2019 Holiday Gift Guide
Looking for healthy yet fun holiday gift ideas for your family and friends? We’ve got creative yet practical recommendations in this 2019 holiday gift guide! Whether you’re shopping for the wellness warrior, mindful mama, conscious cook, or heart-centered entrepreneur, or if you simply need some last minute hostess gifts or healthy stocking stuffers, you’ll be sure to find something inspiring in this list!
This holiday gift guide is a compilation of some of our favorite things to use and give as gifts. I’m inspired to give gifts that are non-toxic, organic, health-promoting, eco-friendly and limit plastic. After all, we’re all about promoting thriveful living! Here are some suggestions that might just spark the right idea for someone special. I hope you enjoy these gift ideas and maybe even get a little something for yourself!
xo Wendy
1. Rallis Olive Oil
We first fell in love with Rallis olive oil in the summer of 2016, after buying our first bottle from a farmer’s market in Collingwood. I love everything about it! Why? The taste and healing properties are unlike any other olive oil I’ve tried. It’s become a family staple that we use daily. Rallis olive oil is produced by a Canadian family with olives from their farm in the southern-most part of Greece. ‘Ice pressed’ at a dramatic 20-30x colder than ‘cold pressed’ olive oil creates a highly nutritious, super-refreshing, enzyme-rich oil! Get it here… You’re sure to impress if you give this RAW olive oil as a gift.
2. French Sea Salt: Le Saunier de Camargue Fleur de Sel
A family favorite for nearly 20 years, we’ve been using this sea salt since our first trip to France in 2001 after being introduced to it by my sister-in-law in the south of France. We like to finish our dishes with a sprinkle of this exceptional salt before serving. It really brings your food to life! Get it as a gift here!
3. Lee’s Ghee
Our family has been dairy free for nearly a decade, but thankfully we can eat ghee (since the milk proteins (casein) have removed through the clarification process). This is our favorite ghee– 100% certified organic ghee made with love in Canada! Ghee is essentially concentrated butter so it can be used as a butter upgrade for just about anything! Find Lee’s Ghee here.
4. Chemex Pour Over Coffee Maker
We use our Chemex every time we want to brew a cup of coffee. Why we love it? First, pour-over coffee just tastes better. Second, it’s beautiful and looks great on the counter. It’s even in the permanent collection at MOMA NY and other fine museums– it’s truly a work of art. And third, I love that it’s made of glass to avoid the plastic that is in so many coffee makers (and don’t even get me started about those individual plastic coffee pods!). You can pick up a Chemex at many home stores or here at Amazon.
5. Bean Head Coffee
Canadian Organic & Mold Free Coffee — Beanhead is an industry leading organic coffee company that has bridged the gap between true high-end reserve coffee and affordability. We should all be able to enjoy coffee that is not bitter, burnt, weak, dull and boring! Certified organic (no pesticides), tested for mold, and certified fair-trade. A perfect pairing with the Chemex! You can find BeanHead coffee here.
6. Klean Kanteen Insulated Stainless Steel Cup
We’ve owned these 16 oz stainless steel cups for at least 5 years. I love that we can wash them in the dishwasher and they still look like new! (Yup, you read that right… I put our stainless steel cups in the dishwasher!) It’s a great cup solution for hot coffee, cold brew, tea, smoothies, beer, cocktails and water. When it is time to party, replace the ubiquitous red-plastic cup with a Steel Pint. All are backed by their lifetime strong-as-steel guarantee. Find it here.
BOOKS
7. Food- What the Heck Should I Cook?
This latest cookbook from Dr. Mark Hyman features more than 100 Delicious Recipes–Pegan, Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, and More–For Lifelong Health. Dr. Hyman shares his food philosophy, and inspires us to become more conscious cooks. A perfect gift to provide new inspiration in the kitchen. Find it here.
8. Stress Less, Accomplish More- Meditation for Extraordinary Performance
I loved this book by Emily Fletcher so much, that I also took her online course! You know you should be meditating, so what’s stopping you? In our high-stress, overworked lives, we think the answer to accomplishing more is to do more. But the best advantage we can give ourselves is to do less—to spend a few minutes a day giving our body and brain deep, healing rest. Before finding Emily, I had no idea that a brief meditation can offer rest that’s five times deeper than sleep. Finding Ziva Meditation has had a huge impact on my life– I feel much happier & less stressed when I meditate. “We meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation”. Find Emily’s book here.
9. Danielle Walker’s Against All Grain Celebrations Cookbook
I’m a huge Danielle Walker fan, and own all four of her cookbooks. It’s hard to choose, but I think this is my favorite! Celebrations has 125 recipes for grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free comfort food dishes that are perfect for holidays and special occasions. Get it here!
SHOP LOCAL (TO) & CONSIDER EXPERIENCES
10. Power Yoga Canada
OM for the Holidays… It’s the most wonderful time of year at PYC! Take advantage of the seasonal specials– 5 class passes are $50 (only $10 per class!). Do you know someone who would like to sweat + discover + transform? Or maybe a little something for yourself? While giving to others is the focus of the season, remember to make time for self-care too! (poweryogacanada.com)
11. Bloom Beauty
Bloom Beauty is a chic boutique in the heart of Toronto focused exclusively on clean, natural, non-toxic makeup and skin care. They are proud to be Toronto’s first to offer all services including makeup, using only clean beauty products. They understand that beauty means something different to everyone, so their goal is to use their experience and expertise to help clients make informed beauty choices you can feel good about from the inside out. I’m so excited to have Bloom Beauty in the Leaside neighborhood to help me find non-toxic & gluten free makeup. Think differently about beauty… and find a great gift from their amazing selection of products curated from around the world. (mybloombeauty.com; @bloombeautyto)
12. Experiences
Consider gifting experiences such as tickets for a sporting event, show, or music concert, a spa day, or even splurge on travel. Experiences allow you to spend time with loved ones, and will create great memories and lasting joy.