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This 2021 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE shares 25 of my favorite gift ideas — for 2021 — most are eco-friendly and/or health conscious. These gifts are designed to restore, bring joy and make someone happy.
The gift ideas below are categorized by functionality: Wellness & Home, Food and Kitchen-Related, Natural Clothing & Travel, Sports-Related and Kids’ Gifts. Enjoy!
2021 online shopping
I’m sharing with you items that I’ve given or received and loved in the last couple of years. I hope you enjoy these choices, and that some of them are helpful as you shop for loved ones, or add to your own wish list!
Most of the items I share in this collection are sustainable in one way or another — either healthier for your body than similar products, made from eco-friendly materials, or both.
2021 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: Wellness Gifts & Home
- You can’t go wrong with this gift: a Hydro Flask Water Bottle. Choose the best color for your loved one. Great price. Everyone needs one, and it’s nice to have two. Better to drink out of stainless steel than plastic. And it’s insulated.
- How does a small backyard fire pit sound?!, that’s smoke-free and portable? Plus, it’s classy and comes in 3 sizes. I find it’s so hard to find great gifts for the men in my life, but this item just *might* 😉 already be on its way in the mail this year! 🙂 My husband and boys love time in our backyard around a fire pit, but I’m super sensitive to smoke. I love the way this gift gathers family together for great times outdoors. Set it up in your backyard, take it camping, enjoy it with friends, and it’s safe, too. Find Solo Stoves here. Let me know if you get one, too! 🙂
A ZZ plant! — I bought myself this gift this year. If you don’t already know, ZZ plants are the best because they’re happy anywhere! In low light, with low water … you can neglect them or not be great with plants, and still have a happy green plant in your life! A great gift for anyone. I can never have enough plants. Choose this one without a decorative pot for a small affordable gift that will grow with time, or this bigger one with a recycled material pot included.
- My non-Bluetooth ear buds are something I use and appreciate every day! This way, I can go for walks with my phone on my arm and have zero radiation! (Health tip: Don’t hold your phone close to your face, not safe!) The items I have are the DefenderShield
EMF Radiation Protection Running Armband and Radiation-Free Air Tube Earbud Headphones. Find all of Defender Shield’s products HERE. (Note, iPhone 7 models and newer require a lightning cord adapter for compatibility with the DefenderShield Earbuds. I found mine on Amazon here. It’s so nice to get it all at once, so the pieces are ready to use when they arrive.) If you want the duo I love, get the Armband + the AirTube Earbud Headphones.
2021 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: Food & Kitchen-Related Gifts
- Ya’all know I believe in ice cream. 🙂 Haha (I have SO many ice cream recipes on the website, and we owned an ice cream shop for many years!) So… of course, a brand new shiny ice cream maker would make a really fun holiday gift. I’m always amazed by how many people don’t own an ice cream machine! And, ice cream makes us happy. Plus, homemade means much better ingredients. Find a good basic machine here.
- A sampler of great sustainably-sourced dark chocolate is the new (better) approach to buying someone a box of Sees candies 😉 , or you can choose single flavor 4-packs here. Hu chocolate bars are fantastic quality chocolate. Our friends we gifted the sampler to loved the Crunchy Mint one most.
- Buy a loved one a beef jerky subscription or bulk beef jerky. Or, make a health food basket with pastured beef jerky, bone broth protein powder and more from Paleo Valley here. From November 26th to December 3rd, use this link for their Black Friday deal. 20% off your purchase or 30% off subscriptions.
- For the tea lover in your life, the best quality is Pique Tea. Each serving comes in fun sachet pouch that adds to the magic of the tea making experience. Pique Tea quality is THE highest for great taste and actual health benefits (high polyphenols). Choose one box, or do a sampler, which is how we enjoy sharing tea in our family — talking about each one as we sit around the table on weekends. Find Pique’s teas HERE. (These make great stocking stuffers, too. I like to buy enough to get free shipping.)
- The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking is the cookbook I bought my nephew last year. It’s an incredibly beautiful classic Keto baking cookbook with wonderful basic recipes, photography and inspiration. An affordable, lovely gift for your favorite low carb person.
- See both of my cookbooks here and here. ♥
- Yes, an Instant Pot. Who in your life doesn’t have one yet? I use mine every.single.day. 🙂 If you have a loved one who uses theirs a lot, too, another great gift that’s less expensive is a second insert! I would love a second insert. This allows you to keep leftovers or something you’ve just cooked in the first, but move on to a second recipe in the second insert. Like: make stew, then make bread, applesauce or yogurt!
- All other Instant Pot accessories also make a GREAT gift that’s super affordable! Last year, I got my mom the clear lid for hers, because I use mine all the time. Find a bunch of IP accessories HERE, and the clear Glass Lid HERE.
- Items readers have loved in past years from this list: the Paderno brand spiralizer! I’ve personally purchased and tried out the three leading brands of spiralizer, and this one wins.
Sports-related gifts
- Double Action Pen Knife! This is a GREAT gift for most men and older boys, and some women and older girls. Everyone in our home would like one of these. Amazing for self-defense and super well made. This is a neat company! If you’re looking for a more affordable “disguised weapon” (as my son calls it), see this one.
