An important first step in getting your garden ready for spring is to sanitize your seed trays. Read on for the simplest method of disinfecting your seed starting equipment to ensure healthy plants.
I have a confession to make.
I did not disinfect my seed trays and other seed starting equipment for the first five years or so of my gardening journey.
I would barely rinse off the equipment, let alone disinfect it.
And, I mostly got away with it, too!
That is until last year a few of my very young seedlings mysteriously began to shrivel up and die. It was like they were being zapped by some mysterious force from the bottom up.
I would learn later, this phenomenon is called “dampening off” and is a fairly common consequence of failing to disinfect your trays and other equipment each year before starting seeds.
This post is all about how to sanitize seed trays.
What is Dampening Off?
Dampening off occurs when pathogenic bacteria or fungus attack your young, vulnerable seedling, causing it to wither and die.
This failure to thrive can be mysterious, because the microscopic pathogens are invisible to the naked eye.
Basically, if you are reusing your seed starting equipment season to season (and we love a reduce, reuse, recycle moment!) there are probably microbes and pests lingering waiting for ideal conditions to multiple and wreak havoc.
The only way to hedge your bets against dampening off is to thorough clean and disinfect your seed starting equipment before reusing.
This process kills any pathogens leftover previous plantings before they have a chance to attack.
Another (Creepy) Reason to Sanitize
Beyond microscopic pathogens, there may be other hangers-on lurking that you’ll likely way to get rid of before starting your seeds.
One of my teachers, Jessica Robison, Founder of Acton Food Forest tells a harrowing tale of cleaning one of her seed trays and finding an active spiders nest.
This would have become a problem later when she brought her seed trays into her finished basement (where she does her seed starting) and the eggs hatched, causing a problematic spider infestation.
What to Disinfect
Disinfect any seed starting equipment you have used in the past.
Reused equipment has had exposure to microbial life that can be dangerous to seedlings.
Treat seedlings like human babies–they need special care!
Note: You probably do not need to new disinfect seed starting equipment that you’ve just purchased.
How to Sanitize Seed Trays and Seed Starting Equipment
Cleaning vs. Disinfecting
The process of ridding your seed starting equipment of pathogens and pests consists of two basic steps:
Clean
Disinfect
What is the difference, right?
Well, cleaning technically refers to the act of washing off visible dirt and grime. This usually involves soap, water, and some friction.
In fact, the act of cleaning will usually remove a great deal of pathogens. You could probably stop here, but we want to be very conservative when it comes to the risk of dampening off.
Remember, dampening off could ruin a whole tray of seeds (if not more)!
That’s why we also need a disinfecting step.
Disinfecting refers to a chemical process that removes pathogens to an acceptable level, without killing ALL microbes entirely (that would be sanitizing, which despite the title of this article, we’re actually not achieving here.)
Disinfection Methods
There are several methods to disinfect your seed trays and seed starting equipment involving different chemical disinfectants.
Bleach
Many people use bleach to disinfect their seed trays, but I personally think it’s a bit harsh and can’t stand the smell for too long.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Instead, I use hydrogen peroxide, which has no smell and safely breaks down into hydrogen and oxygen.
Commercially available 3% hydrogen peroxide is effective in removing the bacteria and fungi associated with dampening off.
Sanitizing Seed Trays – The Steps
Fill a container with warm soapy water. The size of the container will depend on the size and quantity of your seed starting equipment. I use a five-gallon bucket, but it could also be a larger tub. Some folks I know clean their seed starting equipment in a kiddie pool.
Clean your seeding starting equipment in the warm, soapy water using a sponge or brush. You want to remove visible dirt, grime, spiders’ webs, etc.
Rinse off your equipment. I use the outdoor hose for this step.
Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide to cleaned seed starting equipment. I like the hydrogen peroxide spray bottles for this step–super easy application!
Let the hydrogen peroxide sit for at least 20 minutes.
Wipe to dry.
Getting planting!
This post was all about how to sanitize seed trays.
Looking for plant-based gift ideas? These vegan gifts are sure to put a smile on the face of the animal lover in your life.
Shopping for a vegan can be so intimidating. (I know, I was one!)
What if you inadvertently buy something with an animal product in it? What even is an animal product? (Cue frantic Googling and vegan discourse rabbit holes about whether honey is considered vegan.)
It can all be very stressful.
Well, worry no more because we’ve got you covered with this comprehensive list of the best vegan gifts for the animal lover in your life.
This adorable handmade soap makes a beautiful vegan gift for the animal lover in your life!
Add some summer vibes to your bathroom with this adorable palm-sized Monstera Soap, which is made with glycerine and scented with a bright and green mix of lemon, bergamot, winterberry, flowering succulent, violet, white musk, and vetiver.
Gift this soap as a housewarming present, fun plant-based alternative for someone newly vegan, or simply brighten up a room with a fun and summery handmade vegan soap.
If your vegan best friend loves radical stickers, these vegan magnets will make the best gift for vegans.
Choose from an assortment of groovy fonts, bright colors, and pop culture references with these cheeky vegan magnets. Since magnets work on more than just a fridge, this could be an excellent gift for a vegan friend at school or at work to show off their vegan pride with one of these awesome magnets.
Decorate your filing cabinet, fridge, whiteboard, door, laptop, and more with these awesome vegan gifts.
Does your vegan friend miss Nutella in their life?
It’s like your favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread, only even more delightful. It gets its fudgy flavor from whole-food ingredients—hazelnuts, coconut sugar, cacao powder, and a pinch of sea salt. This spread pairs right up with all sorts of goodness (hot cocoa, yogurt, oats, toast…even baked into cookies).
This spread is an excellent plant-based gift for vegans and allows them to swap out to a healthier, more sustainable alternative effortlessly.
Go above and beyond for your vegan friend with these recycled bento boxes; they make a fantastic vegan gift idea for anyone in your life who may be packing a lunch for work each day.
Bento boxes are a handy alternative to plastic sandwich bags. They are the best solution for keeping sandwiches, crackers, nuts, small fruits, vegetables, grains, garlic, herbs, and other small fresh produce.
Your friends can use this vegan gift every day to pack a snack, lunch, or more as they’re out and about.
These vegan candies make the best gift for vegans since finding delicious candy alternatives can be a considerable challenge for vegans.
These Swedish confections happen to be vegan and gluten-free, too. Shaped just like a cod from its Scandinavian namesake, each mouthwatering morsel isn’t just good for a sweet tooth, and it’s also good for the planet. Kolsvart donates part of its proceeds to locally promote healthy waters and fish stocks.
These vegan candies come in various flavors like blackberry, licorice, elderflower, and blueberry. Swap these out for a snack at the movies, on the go, or have them on hand for when your vegan friends come over to hang out!
If your vegan friend is especially fond of plants, this vegan plant hanging basket makes the best plant-based gift.
This piece looks great in any room and can be used indoors or outdoors. Whether hanging on the front porch, bedroom, living room, nursery, or kitchen, these baskets add a fresh and boho vibe.
We love this vegan gift idea since plant hangers are reusable, can handle various plant types, and can even be used to hold unique planters, jewelry, or other items your vegan friends may wish to display in a fun and unique way around their home.
No vegan is complete without their cookbook, which is why this vegan gift idea is one of the best for the newly minted vegan friend in your life! In addition, many vegans can attest to using the Minimalist Baker’s website on the fly when Googling effective plant-based alternatives for their recipes.
Dana Shultz founded the Minimalist Baker blog in 2012 to share her passion for simple cooking and quickly gained a devoted worldwide following. Now, in this long-awaited debut cookbook, Dana shares 101 vibrant, simple recipes that are entirely plant-based, mostly gluten-free, and 100% delicious.
Packed with gorgeous photography, this practical but inspiring cookbook includes simple recipes and easy-to-follow instructions. It allows vegans to gain skills in the kitchen to help them to recreate their favorite non-vegan dishes in a healthier, plant-based style.
A personal bag dedicated to creating sustainable milk alternatives is what makes this the best gift for vegans.
Plenty of vegans have attempted to craft nut-based milk, and these bags are the perfect solution to making large or small batches of nut milk, juices, etc. They are made strong for daily use at home or in restaurants.
No juicer? All you need is a blender & this bag to make nut milk, veggie, or fruit juices. This vegan gift outlasts farmed fiber bags and won’t grow bacteria and mold.
If you know or love a vegan, you know how even the smallest gifts can have significant meanings. That’s why we love these fruit and vegetable vegan ornaments as a unique gift for vegans.
There are fruits and vegetables of all kinds here, all inspired by summer produce hauls. With bright colors, rich greens, and earth tones, these ornaments can be used to decorate a home year-round or create a vegan-themed sustainable holiday tree.
These vegan ornament gifts are made with glass and should be handled very carefully since they are delicate. However, if your vegan best friend has a few cats at home, these may be an excellent gift to keep out of reach!
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed at where to start researching vegan gifts for your vegan friend, start simple with this soft and gorgeous crewneck sweatshirt.
This is the perfect sweatshirt for lounging around the house for making a run to the local co-op. It can be dressed down, perfect for cozy nights in bed, or dressed up with jeans for running errands around town.
This crewneck vegan sweatshirt has a few color options, comes in unisex sizing, and features an adorable font with the word “plants” right along the chest. We love this gift for vegans because it’s simple, understated, and goes with any wardrobe style.
“Wait, Dr. Bronner’s makes chocolate? I thought they were just a soap company,” you seeing this post, probably. This vegan chocolate makes a fantastic gift for vegans because the variety of flavors is sure to meet the needs of even the pickiest vegans.
Each vegan chocolate bar sports delicious dark chocolate yielding a rich, nutty, pure cocoa flavor, complex notes of dried fruit, and sweet caramel. Purchasing these vegan chocolate bars as a gift also supports fertile soil, biodiversity, and thriving farm communities.
This variety pack of vegan chocolate bars makes an excellent gift for new vegans, seasoned vegans, or someone looking for sustainable alternatives to traditional candy and chocolate snacks.
Not all vegans follow the same aesthetic when it comes to fashion. That’s why we love this punk vegan plant-based gift, for all the death metal and emo kids who love animals and believe in a more sustainable future.
This super-soft vegan t-shirt is the best gift for vegans because it’s ethically made, screen-printed with vegan inks, and made from 100% combed organic cotton. Proudly part of the Fair Wear foundation and made without supporting sweatshops.
But wait, there’s more! Even if your friend isn’t vegan, this t-shirt has a low carbon footprint and is delivered in biodegradable packaging. This gift takes plant-based to a whole new level and makes an excellent gift for any sustainably-minded friends.
This compost caddy makes a great vegan Christmas gift for any plant-based friends in your life.
How do compost caddies work? First, you put your food scraps in it as you’re chopping veggies for dinner, etc. Then, when it is full, simply dump the content in your composter or compost pile.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about odor in the meantime! This kitchen composter comes with a dual odor preventing charcoal filter set in the lid. Just be sure to change out the filter every six months for the best results!
