I think we could all agree that most of us do not need any more “stuff” this holiday season. There may be a few necessities or wants, but otherwise, we are good! So what do you buy for the person that doesn’t NEED anything?
My top pick is you buy them an experience. Something that they will have lasting memories of. For others, give them time with you. Be the present and be present! My second pick, is a gift from brands that are doing good by giving back to people and the planet. Below are a few of my favorite brands that are making a positive impact in this world!
ONEHOPE Wine was founded by eight friends with a lofty vision: to create exceptional products that inspire people to indulge while doing good. They are a caused - focused winery that gives back to charitable partners with every bottle of wine they make. Their commitment to quality in wine is as important as their commitment to the causes they support. To date they have made more than $4 million in donations.
Beautycounter is a brand focused on bringing the safest skincare and makeup to the marketplace while simultaneously fighting in Washington for more health protective laws in the personal care industry. When you shop with Beautycounter, they are able to give back to trusted non-profits, charitable organizations and research groups that help push the better beauty movement forward! No one should have to sacrifice their health in the name of beauty! This is my favorite clean and safe brand!!
SOKO Beautiful, fun ethical fast fashion jewelry made by artisan entrepreneurs in Kenya. The artisans use locally-sourced and eco-friendly materials. SOKO is giving back in so many ways including to their charity: water. They are committed to providing clean water and helping to create meaningful work opportunities for vulnerable communities around the World.
WE Charity carries the power of WE globally, empowering communities to lift themselves out of poverty through a holistic, sustainable international development model, WE Villages. WE Villages supports community development in areas where there is a high incidence of child labor, exploitation of children and minimal opportunities for the girl child. Currently, they work in Kenya, India, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Sierra Leone, rural China and Ethiopia.
Live Large Love Loud My most favorite of them all. This is my non-profit that I created in honor of my late love Tom Alexander. He unexpectedly passed away last April and has left such an important message on my heart to share with the world. This life is so very short, so turn up the volume on your life…Live Large and Love Loud! This huge selection of hats shares that message in his honor and ALL proceeds are donated to Roundup River Ranch. A camp experience for children with serious illnesses and their families at their beautiful Colorado ranch.
Reformation Sustainable women’s clothing and accessories. “We make our pieces from super sustainable materials, rescued deadstock fabrics, and repurposed vintage clothing. As we grow, our goal is to push harder to create more sustainable fabric options.” Fast fashion is an industry causing so much harm to people and the planet! Think twice about the brands you wear!! Nordstrom is carrying some Reformation now!!
Allbirds Better shoes in a better way. An entirely new category of shoes inspired by natural materials, and an ongoing mantra to create better things in a better way. Their materials include wool, trees and sugarcane. I have a pair of their flips (hopefully they return in the summer) and love them!!
Apolis Global Ethically produced goods including their well known customizable market bag. These market bags help provide Fair Trade wages, annual profit dividends, and a retirement fund for the 106 women who work at Saidpur Enterprises. I love their T-shirts too!!
Patagonia “The quality of Patagonia depends, to a large degree, on whether we can reduce our impact on the environment. This means auditing the materials and methods we use to make our products, taking responsibility for the entire lifecycle of our products and examining how we use resources at our buildings and facilities.” 1% of sales supports environmental organizations around the world, funding at the grassroots level in countries and communities where they have people on the ground. That’a a brand I will support all day long!!
Away “We believe in leaving the world better than we found it, and we want to help make a difference through the things we make, the platform we have, and community we create. That’s why before we sold a single suitcase, we partnered with Peace Direct, a nonprofit building peace in areas of conflict around the world. If you’ve bought anything from Away, you’ve also contributed to their work. Because we’re all in this together.” I have owned 4 pieces of their luggage for almost 2 years and highly recommend it!!
Simply Fido because your furry baby deserves safe, eco-friendly toys too!! Simply Fido is a family owned business that has a special responsibility to protect our environment for future generations. My doggie has quite a few toys from them. She loves to try to get to the squeaker and these are holding up well!
Sudara “GREAT GIFTS THAT DO GOOD” Every purchase supports job creation and skills training for women in India who are at risk or survivors of sex trafficking. Their punjammie lounge pants are cute and comfy!
glassybaby Votives with a motive. Founded by three time cancer survivor Lee Rhodes. during chemotherapy, lee met many patients who could not afford their basic needs during treatment. when lee founded glassybaby, it was with the core mission of helping to alleviate these struggles. to date, glassybaby has donated over $9 million dollars to non-profit organizations that provide hope and healing.
Love Your Melon it all started with hats to give back to children fighting cancer. To date, they have given over 4.7 million dollars to the fight against pediatric cancer and over 149,000 hats to children battling cancer. Their product offering has grown far beyond hats and 50& of proceeds are donated.
Paper Culture eco-friendly custom cards and stationary. Instead of cutting down forests to fill your order, they use post-consumer waste and wood alternatives. To off-set their carbon footprint, they plant a tree with every order. You even get to specify who the tree is planted in honor of! I ordered my holiday cards form them and some thank you notes! I love their modern look! It’s not too late to order holiday cards!!
Rothy’s began as an idea to turn recycled, single-use plastics into something both beautiful and useful. Three years in, and they have taken almost 21 million plastic bottles destined for landfills and repurposed them into timeless, durable flats. I LOVE these shoes and have a slight addiction!! I don’t feel guilty buying them when I know they are saving the world from plastic!! Want $20 off? Make sure you use this discount code link on each pair!
Sand Cloud beach towels crafted with the purpose to save marine life. 10% of profits are donated back to non-profits that support their mission. Some of their towels are made from recycled plastic and they are all sand resistant!
Many of these brands (Beautycounter, SOKO, Apolis, Allbirds, Patagonia, and Sudara) are B Corps.
Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. This is a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Those are the brands I want to support this holiday and everyday!! I hope you choose to do the same!! Happy Holidays and cheers to a New Year!
