The holidays can be a mixed *stocking* of emotions for people. Sometimes equal parts excitement and existential dread sprinkled with a little holiday spirit and jolly ol’ capitalistic indulgence.
Whatever your take on the most wonderful (or not-so-wonderful) time of the year, the season’s essence is all about giving back. And that’s a spirit we all can get into. This year, we’re gifting you the power of information. Our hope? You will yield its ability to do good by being a conscious consumer this holiday season and supporting important causes while you cross off your holiday shopping list. Baby, it might be cold outside, but you’ll feel warm and fuzzy on the inside by shopping for products that support small, Made in USA, cruelty-free, or carbon-neutral businesses.
Never naughty and always nice, these holiday must-haves support multiple causes, making Santa’s extra good list — and ours.
Fore! Gift your favorite golf lover a permanent hole-in-one. While they tee up their favorite brew (or any beverage, really) in this handcrafted pint glass, they support a small Made in USA business. These eye-catching glasses are made in Appleton, WI, and come in various designs for hunters, sports fanatics, and musicians.
Candles are the gifts we scowled at as kids, but as adults, we binge through them faster than our favorite Christmas cookies. They make the holiday lists for a reason, they add a little happiness to the home and brighten the spirits. Level up the luxury and chase those cold-weather blues away with the scent of savory hinoki wood, cedarwood, and patchouli. This French, upscale candle burns for 60 hours and is certified carbon-neutral by Climate Neutral and cruelty-free. Oui, oui — put it under the Christmas tree!
This highlighting & bronzing palette ensures the makeup lover in your life shines brighter than your favorite holiday lights (OK, maybe not that much, but you catch our drift). The professional palette is Made in USA and cruelty-free and is stuffed with six shades of highly pigmented and ultra-blendable highlighter, blush and bronzers — giving herald angels a reason to sing. Next to big-wig makeup brands, OFRA is but a snowball among snowmen, making this purchase a supporter of small business.
‘Tis the season of a million and one perfume ads, but for the friend, family member, or special someone in your life who loves the smell of pretty things, a sweet memory-conjuring aroma can be a personal heaven. Rosie Jane’s “James” scent is earthy and romantic, with notes of fig, amber, and gardenia, and is a fan favorite among Amazon users. The cruelty-free and carbon-neutral brand creates its scents in California and uses 100% recyclable paper packaging made using wind power, vegetable-based inks, and sustainable paper.
The short shelf life of kids’ toys is enough to make any conscious consumer cringe, but when children’s toys are made with 100% recyclable, Earth-friendly materials, there’s no reason for a guilt trip. Consider this environmentally-conscious dump truck for the little tikes who need a sustainability tune-up from classic Tonka trucks. This toy truck encourages boys and girls to get their hands dirty while improving their dexterity. The parent company, Green Toys, is a small, Made in USA business that makes a wide range of other toys, including cars, boats, airplanes, tractors, and more.
Sometimes the best gifts are the practical ones. (Listen, socks will always be a win.) Kitchen crusaders, master chefs in the making, and cooking connoisseurs alike will light up like a Christmas tree when they see these gourmet cutting boards featuring picturesque scenes and beautiful illustrations. These cutting boards are lightweight, slip-free, and easy to store and can double as placemats for avid entertainers. Plus, they’re Made in the USA and come from a small business.
Calling all Yellowstone and 1883 fans! This one’s for you, cowboys. Blankets are arguably one of the best gifts during the holidays for obvious reasons. Disagree? Fight me, Rip. And Pendleton is famous for delivering on quality, warmth, and durability — justifying its high (and well worth it) price. Yellowstone spin-off 1883 featured this particular throw as one of the leading ladies’ go-to fireside snugs. Pendleton blankets are made with 100% virgin wool and are created on U.S. soil — and keep you just as warm at home as they would on the wild frontier. This blanket is a part of their National Park Collection — with this one honoring Glacier National Park.
One of the best gifts you can give kids is toys that inspire their creativity. When they’re not out building snow forts or snowmen this winter, they could be building block cities of epic proportions (well, kid-size epic proportions) inside. This 41-piece block set is made with high-quality, locally harvested maple and is 100% Made in the USA.
If your man’s beard is starting to resemble Santa a little too much (unless you’re into that, then by all means get it), treat him to the gift of high-quality grooming while supporting a Made in USA and Black owned business. This beard grooming kit covers all the bases for furry faced friends and includes a beard wash, beard conditioner, beard balm, and beard serum, all of which deliver a tantalizing masculine scent of sandalwood, carnation, warm oakmoss, musk, vanilla, cashmere, and amber. Santa, baby, hurry down the chimney tonight.
Need to do some more holiday shopping? We’ll be your elves this holiday season. Download the Consciously browser extension to see if a company is helping or hurting the causes you care about while you shop.