Snacking as a vegan can be a considerable challenge. Finding sustainable, delicious alternatives isn’t as easy as one may think! That’s why we recommend this snack box as the go-to vegan food gift.
This vegan snack box is the perfect way to discover the best in vegan snacks, whether you’re shopping for a vegan friend or wanting to explore sustainable snacks yourself. These delicious, better-for-you snacks have been carefully selected to surprise and delight even the pickiest of taste buds.
If you’re Googling “vegan care packages,” order this snack box as a yummy surprise for a vegan friend who just moved, may be away at school, or is feeling overwhelmed with work.
Vegan candles are one of the best gifts for vegans since they’re often safer to burn in homes with pets, provide a wonderful ambiance while working around the house, and are thoughtfully crafted.
Brennan Candle Co. is a hand-poured candle company; their clean-burning products are made with 100% soy wax and are vegan and cruelty-free. They specialize in unique scent blends and a clean, minimalist design that will fit in any home.
The signature collection features scents that are perfect year-round, and limited edition collections bring the beauty of each season into your space. These candles are excellent vegan gifts because they’re cruelty-free, phthalate-free, and hand-poured at a woman-owned company. Enjoy supporting a rad business when you gift these candles to your vegan friend.
This handcrafted bowl is a unique plant-based gift for vegan friends. Having such a special piece for everyday use is sure to bring a smile to any plant-based friend’s face!
The bowl was thrown on the potter’s wheel, is 6.5″ wide and 2.5″ tall, and holds roughly 16 ounces. It is made of stoneware and fully functional – both dishwasher and microwave safe.
This bowl can be used for vegan soups, broths cereal, oatmeal, and beyond. Use it every day or reserve it for special occasions; this handmade bowl makes a fantastic gift for vegans.
Finding vegan alternatives to Korean cooking can be a challenge for some. That’s why we love this Korean Vegan cookbook as a gift for vegans.
Joanne Lee Molinaro has captivated millions of fans with her powerfully moving personal tales of love, family, and food. But, as Joanne reveals, she’s often asked, “How can you be vegan and Korean?” Korean cooking is, after all, synonymous with fish sauce and barbecue.
And although grilled meat is indeed prevalent in some Korean food, the ingredients that filled out bapsangs on Joanne’s table growing up—doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (chili sauce), dashima (seaweed), and more—are entirely plant-based, unbelievably flavorful, and Korean.
We love this cookbook for the new vegan or for the experienced vegan who may be looking for new recipes to try. Give this cookbook as a Christmas or birthday gift for the vegan friend in your life.
If your vegan friend is a plant-lover, we recommend this as one of the best vegan gifts! Every plant-parent needs a propagation station, and this live edge test tube style doubles as beautiful home decor while propagating new cuttings.
You can propagate up to five plants in this handmade live edge walnut propagation station. Each piece is sanded by hand to highlight the wood’s natural edge, making each piece unique in shape and grain yet consistent in width.
Each hole is countersunk, so each tube sits at the same height. Finally, they are finished with homemade beeswax and mineral oil brew (beware: some may consider beeswax to not to be vegan). This propagation block is a beautiful vegan Christmas gift for vegans!
We’ve heard of vegan purses, but have you tried a vegan wallet yet? This vegan wallet is an iconic vegan luxury gift for vegans and people committed to sustainability.
The Just Enough Cork Wallet has a spot for all daily essentials including 12 card slots, two flat inside pockets, a coin pouch, and a large compartment for everything else. The size allows one to carry it in a handbag or grab it alone for a quick trip out.
Cork is a PETA-approved vegan, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, waterproof, and durable material, making it easy to keep clean and protect valuables for years of use. This cork wallet is an exceptional vegan luxury gift because it’s made to last!
Plant lovers know finding a durable planter for large plants can be…challenging. That’s why we recommend this vegan Monstera soft planter basket, as it makes a beautiful vegan luxury gift.
The Monstera Soft Planter Basket features hand-embroidered monstera leaves on a soft, woven natural grass basket. This planter will add a pop of color and texture to any home. Each piece is carefully handcrafted by artisans in the Philippines and sustainably produced. Every purchase goes towards empowering artisan communities.
Choose to invest in sustainable business practices by giving this Monstera planter as a vegan gift for the holidays or just because!
Vegan clothing is essential for anyone looking to live a plant-based lifestyle. However, finding luxurious vegan robes can be a challenge. We recommend this Bamboo waffle robe as the perfect vegan gift for that special someone in your life.
This unisex bamboo waffle bathrobe is designed with a honeycomb texture to make it ultra-soft, moisture-wicking and fast-drying. These bathrobes are generously oversized to allow 10-15% shrinkage; you can machine wash on cold with like fabrics on the gentle or delicate settings.
This robe makes an excellent vegan luxury gift because it promotes sustainable materials designed to last and keep your vegan friend feeling comfortable and cozy.
This classic bohemian hanging basket is made from simple, natural materials. We love this vegan gift idea for any plant-lovers in your life.
These hanging baskets provide convenient and attractive household storage and are perfect for plants. Each basket is made with ethically sourced, natural materials and handwoven in a fair trade environment. Variation is celebrated with handcrafted products.
Gift these hanging baskets as a vegan housewarming gift since their storage can be helpful in small spaces whether your vegan friend lives in an apartment, townhouse, or studio!
If you’re trying to find unique and sensational vegan gifts, these hand-crafted Middle Kingdom vases are the answer.
These vases are made with Memphis-style porcelain and feature a uniquely patterned matte finish. Best of all, these vegan gifts are handcrafted by artisans in the ancient kiln city of Jingdezhen, China.
Middle Kingdom only uses the finest clays, glazes, and colors in their sustainably made pieces and pays all their artisans’ well-above-average salaries for their craft. Middle Kingdom is a Women-owned and POC-owned company.
Choosing to give these vases as a vegan gift means supporting sustainable business practices as well as a plant-based future.
These ceramic ramen bowls are a fantastic vegan gift set a step above a traditional cereal bowl for your vegan friends.
These vegan ramen bowls come with all the makings of a cozy meal—a ceramic soup bowl, a range spoon to give your broth and noodles a lift, plus a pair of chopsticks with a rest to prop them up.
The bowl, spoon, and chopsticks included are stoneware and are microwave and dishwasher safe. The wooden chopsticks should be hand washed and should not be left to soak in water. This is an A+ vegan gift for the ramen lover in your life (even if that person is you!)
Some sustainable vegan gifts are challenging since they’re made to last and are often crafted with breakable materials. Enter this bamboo salad bowl, the best vegan gift for any vegan friends who may be prone to dropping their kitchen wares.
This vegan luxury gift should only be hand washed since the salad bowl is not safe to be microwaved or put in the dishwasher. This bamboo bowl also makes a lovely display bowl for fruit or vegetables.
This vegan gift is handcrafted by skilled artisans in Vietnam and finished with all-natural lacquers and varnishes. Share this beautiful vegan gift with your plant-based friends to enjoy!
Everybody needs a backpack, but where the heck do you find a vegan backpack? We recommend this brunch backpack as the perfect vegan gift for your brunch-loving vegan friends.
This is a mini-sized backpack with adjustable straps and room for everyday essentials. The brunch pack is lightweight and durable, featuring an accessible exterior pocket, an interior zipped pocket, an interior open pocket to keep all items in-reach and organized.
This vegan gift is made from vegan, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, waterproof, lightweight, durable, biodegradable, and recyclable natural cork. This brunch pack makes a great vegan Christmas gift for any vegan friend.
This stunning vegan luxury gift is a pot for Tagine, a North African dish named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. These pots make an excellent vegan gift for any recipe that requires simmering.
These Tagines can be used directly on the heat or in the oven and on all direct heat sources: gas, electric, or halogen (with an induction disk for induction hobs) and in the range. These Tagines are made from Flame ceramic, designed specifically for slow simmering, which brings out the flavors in the recipe.
The lid has a unique shape, which allows the steam to circulate and helps keep the ingredients tender and moist, making this one of the best vegan gifts for the vegan cook in your life.
An essential appliance for any vegan is, in fact, a blender. This is why any list of best vegan gifts should include one!
We recommend this Vitamix as the best gift for vegans because it can be used to create a vegan soup, sauces, marinades, salsas, juice, and more. The Vitamix 5200 blender features hardened stainless-steel blades, which are designed to handle the most brutal elements, so from the first blend to the last, the consistency stays the same.
Having a powerful blender on hand is the number one suggestion from experienced vegans, so this is a great luxury gift for vegans, whether your friend is a new vegan or vegan-curious.
This gorgeous apron is one of the best vegan gifts this season. A kitchen essential, every vegan needs a go-to apron made to last and protect their clothes while making magic in the kitchen.
The cream grid apron features an adjustable loop tie around the neck, a pocket, and two tool loops for spoons, spatulas, or matching tea towels. Handwoven by Comalapa, Guatemala, these aprons are made ethically and responsibly.
This is a great vegan gift for friends who may be vegan, sustainably-minded, or perhaps just love to cook!
A kitchen tool essential for any established vegan cook or baker is a cast iron dutch oven. This signature cast iron dutch oven makes an especially exceptional vegan luxury gift and is a staple for any kitchen.
The enameled cast iron delivers superior heat distribution and retention and comes ready to use (AKA it doesn’t require any seasoning.) Your vegan friends will love this gift since it’s easy to clean, and the durable enamel resists dulling, staining, chipping, and cracking. Best of all, it’s dishwasher safe!
Give the gift of love to your vegan friends with this fabulous vegan gift, a seasoned cast iron dutch oven for all their baking needs.
Looking for the most sustainable gardening tools for your eco-friendly garden? Read on for the essential tools to help you grow more green.
You would think that the hobby that literally teaches people to be stewards of land, plants and soil would lend itself to a marketplace of highly sustainable products and practices.
On the contrary, many of the gardening tools and supplies available are less than sustainable.
I myself had to come clean in a certain point in my gardening journey: my gardening practice was not as sustainable as it could be.
Every year, I was throwing away plastic labels, pots, and seed trays. I had already written on the plastic labels with permanent marker, and the pots and trays cracked after only a season or two.
Unfortunately, those plastic goods are sitting in a landfill somewhere today.
I know you and I can do better, so I researched the most eco-friendly gardening tools to help us grow sustainably.
These products help eliminate plastic, reduce waste, and overall grow healthier organic plants.
This post is all about sustainable gardening tools.
Sustainable Seed Starting Tools
Organic or Heirloom Seeds
Can’t have a garden without first starting with seeds! (Well, you can buy seedlings at your local nursery, but I highly encourage starting seeds where you can. It’s a very rewarding process.)
There are a few things to look for on the seed packet when seed shopping for your sustainable garden.
I recommend looking for organic, heirloom, or open-pollinated seeds. (Better yet, all three! These categories are not mutually exclusive.)
