Mindful Gifting

Mindful Gifting

I think we can all agree that the year 2020 has been interesting to say the least and it definitely got a little weird. Regardless of your political beliefs, conspiracy theories or television preferences we all experienced a life changing pandemic, and no matter how separated we seemed to be we all experienced it together. One thing is for sure it has been a life altering year for the whole wide world. The time out changed my life in many amazing ways. I am grateful to say the least. During my time in quarantine I feel like something naturally came over me that lit a desire to change. I felt like if I was ever going to get healthier and live a better life it would in some way have to be now or never. I mean I no longer had the excuse of not having the time to workout or to eat healthy. All I seemed to have was time. So I was able to get my life together a bit and realized that the healthier I became the more I concerned myself with topics that if I’m being honest I had never previously thought about much less worried about or concerned myself with,. Topics such as having a greener more economic life and reducing my carbon footprint. If I couldn’t reduce the karmic ties of my carbon footprint from the life I had already lived then I wanted to do my best to minimize it for how ever much life I have left on this beautiful and oh so forgiving planet of ours. As Christmas draws near with the speed and grace of a bullet train stuck in overdrive I found myself motivated to find some holiday alternatives this year. I hope you will find some inspiring ideas in the list I have created for you as well as be inspired to find your own sustainable and eco-friendly solutions this year and in all the years to come. Our planet is crying out for us to change. I know this year was tragic and traumatizing for us as the human inhabitants on this third rock from the sun, but with all of us tucked safely away in our homes, our beautiful mother Earth was able to once again breathe. Lets continue to help her and take pride in where we live...before the damage is irreversible and the scars we gave her are the only thing that remains. Join me in an environmentally benign holiday extravaganza.

One of the things we do for the holidays is find the perfect gift for all of our most favorite people. This year why not try gifting with a green twist. I have an amazing idea for the person on your list that likes to travel. Why not gift your loved ones an experience instead of an item that will likely end up stuffed haphazardly in the “clutter closet” every home seems to have. Air b&b has an eco option called eco-b&b. It offers tree houses, eco friendly hotels and organic farmhouses. As a guest on one of these journeys you will save an average of 302 Liters of fresh water per night,8 kilograms of CO2 per night and the best part is you will save some green too, as most of the accommodations cost less than those without the eco option. Eco b&b has sustainability criteria that consists of 100 % renewable energy, ecological cleaning products, car free accessibility, organic or local food, more than 80% waste recycling, green building, energy saving lights, solar thermal panels for hot water, water flow reducers and recovery and reuse of rainwater, making this an eco-friendly adventure that will likely remain on your loved ones mind for years to come as well as be forgiving on our planet. The vouchers are good for up to one year after purchase allowing the receiver to plan their trip on their timeline.

There is an old Zen saying that urges us to do three things while incarnated on Earth “Have a son, write a book and plant a tree.” which is why this next gifting idea is a must. A living tribute is a wonderful source and service that allows you to have a tree planted in a national forest under the name of your recipient. The person you are gifting receives a sustainably sourced commemorative gift card with the location of the seedling or the grove of seedlings for keepsake. I love this idea not only for the holidays but also for celebration of life, loss of pet, weddings or even as a just because gift. It is the unique gift of life that transcends through time as well as replenishes forests that may have been destroyed by fires, natural disasters or invasive insects. This gift is the perfect and cost effective gift that replenishes resources and the air we breathe. I think we can all agree that breathing is important, especially in this day and age when we find ourselves face to face with a pandemic that restricts our ease of breathing weather from under a mask or because of the virus itself.

If your looking for a gift for the family fashionista green and animal free clothing may be the perfect option for you this holiday season. Cutting edge fashion used to equal leather and fur trends but these days in the wake of the New Earth Movement and in a time of a collective higher consciousness “cruelty free, sustainable and organic” seem to be the designer options more and more fashion devs and connoisseurs are reaching for. These stylish items are made of biological materials without harming animals or nature on top of being really cute or stylish, making this a wonderful gift idea.

We all have people in our lives that we want to get something small for to show our appreciation for the role they play in our lives. Maybe a teacher or a boss. The barista that has our latte hot and ready for us when we stumble through the coffee shop door every morning causing a little less chaos in our often hectic lives. The gift I suggest for these types of people would be the gift of natural or soy based soaps. Its practical and also cost effective. They are often vegan and made with natural and essential oils that leave your skin soft and replenished.

For the person that has everything and like most of us is consumed in all things electronic why not give the gift of solar energy? No really, hear me out this is a much more cost efficient option than you might think. While it is true that a solar panel would be quite expensive a solar powered charger would be a gift most anyone could use and the best part is you would no longer need to use electricity to charge your cell phone. Solar powered charger boxes can been charged up with the natural source of sunlight and then used to charge your cell phone and many other USB devices. I believe this is a wonderful green gift giving idea.

Water bottles are becoming a vast problem especially for the United States. As a water drinker I always seemed to have a case of water bottles in my apartment and I would grab them and drink at my leisure throughout the day. It was nothing for me to go through an entire 24 pack of water bottles in a weeks time. That’s the consumption rate for just me by myself, which is great. Water is life. I’m staying hydrated, doing great, right? Well right, but at what cost? What happens to all of those water bottles when they finally make it from the floor board of my car or the make shift bowling pin structure I keep in my cubicle for when I’m bored at work and the boss is away? Where do they go then? The answer is to the landfill and then some find their way into the oceans to harm the sea life and some are melted releasing poisonous gases into the atmosphere which amplifies global warming...This is all bad! But I have a solution for you. Gifting metal water flasks to your friends and family {and of course yourself too} this holiday season would help aid in the reduction of harmful water bottles overtaking the Earth and ending all life as we know it. Okay maybe I am being a bit dramatic here but you get the point, its a great eco-friendlier gift option I urge you to try on this year.

My final green gift idea for this 2020 year is the gift of a massage at an eco-friendly spa. Its been a long year and everyone could use a good massage. I would have said that in the years that preceded this one a massage would have been a great gift for any female in your life, however as times change we are realizing that our men want to be pampered too. Even if they don’t come right out and say it, most men would also love a spa experience and a massage. What a wonderful way to to rejuvenate and relax. Look for spas that have energy efficient lighting and fixtures, use non-toxic cleansers and paints, provide guests with organic, unbleached bedding and linens and that purchase wood furniture made from recycled wood or wood from renewable forests.

The presents are purchased and your ready to rock this holiday season. Try wrapping these green gifts in paper bags you decorate yourself, or in old sheet music for an added sustainable option but no matter what and this is the most important… make sure to be joyful and happy with the life you have right now, because it’s all we really have. I hope you enjoy this holiday season and add at least some mindful gifts to your purchases. Be well!