Sustainable gift guide!

I'm feeling pretty merry by getting this post out before the end of the holidays with a four-month-old in my life. 

If you're trying to live by your sustainability standards (or want to get some) during the season of giving, this post is for you. The pieces I've curated here are from some of my favorite online stores that know what they're doing in regards to sustainable products. Largely produced by the artisan entrepreneur community around the world and in the US, they are sold through businesses that value people, planet, and profit, and most gifts are under $50.

They are also what I would pick if you handed me some of your money and begged me to do your gift shopping.

Personally, my favorite gift in the entire world is a gift card (or food). The act of perusing the world of things and experiences and finding just what I need, designed how I like it is so. nice. But sharing a list of gift cards wouldn't be as pretty, ya'll.

So, besides being beautiful/useful, what makes these things sustainable? It's all in the supply chain! For the most part, they each meet the following:

+ produced by fair trade labor with living wages

+ made with renewable, healthy materials in healthy conditions for workers/artists

On top of that, I have my own criteria:

+ Doesn't take up space (small/foldable)

+ Can be used up, or used for a long time

+ Doesn't scream "I'm sustainable" from first glance - the crunchy or ethnic look does not suit everyone.

Cheers to slower shopping this holiday!

Rodales - Nubby Fingerless Gloves 

Rodales-This gorgeous mug is made in Ohio 

Mata Traders - brass cuff 

Made fair - wool blanket

Bambeco - beard oil for the men folk. You all know someone who's got a beard right now.

Bambeco - pomegranate and spruce candles (ahhh)

Bohem - tea towel

Bohem - beautifully illustrated/funky story for kids about the food chain...

Bambeco - olive wood spoon - wishing I had this for meal prep.

Bambeco-Hanging Nest Aerium

Rodales-I've actually eaten this, GOOD STUFF! Eat alone or turn into hot chocolate.

Rodales - Who would't want a pretty whisk? I know I would! (Plus it's dishwasher friendly)

Rodales- One item for cheek and lip, I'm in!

Three Cords Haiti- This can be a headband or necklace. The company employs Haitians with disabilities, as well as at-risk women. I have one in white, and it goes with everything.

Three Cords Haiti - This can be a clutch or makeup bag

Raven + Lily - journal


Noonday Collection - Infinity Scarf

Christmas for two

Cody and I celebrated with just the two of us this holiday. It was incredibly peaceful, but just a little lonely since we're used to being with family this time of year. I've always wanted my holidays to be crowded-and-fun-filled, though I've been known to creep away with a book on the third day of it or so. I'm never sure when my introvert or extrovert side will make an appearance! We used our time together to make lots of gifts, finish writing thank you notes and ship our first-ever Christmas cards :)

We embraced this chance to think of the coming of the savior of the world with more mindfulness than I feel I've done in the past. The church we go to here is a contemporary service, and we began Christmas week with a very awesome reading of the Christmas Story with song breaks in between each - it's one of our favorite ways worship services are sometimes done. It certainly got us in the spirit of what it means to have God himself come down and become human.

On a side note, we're currently reading through Sarah Young's Jesus Calling devotional right now, and it's a simple way to connect with the word of God for a little while every day, and just get you in a mindset of peace - something I constantly need. Young writes in the voice of Jesus speaking to her and adds scripture reading to supplement. Something she penned about Jesus' birth spoke to me from an angle I'd never thought of before. She writes:

"I set aside My Glory, so that I could identify with mankind. I accepted the limitations of infancy under the most appalling conditions - a filthy stable. That was a dark night for Me, even though angels lit up the sky proclaiming "GLORY!" to awe-struck shepards.
When you sit quietly with me, the process I went through is reversed in your experience. As you identify with Me, heaven's vistas open up before you-granting you glimpses of My Glory.
I became poor so that you might be rich."

I became poor so that you might be rich. That stuck with me through Christmas this year. We had a beautiful Christmas day full of presents sent from family that we opened in the light of our tree and spent the day around a backyard fire with a glass of tasty Christmas cocktail we made up.

We hope yours was beautiful too and that you found new meaning in this incredible holiday. We're off to central PA this morning to visit great friends for New Years :)

See you in 2015! Here are a few pics of our Christmas week.


Cards for the gift boxes on how-to with the simple syrup and homemade moisturizer :)

 Making Spruce simple syrup from our tree to send home for Christmas gifts.

Finished product!

Lemon + Lavender moisturizer samples - I'll share this recipe soon too.

Pumpkin bread for neighbor gifts using Cody's mom's recipe.

Ordered our Xmas cards from paper culture, they plant a tree for every order and have quite a few eco-options (besides just sending an e-card I guess), and I got this adorable seed pack, too bad I can't plant in the dead of winter.