Open-pollinated means the plants the seeds came from were pollinated using natural means, e.g. via pollinators like bees, birds, bats, etc.
Organic seeds mean the plants the seeds came from were grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or other artificial agents.
Finally, heirloom seeds come from plants that have been grown and maintained by local gardeners and farmers for generations. Often these plants do not have characteristics that lend themselves well to mass agricultural practices, but exhibit unique and delicious properties that are well worth the effort.
Read on for some of our favorite fruit, vegetable and flower seed suppliers.
Note About Where to Buy Your Organic Seeds
Please note, while many of these companies sell common cultivars that can grow most anywhere, it is often best practice to shop seed suppliers that grow in your region. That way, you know the plant that you are growing is well acclimated to your area and climate.
I live in New England and some of these sellers are local to me.
If you’re going to be starting seeds inside, you’ll need organic seed starter.
Seed starter is actually *not* soil, it’s a much cleaner medium that is guaranteed to be free of potential pathogens and pests while your plants are in their most delicate stages of development.
Making sure you start with organic seed starter is important, so you can provide your seedlings the most quality nutrients early, ensuring healthy and vigorous growth and fruiting later on.
This organic seed starter from Coast of Maine is my absolute favorite–it contains sustainably-harvested nutrients from the sea like lobster and kelp meal.
If you’re going to be starting seeds indoors , you’ll need starter pots for them to live in before they graduate to your outdoor sustainable garden.
Starting seeds indoors is absolutely not essential, depending on what you’re growing. However, some vegetables like to be started in a warmer, more controlled environment–like tomatoes.
I like these starter pots because they are biodegradable and big enough for heftier seedlings.
Honestly, this soil block maker is one of my favorite sustainable gardening tools.
It eliminates the need for plant starter pots together, and instead allowing the seed starting medium itself to act as the container for your seeds to germinate and grow in.
To use a soil block maker, generously wet your seed starting medium until it is the consistency of brownie batter.
Then, use the soil block maker to clamp the starting medium into compact blocks. They should hold their shape. Plant your seeds right into this block–no plastic, no waste, no fuss.
Soil blocking is the completely zero-waste method to seed starting.
Labeling your plants is a very important step in the seed starting process.
Even in a small home garden, you’re still probably starting a variety of seeds that have a range of different needs.
For the beginner gardener, (even experienced gardener, tbh) labels can be essential to know what the heck you grew. It can be very difficult to identify young plants, as their first leaves are generic-looking (called cotyledons).
Add a fresh layer of compost to your garden every year before you plant to replace nutrients lost during the last season. Compost provides your plants with a steady flow of essential nutrients throughout the growing season.
Luckily for us, compost production is inherently sustainable as it is essentially just the end result of the decomposition of organic waste.
Ideally, you would have your own compost pile out back for your food scraps and other waste, but in the meantime you can buy perfectly good compost like this one from Coast of Maine.
One of the most important considerations when starting your gardening journey is where you’ll be growing.
If you don’t have the luxury of space or workable soil, then growing in 20 gallon grow bags in one of the most efficient options in terms of pounds per square foot.
You can even these grow bags to supplement what you already have growing in raised beds and other areas. They are a great way to keep voracious growers out of precious garden space where they would take over (looking at you squashes, zucchini, and even tomatoes.)
The hori hori AKA the garden knife is the best little-known gardening tool here in the US.
This Japanese gardening tool is the ultimate multi-tasker, simultaneously acting as a trowel, knife or even a measuring stick. That’s right, this hori hori comes with depth measurement so you know exactly how deep you’re planting your seeds and bulbs.
With the knife edge of this tool, you can easily cut back branches and vines, as well as dig and cut out old roots. A hori hori is especially essential if you want to practice no-dig gardening, as its precision allows you to remove old root systems without distubing the soil.
You can even use the knife to cut open the fruits of your labor (pun intended) after a long day of gardening!
A garden knife like the one talked about above can handle most jobs, but sometimes you want something just a little gentler.
And nothing requires a gentle touch more than transplanting delicate seedlings.
Transplanting simply means moving a plant from one area to another–often from indoors, where it was started from seed, to outdoors, where it will harden off and live out the rest of its days.
Tranplanting seedlings is an especially delicate job, and this handheld transplanter by Burgon & Ball is up to the task.
Simply sink the head of the tool in the soil parallel to and a few inches from your seedling, and push on the handle to lever the seedling from its home. Pop the seedling in it’s new home, feed it some fertilizer and watch it grow!
These vintage-inspired pruning shears from Barebones are not only beautiful, but durable.
Made with 100% steel and copper accents, these shears can last a lifetime in your sustainable garden with proper care.
Best of all, Barebones is a certified B Corporation that is committed to sustainability. Their latest mission is to remove all single use plastics from their box packaging and master-packs.
Many gardening gloves are flimsy and require replacing every season (or even more frequently!)
Not the case with these beautiful natural cowhide gloves from Barebones. The thick leather is sure to last many a growing season in your sustainable garden.
These beauties are stunning, but don’t let looks fool you–they are designed specifically for outdoor use! More specifically, these gloves will protect your hands while digging, weeding and getting down and dirty.
Plus, these gloves were dyed using certified chemical-free, natural coloring.
Protect your skin while out in the garden with this sustainably and ethically-made visor.
This Visera sun visor is handmade in Mexico from natural woven palm and features an adjustable velcro closure to fit almost everyone and every hairstyle. This visor provides ample sun protection while keeping you looking stylish. The velcro opening in the back allows you to put it on whether your hair is up or down.
Lightweight and super versatile, shade your eyes while weeding, watering and admiring your sustainable garden.
Sunscreen is a necessity every day, but especially when you’ll be spending long days in the garden.
This Supergoop! sunscreen has it all: simple ingredients, invisable coverage, and SPF 50.
This jumbo 18-ounce pump bottle will keep your entire body covered for hot days in the sun. From the brand: “Our oxybenzone- & octinoxate-free PLAY sunscreen includes clean, antioxidant-rich ingredients like sunflower & rosemary leaf extracts that nourish & protect your skin.“
Denim fashion is back in a big way, and designers are getting more and more creative with the material. Luckily, denim trends are very thrift-able. This sustainable fashion photoshoothighlights the best in denim with all thrifted denim pieces.
With the return of the bell-bottom, the low-rise jean, and boxier silhouettes (ahem, does anyone else remember JNCOs or am I just old?), denim has been at the forefront of today’s most talked-about trends.
Luckily for us, these trends in denim can easily be thrifted! Skip shopping and the big chain store, and save the planet while likely saving some dollars, too.
This denim fashion photoshoot aims to give you some inspiration for your next thrift trip.
This post is all about denim fashion.
Denim Fashion Inspiration
For this thrifted denim photoshoot, my stylist and I were inspired by what we were seeing on the runway at the time.
The runway denim looks were extremely bold: demin head-to-toe, denim in unusual places (hello denim hats and outwear?) and plenty of baggier, boxier, boyish silhouettes.
Seriously, the baggier the better. One thing about me is, though, I love a wide leg jean.
We tried to incorporate inspiration from some of these runway looks into our denim fashion shoot!
Denim Fashion Photoshoot – Location
For this photoshoot, we wanted to play up the raw feel of denim with stark, industrial scenery.
I immediately thought this was the perfect time to do my own take on the parking garage photoshoots I had been seeing on Instagram lately.
For variety in lighting, we shot on the top level of the garage (it was very windy) and inside.
Notably, the parking garage we chose happened to be nearby my old stomping grounds and alma mater, Northeastern University campus.
Luckily for us, the University had just built a beautiful rust pedestrian walkway over the train tracks that traverse the campus.
I thought the orange tones of the rust bridge would contrast perfectly with the blue denim, and I was correct! This was my favorite location of the shoot.
Working with Thrifted Denim in a Photoshoot
One thing to know up front about working thrifted items into a photoshoot (or into your wardrobe) is to get familiar with your local tailor. (Or learn how to alter your own clothes!)
Often the piece of your dreams is one alteration away from being perfect (or a few!)
For example, the vintage denim Tommy Hilfiger dress featured in this photoshoot (see below) was quite a bit longer when I bought it from the thrift store. It was a whole lot of dress.
Luckily, my stylist also has some sewing skills, so we were able to shorten the dress to more of a mini-skirt length, which also modernized it.
Give yourself some time to carefully shop while thrifting and consider allowing extra time for alterations as needed.
Denim Fashion Photoshoot – Team and Styling
Model: Leslie (Me! Follow me on Instagram for more sustainable fashion shoots.)
These shorts were thrifted from the Buffalo Exchange men’s section. We were going for a baggier look! They didn’t end up being that loose on me, though.
My number one posing tip is to create triangle shapes with your body. See the triangles between my arm, head, and torso? These are pleasing to the eye.
Here we incorporated an adorable bag rented from Rent the Runway. Shooting in full sun means a lot of pictures with closed eyes.
Look #1 Details
Shorts: Buffalo Exchange Tank: Joan Brown Sneakers: Nike Earrings: Pakera Pakera Bag: Rent the Runway
Thrifted Denim Look #2
For this look we moved out from the sun and inside the parking garage. I’m wearing the same men’s jean shorts, but have added a tube top and black blazer.
I love pairing more formal pieces like a blazer with dressed down denim. Don’t be afraid to show some skin!
For these next two looks we moved to this beautiful pedestrian walkway that contrasted nicely with the denim.
My stylist and I had to significantly shorten this thrifted Tommy Hilfiger dress to make it work with this look.
I’m obsessed with this look. It was my stylist’s idea to layer a more structured button-up top underneath the denim mini dress.
Look #3 Details
Dress: Boomerangs/Tommy Hilfiger Top: Gap Sneakers: Nike
Denim Trends Look #4
Denim on denim is very on-trend. This bag was rented from Rent the Runway.
Look #4 Details
Jeans: Buffalo Exchange/Levis Top: Gap Bag: Rent the Runway Heels: Sam Edelman
Try Rent the Runway Today
So, I mentioned the clothing rental subscription a few times in the post, as I rented a few pieces featured in this shoot!
Interested in trying out Rent the Runway? If you use my link (right here) you’ll get $30 off your first month. (I’ll get $30 off too so it’s a win-win!)
Looking for gardening gift ideas for the plant-lover in your life? These gardening gifts span from the adorable to the practical, and are sure to put a smile on the face of your favorite green thumb.
It’s almost spring! Gardeners everywhere are preparing their beds, planting seeds, and looking forward to longer days in the garden.
It also means Mother’s Day, Easter, and spring birthdays are right around the corner.
What better way to celebrate the green thumb in your life than with some gifts for garden lovers?
These unique gardening gifts span from super cute to super useful, so there is sure to be an idea here for your plant-lover!
These handmade felt gardening ornaments are the perfectly unique gift for that garden-loving friend in your life.
