Giving Gifts For Good
Giving Gifts For Good
The holiday shopping frenzy has started! As much as I love new shoes, fashion, and jewelry, malls during the holidays are not where I want to spend my time.
What always makes me happy is buying beautifully-made, high-quality items that give back and help make the world a better place to live.
So this year, I thought I would share a list of my favorite ways to buy gifts for good. If you have a favorite gift-for-good idea, please share it in the comments.
Special discount codes below!
1. LXMI – I would bathe in this cream if I could. It melts into your skin and feels amazing. I just signed up for an annual subscription because I love to save money and I know I won’t run out! Try both – pure Nilotica and the Nilotica melt with this 40 percent off coupon valid Black Friday to Cyber Monday 2017 (November 24-27) only! Code: BLACKFRIDAY – one word, all caps.
LXMI was founded by Leila Janah, social entrepreneur who lives by the ethos that giving work is the ultimate solution to global poverty. She is also the founder of Samasource, a social enterprise that helps people lift themselves out of poverty through digital work.
2. Little Lotus – For all of the babies in your life, this baby wrap is gold. I gave one to a cousin when her baby was born and she told me that with him wearing it, it was the first time he slept through the night. Founder Jane Chenreinvented the baby incubator with Embrace Innovations and has already saved more than 200,000 lives. Using the same NASA technology, Jane brings it to Little Lotus so your baby sleeps better. Every purchase helps a baby in a developing country. I am so excited that I have a very special friend with a new baby so I get to share another one. This code gets you 20 percent off through December 31: MONICASFAV20
3. Solo Eyewear – Look stylish and give others the gift of seeing. An amazing combination, right? If you haven’t seen these sunglasses, check them out. The designs are beautiful and eco-friendly. The sunglasses are made from repurposed bamboo and recycled plastic. With every purchase, Solo restores vision for a person in need. Simply fabulous! Discount code: “SparkSale” for 20 percent off!
4. The Coaching Fellowship – I am a founding coach of The Coaching Fellowship and am so inspired by the fellows and the founder, Jane Finette, and grateful to be part of this program. The fellowship community is made up of nonprofit leaders, impact entrepreneurs, activists, rocket scientists, artists and more – all young women leaders of impact dedicating their lives to building the world of tomorrow today. If you want to help change the gender gap and get more women into leadership, this is one way to do it. Donate to help give the gift of coaching to women who are changing the world.
5. Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery – Get out of the malls and support your local, small businesses. My favorite Lafayette, CA small business is the Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery. Founder Jennifer Perlmutter brings opportunities for artists to share their work, create community, and bring joy to your home. This place is amazing! Support the arts and support your community. Come into the gallery during holiday hours Tuesday – Thursday, 12-6 pm. Don’t miss the Small Things holiday show. Address: 3620 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette CA 94549
6. FARMcurious – Sharing time together is one of the best gifts you can give. I love giving memberships to museums and art organizations as well as performances. Think of giving tickets to a show or annual tickets to a museum. One of my favorite experiences this year was the Three Cheeses with Wine cheese-making class by FARMcurious. If you can’t make a class, check out their other products and services to help you on your way to becoming an urban homesteader. Nicole Kramer Easterday is an amazing person who wants to help people produce their own food, reduce their ecological footprint and eat seasonally and sustainably without abandoning their urban lifestyles. Use code “SPL15” for 15 percent off classes at FARMcurious.
7. Donate in someone’s name to their favorite charity. The important part in gift-giving is not in donating to your favorite charity, but to the favorite charity of the person for whom you are donating. If you don't know, ask. Say, "hey, I would like to make a donation to your favorite charity on your behalf." I'm sure that person would be happy to let you know. This is an excellent option for corporate gift-giving where there may be rules prohibiting others from accepting gifts.
This list could be pages long. There are so many people doing amazing things to make the world a better place. However you find that, through arts, food, fashion, or whatever it may be, I hope this list has inspired you a little bit to share in the joy of the holidays.