2021 SUSTAINABLE GIFT GUIDE • Documentary photographer in Maryland
// ALL LINKS UPDATED FOR 2022! //
As in 2020, I’ve curated a list of beautiful and original products I either already use or could buy for myself or loved ones. I hope it will bring inspiration even though I post it pretty late in the season.
There are things I truly love and that are meant not only for Christmas but all year-long too! I hope you’ll come back here in case you need gift ideas for birthdays or any special occasion.
I tried to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible and NONE of these links will take you to an Amazon page.
Also, none of them are affiliated links aha. I could work to get better at it but oh well… it is the end of the year for everyone and I’ve decided to post it anyway and not fret about small things. This is my gift to you.
The Holiday season is also about living with gratitude and being intentional about the things you already have, the things you need, what brings you joy. Be mindful of what you bring into your home.
My big 2022 challenge is to declutter and purge what we don’t need anymore to make space and keep my sanity! Let me know if you have any tips for me or if you are also considering decluttering in 2022.
PAPER
2023 WEEKLY TASK PLANNER from Appointed
A top-bound planner that makes it the ideal choice for left-hand people (many creatives are!). Appointed is a local business based in Ivy City, DC. Their notebooks, calendars, and journals are American-made, environmentally conscious, and thoughtfully designed so you can have a look around, everything is beautiful!
Children simply add a photo sticker to a page in their journal, and they're transformed into any person or take any journey they can imagine. Great for the creative people in your life.
This is a cute & lovely stationery set! Each set includes 4 letter sheets, 2 envelopes. Great to keep in touch with loved ones, and to get the kids into the lost art of handwriting.
A PHOTO JOURNAL from Social Print studio
Another great way to remember your year with photos and texts. You can get into the habit of printing your photos thanks to a subscription or use instant film cameras like the Instax mini if you’d like photos right away.
FIVE YEAR MEMORY BOOK from Leuchtturm1917
The idea is to write a memory a day, over 5 years! What a great archive of small and big moments and everything in between. Each page has a yearly section for a few lines about the same calendar day over five years.
I love turning the monthly page of my calendars. I have some with photos and some others with illustrations. I absolutely love this one with 12 travel destinations (especially now in COVID times!)
PERSONALIZED ECO-FRIENDLY MEMORY GAME
Have fun personalizing this memory game with photos of your family, grandparents, best friends, or favorites places and try to find the match!
SHARING KINDNESS ADVENT CALENDAR
If you don’t want to add plastic toys that will eventually end up in the trash, consider this advent calendar that promotes kindness. I bought one for my kids this year!
KIDS
A classic kids toy for generations that my kids would LOVE. Made out of wood with rubber pulls that give this slingshot a long range. I would only use pom poms with it!
Beautiful wooden game for little ones! There are 10 wooden blocks from solid maple wood, ideal for fine motor skills.
CHRISTMAS CANDLE CARROUSEL from KiWiCo
I love me a candle carrousel! I have several at home and this one is the latest addition. It was fun to build (but came with lots of plastic wraps!). This is a great company that offers science and art projects for kids. They also have subscriptions.
Two years ago, I offered my kids macrame rainbows that I DIY myself. Here, you’ll get everything you need in the kit. It is lots of fun but requires a bit of patience.
WILD BINGO MAGNETIC BOARD GAME
It’s magnetic! It means you can take it with you in the car, on a plane, and whenever you are stuck with kids and need to get them occupied. No slipping or lost pieces! They also have plenty of other magnetic board games and puzzles.
Do you have a dino lover at home? Children ages 4 and up stack and balance wooden sticks on the back of the wooden dinosaur to win the game.
A mini broom set for dolls you can put back in your storage box? that would be a dream come true for my daughter who is obsessed with tiny people. She has read the whole collection of “The borrowers”, those little people who live in your walls. They would totally like that!
RESTAURANT PLAY SET by Moulin Roty
Perfect gift for the aspiring chef in your life! Open the tri-fold set like a theater and act as a manager in a restaurant. Take orders, prepare entrees, clean up!
Drop the black and white book in the water and colors will suddenly appear like magic!
STORY ROLL (different themes available)
A huge coloring book except… it’s an 8-feet roll! The dragon adventure is a mix of a coloring activity and a story to read. It includes 5 colored pencils. Great to display in a playroom or bedroom when finished!