These bright and festive felt gardening tools are sure to inspire warmer days during the winter seasons. They come in a whole medley of gardening-inspired shapes for the tree, from gloves and boots to a trowel and watering can.
Handmade by artisan women in Nepal, these felt ornaments are crafted to last through the seasons and keep seasonal waste out of landfills.
This Hori Hori gardening knife is an excellent gift and multi-purpose tool for friends planning to get their hands dirty in a garden this year.
This knife can be used for weeding, seeding, transferring bulbs, digging the perfect hole and cutting branches. These knives aren’t only for gardeners! It is also a great knife for hunting, fishing and camping.
Featuring Japanese Stainless Steel and a Concave blade, this knife even features inch markers engraved on the blade ensuring you can plant and seed at precisely the correct depth.
Every gardener needs a beautiful pair of gloves. Gift these stunning gardening gloves that are as pretty as they are tough to the green thumb in your life!
They’ve got reinforced fingertips and a trusty nitrile coating all over, so they’ll stand up to burrs, stickers, and barbs, easily. And to keep them nice and comfy, there’s a breathable spandex liner on the inside. These gloves do not utilize any latex materials if you’re worried about an allergy.
Hand care and safety are an essential ingredient in the perfect gardening tool kit, which makes these beautiful and sturdy gloves an excellent gardening gift.
An efficient pair of shears will go a long way for any type of gardener, whether you’re pruning shrubs, flowers, vegetable plants or pesky weeds growing up through the fence.
The first thing you’ll notice is the fine quality of the Japanese craftsmanship—the handsome, sharply honed blades and smooth actuation. With your first cut, the shears’ function comes to the fore. Because they’re well-balanced, you’ll enjoy added dexterity and control over the way the shears move.
Sharp shears are especially critical to practice safe gardening to prevent cuts, scrapes or injuries when maintaining a garden space. This unique gift is sure to last through multiple seasons!
There’s never a bad time to start an indoor greenhouse–they can be grown year round, or started early in the winter ready to transplant in the spring or summer time. Let these seed packets speak for themselves as a gift!
Help your gardening besties get a head start by gifting them these high quality seed packets. They’ve been carefully selected by plant breeders for maximum deliciousness, so they’ll sprout into vegetables like you’ve never tasted them. There’ll be a nice mix of produce here: cucumbers, two kinds of squash, and a colorful snow pea blend.
Selecting seeds can be an overwhelming process- gift your friends these seed packets and save them not only time and money to help them get a head start on their garden this year.
An essential garden tote bag? You heard it here: this is THE best gift for garden lovers. The lightweight bag with a strong handle means transporting all your tools out to the garden in one go, cutting down on time spent doubling back because someone may have forgotten something.
This industrial strength bag features pockets and your very own set of wooden handled tools. It’s built from sturdy fabric that won’t mind getting a little mucky—the navy-blue interior is even stain-resistant—and it has nooks aplenty for all your essentials.
We love a good bag moment here at PunkMed, and especially beautiful bags like this tote bag that are made to last. Now that’s an exceptional gift for gardening lovers!
What’s better than physically being in the garden? Well every garden lover knows the next best thing is soaking deep in a tub, smelling their favorite scented candles. Grab these plant the box scented candles for your gardening loving friends and blow their socks off!
Sure, these candles give off produce-inspired scents we can’t wait to have wafting through our homes—the kitchen, especially. But the real kicker? They come in biodegradable, seed-infused packaging that lets you grow the plant the candle is based on.
That’s right, you can plant the box. So don’t waste any time, pick up this gift for your sustainable gardening pal – and help them relax after a long day and get a head start on this year’s planting!
Choose a bright and floral print design for these gloves and your gardening besties will THANK YOU for helping them protect their forearms while gardening this season.
These essential garden gloves feature extra long cuffs to protect your arms from light scratches, insect bits, and sun exposure. The palms are made from synthetic leather with reinforced thumb and pointer finger, while lightweight cotton twill arms have a touch of spandex for extra flexibility.
This is arguably one of the best gardening gifts since these gloves cover the upper wrist and arm area, helping to protect against wild thorns and weeds.
This cute cottage core sweatshirt features a variety of delicious garden vegetables and is an excellent gift for your gardening fanatics. This trendy design will be their new favorite sweatshirt that they’ll likely sport year-round.
If you’re looking for fun ways to support your friends gardening hobbies out-of-season, especially in wintry climates, this sweatshirt is a sweet and wonderful way to help your gardening friends stay warm and cozy.
Whether this becomes their new gardening shirt, or they wear it in gardening pride, don’t miss the chance to give this fun and unique crewneck to a gardening pal!
Reach your long-distance friends who may love gardening with these sweet and simplistic cards that they can then plant and grow flowers from.
The Watercolor Gardens Pack is the perfect set of cards for everyday occasions. With this pack, you will get two of all four watercolor designs for a total of 8 cards. Watch your recipients light up when they realize that your meaningful words can grow a garden of wildflowers. Printed to order in order to reduce waste.
Cards contain a non-invasive wildflower seed mix that grows Alyssum, Catchfly, Siberian Wallflower, Black-Eyed Susan, and Baby Blue Eyes, but be sure to double check if you’re sending these cards outside your typical environment to ensure you’re not spreading invasive plants out of their native areas.
Unless your gardening friends have the privilege of raised garden beds, they’d likely deeply appreciate these super comfortable kneelers as a gift!
The pad has ultra-comfy foam inside, and since it’s plenty roomy, you can sit on it or let it pamper your knees. (There’s even snaps on the sides that let you connect more than one for more space.) It has a removable cover too, which—how convenient—just so happens to be both washable and quick-drying. The built-in handle makes it especially portable.
Grab this as a unique gift for your friends who love gardening and watch them preserve the lifespan of their knees and increase their time spent gardening tenfold!
We love these gardening bib overalls as a funky gift for your gardening pals! Having the right tools is an essential part of any gardening hobby, but the aesthetic – having genuine gardening clothes? That’s imperative.
These bibs are incredibly tough and lightweight, plus they shed stubborn stains like ground-in grass. The upgraded hardware stays clipped when you lean down to deadhead or reach up to prune. The Double-chapped legs give you twice the durability, and double-layer articulated knees have a bulk-free bonded water barrier to keep you dry when you kneel in damp soil. Best of all, there’s a plethora of 12 pockets. You’ll dig ’em!
These rad bibs come in multiple designs and colors and go up to a size 2XL with an inseam of 31 inches. These fun and sustainable bibs are sure to impress your gardening friends as a unique and thoughtful gift!
This iconic gardening gift, a sustainable watering can featuring 20 organic seed bearing lollipops, is sure to be the star gift for any gardening pal. With adorable print and aesthetically pleasing design, this lollipop pack can make a beautiful statement piece as well as make a fun gift.
After you eat the lollipop, plant the stick in soil horizontally, and in time grow a herb or flower! Each herb or flower grown is connected to the flavor you devoured. This is a great gift for those friends in urban areas trying to create sustainable habits.
These fun seed pods include delicious lollipop flavors as well as gorgeous flowers. Featuring combos like blood orange flavor which grows elderflower, or green apple flavor which grows chamomile. We love this gift as a party favor or engaging gift for a fun-loving gardening friend!
You know how important the right gardening apron is to your friends’ gardening habits – which is why we recommend this durable organic workshop apron as the perfect gift for your friends who love to garden.
Sustainable, iconic and beautiful, these workshop aprons are made to last and improve their wearer’s gardening experience. With multi-functional pockets, a variety of colors and adjustable straps, they’re designed for any body!
These colors are perfect for covering up stains or smears of dirt while you or your friends may be busy getting dirty in the garden. They’ll not only live up to your expectations, but live past most cheaply made aprons. They’re made to last, and look good while doing it!
Protection from the sun is an essential ingredient for any gardening hobbyist to consider as they enjoy a lot of time outside. In many cases, sunscreen is often forgotten or doesn’t cut it. Help bring your friends out of direct sunlight and keep them comfortable for hours with this excellent visor.
Designed to look fashionable and protect, these visors shade your forehead, face, and upper shoulders from any direct sun. Your hair can be worn up or down and the adjustable band ensures anyonecan wear it comfortably.
This visor is an awesome gift for gardening friends since it can also be worn at the beach, when out biking and beyond–we love a multi-faceted gift!
If you’re on plant Instagram, odds are you’ve seen these trendy and STUNNING plant misters. For that gardening friend, or maybe houseplant enthusiast these pruning shears and luxurious mister are an excellent gift.
Both are sturdy enough to outlast their plastic competitors, and give any planty person a regal look of sustainability as well as efficiency. First, there’s the mister: It nurtures plants of all kinds, from water-sensitive to humidity-loving. (Take your pick from full-on brass or brass with glass—either way, it’s a real step-up from that ol’ spray bottle.)
Then there’s the lightweight yet durable shears, with a high-carbon steel blade and needle-nose tip for all your harvesting and pruning needs.
We love this gift for friends who may have a smaller space of plants, like an indoor greenhouse or a raging houseplant family in their smaller apartment. Help them level up watering day with this beautiful mister and gardening shears as the perfect gift.
Sure, everyone loves to stargaze in the dark at night, but have you ever enjoyed your garden in the dark? These stargazer garden lights are a unique and inspiring gift for your gardening friends who may want to enjoy their garden in the dreamy hours after the sun has set.
These strands are completely customizable and stretch over 60’, meaning there’s plenty of room to twist and twine them among trees, plant stands and beyond to create the perfect ambience in a garden.
Each bulb is 12 inches apart, meaning for 60 feet you’re covering quite a bit of distance, and providing ample lighting for a chill garden party, or spending some quality time in a gardening space. Use this gift to brighten up your friends’ gardening space and invite good vibes!
I’m sure many of us are familiar with traditional rain boots that often double as gardening boots. However, these chic Bean boots make an exceptional gift for your trendy gardening friends.
These boots feature premium full-grain leather that sheds snow and rain. They also have a supportive steel shank and rubber chain-tread bottom providing comfort and traction for uncertain terrain or surfaces.
Gift these supportive, stylish, and iconic rubber bean boots to your gardening hobbyist friends and show them they can garden in style!
Speaking of gardening in style, this gardening basket makes an amazing fit for your gardening, picnic loving friends who may be in the middle of a hefty harvest! The classic artistic weave–a mix of seagrass rope, wood, willow and reed–is built to stand up against dirty beets, being laden with food and carrying someone’s garden goods to be washed indoors. This multipurpose basket is useful for beach trips, packing sandwiches for lunch and of course, all things gardening.
Give the gift of storage to your gardening friends with this classic gardening and picnic basket and watch them fawn over it’s ample storage and beautiful design!
If you’re looking for a sure win as a gift for a gardening friend that seems to have it all, why not gift them the swiss army knife of gardening for a dedicated hobbyist. This garden seat, tool kit AND storage not only ensures your gardening friend’s knees are preserved throughout the hours of their time spent in the garden, but have easy access to their tools as well.
