Every year, many of us struggle to find all the right gifts in time for the holidays. In fact, as many as 79% last year said they left some of their shopping to the last minute. Perhaps you start planning as early as October, but time has a funny habit of getting away from us!
Sometimes, you just need a helping hand to give you a few really good ideas that you wouldn’t have otherwise found on your own. That’s why we asked our team to give us their wishlists for this holiday season. Between them, we’ve got a really broad range of interests, hobbies, and tastes, and you might just find an interesting nugget of inspiration for your own shopping.
Today’s list comes from Addy Shenton.
Addy is Govalo’s Chief of Staff, based in Highland, CA just 15 minutes drive from Redlands. Being a mom takes up a lot of her free time, but when she’s not working she enjoys cooking and learning all about different beers and how they’re made. When it comes to the holiday season, her favorite thing is the weather. Having been born in Southern California, most holiday seasons were the perfect balance between cool and warm which made for a lot of wonderful memories as a kid being able to play outside with all her Christmas goodies. And of course, cookies and other sweet treats are in abundance!
#1 - Lunchskins - Eco-friendly food bags
Have you ever noticed how much waste we create in the kitchen? Between all the plastic packaging on our food, to how much saran wrap and plastic bags we use to pack it away again, it all adds up. Lunchskins founder, Kirsten Quigley, noticed this too and sought to change things - that’s when her idea for disposable paper packaging and reusable fabric bags came to life. They make planet-friendly alternatives to disposable plastic bags, that are also dishwasher safe and come in a range of fun patterns and colors. A great gift idea for the eco-conscious friend, or family member who spends a lot of time packing lunches for their kiddos.
Click here to shop - Lunchskins
#2 - Beefcake Swimwear - High performance swimwear
It all started when Mel’s roommate wanted a 1920s style bathing suit. When they couldn’t find the right one, they got to work prototyping and designing their own version. Their suits are built and designed to suit all body types, ages, and gender expressions, using high performance, eco-friendly materials. They’re cut and sewn by hand in Portland, Oregon, and because they’re produced in small batches they can minimize waste and environmental impact. Great for the swimmer in your life, or as a stylish alternative to the classic swimsuit silhouette for taking on vacation.
Click here to shop - Beefcake Swimwear
#3 - Three Bluebirds - Sustainable Swedish dishcloths
So many merchants start with a great story, and Three Bluebirds is no exception. Finnish Lasse and California-born Lynda met in 1986 at Mt Fuji, falling in love and moving to the US together. It was when Lynda travelled to spend time with Lasse’s family in Finland that she came to appreciate how Scandinavian design combined beauty and simplicity with functionality, and found a shared passion for design in Lasse’s family. Three Bluebirds is about one of those Scandinavian staples - the Swedish dishcloth. These are absorbent, reusable cloths commonly found throughout Scandinavia as part of a low-waste lifestyle, however they typically come in plain colors. That’s where Lasse’s love of art inspired them to create these amazing dishcloths but with quirky, whimsical designs. An ideal stocking stuffer with heart.
Click here to shop - Three Bluebirds
#4 - Otherwild - Ethically made, beautiful apparel and home goods
Otherwild was founded in 2012 as a multi-disciplinary community of artists and designers, with ethics at the heart of what they do. It has since developed into a store, design studio, and event space in Los Angeles, showcasing beautifully designed goods made with care and a conscience. They’re queer-identified, woman-owned, and fully committed to an ethical supply chain, researching on an ongoing basis to grow and learn. Their apparel is a collaborative effort, with their own in-house designs as well as those of other designers and artists.
Click here to shop - Otherwild
#5 - Mikaave - Shirts, mugs, and more designed by artists
Mikaave came to life when three artistic siblings got together to design a range of custom shirts that would speak to other creatively minded folk. That grew into something bigger - a collective of artists and creatives, sharing the cost of putting their work to print and getting it out into the world. Mikaave’s artists get 100% of the profits from their designs, without the overhead of running an ecommerce store on their own. That has resulted in a wide range of well designed, quirky, interesting apparel and homeware, perfect for the creative friend in your life.