“Whenever things don’t go so well, and you want to hit the wall and yell, here’s a little Dammit doll that you can’t do without. Just grasp it firmly by the legs and find a place to slam it. And as you whack the stuffing out, yell “Dammit!, dammit, dammit!”
KITCHEN
TILED MONOGRAM MUG from Anthropologie
When you want to pretend you are in a french bistro. They also have coasters, cheese boards, and other items in this collection.
NON-STICK SILICONE MADELEINE PAN
When you need a break from cupcakes and muffins, bake madeleines!
I have a Le Creuset Cocotte that I use several times a week to bake my bread. This one is just the same and perfect for every day or slow cooking! A staple in a kitchen IMO. There are 8 colors on the Food 52 website and it’s only $99 right now!
When you want a crisp dough. Nothing better than a homemade pizza.
An apron with a lifetime guarantee! I love their patterns and they make baking and cooking fun. These aprons are super functional and super comfortable. Perfect for the foodie in your life (or the crafter!).
FLORAL TABLE CLOTH from La Redoute
This is a french shop but they sell in the US. I love all their bed and table linen collections. And the prices are fair!!
Break up with plastics! Visit The Fulfillery (online or in Takoma Park) for all your zero waste needs. Voted “best handmade eco-friendly products” by City Paper in 2022.
GARDEN/ OUTDOORS
Madder seeds or Rubia Tinctorum are yellow flowers but the roots of the plants give a beautiful red dye. I know all of this because in French you translate madder by “Garance” which is the name of my daughter! So yeah, I should buy some for her.
SPROUTING SEEDS HYDROPONIC PLANTER
Just add water (and seeds, of course) to turn this terra-cotta planter into your very own sprout farm.
To keep track of the health of your garden or house plants + to remind you when is the last time you actually watered the plants.
PLANT FOOD FERTILIZER from Happy Happy Houseplant
A fertilizer that helps your indoor plants and succulents thrive! I ordered a bottle and can’t wait to try it on my pileas and other prayer plants!
When my kids are reluctant to go outside, I try to make it fun by using a bird call to make friends with the birdies. I have better luck with the birds than luring my kids out TBH…
“An authentic bird call carefully crafted from sustainable materials”.
Stick the house on your windows and watch birds as close as possible!
CITY BONFIRES (Loca biz!)
The original portable bonfire handmade in Maryland by 2 Dads whose jobs were impacted by the pandemic.
Customize your tile mat with different color tiles and create endless patterns, designs, and words!
SELF CARE
I am always looking for cozy items because when comes winter, I’m always COLD! Merino socks changed my life.
“Wet to activate and place on the shelf of your shower near your face to diffuse, or for a light diffusion, place on the floor of the shower. They can also double as a bath tablet.”
MADE BY MARIE jewelry
Great collection of stacking rings. I also love their necklaces!
BEAU BOW (Local business)
Handmade Wire Headwraps with Padding. I have several and they’re the best.
JIGSAW PUZZLES from Puzzledly
Self-care takes many different forms. It’s not only a candle-lit bath with wine in hand! I love puzzling in the winter by the fire after a walk outside. Too cliché? Maybe. But still, I like it. I am also part of a free puzzling exchange group on Facebook. Check if there is one around you (or start one!).
Sometimes you just need a quality piece made to last.
HOME
When you’re back home after a long walk and want to keep the house clean!
If you are daydreaming about your happy place, maybe a fragrance will help you feel like you’re there?
IT’S OK CLAY (local, woman-owned)
I know I’ve already shared Katie’s work last year but her ceramic work is so beautiful, I cannot NOT share her biz again. I have now enlarged my collection with one striped mug and a pair of earrings that I am obsessed with. Go check her out, please.
KANTHA QUILTS from Kyoreder of rugs
Is it ok to fall in love with a quilt? Asking for a friend. These quilts are “handmade from pure cotton with traditional block print in India”. There are different colors and lightweight. Please don’t buy them before me, ok! (They even wash in the washing machine!) STOP IT!
The best selection of vintage and antique handmade Persian, Turkish and Moroccan Rugs. She drops new rugs on her Instagram account and has plenty of sizes. I know it’s more expensive than IKEA but it’s real wool and comes without VOCs or nasty plastics!
Sometimes you need a dedicated and portable space to do your favorite winter activity!
To keep things organized in the jewelry department too. I could use some help and this stand could do the trick.
“Engineer Prints are an easy and affordable way to fill your blank walls with unique large-scale art, and bring your most storied moments to life.”
