipients too :) Here's a breakdown of what's in the blog (click to go straight to a section):
The Ultimate Gift Guide (handmade, store-bought, self-care & personal care, clothing, & homewares)
1. GIFT-GIVING BOOSTS YOUR HAPPINESS
Did you know that giving a gift boosts your happiness? Can you remember a time where you gave a gift to someone that you just knew they would love? Do you remember how you anticipated giving them the gift and then the joy on their face when they received it? I'm sure you've heard the saying "it's better to give than to receive". Research tells us that the act of giving to others can boost our own happiness for months! That’s a great reason to get into the gift giving spirit!
2. GIFT-GIVING MOTIVATION
We all know that it is tradition to give gifts at Christmas time. But, have you ever stopped to really think about why you give gifts? What is your motivation? By identifying your motivation behind gift-giving, you can be more intentional about your focus this year.
Use the questions below to help you identify your why. There is no right or wrong! It isn’t something everyone enjoys. Perhaps you identify with more than one motivation depending on who you are buying gifts for or their relation to you.
I give gifts because it’s tradition
I give gifts because I love seeing the joy on other people's faces
I give gifts because I see value in thanking those who have supported and loved me throughout the year with something tangible
I give gifts because I find joy in giving to those in need
I give gifts because I love shopping
I give gifts because I feel pressure to do so from friends and family
3. TYPES OF GIFTS
What kind of gifts do you enjoy giving? Whilst gift giving is about the recipient, it is still important that it resonates with what you see as valuable.
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I love to give gifts of a practical nature that I know someone will find useful
I love giving gifts of special value that can be treasured e.g. jewellery
I love giving gifts based on what I’ve observed someone wants or needs
I love giving gifts that will provide a memory e.g. an activity or experience
I love giving gifts that are sustainable, eco-friendly and as natural as possible
4. STAYING WITHIN BUDGET
Perhaps the biggest stress when giving gifts for Christmas is budget! Before you start shopping, decide on your budget. How much are you comfortable spending on your kids? How much are you happy to spend on other family members and/or friends? In an ideal organised world, I would recommend planning this out now, even if you have already started shopping, and then saving- your budget for next Christmas. That way, you will already have an idea of how much money you need to put aside before the time for Christmas gift-giving hits you next year.
Now that you have figured out your gift-giving motivation and gift-giving type, use that to help guide your budget. For example, if your motivation is thanking others and you love giving gifts of special value, you will likely choose to spend more money on a gift compared to someone whose motivation is tradition and who love giving gifts of a practical nature. Set your limits and stick to them!
5. ULTIMATE ECO-FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
This is what you really came here for! Our focus is on eco-friendly gifts, but I am also a big fan of gifting experiences that provide memories for years to come, so there are some memory-making ideas in here too! Here’s what we are going to cover:
Handmade
Store-bought
HANDMADE
There is something super special about handmade gifts. They can be super easy and budget-friendly as well as eco-friendly.
1. BODY SCRUB
Base:
1 cup sugar or salt
1/4 cup sweet almond oil or grape seed oil or avocado oil
1/4 cup fractionated coconut oil
Variations:
Lavender 1 Tbsp Dried Lavender Buds 5-6 Drops Lavender Essential Oil Grind / Smash Lavender Buds in a Mortar and Pestle. Then mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight mason jar. Jars are readily available at places like Kmart, The Reject Shop, Big W and even your local supermarket.
Mint Chocolate
1 Tbsp cocoa powder 5-6 Drops peppermint oil
Mix all ingredients together and store in an air-tight mason jar.
2. LINEN / ROOM SPRAY
Base
Fill a glass spray bottle with 2/3 water, 1/3 isopropyl alcohol
Variations
Calming: add 20 drops of lavender essential oil
Revitalising: add 20 drops of a combination of citrus oils such as lemon, grapefruit, sweet orange, bergamot
Or get creative with any other essential oils you have!
3. BATH SALTS
Base
Equal parts coarse salt (e.g. dead sea salt), and Epsom salts. You could also include pink Himalayan salt (coarse or fine) using the following ratio: 2 parts coarse dead sea salt, 2 parts Epsom salt, 1 part Himalayan salt.
