12 Small Business Consumables to Shop For This Holiday Season
Can we talk for just a moment about the dreaded big-box store (I’m looking at you, Walmart!) holiday gifts? I will never understand why packages of sausage and cheese suddenly have to come with a charcuterie board and knife set when November rolls around (spoiler alert: if you didn’t need a charcuterie board in October, you probably don’t need one now. Also, you probably already have a knife in your kitchen. Just sayin’.). And, much as I love “The 12 Days of Christmas,” I’m not so sure your loved ones will find much value in calling birds or pipers piping. So instead, here are 12 consumables (minus the excess) you can feel good gifting this holiday season.
Journal with your partner, kiddo, bestie, random stranger, whoever… with Promptly Journals.
This wonderfully thoughtful company offers a range of beautifully-bound journals for all experiences. My first experience with them was journaling for my little one with their “Childhood History” journal, but they also have gratitude and grief journals, couples’ journals, and even children’s emotions journals.
Bonus points for extra-kind customer service. I reached out to suggest lower-waste options to wrapping their journals in plastic, and their response was thoughtful and genuine.
Make your friends smell yummy… with Skylar Perfume
While gifting hygiene products can sometimes feel a little risky– “I promise you don’t smell, but here’s some body wash anyway!”– Skylar’s perfumes are so delectable you won’t care. I’m currently rocking “Capri,” (scent notes: grapefruit, blood orange, & bergamot) but am also a fan of “Salt Air.”
Alternately, make your friends’ homes smell yummy… with Thistle Farms Candles
This Nashville-based company exists as a safe-haven for survivors of abuse, addiction, and human trafficking. Thistle Farms’ yummy soy candles, with scents like cinnamon cedar and rose hibiscus, help support their mission of providing safe housing, counseling, and a path to financial independence for abuse survivors.
Support clean kitchens everywhere… with Earthling Co.’s Solid Dish Soap
Before you laugh too hard, know that I received dish detergent for Christmas last year and loved every second of it. Though I’m not sure I would suggest gifting this one to your partner, unless you realllllyyyy want coal in your stocking. Earthling Co.’s solid dish soap is non-toxic, ships plastic free, and pairs beautifully with a bamboo dish scrubber.
Color me Wild… with Onyx and Green Recycled Newspaper Colored Pencils
Onyx and Green specializes in recycled office supplies in an effort to reduce landfill waste. Pair these inventive colored pencils with an adult coloring book for added fun!
Give the gift of happy bums… with Who Gives a Crap
The most exciting package I receive every year is toilet paper. Specifically, colorfully-wrapped, 100% recycled toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap. This certified B-Corp ships plastic free and donates 50% of its profits to build toilets in high-need communities around the world. Plus, their joke-filled toilet-paper wrapping is literally begging you to give them as a gift. (Use my link for $10 off your first purchase!).
Gift a tree… with One Tree Planted
While I’m 100% okay with you literally gifting a tree (because who doesn’t need more to take care of in their life?!), you can also support reforestation efforts in your friends’ name with One Tree Planted. This non-profit organization planted more than 4,000,000 trees across 18 countries in 2019 alone. Every dollar donated plants a tree, and comes with a printable certificate (which is, admittedly, ironic) and project updates!
Socks that save the world… with Conscious Step
Conscious Step donates $1 for every pair of socks sold (amounting to nearly $190,000 in 2019) to organizations that support saving sharks, planting trees, and preventing malaria, among other causes. Each pair of decorated socks is made with GOTS certified organic cotton and fair trade labor practices.
The coolest kids’ book subscription around… with Vooks*
This app won my heart with its adorable animations of popular children’s books. Vooks’ mission is to create a love of reading– and it just might give parents a break with some high(er)-quality screen time options. While I’m always hesitant about pairing kiddos and technology, my little and I have definitely spent hours listening to these stories. I’m currently loving “Fourteen Animals (That Are Definitely Not an Octopus),” but Vooks also has the Slumberkins series for identifying/ working through emotions and dozens of other wonderful titles.
Give an energy boost… with Wilderness Coffee
Wilderness Coffee is committed to 100% organic, fair trade coffee beans from Nicaragua, Ethiopia, the Honduras, and Peru, among other locations. Notably, the coffee ships plastic free in compostable packaging and the company plants a tree to sequester carbon for every bag of coffee purchased.
Chocolate needs no excuse… with Theo Chocolate
Your loved ones will be in chocolate heaven with options ranging from mint-flavored dark chocolate to peanut butter and jelly cups. The company, whose flagship store is located in Seattle, is committed to organic products and fair trade labor practices, including supply chain transparency and stable price models for cocoa farmers.
Dream of summer days… with Badger Reef Safe Sunscreen
Badger’s Clear Zinc Sunscreen Cream comes with all the goodness of sun protection and none of the “bad,” like oxybenzone. Badger’s sunscreen is certified Protect Land + Sea to help you ease into the summer (however distant it may feel!) with style.
Happy small-business shopping!
*Links may be affiliate links, meaning I receive compensation to support Sustain Initiative at no cost to you. It’s a win-win!