We know what they say about gardening: good for the soul, but sometimes hard on the back. Much less so though, when perched on a comfy, lightweight, foldable stool. Encourage your friend to take a load off on the sturdy steel frame and durable polyester canvas seat and reach for one of the five wood-handled tools (a weeder, two trowels, a fork and a cultivator/rake) that tuck right into the front of the included storage bag.
Gardeners can store their seeds, phones and snacks in the detachable tote. Pack a poncho, too, for sudden April showers. Give the gift of preparedness and organization for your rad gardening friends, and watch some horticultural magic happen!
Maybe you’re shopping for a garden friend with a bit of a need for something more….durable than a typical suburban garden hobbyist. If that’s the case, this tough gorilla cart is the perfect gift for the gardeners truly hauling some dirt on gardening accessories.
The Poly Dump Cart is ready for a day of hauling dirt or taking on those not so small weekend projects. Gorilla Carts knows what is important to you when doing yard work. The newly-designed Poly Dump Cart is filled with features such as innovative updated frame design with a wider stance, zero-turn steering and an all-new full dump design.
The patented full dump function makes it easy to unload all contents with the roll-over design. With a 1,200 lbs. hauling capacity and large 13 in. pneumatic tires, this cart is always ready to tackle the project of the day. Encourage your friend’s more adventurous gardening habits with this “seize the day” cart as a gift.
Like every good gardener, odds are your friends may need some encouragement to spend time out-of-doors just relaxing–not working! Help them take a hint by gifting these comfortable and luxurious hammocks, designed to ensure they can rest up and enjoy the outdoors.
Whether stargazing or sunbathing, this fringed hammock will be your favorite spot in your backyard–just add a comfy pillow. It’s made to hold up in the weather with weather resistant materials with a high performance finish. It has a soft and stunning crocheted fringed trim to inspire vacation vibes.
Gift this hammock for your besties with an indoor jungle or for a gardening friend who may need to spend more time resting in their beautiful garden. This hammock is the perfect gift for any gardening pal!
Looking to plan your own high tea aesthetic photoshoot, or maybe just want to look at some pretty pictures? Read on for the deets on how I planned and executed this sustainable fashion editorial shoot in a fancy hotel tea room.
Ya’ll, I am sitting on so many fun, fashion and editorial style photos from over the years that I haven’t shared with my readers. I want to change that!
It’s my goal this year to share more of the behind-the-scenes (that’s BTS for you internet folk) that goes into a sustainable fashion photoshoot.
I’m hoping these posts are helpful to those who want to learn more and maybe plan their own photoshoot with a professional photographer. At the very least, I want to provide you some pretty *aesthetic* photos to look at.
High Tea Aesthetic Photoshoot
When planning a photoshoot, sometimes the looks inspire the location, and sometimes the location inspires the looks. For this high tea photoshoot, it was the spectacular location that demanded equally lavish and over-the-top fashion.
I knew I wanted to shoot at the Lady Finger Tea Lounge, located in the historic Garrison Inn in Newburyport, MA ever since I saw the stunning pink interior on my Instagram feed.
Built in 1809, the hotel has offered high tea services to its guests for over two hundred years. More recently, the tea lounge has opened its doors to bloggers, influencers, photographers, models and the like for photoshoots.
Luckily, my photographer Caroline the Photographer is from the area and has done many influencers shoots at the tea room so she was familiar with the location.
The best part? The tea lounge offers full drink service throughout your photoshoot, including tea, coffee, and wine. I ordered a bottle of champagne (to be used as a prop, and for a couple little sips!)
High Tea Inspiration
For this high tea photoshoot, I was inspired by the aesthetics of the 2006 film Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst. Of course, this movie is about the real French queen, notorious for the phrase, “Let them eat cake!”
I wanted this photoshoot to have all the extravagance of the baroque style of the period, while also bringing in some moderns elements.
When planning a photoshoot, I highly recommend you find reference photos for the type of look you are going for and poses you want to create.
These photos can be found and organized most easily on Pinterest. That way, you can easily share the board with your photographer so you are the same page before your shoot!
Here is the Pinterest board I created for this high tea photoshoot.
High Tea Outfits
Selkie | High Tea Aesthetic
For the most part, I wanted the high tea outfits in this photoshoot to be as decadent as the surroundings.
The designer that immediately came to mind for this photo was Selkie.
If you’re not familiar with Selkie, they are a women-owned clothing brand known for their romantic party dresses. Each of their pieces are a work of art, and I had been pining over their collections for years. Now was the time to pull the trigger.
I actually bought one of Selkie’s dresses directly from their site (it’s all ready-to-wear) and rented another from Nuuly. Learn more about the Nuuly rental subscription service here.
So well are Selkie’s dresses suited to high tea parties, the event manager at the Lady Finger Tea Lounge is also a Selkie consultant and they sell the dresses on location!
Selkie dresses for sale at the Ladyfinger Tea Lounge in Newburyport, MA.
High Tea Aesthetic Photoshoot – Team & Styling
Model: Leslie (Me! Follow me on Instagram for more sustainable fashion shoots.)
Don’t know what to do with your hands? It can be helpful to have a prop if you’re nervous during a photoshoot–it will give you something to do! Luckily, this location came equipped with plenty of teacups to play with.
Remember to use your space during a photoshoot! Try making triangle shapes with your body when posing. These are most pleasing to the eye.
This Selkie dress was too fun and frilly to not play with during the shoot.
Trying playing with angles. I got on the ground and my photographer stood above me on a chair to get this shot.
We left the pink walls of the Ladyfinger lounge for the White Room of the hotel to get this shot. This bar is where they offer high tea service. It was lined with the most dainty tea cups that I was definitely afraid of breaking here.
High Tea Outfit #2
This white Selkie dress was rented from Nuuly.
Again, playing with angles here. My photographer is shooting from above me on a chair. I purposely spread the skirt of the dress out as much as possible to get a perfect circle.
This is a fun pose to recreate. Have your photographer ‘cheers’ you from behind the camera for this fun shot. Pin this one to your Pinterest board to copy!
Usually you want the light source in front of you during a photoshoot for the best lighting. However, here we played with the sunlight coming in from the window behind me for this romantic effect.
Again, more playing with lighting to highlight the details of the sheer puff sleeve of this dress.
Want more sustainable fashion inspiration?
Follow me on Instagram. I routinely post editorial and sustainable fashion photos from my photoshoots. Come say hi!
Try Nuuly
I mentioned Nuuly a few time in the post as the amazing clothing rental subscription that has Selkie and other trending brands.
Interested in trying out Nuuly? If you use my link (right here) you’ll get $10 off your first month. (I’ll get $10 off too so it’s a win-win!)
Looking for that perfect gift for the man in your life but don’t know where to start? Check out our favorite sustainable gifts for him this year that are not only on-trend, but better for the planet.
Okay, let’s be honest: shopping for men can be difficult.
I don’t know about you, but getting the men in my life to tell me what they want for Christmas or their birthdays is like pulling teeth.
Without a clear answer from them, you’re left to Google inspiration from the desolate landscape of traditional ‘gift guides for men.’
Man, why are these gift guides for men so bad? Not only are they the same beard oil, whiskey stones, and *masculine* soap (whatever that is) over and over again, there are typically mostly less-than-sustainable options.
(Particularly if your gift is some useless piece of garbage he was never going to use anyway! What is less sustainable than a gift someone doesn’t use?!)
This list of of eco friendly gifts for him aims to avoid the tropes of most gift guides, all while being better for the planet!
Let us know how we did.
This post is all about sustainable gifts for him.
Table of Contents – Best Sustainable Gifts for Him
This is the perfect gift for the home chef, the DIY nerd, or just the aspiring green thumb that can’t actually keep anything that photosynthesizes alive.
This mushroom growing kit actually couldn’t be any easier, simply spray the substrate daily with the included mister, and within 10 days you’ll have up to four servings of harvestable mushrooms!
And these aren’t just any mushrooms, these are organic gourmet oyster mushrooms, making this grow kit especially fun for the foodie man in your life.
One taste of Maldon sea salt, and you’ll soon learn why it’s worth the hype in health-conscious and gourmet circles alike.
Since 1882, Maldon Salt has been made with the same traditional artisan methods for harvesting salt from the sea.
It’s signature crunchy flakes lend not only flavor, but texture as a finishing touch to your man’s favorite dishes, including steaks, french fries and even chocolate chip cookies. (Seriously, is there anything that can not be improved with a little flakey sea salt?)
There’s something eternally cool about a man toying with a toothpick.
These tea tree therapy toothpicks are made from birchwood trees that have been treated with tea tree, peppermint, spearmint and fennel oils. These oils provide long-lasting flavors and promise to keep your man’s breath fresh and free from bacteria.
If the man in your life regularly brings a sandwich or other snacks with him on the road, why not nudge him to skip the plastic bags in favor of this zero waste sandwich bag from San Fransisco company Pochette?
Made with 100% organic cotton, this luxe sandwich bag is ideals for the man about town. It can easily store not only sandwiches, but crackers, fruits, herbs and other small, fresh produce. The bag is completely reusable and machine washable.
Beyond reducing plastic waste, this sandwich bag was made with completely zero waste design and manufacturing!
This reusable food storage paper is an easy sustainable swap for plastic wrap. Bee’s Wrap is plastic free and made with organic cotton that has been lined with sustainably harvested beeswax, so nothing sticks!
This value pack includes sheets in three different sizes for all your storage needs–anything from a half an avocado, up to covering an entire pie dish in the fridge overnight.
Plus, Bee’s Wrap woman owned company in Vermont. We love women supporting women!
A perfect gift for the man in your life that laments having to use the plastic utensils in the cafeteria, this travel utensil set ensures you’ll never have to use a single-use fork again.
Alternatively, a good gift for the men in your life who perhaps rely too heavily on the single-use forks in the office. This handy travel set can gently nudge them in a more sustainable direction!
This set is handy for work, picnics, hiking and beyond!
Did you know that cork is a completely sustainable material? Harvesting cork from the cork tree does not kill it, and in fact the tree can regenerate after harvest. Cork is one of our favorite materials here at PunkMed!
This particular wallet is handcrafted in Aveiro, Portugal with all-natural cork and is completely vegan.
It has three compartments for cards, cash and a discreet interior pocket for the smaller items you need to carry.
Let’s be real, traditional lighters are so wasteful, especially the plastic ones you can get at the convenient store. They last maybe a few months and then you have to throw them out when you’re done!
Skip the waste and gift the man in your life this rechargeable lighter from the USB Lighter Company.
A singly charge will give you up to 300 uses and—bonus—it’s completely butane-free.
If you man needs basics that are going to last, check out these soft and breathable eucalyptus tees.
Eucalyptus has recently come to the fore as a promising options for sustainable fabrics. Easily regenerated and requiring less water, eucalyptus is much less energy demanding than it’s cotton counterpart.
