Wholesome gifts for wholesome folk
I love the festive season, there’s no doubt about it. Mulled wine? Yup. Mince pies? Double yup. Excessive gifting and waste? No thank you! That’s why this year I’ve teamed up with a series of experts to bring you the ultimate low-impact gift guides. Giving presents is really fun, but it’s more important than ever that we make sure that we’re giving people gifts that they’d really love to receive, and won’t end up going straight to landfill. Let’s try to change the meaning of giving - some of the best gifts I’ve ever received have been non-traditional ones that you’d never see in the pages of a catalogue, but they’ve been absolutely perfect for me. I try to do the same when choosing gifts for other people, but it can be hard to know what to choose. That’s why I’ve teamed up with some of the most knowledgeable people around to find out what they think are the must-haves for 2019!
Today I’m teaming up with Zabby Allen to bring you a collection of wholesome gifts for wholesome folk. Zabby is a colour-loving creative from South East London. She creates a monthly mini mag called the Procrastination Paper to encourage people to spend a little less time on their phones and to #WasteSomeTimeOffline instead. When she's not working on that, she's editing The Happy Newspaper for Emily Coxhead, organising Colour Walks with In Colourful Company or walking her Moroccan rescue dog Noushi and probably getting covered in mud in the process. So what have we chosen…?
A: Reusable fabric gift wrap by Cepheid Studio
I’ve recently been making some big changes in my day-to-day life to reduce my impact on the environment. I love giving gifts, but the waste that comes along with it (envelopes, wrapping paper, gift bags…) really doesn’t feel right any more. So I decided to do something about it! I felt inspired me to launch a range of beautiful astronomical gift wrap that can be used year after year!
B: Monstera leaf earrings by Stellen *Zabby loves!
One of my Procrastination Paper subscribers takes Wyatt and Jack's scraps and uses them to create bold jewellery under the name Stellen! I've currently got my eye on these monstera leaf earrings (£15), but I wear Kate's triangle earrings (£12) all the time and she's even got some Christmas tree earrings (£12) in the shop right now too to help you get into the festive spirit!
C: #BakeForSyria recipe book *Zabby loves!
If you know somebody who loves cooking, the #BakeForSyria recipe book (£25) might make the perfect gift. The follow up from the hugely popular #CookForSyria book, it includes over 100 recipes for Syrian-inspired sweet and savoury baked goods and desserts, donated by leading chefs and bakers, as well as Syrian refugees. All proceeds raised are donated to Unicef UK's appeal for the children of Syria, via Next Generation London, a fundraising group of Unicef UK.
D: Sourdough starter (recipe by The Perfect Loaf)
The perfect zero-waste gift for anyone who loves making bread, eating bread, smelling bread…a sourdough starter! It takes about a week to establish a rockin’ sourdough starter, so save your pals the time and give the gift of future delicious bread.
E: Seeds (from your garden or your local garden centre)
Did you know that the majority of fresh herbs and salad leaves bought from the supermarket end up going straight in the bin? If you grow your own (don’t forget that you can grow herbs in pots indoors if you don’t have a garden!) you can harvest a small amount whenever you need, reducing plastic and food waste (and making you look very green-fingered indeed!
F: Oversized clutch made from old bouncy castles by Wyatt & Jack *Zabby loves!
Tackling waste one bag at a time, Wyatt & Jack make gorgeous accessories from old bouncy castles, deckchairs and unusable inflatables. I am a big fan of the 'rainbow piñata fringed' oversized clutch (£39) but their pouches start from just £7.50 and their 2 tone totes are great value at £26.
G: Subscription to the Procrastination Paper *Zabby loves (as do I)!
Excuse me while I indulge in a little self promotion... but I think that my monthly mini mag the Procrastination Paper makes an excellent gift! It encourages you to spend a little less time on your phone and a little more time offline, through reading, playing, creating, writing, talking and exploring! You can sign up to recurring monthly mags (£5 a month, plus a £2 Welcome Pack fee - cancel or pause at any time), or buy a 3 month gift subscription (a one-off payment of £17). Each issue is printed on recycled paper using eco-friendly inks. Don't forget to include your recipient's name when ordering so I can write it on their membership card (and to enter their address as the delivery address)!
H: Refillable bottle by Chilly’s *Zabby loves!
For my birthday this year my Mum bought me a Chilly's bottle and it was one of the most useful gifts I've ever received! I am so impressed by how it traps temperature and it was a life saver during the heatwave we had this summer. Chilly's mission is to accelerate the adoption and everyday use of reusable products - check out their Refill collaboration (£20), which donates £10 straight back to City to Sea who run the Refill app and are campaigning to prevent plastic from entering our water sources, wildlife and food chain by making refill stations readily available.
I: Personalised project bags by Girl & Bird
Take yourself out and about with an offline project - these bags come in three different sizes and you can personalise them with a map of somewhere close to your heart. If you’re giving one of these as a gift, why not fill it with the supplies for a hobby your pal has always been wanting to try?
Thanks so much to Zabby Allen for choosing such fab wholesome gifts - you can catch up with her on social media at both the Procrastination Paper and her personal account!