This list is so fun for me to put together. I loved doing it last year and this year was equally exciting. As I sold my knitted gloves and scarves at the two crafter's fairs I attended this weekend and last, I made a study of what people were buying and what the spirit of spending was like. I was really pleased to hear passersby talking excitedly about creating a greener holiday season for their families. The vendors surrounding me who made jewelry and pottery did surprisingly well and I sold over half of the inventory I showed. The farmer's market I shared space with was BOOMIN'. Fresh food rules this year!
I'm curious to know whether material consumption will continue to shift toward handmade and DIY., as it seems to have been working up to for a number of years. It really seems like folks are putting more thought into gift-giving, as well as cutting way down on the number of people they buy for; limiting presents to the children in their lives and those closest to them. It seemed, in the marketplace, that the giving spirit isn't what's fading, but the guilty, senseless overconsumption of the season seems to be taking a back seat to values and thoughtfulness. I came away from Black Friday weekend feeling more inspired to make gifts, donate to non-profits in my friends' names, support (and indulge in)my local farmers more and move even further away from the accumulation of "stuff" that makes Christmas so stressful and costly.
For any of us who will still be searching for bought prezzies, here is a list of my favorite things to pay cash money for:
For the babes: I love Nova Natural Toys & Crafts! Nova's stacker, wee mug, and teething dolls are all fun and conscious offerings for the littlest ones.
For Bigger kids: This recycled tire swing looks like so much fun. Making one for your kidlet could be the ticket, too, and eHow has a great set of instructions. Back to Basics Toys, HearthSong & Fat Brain Toys offer the option to search by age, and all have Made in USA sections. Miles loves the solar system marbles at HearthSong and is asking Santa for them.
For Mamas and Womyn: I am crazy about this necklace made by North Carolina artist, Rhonda Wyman, at Figs & Ginger! You can get one to four little baby birds perched on a limb for your sweet. BFF's always love Gina Garoogian's pottery in my tribe. I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF HER OR HER CLAY GOODS. Email her and she will ship you something to die for. If taking flight is your girl's flavor, she might love some points on her favorite airlines. *winkety WINK*
For Daddys and Manly Men: Outdooring Dads will love Bogo Light solar flashlight. You'll fall in love with choosing a non-profit to donate one to with your purchase and not have to buy batteries for one more gadget. iTunes gift certificates also rate very high with the guys in my family. Kleen Kanteens are making my list again this year, as plastic bottles still do totally suck.
My favorite consumable items this year are Just Soap's shampoo bars- no more plastic bottles and you can even buy them with NO packaging! My hair is so shiny, I can't believe I bought chemical shampoos for all of those years. Lush has some yummy ones, Godiva and Reincarnate being my picks, but they are about three times the price and use some synthetic fragrances. I've been taking quince paste, or membrillo, everywhere I go this fall, and it makes a great hostess gift on holiday meal day. It tastes god-bless-the-Spaniards on cheese, as well as on bagels or toast. A copy of American Artisanal could be a swell compliment. Local Harvest tells you all you need to know about your local organic CSA's and produce membership organizations-what a wonderful way to say "I love you, but I don't love your Chilean avocados."
;) Merry Christmas, everybody.