These classic tees are actually quite innovative, made ethically in Shanghai with 95% Eucalyptus Lyocell and 5% Elastane, completely OEKO-TEX certified fabrics.
Does the man in your life complain of sore muscles after a workout, or simply after a long day hunched over a desk?
A foam roller offers relief, but we opted for a cork massage roller in lieu of the standard polypropylene foam.
Cork is a sustainable material, derived from the cork trees of Souther Europe and Northern Africa, whose cultivation provides essential habitat for native birds and other species.
Handmade in Boston, MA, this ceramic olive oil decanter makes the perfect gift for the foodie in your life.
Beyond just olive oil, this decanter can handle salad dressing, vinegar, and even soy sauce. However, it work especially well for olive oil because it can keep out sunlight and keep your man’s oil fresh.
This ceramic decanter is as pretty as it is thoughtfully made. All of Ogusky Ceramics wares are made with non-toxic, food safe glazes. Plus, it’s dishwasher and microwave safe for complete ease of use!
Who knew that cork actually is the perfect material for a hat? It’s completely vegan, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, waterproof, lightweight, durable, biodegradable and recyclable.
Plus, unlike standard fabric hats, your man won’t have to worry about it losing its shape over time.
Plus, the best part? Cork is completely sustainable.
This recycled glass carafe and tumbler set makes for the perfect gift for the man that loves to entertain.
Handmade in Bogotá, Colombia, this carafe set is the perfect accompaniment for an intimate dinner for two. It could be a more permanent staple on the nightstand or in the guest room.
Beyond being sustainable, these recycled glasswares support the local economy through working with individual artisans and artisan’s groups, women’s cooperatives, and local development organizations.
Who needs flowers if you can’t eat them? What a waste!
This bouquet of gourmet salami, delivered right to your loved one’s door, says “I love you” perhaps just as well. It even comes tied in a pretty red ribbon!
Choose from either a three or six piece arrangement and get the charcuterie board ready!
From the outside, it looks just like a regular backpack. But inside, it carries a full picnic set, complete with an insulated wine holder, mini cheese board and cozy blanket.
The picnic backpack is the perfect gift for the romantic at heart. If you’re gifting it to a romantic partner, get ready for some really freakin’ cute dates.
Bring this backpack on the trail for an extra special post-hike snack, or just along for a trip to the local park. Wherever you go, this USA-made picnic backpack makes it extra special.
These low back wool slippers are perfect for lounging around the house, the office, or even the home-office.
Made using traditional felted wool techniques by women artisans in Kyrgyzstan, these slippers will stand the test of time. Wool is naturally moisture-wicking and odor resistant so they’ll last longer and require less maintenance.
These cozy slippers are the perfect gift for the man who rests as hard as he works!
Has the man in your life recently delved into the wonderful world of houseplants? Or, perhaps he already has a mini jungle growing in his home and wants more.
Either way, this beautiful walnut propagation station makes the perfect gift for the green thumb in your life.
Easily multiply grow your plant family by taking small cuttings from your existing plants and starting them with a little water in this propagation station. When a root system starts to grow form the cut, go ahead and plant it in soil for a whole new plant! This is truly the definition of the gift that keeps on giving.
These all-natural incense sticks skip the chemical smell of your standard incense, instead filling your space with the comforting smells of the campfire.
This incense gift set comes with six different woodland scents–desert pinion, douglas fir, white sage, sweetgrass and California Juniper.
This is the perfect gift for the yoga practitioner, meditator, or just the guy who wants to cover up pet smells or other unwanted odors with the calming scents of the forest.
Even for the man who doesn’t love baths, you can’t deny the pure pleasure of a day spent in a bathrobe eating snacks.
These robes are Oeko-Tex certified and made with 100% organic bamboo lyocell, which is a fiber made from the pulp of bamboo trees. Dont worry though, the pulp processed to make these robes ultra comfortable. This bathrobe is designed with a honeycomb texture to make it ultra-soft, moisture-wicking and fast-drying.
This portable fire pit is the perfect gift for the outdoorsman who rather gather around the campfire than around the TV.
Cozy up with some buddies and some brews and watch the good times flow with this wood-heated fire pit that is designed to maximize airflow and minimize smoke.
It’s easy to use and completely portable, which means he can take it on his next camping trip or tailgate.
This rechargeable LED lantern is the perfect gift for the camper that wants to bring the charm of the campsite wherever he goes.
This lantern is useful in almost any situation, from the outdoors to the kitchen table, with its adjustable brightness and color temperature.
That’s right, this lantern can go from a fluctuating candlelight to an amber glow, and then to a warm white light, to match any scenario of your daily routines. Plus, it can last up to 50 hours on one charge!
Basically a full-body deep tissue massage you can carry around in a backpack, the Theragun is the type of gift that your recipient will wonder how he got by without it.
It’s simple to use: turn it on and hold the device against sore muscles as it gently pounds tension and pain away.
This is the perfect gift for the athlete, weekend warrior, or anyone who complains of soreness and tension (isn’t that all of us?!)
The Vitamix blender has become a cult favorite amongst health food enthusiasts and chefs alike for its power and unparalleled engineering.
Make all your favorite sauces, smoothies and soups like you’ve never had them before in seconds. It can even handle huge chucks of ice, and blend nuts into nut butter in minutes!
Best of all, Vitamix blenders come with a lifetime warranty so you know you’re investing in a quality products you’ll have forever (which is always the most sustainable option!)
This elevated set of bartools makes for an eco-friendly gift for the aspiring mixologist.
Handmade with recycled materials in partnership with master copper artisans in Mexico and Austin, TX, this unique set is sure to elevate any bar cart.
Plus copper is an inherently clean material with strong natural antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties so the tools will last a very long time.
The Weber mini propane grill is the perfect gift for the man that wants good food on the go, or simply can’t commit to a huge grill setup in his apartment-style living.
Either way, this grill delivers a serious amount of flavor in a tiny package!
Plus, it’s easy to use and clean, coming with a built-in lid thermometer, folding side tables, glass-reinforced nylon frame and removable catch pan.
These multi-use blankets make a unique gift for the serial adventurer that wants to take a piece of the outdoors with him wherever he goes.
Great for camping, the beach, or simply lounging in the park, these puffy blankets add a little bit of extra warmth and coziness to whatever you’re doing.
Despite the puff, they are lightweight and compact-able (coming in at around 7” x 16” when packed) making them especially great for camping excursions where space is limited.
Gardening gear can be functional and chic. We found our favorite cute gardening gloves from across the internet to prove it.
The more you get into outdoorsy hobbies like gardening, hiking or fishing, the less cool the gear becomes.
Which is fine, but if you’re an unhinged fashion girlie like me, perhaps you want the best of both worlds.
Why can’t gardening gear be cute, after all? Sure, some may argue it’s going to get dirty, but that’s life! And if I’m going to be doing something adds joy to my life (like gardening) why not sprinkle in some EXTRA JOY with absolutely adorable gardening gloves.
Cute gardening gloves are a great place to start. Imagine proudly gripping your first homegrown flower bouquet in some equally beautiful garden gloves. What an Insta-worthy moment. (My cottage core besties get me on this.)
But where to find these cute gardening gloves? Your local hardware store is probably going to have the run-of-the-mill leather or nylon varieties.
Look no further! Read on for our favorite gardening gloves.
This post is all about cute gardening gloves.
Brand #1: Anthropologie Best Gardening Gloves
Leave it to fashion giant Anthropologie, to have some really cute and functional gardening gear.
Their selection of gardening gloves especially is really thoughtful, from longer sleeve gloves for fuller protection to slimmer “second skin” gloves that allow for greater dexterity.
On top of all that functionality though, these gardening gloves are adorable! They feature fun patterns and bright, trendy colors.
The print on these sleeve-length gloves were designed by Portland, OR-based illustrator Kate Blairstone and made in the USA by woman-owned brand Womanswork.
These Second Skin Garden Gloves are a cult favorite for a reason. They feature a special nylon-Lycra blend that allows for greater movement and ultimate comfort. Plus, obsessed with the trendy lime green!
Brand #2: Food52 Cute Gardening Gloves
Yes, Food52 is a food media company, but they also happen to have a very cute selection of gardening gloves. The best food comes straight from the gardening after all!
These gloves may look stylish, but they are also tough. Food52 guarantees their gardening gloves are reinforced to protect you some prickly leaves, thorns and gritty soil.
If you want to support a small maker that probably love gardening as much as you do, Etsy is the way to go.
Etsy is a platform artists, craftspeople and small businesses use to sell their wares. Luckily for us, this also includes a selection of handmade cute gardening gloves!
When you buy gardening gloves from Etsy, you get the added bonus of rocking a pretty unique pair that probably no one else will have. Be prepared answer questions about where you found your cute gardening gloves!
True to their name, Uncommon Goods is a company that prides itself in sourcing the most unique products–often from small business and craftspeople directly.
This stand true for their beautiful, unique gardening gloves selection.
These adorable gardening gloves feature a stately English garden print.
Williams-Sonoma is known for their bougie home and kitchenwares, but they also have a pretty decent selection of fashionable gardening gloves!
Williams-Sonoma is all about luxury, and this is reflected even in their gardening gear.
The gardening gloves at William-Sonoma are made with the finest of leather and come in preppier designs.
Sophie Conran Everyday Gardening Gloves here.Leather Gardening Gloves here.
These top-grain domestic pigskin leather gloves were designed by women, for women. Another appearance by women-owned gardening glove business Womanswork. We are fans!
Brand #6: Cute Women’s Gardening Gloves from Home Depot
Okay, I know I said your local hardware store probably wasn’t going to have the most chic gardening gloves, but it’s worth taking a second look at Home Depot’s selection.
They has some gardening gloves made for smaller hands that are a blend of form and function.
These built-to-last gloves will not only protect your hands but come in bold colors and fun prints.
Garden Dip Size 7 Small Form-Fitting Nitrile Dipped Gloves here.
If Elle Woods was into gardening, she would sport these hot pink garden gloves from Home Deport. These are great for the bold gardener in your life.
Brand #7: Horchow Gardening Gloves
Owned by Neiman Marcus, Horchow is like the luxury department store’s home goods sibling.
So when it comes to their gardening gear, you know it’s going to be some fancy stuff.
Of course, this includes Horchow’s gardening gloves, which come in a trendy checker print, as well as a super fun radish print. So cute!
Resolved to reduce food waste in your kitchen this year? A compost caddy for your food scraps will help keep waste out of the trash and put it to work in your garden.
At a certain point along your journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, as you dump your coffee grounds in the trash, you may ask yourself, “Could these be put to better use?”
The answer, yes!
Enter the compost caddy. The compost caddy, or kitchen composter, is simply a bin that sits on your countertop. As you go about your meal prep, toss your food scraps into the bin until it can be emptied into your outdoor compost pile for further decomposition.
