I kind of hate gift guides – it seems to me like retailers, magazines and bloggers have tried to turn gifting into something difficult to incite panic and encourage everyone to BUY. ALL. OF. THE. THINGS!
Really, it should be simple. Listen to the people you love throughout the year, and then you’ll get an idea of what they love, and can buy accordingly. For hostess gifts or gifts for people that you may not know that well, non-grocery store flowers or plants, a great bottle of wine, cold-pressed olive oil, or even fancy salts are always welcomed – and unimposing!
When I’m really stuck, I look for gifts that are not only American made, but that also give back and are generally useful. Some of my favorite charitable products…
Ursa Major x United by Blue Blue Ridge Kit
For every product sold, United by Blue will remove a pound of trash from our oceans and waterways. Ursa Major will donate 1% of sales from this kit to protecting America’s wildest places.
Otherwild The Future is Female Tee
25% of tee and sweatshirt sale proceeds are donated to Planned Parenthood.
Cocoon by Elizabeth Geisler Outerwear
For every coat purchased, two American made coats are donated to children in need via Operation Warm.
DeBrosse NYC Knits
15% of proceeds are donated to orphaned children in Haiti.
Liberty United Skinny Bullet Cuff
Every purchase that you make of a Liberty United product helps to protect an at-risk child from gun violence.
Feed USA Steele Canvas Bag
This tote provides 100 meals for families in America.
Even more gifts that give back:
Good Karma Sale
Clare V. – Every Mother Counts
Storq – Circle of Health International
What am I missing?! I know there are more… please share your favorites in the comments and I’ll work on adding these brands to The A-List!
P.S – None of the above links are affiliate links, as that didn’t quite sit right with me for this post. However, I do sometimes use affiliate links in other posts and give 5% of all TAE pre-tax revenue (from the blog and from my consulting projects) to charity each year. So hopefully, you can feel good about working with me or clicking and buying through these links. I wrote about the reasoning behind this donation last year on Giving Tuesday if you would like to know more. As always, feel free to email me with questions or comments!