Variations
Calming: depending on the size of the jar/bottle, add 10-20 drops of lavender essential oil and dried lavender flowers. Either layer salt and dried flowers, or mix them together.
Revitalising: depending on the size of the jar/bottle, add 10-20 drops of citrus oils lemon, grapefruit, sweet orange, bergamot and a dried botanical such as jasmine flowers or hibiscus flowers.
Or get creative with any other essential oils you have!
4. DRIED HOMEGROWN HERBS
Have an abundance of herbs in your garden? Pick bunches, tie string around them and hang them somewhere out of reach of little hands to dry. Grind/blend and place into cute jars. Label, and tie jute string/ribbon around to make it look cute and festive.
Or, infuse in olive oil as another cute gift idea and a way to use homegrown herbs.
STORE-BOUGHT
There isn’t always time to hand-make gifts. So, here is a list of eco-friendly options you can buy online (please note I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned here). We cover the following categories:
For the kids
Self-care & personal care
Clothing
Home
FOR THE KIDS
Sustainable toys - Little Sprout has an adorable range of toys made from natural fibres and sustainable timber to suit developmental stages
Wooden toys - I love the gorgeous options Lucas Loves Cars has for wooden toy
Non-toxic bath toys, wooden toys and more - you can’t go past Eco Toys
2. SELF-CARE & PERSONAL PRODUCTS
We couldn’t go past mentioning gifts for self-care and personal care as this is our passion here at Mandi Makes. So, yes, we are going to mentioned some Mandi Makes products perfect for giving the gift of self-care as well as some other amazing brands to check out (once again, no affiliation to any mentioned brands).
Body Butter - our most popular product! The luxurious fluffy texture of our body butter, and the gorgeous scents, make it an ultimate product for self-care. Not only is it a practical product to gift, but it feels like a treat to use! Shop here.
Beard oil - our latest product formulated to nourish and soften beard and skin (perfect for gentlemen sporting a clean-shaven head too). Gift the men in your life the gift of self-care by encouraging them to take some time out of their daily routine to do something that makes them not only smell good but feel good because they are doing something just for them. Shop here.
Makeup - this can often be a bit of a luxury item, especially extra make-up items like lipstick, blush or eye shadow that we might not buy for ourselves or wear very often. I have been using Inika and Ere Perez makeup for years and highly recommend them as amazing natural makeup brands with incredible products.
Haircare - A Christmas gift can be a great way to introduce someone to the world of natural products. One of my cousins introduced me to the New Zealand brand Ethique several Christmas’ ago and I have been using their hair care products ever since. Their shampoo and conditioner bars have become a staple and helped to tame my curly frizzy hair.
Other online stores to check out for personal care and self-care items: Nourished Life, Seed & Sprout, Shop Naturally
3. CLOTHING
It can be really hard to find clothing made from sustainable fibres that look good. Here are my picks for sustainable and fashionable clothing:
Adrift - a range of cute clothing and great basics
All Birds - large range of clothing, shoes and accessories for the whole family
Birds Nest - whilst not necessarily entirely fashionable clothing, there are some great basics here
Hemp Clothing Australia has a great range of t-shirts and shirts for guys
Organic Crew - probably the best range of basics and sleepwear I’ve come across!
4. HOMEWARES
There are several great options for sustainable and eco-friendly homewares.
Flora & Fauna - from plantable Christmas cards to puzzles, kombucha kits, books and SO MUCH MORE. You could probably do most of your Christmas shopping here! One of my favourites!
Native plants - the perfect gift for the gardener of the family. It’s the gift that keeps giving to both the recipient and nature. Shop at your local Bunnings or online from places such as Flora & Fauna (mentioned above).
LazyBones carries a gorgeous range of gift ideas from linen to a variety of gorgeous homewares.
The Fair Trader Store is another great all-around store for sustainably sourced products.
There it is! The ultimate guide to a sustainable and eco-friendly gift-giving season. Let us know your favourite gifts to give this year.
HAPPY GIFTING!!! xx
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