Read on for the best compost caddies for your kitchen countertop.
This post is all about the best compost caddy for kitchen countertops.
This stainless steel compost caddy is simple, sleek, and looks great in the modern kitchen.
Its cylindrical shape holds up to one gallon of food scraps so you can go a couple days without emptying.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about odor in the meantime! This kitchen composter comes with a dual odor preventing charcoal filter set in the lid. Just be sure to change out the filter every six months for the best results!
The downside to stainless steel is it can get fingerprints pretty easily.
At almost two-and-a-half gallons, this is easily the biggest kitchen composter on our list, making it the best choice for bigger families or for those doing some serious food prep.
Even at its tremendous size, this composter comes with an ergonomic handle to easily carry it to your outside compost pile.
Luckily, you probably won’t need to empty it as much as the others on this list because it is so big. It does come with a carbon filter to minimize odors.
Unfortunately, because it is green plastic it does look more like a recycling bin than a chic countertop composter.
If you have a kitchen with pastel or greenish accent, you’re going to need to go ahead and buy this adorable mint green compost caddy.
It’s not just cute though, it’s also functional. This kitchen compost bin is made of enamel-coated steel, so it won’t rust or leach nasty chemicals into your food scraps. (Remember, if you’re composting that is eventually going in your garden!)
Coming in at one gallon, it’s also pretty decent size and comes with a charcoal filter to reduce smells.
This compost caddy was designed with your comfort and ease-of-use in mind.
The lid easily pops open and clicks into place with one hand. You can even completely remove the lid for easy emptying.
This compost bin is made of plastic, a downside for some, but its smooth interior walls make the easiest cleaning experience of all the caddies on our list. It’s also fairly small at .75 gallon, making it a good choice for those with limited counter space or needing a lighter caddy.
If you want to skip the cleaning step all together, opt for this kitchen compost bin which works well with compostable bags.
When your composter is ready to empty, simply tie up the bag (like you would with a regular trash bag!) and toss the entire thing in the compost. It’s that easy!
To be honest, many of the caddies on this list would work with a compostable bag, but this one comes with a lip especially for inserting a bag discretely.
Bonus, this kitchen compost bin is made from recycled plastics.
This is a combination compost caddy and powerful fertilizer maker.
The FoodCycler takes and food scraps you would throw in a traditional composter (including chicken bones) and runs them through a dehydrating, grinding and cooling cycle.
The process leaves you with fine, crumbly shelf stable fertilizer that can go into your compost pile for further decomposition or used as a fertilizer.
Running the machine through a full cycle takes about 7 hours, so might be best to turn it on before bed and wake up to fresh fertilizer in the morning!
If you absolutely don’t have the counter space for a composter, this one will fit snugly under the sink or behind a pantry door.
It can be hung on cabinet doors less than 0.95 inch thick for easy, damage-less installation. Alternatively, you can install the caddy directly onto a wall or door with an adhesive hook.
Try installing right at the edge of a countertop for super easy cleanup. Imagine being able to whisk away food scraps into your compost caddy with just a single swipe!
Be warned though, this compost bin is fairly large (2.4 gallons) so make sure it will fit where you plan on placing it.
This hardwood kitchen compost bin looks sleek and classy on any countertop.
The husband and wife team at Cold Hollow Woodworking makes all their compost bins from reclaimed wood in a solar-powered workshop in Vermont, making this bin easily the most eco-friendly. Plus, it will come shipped to you in recycled materials. They seriously thought of everything!
The wooden bin comes with a dishwasher safe stainless steel insert for easy cleaning and holds a bit more than a gallon.
How to Use a Compost Caddy
A kitchen countertop composter is simply a temporary home for your food waste until it can be emptied in a proper compost pile.
The food scraps in a countertop bin do not have the area or time to fully break down into the crumbly, stable material we know as compost.
If you leave your food waste in a compost caddy too long, you’ll probably just end up will a smelly soup so make sure you empty it often into your compost pile.
What to Compost
Fruit and vegetable scraps (carrot tops, onion skins, parsley stems, etc.)
Looking for gifts for your sustainability-obsessed friends when you barely know how to sort your own recycling? Read on for the best sustainable gifts for granola friends.
Shopping for picky people can be a minefield. Throw sustainability considerations into the mix and it’s enough for a full-blown anxiety attack.
You want to show your hippy-dippy, crunchy-granola friends you love them, but you don’t want to offend them with a less-than-perfectly-sustainable gift!
Who This Gift Guide Is For — Gifts for Granola Friends
First, there are plenty of ways you can show love to your people that prioritize quality time over things. That’s great, but we are talking about those high maintenance granola people here.
You know who I’m talking about. They know how to treat themselves, and it probably involves some expensive natural skincare and Fair Trade chocolate.
They try to reduce, reuse, recycle, but they can’t help themselves–physical gifts are their love language!
Sound familiar? Read on for the best gifts for your high maintenance granola friends.
This post is all about the best gifts for granola friends.
This body brush is an amazing sustainable Christmas gift for that high maintenance granola person in your life.
It can be used for dry brushing, which is said to stimulate blood circulation and promote lymphatic drainage in the tissue. It also helps deep clean, exfoliate, and smooth away rough patches, while delivering an invigorating effect on the body.
This is a great gift because it is reusable, durable and encourages self-care and personal wellness for your sustainably-minded friends. This is a great gift for a friend who enjoys self-care rituals and spending time unwinding from the day.
This body brush may not be an ideal gift for your sustainable friends who have sensitive or delicate skin and may be easily irritated by the brush texture.
These reusable rounds make amazing eco-friendly Christmas gifts for granola friends who may be looking for ways to minimize the waste from their makeup routine.
They are made with 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton—so you can care for your skin while caring for the planet. Labeled for each day of the week, they’re an ideal swap for single-use cotton pads.
These rounds are a great, small, sustainable gift for any granola friend since they’re safe to use with sensitive skin, nail polish remover and any combination of oil –based or water-based makeup remover.
The rounds serve as a great replacement for single-use cotton pads, so this won’t be a great gift for anyone who may not have a use for them on a daily basis.
A scalp massager is an amazing sustainable Christmas gift for the earthy-crunchy friends who may forget to treat themselves to some regular me-time.
This hand-held massager helps to increase scalp circulation and stimulation, supporting a healthy scalp. The Briogeo scalp massager can be used alone on a dry scalp or paired with shampoo, oil, or treatment for a massage therapy experience in or out of the shower.
This scalp massager may take a few tries to get the hang of, and isn’t recommended for friends with sensitive skin or who may be prone to sensory overload since it is a pretty stimulating tool to use directly on their skin.
Curly haired friends and friends with textured hair may want to use extra caution to avoid creating tangles in their hair while showering.
Superfood bee pollen makes an easy sustainable Christmas gifts for granola friends!
Friends can use this to support energy with this medicinal-grade, immune-supporting bee pollen. Plus, bee pollen is PACKED with energy-boosting vitamin B12. This is a great gift for granola friends who enjoy adding a nutrient-rich boost to their smoothies, acai bowls and beyond!
Please note, bee pollen won’t be a good gift if you have a friend with sensitivities or allergies to pollen or bee products (always a good idea to check with a doctor if you’re not sure!)
This is THE eco-friendly Christmas gift for any granola friends, high-maintenance or not.
These unique sandwich bags are a perfect replacement for aluminum foil, plastic wrap or ziplock. Aplat reusable pouches are the best solution for keeping sandwiches, crackers, nuts, small fruits, vegetables, grains, garlic, herbs and other small fresh produce. We love them to transport everyday lunches and snacks. No plastic or toxic elastic in Aplat.
The best part? Care for these is super SIMPLE – simply machine wash on hot or cold and toss to dry in your dryer or let air dry. So simple and perfect for any high maintenance granola friends in search of sustainable alternatives to use in the kitchen.
A pill? For your face? This chill pill is a fabulous sustainable gift for that eco-minded pal with a flair for new and exciting tools for self-care.
This pill is actually a silicone ice mold – that you can use on your face.
Why is this such a great gift? The chill facial pill helps depuff, refresh, and invigorate skin for a calm, glowing complexion. This is a great reusable Christmas gift for high maintenance granola friends who may be experiencing dull, puffy, stressed-out skin, or looking for a re-fresh. If your friend has mentioned a gua-sha or rejuvenating facial oil, this is sure to be a hit.
Again, super simple to use and easy to store: simply fill it with either plain filtered water or filtered water spiked with your favorite floral essence, and pop it in the freezer.
Your favorite granola friends will most likely already KNOW what is up with Shea Butter and how refreshing it can be to dry skin – especially in the winter time.
This 100% Pure Shea Butter can be used for intensely dry or rough-textured skin looking for some relief. Eu’Genia is a sponsor of the National Psoriasis Foundation, so they mean business.
Grab this long-lasting sustainable Christmas gift for your high maintenance granola friend with dry or cracking hands, feet, or beyond. Be sure to double check for allergies – this may not be a good gift for anyone with sensitivities to shea butter as an ingredient, since it is, 100% shea butter!
With coriander and geranium as the main ingredients, this sustainable hand soap smells AMAZING.
A natural hand and body wash inside a refillable glass bottle, this soap features a base of coconut derivatives for a gentle lather. The mild formula is infused with a full-bodied blend of essential oils including coriander seed, geranium, and vetiver to invigorate the senses.
Once it’s empty, simply rinse out the bottle and top it off with the 100% compostable refill pouch. That’s right, refillable, re-usable and compostable refills from The Handmade Soap company. Gift this eco-friendly hand soap to any sustainably-minded friends this Christmas season.
Trying to find the perfect oil diffuser for that high maintenance granola friend this Christmas?
Try this gorgeous stone diffuser from Kumi. With 100ml capacity, this diffuser can run as an oil diffuser or optional humidifier (simply don’t add essential oils if you have pets or plants to be concerned about side-effects) and it will run for 3 hours continuously or at intervals over seven hours.
Most oil diffusers are flimsy and plastic based – a sustainability nightmare because they often get moldy or break easily. This stone alternative is gorgeous, and when it’s run its course, could be repurposed to a vase or planter depending on your needs.
Listen, we all have to start somewhere. Maybe you’re the clueless friend trying to be supportive of your newly granola high maintenance best friend, or maybe you’re trying to help them transition to using more sustainable products–but feel overwhelmed with where to start.
This set is a great gift for that best friend who is trying to be more eco-friendly in their everyday life. The kit encourages it’s owners to reduce, reuse, recycle. To replace your everyday single-use plastics with these earth-friendly essentials.
The best part? For every purchase of this kit, the Detox Market will plant a tree!
For the candle lover in your life looking for sustainable alternatives these Brennan Candle Co candles are a MUST this Christmas season.
What makes Brennan Candle co the best alternative for sustainable candles? To start, Brennan Candle Co. is a hand poured candle company – their clean-burning products are made with 100% soy wax, and are vegan and cruelty free.
