But conscious consumerism and thoughtful gifting– well, that’s a different story. I challenge you this year to empower yourself and BE the change you wish to see in the world by voting with your dollar for a more just and thriving planet.

Below are some of my favorite items to receive as well as gift to loved ones.

For a loved one, for a friend… Plants are arguably the most versatile gift on the planet! You can’t go wrong with giving someone a cute little plant (unless they have a history of killing all of their plants) or even a plant starter you grew from scratch, like pictured above! Take into account the type of climate your loved one/friend lives in. If they live in a dry, warm climate a succulent would make more sense to gift. If they live in a rainy climate with lots of shade, an English ivy would make more sense. Check out this Ted Talk and article which highlight common household plants that purify the air.

REUSABLE BAGS

One of my many trusty sidekicks for living waste free! Four out of five grocery bags in the US are now plastic. In a landfill, single-use bags take up to 1,000 years to degrade. According to The UNRIC Brussels, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags. WHAT. I’ll admit, it took me some time to really adopt this new habit of using reusable produce bags to buy my items in bulk. In the beginning I would forget them in the car or at home. Or I would end up the packaged food isles and be like “what is life!” But as you transition you must be patient with yourself. Learning a new lifestyle is like learning a new language. It will not happen overnight. Buying your loved one/friend a gift like this will provide them the tools to shop in bulk, waste free (yay!). All of the bags I use are from {Zero} Waste Kit. Find them here.

You can’t go wrong with cozy items that are planet-friendly. Shop cotton, linen, ethical silk and wool, hemp, bamboo and more. My go-to brands for basics, athletic wear and dressy wear include:

• Pact Organic
• PrAna
• AYA Sacred Wear
• Then, there is thredUP for secondhand items

Klean Kanteen ensures that all of its products are made with eco- friendly materials. The company also contributes to many other organizations that are working to fight climate change. That means you can buy their high-quality, eco-friendly water bottles with confidence. Klean Kanteen is a bottle you can feel good about.

This DIY project makes for the perfect, from-the-heart kind of gift. Enjoy spices while cooking up a storm in the kitchen! Make yourself a cup of tea (anytime of day) with fresh herbs for a reminder to relax and enjoy the moment. Find your very own ecofriendly loose leaf tea strainer here.

Do you know where your clothes and jewelry were made? And by whom? More often than not consumers are blind to the world behind closed doors of a clothing factory or jewelry making shop. Fear not, there’s a way to still look ravishing less exploiting the environment and people who made your products. Support your local artisans while visiting the Farmer’s Market. Ask them questions such as where they sourced their materials. Another option is to visit your local Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by disadvantaged artisans from more than 120 artisan groups in more than 35 countries. Here’s a little fair trade jewelry inspiration for you.

Say hello to {Zero} Waste Kit, your streamlined take-with-you-and-go-everywhere kit to help make daily choices such as ditching plastic spoons, straws, food containers, grocery bags, and other single-use plastic products, easy and convenient. The thoughtfully designed starter kit includes custom made and hand-crafted daily essentials beautifully housed and measured-to-fit in a multi-purpose glass container, which are all ethically and sustainably sourced. If you are new to this blog and wondering why the photo above looks a lot like me, it is because it is me and the ZWK is a passion-project I launched on Kickstarter back in 2018 🙂