The Gift Guide to Secretly Get Your Family to Live with Less Waste

Ah the holidays. The perfect opportunity to secretly entice everyone in your family to hop on board the low waste lifestyle train with you. They'll be so caught up in the ecstasy of gift giving and receiving, they'll be none the wiser to your covert mission to reduce your household waste. Muahahaha. Commence secret plot.

For the Baby Who Deserves the Very Best

• Organic Cotton Basketweave Baby Blanket - Could it possibly be more enjoyable to cuddle your babe? The answer is yes.
• Wood Activity Gym - So they can get their daily GAINZ…or maybe you can get a breather while they play.
• Baby Hairbrush - Keep your babe looking polished with the softest little brush we ever did touch.
• Baby Feeding Set - For when they start growing up way too fast!

For Your Fur Babies

• Cat Brush OR Dog Brush - Because they're such a good boy/girl/nonbinary animal and deserve to get a good brush now and then.
• Dog Shampoo - And you probably should give them a bath one of these days...
• Tennis Tumble - Keep your ball obsessed pup occupied with this puzzle toy.
• Lint Brush - So people can tell how much you love your pet by how many pictures you share, not by how much you bring their fur with you everywhere you go.

• Seal Cup Trio - Looks like a toy on the outside, but little do they know there are healthy, package-free snacks on the inside!
• Bamboo Fiber Beach Play Toys and Bucket - The sandbox just got more fun.
• Kids Cutlery Trio - Cute. Colorful. Practical!
• Kids Bath Brush - Get them a bath brush to match yours!
• Kids Rainbow Toothbrush - Sure to satisfy the unicorn-obsessed!
• Eco-Bricks + Eco-Bricks PLUS - Biodegradable versions of your favorite toys to step on!
• Gift previously loved from Powell’s, or get new books from Bookshop.org, which fulfills from independent/local bookshops and donates 75% of profits to local/independent bookstores or from Better World Books, which funds literacy/education nonprofits to fight global poverty through education. 

For the Teenager Who's More On Top of It Than You Are

• Stainless Steel, Bamboo, or Glass Straws & Denim Straw Sleeve  - Because they wouldn't be caught dead with a plastic straw. (Bonus points for getting them one for boba!)
• Upcycled Steel Utensil Set - And they'll get extra cool points for skipping single-use plastic utensils too.
• Lip & Cheek Stain - Easy, breezy, beautiful, and plant-based goodness!
• Leaf Razor - For the increasingly hairy!
• Pimple Mud - Being a teenager is rough enough as it is.
• Point them in the direction of timeless, closed-loop, zero waste tees and other basics from For Days.
• Share a gift card to a local vintage shop or online second hand threads purveyor like ThredUp, Swap, or Etsy. Or spend some time finding them a super cool, one-of-a-kind piece!
• Or support a small, local, BIPOC, LGBTQ, and/or woman-owned boutique or designer!
• A few of our favorites: April Blooms, Altar PDX, Alchemilla Jewelry, ARQ, Marty Jean, or While Odin Sleeps 

For the One Who Makes Your Home a Haven

• Kitchen Towels - Upcycled cotton and denim take this household staple up a notch.
• Incense Sticks & Glass Incense Holder - 
• Upcycled Cotton Placemats - And these would totally match with their other cute stuff!
• Bamboo Compost Canister - Guaranteed to be the most they’ve ever wanted to show off their banana peel storage container. 
• Ceramic French Press - For making coffee or tea in something truly beautiful.
• Art from a local artist like Bria Paints, Renee Staeck, Camille Shu, and Small Adventure.
• Give them a practical yet elevated kitchen staple like olive oil or apple cider vinegar locally sourced and sustainably produced by a woman-owned business like Pineapple Collaborative.
• Or splurge on beautiful, sustainably-made and long-lasting cookware like Proclamation Goods or Finex Cast Iron Cookware.