And going above and beyond: their candles are all hand-made, phthalate-free, use lead & zinc free wicks, are made with USA grown, all natural, non toxic soy wax, are petroleum/paraffin free and the company is woman owned.
Yes, for real. Run, don’t walk to check out their Signature Collection.
Candles may not be a great gift for friends with sensitivities to smell or smoke – always double check that your friends enjoy candles before gifting them one to avoid any scent triggers.
If you’re Christmas shopping for a sustainably-minded friend, chances are you know the beach can be one of the places most impacted by neglectful waste and pollution.
One way to combat this is to choose sustainable, reusable products to bring with you to prevent impacting the environment any further.
This Visera sun visor is handmade in Mexico from natural woven palm and features an adjustable velcro closure to fit almost everyone and every hairstyle. This visor provides ample sun protection while keeping you looking stylish. The velcro opening in the back allows you to put it on whether your hair is up or down.
Lightweight and super versatile – you can shade your eyes while reading a book lying down or protect your face while shopping at the farmer’s market, this visor is an easy-to-wear, everyday staple for that high maintenance granola friend this Christmas.
Housewares is a hot spot for sustainability because so many alternatives exist for that high maintenance friend looking to make a swap for more sustainable kitchenwares. Especially when they’re as cute as these ceramic tumblers from the Anne Gates Studio!
Featuring a hand painted daisy or checkered pattern, these tumblers will brighten up your morning routine.
Made with a buff clay and finished with a white, shiny clear glaze, these are reeusable for any purpose you may need a mug or plastic tumbler, and these tumblers have a long life-span as a stunning piece of hand made pottery.
If your sustainable granola pal is a lover of all things pottery, this handcrafted decanter is the perfect Christmas gift – it works for olive oil, vinegar, or even soy sauce. It includes a cork pourer that fits snugly in the top. It works especially well for olive oil by keeping it fresh — it keeps out sunlight and keeps oil cool.
This gorgeous piece of pottery is sure to be an eye-catching kitchen tool for any granola friends.
This is not a great Christmas gift for that high maintenance friend who maybe does not cook with olive oil or vinegar, or may not be in need of a large decanter – never hurts to double check!
Is your high maintenance friend looking extra sleep deprived this Christmas season?
With this eye-care bundle, they’ll be able to wave goodbye to tired, dull eyes and hello to looking radiant and well-rested with this must-have sustainability set. Featuring a cooling, de-puffing rollerball serum, quenching under-eye gels, and a silk sleep mask, it’s all they’ll need to look bright eyed and bushy tailed.
Grab this as part of your self-care package gift to your high maintenance friend, it’s a gorgeous alternative to disposable under-eye masks and single-use gels if they love sustainable skin care.
This luxurious robe is a wonderful sustainable Christmas gift to treat your granola friend to this holiday season.
This classic spa bathrobe is made from organic cotton in an airy, drapey waffle weave, and it’s prewashed to be soft from day one and gets more so with every wash.
Styled for anyone with a streamlined fit that keeps it comfortable and flattering with double belt-loops, this robe goes up to a size extra large.
All of Coyuchi’s organic cotton products are machine washable. Coyuchi designs for comfort and rejuvenation—body, mind and spirit—to help you turn your home into a unique and personal sanctuary – which is why this cotton robe is an amazing gift for high maintenance granola friends this holiday season.
This stunning blanket made from upcycled yarn from the garment industry is a wonderful sustainable Christmas gift for any high maintenance granola friends who enjoy hanging out outdoors.
The blue tones in the blanket along with a sunny golden band recall warm days spent at the seaside. They are big enough for a 2 – 4 person picnic and roll up in thirds for easy transport.
These vibrant, modern blankets are handwoven in Mexico and help increase the life of yarn leftovers rather than being discarded in landfills.
Grab this blanket for your granola friends who love a picnic but may be a bit high maintenance when it comes to finding the perfect sustainable gift.
This teapot is a beautiful alternative for any granola friends looking to make the switch from an electric kettle or plastic water heating contraptions.
KINTO established the Hasami Center in 2000, where they employ local craftspeople born and raised in the village to craft stunning items like this leaves to tea porcelain teapot. This teapot is not microwave safe and should be washed carefully in a dishwasher without using abrasive tools to scrub it clean.
Gift your high maintenance granola friend this teapot this Christmas as a delicate yet sustainable tool to add to their kitchen appliances.
We don’t recommend this gift for high maintenance granola friends who enjoy pouring over coffee since that requires a swan necked kettle – be sure to check if a teapot is something your friend would enjoy to use or decorate their kitchen before gifting it to them.
Is your high maintenance granola friend an aspiring mixologist? Or maybe they simply enjoy a beautiful beverage cup to drink out of.
Whatever their reasoning, these shakers are made to be used, made to last, made to look good. The Boston Maraka Shaker Set is for the professional bartender and serious connoisseur.
One 18 ounce and one 30 ounce solid copper cups designed and tested for a solid positive seal. The elegance, durability and function of this copper shaker set will elevate even your most esoteric cocktail.
This may not be a great gift for some friends, especially those who are sober; be sure to check if this is something your friend would enjoy and use before gifting them since it is often associated with alcohol.
If your high maintenance friend is an authentic granola buddy, odds are they’ll never have enough rad water bottles.
However, this leak-proof, insulated and stainless steel water bottle (and thermos) that holds a GALLON of liquid goes above and beyond your average water bottle.
From the simple Modern store, this water bottle/thermos is entirely customizable with more than 18 colors and designs to choose from.
If you’ve got a granola family, you can easily grab one for every person without duplicating colors! Breath a sigh of relief that you’ve found the best gift for a group of high maintenance granola pals and snag this before Christmas!
For the high maintenance granola friend, a luxurious bath experience may be exactly what they need this holiday season.
This calming CBD bath salt blend delivers a symphony of botanicals to nourish the skin, encourage circulation, relieve discomfort, and leave your friend feeling revitalized. The mineral-rich Epsom salts are infused with the tension-relieving benefits of organically-grown kava, lavender, calendula, ginger, and hemp.
If that ingredient list didn’t instantly inspire you to action, the beautiful recyclable and reusable glass container is sure to.
Bath salts may not be a great gift for friends with scent sensitivities or who are prone to migraines since certain smells may be a trigger – check before you buy! This is a great gift to give these heavenly bath salts to a high maintenance granola friend this holiday season to inspire them to take some time for self-care.
Plastic and synthetic based slippers can get gross, fast.
These Bamboo wool slippers from Kingdom of Wow are an eco-friendly cozy gift for your high maintenance granola friend in need of something to keep their toes warm when it gets cold out.
The High Top Bamboo Wool Slippers are lushly crocheted and handmade from a rich blend of wool and bamboo yarn.
They are super easy to take care of, you can machine wash your Kingdom of Wow slippers occasionally using a cool wool program, then dry flat. But because of the wool’s breathability, the slippers will remain odor-free and shouldn’t need washing often.
Basically, give a high maintenance friend a low maintenance pair of slippers, and count that as a granola win this holiday season.
Your high maintenance granola friend may be inspired to create a meditative environment as part of ringing in the new year.
There are many benefits to daily meditation – and this cushion set is the perfect gift to help set the mood for deep relaxation and mindfulness self-care.
The Meditation Cushion Set is a great combo for long periods of comfortable meditation or cozy home gatherings. The plush floor cushion gives you a soft landing pad while the round meditation cushion provides a firm supportive seat which conforms to the shape of the body. Both covers are removable for easy cleaning.
This may not be a great gift for friends who need specific lumbar support cushions or may have back pain since these cushions are not made of memory foam or recommended as back support for floor sitting.
For that high maintenance friend looking for ways to reduce the waste in their own kitchen, these reusable and re-sealable tubs of salt flakes are a great investment!
Maldon salt is a prestigious and unique product known for its flavor and quality and sought after by the health-conscious and gourmet chefs alike. This salt has been made with the same traditional artisan methods since 1882.
These soft crunchy sea salt flakes have a fresh intensity and clean taste containing the perfect balance of natural minerals to enhance any dish your high maintenance granola friend may be looking to attempt.
You should definitely give these gorgeous and delicious salt flakes if your friend likes to cook., and then they’ll have a 570 gram reusable tub and plenty of salt for the year!
High maintenance granola friends want sustainable clothes for lounging around in–just like everybody else!
The René Jogger Set is a wardrobe must-have for work-from-home friends who may need to leave in a dash to run those essential errands–a whole uniform ready to wear.
This style is 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton French Terry fabric at the perfect weight (300 gsm) for days requiring a little extra comfort without compromising on style or aesthetic.
This may not be the ideal gift for a friend who enjoys bright and bold patterns since it is only available in neutral tones. Gift this jogger set to that high maintenance granola friend who loves sleek and simple loungewear this holiday season!
This quilted sweatshirt is the perfect fit for any high maintenance granola friend this Christmas looking for some new loungewear or camping clothes.
Useful for hiking, relaxing at home or a night out. This jogger outfit was inspired by the unmistakable outdoorsy, East Coast aesthetic and crafted out of a textured blend of soft organic cotton and recycled polyester, the Quilted Timber Sweatshirt is an “eco-take” on an old-school summer camp classic.
Pair with the matching joggers for a laid back, yet polished look. This may not be a great gift for a high maintenance friend who does not enjoy heavy clothing or has very specific texture preferences. Gift this to your high maintenance camping or hiking granola friend for Christmas to keep them warm and toasty!
This recycled wine decanter is a perfect eco-friendly Christmas gift for the high maintenance granola friend in your life who may be a professional or amateur wine connoisseur.
This wine cooler decanter is available in two sizes and features an internal ice pocket to chill any favorite wine right at the table.
Based in the small country of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) in southern Africa, Ngwenya Glass uses recycled glass to create new and functional designs. Choosing this recycled glass gift helps repurpose glass that would have been otherwise discarded in a landfill, and ensures your high maintenance granola friends have a beautiful and sustainable wine decanter for their dinner parties.
This may not be a great gift for friends who do not enjoy drinking wine, or may not personally use a decanter–in other words, you may need to teach them what it is for if you give it to them!
It can be tough to find ways to travel sustainably in this day and age.
For that high maintenance granola friend who may have to travel frequently, either by plane, backpacking or hiking – this large cork duffel bag (18″ Length x 10.5″ Width x 10″ Height) is the perfect sustainable Christmas gift.
Everyone needs a great duffle bag and this weekender bag is it. This sturdy bag is perfect for a weekend getaway or a trip to the gym. It can be used as a handheld or crossbody bag. Inside there is plenty of room to fit all of the essentials and then some more.
Cork is vegan, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, waterproof, lightweight, durable, biodegradable and recyclable. Yes, totally recyclable and with a gorgeous aesthetic perfect for that high maintenance granola best friend in your life.
