The holiday season this year is different for many reasons. Unlike normal years, giving gifts might be a challenge for many. This year, being creative, sharing gifts from the heart, making homemade presents, and sharing time however possible, can still make this year special! We have put together a 2020 Holiday Gift Giving Guide of ideas to inspire you to shop small businesses + restaurants within your community, support nonprofits, and bake goodies from your kitchen. Giving gifts from your heart and home.
In our Podcast, Make Life Delicious, Pegs and I share about our, Curry Family’s evolution of gift giving. The reality is giving a gift that’s equally as enjoyable for the giver. When you find something special, or even have the opportunity to spoil those you love, it makes you feel good inside. Seeing the joy on someone’s face as they unwrap a gift they love, feels amazing.
Over the years, our family went from enormous heaps of presents to the realization as we got older, there was very little that we actually needed. Now we’ve landed on homemade sentimental gifts or gifts that involve spending time together as a family. You see time is what we’ve come to cherish. Time spent together laughing, playing and creating memorable experiences is what has brought us the most joy.
This year has taught us so many things:
- The importance of taking care of one another and ourselves.
- Health = Wealth
- Valuing what we have
- Cherishing time spent with loved ones
Many of us have struggled and experienced great loss this year. We have faced challenges we never could have imagined. The world as we know it has changed dramatically over the last 9 months with no sight of “normal” returning any time soon.
Now more than ever we have the opportunity to help and support one another.
For the holidays this year, we have decided to share some of our favorite gift giving ideas and ways to give to those around you, those in need and to those you love ☺
1. Support local and small businesses.
- I keep seeing on social media posts talking about “not supporting Amazon, Target, or these larger corporations this year during the holidays”… Companies like Amazon have become even richer during the pandemic, where local shops and small business have completely shut down with no return in sight. Opting to support business on Etsy or small businesses online is the best way to support your local economy! If you are able to give gifts this year, I highly encourage your to scout local shops and see if there are smaller online businesses you can support.
- Some of the local shops & small businesses we love:
- Buy a gift card to your favorite restaurant in your hometown. They could all use our love and support.
- Uphoric Urth ~ our favorite immunity boosting mushroom tinctures! Give the gift of health. Use our code: CGK for 25% off your order!
- Right Tribe ~ the most beautiful leather planters and knickknacks
- Energy Muse ~ for everything crystal related and energy healing!
- The Beehive ~ gifts for friends, sisters, clothing, jewelry, apothecary items and more (they are doing a 12 days of Christmas sale too!)
- BLVD MB ~ gifts for him, her, and kids ~ chic clothing, apothecary items, and more.
- Pages A Bookstore ~ great books, cookbooks, and journals
- Honest Rituals ~ I love her skin care items and homemade beeswax candles
- Gum Tree ~ items for your home
- Pépe Studio ~ beautifully chic and unique kitchen and homeware
- Mate the Label ~ my favorite sustainable, non-toxic, and organic women-owned basics
- Adorn ~ a local Steamboat Springs, CO shop with a mission with beautiful Turkish towels, wooden kitchen items, jewelry, art, and more
- Whiskey and Clay ceramics ~ beautiful dishware, vases, and more
- Hanselmann pottery ~ clean and chic pottery with the best “thumb mugs”, pitchers, house planters and more.
- Beauty Bar Chocolate ~ all your refined sugar and delicious chocolate needs
- Madeby Cookies ~ superfood adaptogen cookies that are gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
- Human Design Reading ~ with our girl Katie
- Astrology/Natal Chart Reading & Courses ~ with Donna Flood and Julie Radar
- Gift a Reiki Healing session ~ with our girl Isabelle of A Touch Of
2. Adopt a family for Christmas.
- We used to do this as a family through our local church and non-profit. They connected us with a local families in need. We got to play Santa making a family’s Christmas wishes come true. So many families this year are not going to be able to celebrate their holiday. This is an amazing opportunity (if you are able) to give generously to others.
3. Donate on behalf of your family and friends to your favorite non-profit. Here’s a few we support in our local community, USA and around the world.
- GrowingGreat whose mission is to empower children to make healthy food choices through hands-on science and garden education
- Kiss the Ground non-profit is protecting our world’s soil ~Teaching farmers regenerative practices.
- Heal the Bay protects our oceans and water
- Heifer International To end hunger and poverty in partnership with communities supporting entrepreneurs around the world creating lasting change from the ground up
- Grades of Green empowers kids to care for their environment
- Dig Deep brings clean running water for every American.
- South Bay Families Connected improves the social and emotional wellness of South Bay youth with support, resources and education to children and their caregivers to help them reach their full potential, leading healthier, more fulfilling lives.
- No Kid Hungry ends child hunger in America
- Not Us Without You LA helping restaurant workers’ families
4. Homemade treats from the heart
- FOOD IS LOVE! At least, it is our love language ☺ we love making treats to gift to neighbors, our farmers, family and friends.
- Some great recipes to share are:
5. Write a card and make a date for dinner or an activity together.
- There are plenty of things you can create to give the gift of time spent together.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! We miss you all! Please except a hug of love from me and a special hug to Annie.!
Thanks for the gift ideas! I go to our local Farmers Market and gather goods for my tenants and friends for their holiday gift, and its appreciated greatly! Love to support our local farmers and vendors in these difficult times….Happy Holiday to you all!