slow living: holiday wish list 2020

with covid causing extra delays in the mail these days, i decided it makes more sense to do this year’s annual holiday wish list early so that if you’re on the hunt for holiday gifts, you can support fellow small businesses in enough time to guarantee delivery! and unlike past years, i’ve decided to curate gifts for others rather than things that i like for myself (still with a focus on small maker businesses that i love/admire/support, of course). i’ve also doubled up on each of the categories because i wanted to highlight options for kiddos AND for adults. while i don’t think that physical gifts are necessary (and for many is not even that relevant depending on love languages), covid is definitely impacting our ability to gather, spend time in one another’s company, and share touch, so a thoughtful gift that helps a loved one think of us fondly when they engage with it or have a nice distraction for a bit of time (especially as we head into the shorter days and longer nights here in the north) can be a really lovely thing to receive right now.

body

my friend megan is an incredible weaver, and after losing the pashmina i’ve worn almost daily for over a decade last winter, i knew that the best replacement would be a hand-woven cloth from her. megan regularly makes smaller cloths that are particularly useful around the house, and makes larger cloths for wearing as well. she does commissions (which is what we’re doing for this cloth), and the price is fair for her labour and with the knowledge that you’re going to be receiving a true heirloom piece (i expect my cloth to outlive me for sure).

the herbal academy’s botanical skin care recipe book has become one of my favourite little productive distraction/procrastination tools. it’s got oodles of great tested recipes, gives you something to do, and will save a lot of money once you have a little stockpile at home, which is especially great for this period where we can’t casually pop out to the store. let’s face it, running out of lotion isn’t a good reason to pay for a whole extra delivery order or for increasing your risk of contracting covid, but your skin might disagree with that. (photo credit: the herbal academy)

making

beam paints is an indigenous-run company of one that makes paint by hand, based out of ontario. her palettes are a great stocking stuffer for the painter in your life! (photo credit: beam paints)

twig & tale makes the most adorable sewing patterns for leaf blankets in both kids’ sizes (or to drape in your favourite cozy chair or on top of a dog bed) and doll sizes. fairly simple quilting projects with a unique impact and the perfect last-minute sew for the kiddo in your life! i also love that you can use them to help kids (and adults) learn how to identify different tree species. (photo credit: twig & tale)

consumable

a gift card for their favourite local restaurant/delivery service that their restaurants are using (it saves on dishes for a night AND supports the local economy during this hard period). wherever possible, purchase from the restaurants directly as the various delivery services charge a wide range of fees that cut into the restaurants’ already-impacted profits. (photo credit: verde juice bar)

staying on the support local train, depending on where you live you may be able to stick with your regular csa or farmers’ market year-round. if not, check to see if any of your growing season farmers offer a winter csa! (photo credit: pinterest)

home

if you want to learn something new, check out my online course natural dyeing 101. you can get a headstart on planning a natural dye garden AND learn some fun, easy, relatively cheap ways to update various textiles around your home to give it a fresh new look. (personally, i’m a fan of dyeing and over-dyeing bed linens, curtains, napkins, and doilies/altar cloths/table runners in particular when i feel like i need to stare at something new in my house.)

a good broom is always a good idea, and with more and more broom makers appearing, chances are good that there is someone in your area making quality traditional brooms. i love prairie breeze folk arts studio and have bought brooms both for myself and dear ones! (photo credit: prairie breeze folk arts studio/winnipeg free press)

read

foraging with kids: 52 wild and free edibles to enjoy with your children by adele nozedar is like two gifts in one - a fun book to share AND future adventures to plan! (photo credit: lizzie harper)

iwígara: american indian ethnobotanical traditions and science by enrique salmón looks beautiful AND would also be a perfect gift for the nerdy herbalist/botanist/natural dyer in your life. (photo credit: timber press)

i leave you with my personal favourite motto with how to approach holiday gift-giving, which is my go-to for kiddos and also increasingly becoming my preference as an adult:

something they want / something they need / something to wear / something to read