For the New Mama or Mama to Be

• Texturizing Salt Spray - Because, let's be honest, she's about to have 10 seconds for her hair routine now.
• Growing Belly Balm - So stretch marks are the last thing she's worrying about.
• Nursing Pads - Reusable nursing pads made by a mom herself!
• Nipple Salve - Be the one they think of when weird stuff starts happening to their nipples.
• Happy Hair Burdock Shampoo Bar - Great for normal and thinning hair and perfect for when their hair and scalp have seen better days.
• Get them a gift certificate to a local salon so they can feel that glow that everyone says they're supposed to have.

For the Parent Who's Always So on Top of It

• Baby Balm Soap - So they can feel better about whatever their kids have been touching.
• All Salve - Lip balm? Check. Something to put on owies? Check. 
• UNpaper Towels - Great for keeping handy for whenever those inevitable spills come next.
• Wool Dryer Balls - So they can cut down precious drying time on their laundry cycle and keep everything soft and bouncy without the nasty chemicals.
• Sage & Rose Face Mist - For moments of zen between the chaos.
• Emergency Kit - So they can feel good about being prepared for the worst.
• Support a local chocolatier or bakery and get them some goodies they don’t have to share for once.

For the Parent Who Needs a Break

• Let's not beat around the bush. Might they appreciate something in the wine, beer, cider, or spirits category? Probably. Some ideas:

• A monthly subscription to sustainable wine featuring organic, small batch, and/or biodynamic wineries, include Plonk, Wine Awesomeness, and Winc.
• Or grab a bottle or a case of wine from their favorite local winery.
• Or a local, seasonal selection of beer or cider. A couple of our favorites: Base Camp Brewing’s S’more Stout or a cider from Double Mountain
• Or get them a bottle for their top shelf from a local distillery. A couple of our favorites: Freeland Spirits and Wheyward Spirit
• Or could they use a night away from the kitchen? Probably. A gift certificate to one of their favorite local restaurants would be a real treat.
• Support a local spa and get them a gift certificate for a massage, acupuncture, or other treatment. 

For the Grandparents Who Miss the Good Ol' Days

• Cedar Balls - A subtle hint that the moth ball smell can and should be avoided.
• Clothes Pins - So they can start using that clothes line that's still in the backyard for some reason.
• Reusable Cloth Wipes - Hankies are back! And oh-so-soft.
• Clothes Drying Rack - Hang dry so your clothes can maintain heirloom status!
• Basic 3-Piece Safety Razor - Don’t worry, they know how to use it!
• Get them a subscription to their favorite newspaper or a magazine like National Geographic.

Stocking Stuffers for Everyone Under Your Roof

• Vegan Dental Floss - Nudge them to keep up their good habits with zero plastic waste!
• Face, Hand & Body Soaps - There's a soap for every skin type and mood!
• Hand & Body Lotion - They'll have you to thank for their super soft skin.
• Organic Cotton Hair Ties - For every hair color!
• Lip Salve - You've been noticing some chapped lips around the house.
• Deodorant Stick - Is it just us or are stocking stuffers just subtle reminders to kick your hygiene up a notch?

 

Gifts the Whole Family Can Enjoy Together

• Had to skip a recent vacation? Gift a live virtual tour of a destination they’ve been dreaming of going via Tours by Locals.
• Or go on a local staycation with a gift card for Getaway, a local boutique hotel, or AirBnb.
• National Parks Pass - Access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites!
• Tickets to a virtual concert or performance like via the Kennedy Center or Bandcamp or a gift certificate to a favorite local venue.
• A gift subscription to an education app or service like Skillshare, MasterClass, or EdX.
• A wellness-centered app or subscription like Headspace or Talkspace.
• A streaming service subscription you don’t already have, but wish you did like Disney+ or HBOMax.
• A plot in a community garden or a subscription for compost drop off.

Be sure to check out our other gift guides for ideas for every friend in your group and anyone you know who's already excited about minimizing waste!