- If someone you love loves golf, this is THE book to have. I grew up with golfers in my family, and this little book doesn’t bog the reader down with dozen of technical tips. Instead, this book is a must-have for every level of golfer, for the average person, and contains simple logic and true tips that will help anyone improve and understand their approach better. Also a great choice for anyone interested in the history of golf and its Scottish roots.
- This cork and natural rubber yoga mat is the one we have. It’s the very best in yoga mats! Non-slip, made from only natural materials, tested and loved by pros. This mat is a generous, thoughtful gift for someone who loves to stretch or work out on the floor. And, is long enough for tall people to stretch out.
2021 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: Natural Clothing & Travel
I’m not a fan of recycled plastic products. This method of clothes manufacturing adds new micro plastic particles to our water systems. It’s better for the environment to purchase sustainable crops like organic cotton, recycled wool or bamboo! 🙂
In that spirit, I continue to support and love Pact clothing, almost 100% of which is made with organic cotton, and they offer good prices:
- Enjoy a nice selection of classic fashionable 🙂 100% organic cotton clothing from PACT. If you shop through this link you will get 20% off your first order! 🙂 The last few years I’ve purchased several gifts for loved ones: sweatshirts, cozy shorts, sweaters, long-sleeve t-shirts and pants. I’ve gotten my sister both a sweater and a sweatshirt, both of which she’s loved. Many of you used this link the last two years and loved these products! 🙂 I’m so glad, so I’ve included the link again for you this year. It’s just so hard to find truly eco-friendly clothes.
- The men in our family CAN NOT get enough socks, it seems. They love new socks and are even a little greedy about whose socks are whose! Oh my. Maybe it’s how athletic my boys are, but they go through them quickly and love their socks. Find: Wool socks for men here, and women here. Or, find organic cotton socks at Pact here.
- Men’s and Women’s Wool Slippers with free shipping. Excellent quality.
- Leather Dopp Kits with optional personalization are surprisingly affordable and make a loving gift that will last a lifetime. Great for kids and adults.
2021 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: Kids’ Gifts
- Paint by Sticker Kids art book! — These super popular books allow kids to use their love of stickers to create beautiful mosaic animal art. This is good independent play for busy moms, road trips and kids who love easy independent art projects that still feel creative and build skills.
- Basic Sketch and Drawing Art Pencil Kit for kids and older kids (or adults). Pair it with a Strathmore Sketch Pad (also on Amazon). My sons go through these every year with all of their drawings. A nice way to support ongoing artwork for kids or grown-ups.
- Sun Art — Perhaps you remember doing this when you were young? I used to love it! Now kids and grandkids can do it, too! Old-fashioned nature fun.
- The best SCOOTER for your big kid, ages 5-12. It’s got a 2-year warranty, is super smooth, stable and can get going fast. I love this option to help keep kids active in the fresh air. Super safe, great customer service and amazing all 5-star reviews. You can also find the Micro-Mini version for kids ages 2-5! HERE.
- KiwiCo has great subscriptions or single box sets for kids to build and learn, in the areas of science, engineering and more. My 12-year-old loves receiving his kits in the mail, the items are genuinely cool, and the company has products for a variety of ages.
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
This is such a fun list! I ordered books 1-7 of Harry Potter for my oldest for Christmas. I know she’s going to be so excited about it. Love how thoughtful all of these ideas are.
Megan Stevens says
Oh, yay, Emily!! I hope she snuggles close to you when she starts the 4th book. I read that one when I was pregnant with our first child, and it felt so scary to me. My kids kind of laugh at me, though; I’m sure she’ll be fine. 😉
Marjorieann1977 says
I love this list! So many thoughtful gifts. The book list sounds so interesting!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Marjorie!
Kelsey Steffen says
This is a great list with some very thoughtful ideas. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Megan Stevens says
You’re welcome, Kelsey! Thanks.
Carol @studiobotanica says
Thanks for putting this list together, Megan! Excellent ideas. We are very alike. I would rather support small business whenever possible and purchase less but higher quality items as budget permits. What’s a gift if not a little splurge? Love that scarf you bought your beloved and yes, it suits him. I’m sure I’ve seen a picture with him sporting it!
Yes, would appeal to many ages.
I love that dehydrator and delight in its efficiency and ability to transform food.
LOVE the list.. Will share on my page. Love to you and your family, always. C
Megan Stevens says
Aw, lovely, Carol, thanks for all your fun words!! Love to you and yours, too!! xx
Lindsey Dietz says
I recently purchased that very same spiralizer for myself and one of my best friends. We both LOVE ours so much!
Megan Stevens says
Yay!! Super fun to hear! I often ask my youngest son to spiralize for me, which makes dinner really fast to make, and he enjoys it. 🙂
Bernice Carbaugh says
Thanks, Megan! I can always trust your recommendations, so this is helping me with my list. Getting a couple of spiralizers and yoga mat for gifts now, and the scooter is a great idea for future birthdays!
Megan says
Great, Bernice!!! I’m so happy the recommendations are helpful, and I love hearing what you chose and what resonated! YAY! xoxo!