Balanced Living

Sweet + Simple Gifts 2015 - A Holiday Gift Guide

Posted by Arja on December 4 in Holistic Health, Personal Care and Cleaning

Chances are you’ve got a few gifts left to buy and, if you’re anything like me, trying to come up with ideas for family, friends, teachers, and hostess gifts can feel a bit overwhelming.  

I love the trend that’s started of people posting gift guides; in fact, I posted one of my own last year.  It was fun to do, and it also gives me a chance to talk about a few products and services that I really like.  

Obviously I think that a gift certificate for private nutritional consultation with me would make a great gift, but I’ve got a few other ideas for healthy gift ideas for you too!  Some of these are on my own wish list this year!

A Few of My Favourite Things

1.  Mindfully-made body care products.  Beautiful personal care products can still smell nice without all the toxic junk.  I’ve been a fan of Graydon – Clinical Luxury by Nature products for a few years now and my whole family (dog included) uses her stuff.  Some of my favourites include the All-Over Soap, Hair Smoothie, Hand + Foot Relief, Antimicrobial Mist, Body Oil, and Before Bed Spray (great for kiddos too!).  Great for stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, hostess gifts, or for anyone who loves great smelling product that works!  Don’t forget to stuff your own stocking too!

2.   Something for the tea lover.  Did you realize that even tea can be filled with all kinds of synthetic junk to add flavour and colour?  Ewwwww.  I’m a big fan of Honest Leaf for her great tasting, therapeutic blends, and Lemon Lily for their wide range of herbal, green, black, and rooibos blends.  I love stuffing stockings with these and adding on to teacher gifts, plus I’ve got a cupboard full of my own that I can pull out and offer to guests.

3.  Private yoga or personal training.  Most people know that exercise is good for them, but sometimes it’s hard to join group classes if you’re feeling unsure of yourself.  Know someone that would benefit from trying yoga in the privacy of their own home?  Grab a gift certificate from Kazimira Yoga for some private training.  She also teaches the deeply relaxing restorative yoga, which is great for anyone who needs help managing stress or anxiety.  Yoga not the right choice?  How about some personal training sessions with Training by Tanya or Twenty Toes Fitness?     

4.  Improved sleep.  If you’ve worked with me privately or in a group setting you know that I place a great deal of emphasis on improving sleep quality.  Rebecca, sleep consultant with Sugar Plum Sleep Co., works with entire families to do just that!  The work that she does with families who have small children is amazing, but her Essential Sleep Kit, or a gift certificate for Adult Sleep Coaching would make an amazing gift for anyone!

5.  Therapeutic essential oils.  I love the increase in popularity of essential oils over the last few years.  Not only do essential oils smell good (without all the toxic chemicals of synthetic fragrance), but they also have therapeutic qualities that can be used for all sorts of health concerns.  I like to make my own blends using Living Libations essential oils and a carrier oil, but I’ve also purchased therapeutic roll-ons from Province Apothecary, a Toronto-based body care products company.  These roll-ons are great for increased focus, improving sleep quality, or calming frazzled nerves.

You don’t have to be a wellness junkie to appreciate thoughtful gifts like these, and the best part is you can “shop local” from the comfort of your home!  It’s the best of both worlds.

Happy Shopping!