 Meeting Ariel from the Little Mermaid!!! She was the star at one of Cody's Christmas concerts. Felt my adult life come full circle watching her sing the timeless, "Part of Your World"

 Christmas walks in the wild park near our home.

 Made chilaquiles!! This is something we had for breakfast in Mexico on our honeymoon.

 Christmas dinner at an historic train station. Crab cakes and Mango Long Island iced teas. Nothing else says Christmas eve like that.

 Christmas morning roses.

Our view throughout Christmas Day.

One month and a Christmas home.

Today is our one month anniversary, WHEW - we made it! Everything we've accomplished in 30 days is bowling me over. Home for two weeks before the wedding, Texas for the wedding, Mexico for our honeymoon, then back home to Pennsylvania. In fact, we just got our wedding pictures in! Expect that to be a post soon, especially to highlight the sustainability elements I worked my butt off for a year to make happen. Yes. I will be sharing that. 

And now we've decorated our home for the holidays. Every time Cody walks into the living room he says our sweet little newlywed tree gives him warm fuzzies <3 I couldn't agree more.

I've dreamed of styling my own cozy holiday space for as long as I can remember, so this is one dream come true. Did I spend too much time working on it? Maybe, but it was just what I needed. It's also a project done within a newlywed budget, which I shall explain as we take a little tour...

 Behold! The warm fuzzy tree!  It's a Blue Spruce. I was being cheap and at $5 a foot we thought we were getting a deal at the tree farm, but this thing's needles are SHARP AS HECK. Maybe one day we will get a baby-soft fir, at $6 a foot...Maybe one day we will not be renting, and can get a live tree to plant in our yard and dig up every December! #sustainability #xmastree #ouchmyback

Picking her out! 

 ...and carrying her away. I know. We killed a tree.

now, the ornaments! We nearly had to wear gloves while decorating due to Miss Blue Spruce's pokey nature, that's why the lights aren't poked far enough into the tree - I just gave up. You get the idea.
Anyway, whilst trooping around Michael's looking for deals, I noticed a box of ribbon candy. This

stuff is GORGEOUS hung on a tree, especially when lit. 

There are several plain wooden ornaments too. I loved the natural color in addition to the intricate carvings. At $1 each, they were perfect for us. The triangles are made from baker's twine and straws from the dollar bin. 

 Magnolia ornament to remind me of my roots, a Christmas gift from my sweet cousin.

Our holiday mantle. Perhaps my favorite part of the house right now. The pine garland is one I made from a fallen branch I picked up during a walk in our neighborhood graveyard (it's peaceful, ok?) The fir branches in the milk bottle were free at Lowe's, the carol in the frame was a free printable from Pinterest, the felt stockings are West Elm beauts from our registry, and the owl pot is a masterpiece from college art class ;) The beautiful LOVE  bunting was made by my best friend for the rehearsal dinner, and now will ever-be my Christmas message.

 
And here is the full effect! We are never this organized. Note Cody's PhD books piled under the coffee table.

 We are so excited, we made buttercream dipped sugar cookies. Recipe here.

 Using those same blue spruce needles for a banister garland. I did wear gloves this time, and it was worth it.

 Our tiny sort-of-nativity. These little olive wood figures were a gift from my parents when they visited Jerusalem years ago. They are the ultimate reminder in our house of what this season is about.

I MADE THIS. so very proud as you can tell. 

And just for fun, Cody working. I'm working too, across from him, but thought the effect of the small pine bouquet and his serious brow were charming.

Happy decorating world. Peace, Joy and holiday of blessings.

the first thanksgiving

we spent our first married thanksgiving home alone, and it was delightful. i am a thankful woman this year. thankful for my new husband who is also an old friend; thankful for a beautiful wedding that happened only three weeks ago (!); and thankful to have family to shoot a few well-meant texts.

by making a full thanksgiving dinner for the two of us (my favorite holiday meal) we've ensured ourselves roughly a week and half of leftovers and all the delicious side recipes that come along with a large, roasted turkey on hand.

at the crack of dawn, i rolled out of bed and slapped the turkey on the  counter to acclimatize to room temperature, and then promptly returned to bed. when we arose a few hours later we got to work and turned a pile of trader joe's groceries into cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, turnip and sweet potato au gratin (another of my favorites) and a hefty box of cornbread stuffing.

i found our meal's color pallet to be strong and rich, and truly enjoyed having a kitchen of wedding presents that made the meal a success.

no, we aren't always out-of-the-box dinner makers, but this thanksgiving, we wanted to rest and after all, it was just us :)

we watched snow fall on our porch and had a few sips of cider and gin, and just enjoyed the life we've been blessed with.

the day ended with renting Les Miserables on Amazon, Cody's idea. In a world of injustices and those who die every day dreaming of a better life for their children, it was a powerful way to end our first thanksgiving.

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