Beetitudes

Welcome to the holiday season! Whether you’re buying gifts for others, or looking for a little something for yourself – I have a list of products that are made from safe, natural materials, so you can feel good about giving to the people you love.

Major Retailers

These are the pajamas featured in my Christmas vlog intro. The woman’s pajamas are 95% cotton/5% spandex, and the men’s are 100% cotton. Both came from Amazon, and the links are below the photos. For a non-Amazon option, check out the J. Crew set below.

I’ve been loving my enameled cast iron cookware. The best part of cast iron is that it is free from both aluminum (even stainless cookware has aluminum cores), and non-stick chemicals. And the enamel keeps them low maintenance and easy to clean. I have the crock pot dutch oven in pink, in 3, 5, and 7 quarts. And I have both a 10 inch and 12 inch skillet, and a 2 quart saucepan.

Organic cotton sheet sets are a great option for home textiles. These sets offer a couple of options – one affordable from Amazon, and one a bit more luxurious from Quince.

Arguably the softest, coziest, natural fabric that exists – cashmere! I personally buy my cashmere from ThredUP, because pre-owned is the most affordable. If you go to thredUP, you can browse hundreds of options. Or for another affordable option, the sweater below is only $50! For a bit of an upgrade, check out the option from J. Crew.

Edited to add: merino wool sweater from Madewell

Let’s talk accessories! A popular gift item is a nice scarf. I was able to find a cashmere scarf last year on post-Christmas clearance at TJ Maxx for $20, so you might just find something in the store. But for online, check out these options – cashmere from Quince, and wool from Amazon.

Another popular Christmas gift in the accessory category – socks! Below is a merino wool option from a small business on Etsy, and another from J. Crew.

Another lovely natural fabric is silk, and it’s especially great for hair! Silk scrunchies don’t damage hair like traditional elastics. Satin is made from polyester, a fully synthetic, plastic-based fabric. So the options below are 100% silk. One more affordable option from Amazon, and a comparable option from Quince if you’d like to avoid Amazon.

Back to the kitchen – with wood cooking utensils. Stainless steel are another natural and safe option, but they will scratch your cookware. And if you are using nonstick or stainless cookware, compromising the top layers could expose the aluminum inside. Silicon is another popular option, but almost all silicon on the market is a plastic blend, so I’m opting to only share wood. Both of these sets are from Amazon, but can also easily be found in the store.

Towels are another area where polyester is incredibly popular, so I’ve been on the hunt for 100% cotton sets. I have found some locally at TJ Maxx, so you can definitely check the stores near you. For online options, check out these from Dillards and Target, for varying price points.

Scented candles are one of the most toxic products in the home, mostly because of the fragrances used in making them. To keep the air clean, it’s important to shop carefully for products you can trust. I have a couple of options below. One is my sister’s shop (soy wax), and the other is from another small business seller (beeswax).

Next up – the ever popular jewelry. My favorite place to shop jewelry is Ana Luisa. They offer good quality gold products, that are recycled and sustainable. A safe product that is also good for the environment is always a win! For a bit of a step up, I’ve also included a couple of real gold options from Mejuri.

I will likely keep updating this post as I come across more ideas and options for gifts, so check back soon for more!

Small Businesses

If you’re looking to support small businesses, here are some online gift options for you to choose from.

First up are journals. One is a quality solid leather as an option for the non-vegans, and the other is a cloth hand-embroidered vegan option.

Bath and self-care products are a popular gift idea. These options are all natural – even the candle is scented with essential oils. And, the bath bomb uses aluminum-free baking powder.

Tea is a tough one, because it is usually packaged in either plastic test tubes, aluminum tins, or plastic-lined paper pouches. Even the tea bags from the store often have plastic materials woven in. I selected variety gift sets that are packaged in glass.

For a couple of random trinkets, I’ve included a natural dried stove-top simmer set, and a stainless tea infuser.

Last but not least – some fun hand embroidered options. Custom chucks, or corner book marks!