If your Christmas shopping list involves buying gifts which are practical, thought-provoking and useful in some way, this short but sweet alternative edit is here to give you a couple of ideas!
Reusable Coffee Cups and Drinks Bottles
Whilst many of us have already got the memo about ditching single-use plastic drinks cups and bottles, there are still some people who haven't gotten around to buying an alternative yet. Fret not! You can give them a helping hand in the right direction by gifting them their very own reusable coffee cup or bottle, and help save millions of tons of unnecessary single-use waste from going to landfill every year. Loads of shops sell them on the high street, supermarkets stock them, and I even found them by the till recently at my local petrol station, so they're super easy to find and pick up.
Diversity Books Subscription
There are lots of book subscription boxes out there, but one that I've been particularly taken with recently is a newbie called Heady Mix. Heady Mix focuses on showcasing characters and writers from underrepresented groups including women, race, disabilities, LGBTQI+ and more, which is a great way to promote diversity whilst finding something new and interesting to read.
They have a range of subscription options depending on how much you want to spend each month, with prices starting at just £12 (including UK postage). In the photo above is their October Heady Mix box* themed on Afrofuturism, which includes two novels and a specially compiled anthology. Sign up here.
Kid-Friendly Stockings - Bamboo Toothbrushes
I've seen a recent trend on social media of parents shunning the typical plastic consumer 'tat' that are marketed at their kids, and instead, making them a Christmas stocking which is full of useful products to help kickstart family conversations about the importance of protecting the environment. With so many young kids being more aware of the problems that the world is facing these days thanks to movements like Extinction Rebellion and programmes such as Blue Planet, I think it's a pretty cool idea!
One item that you can include in their stocking is the much-loved bamboo toothbrush. This sustainable, biodegradable, plastic-free alternative helps to represent how easy it is to change daily habits with just one product. And again, this is an easy item to shop for on the high street or online.
The Healthy Tea Gift
To round off this edit I wanted to include something that I will always appreciate receiving myself and that's tea! Matcha Green Tea is perhaps the healthiest tea that you can find and it's packed full of heart-healthy antioxidants which have a wide range of proven benefits. It also gives you a boost of energy but has a much lower caffeine content than regular coffee, so you can avoid those annoying post-coffee jitters! Try making a classic Matcha Latte (recipe here) or use some in baking and treat yourself to these delicious Matcha Green Tea & Lemon Breakfast Muffins (recipe here).
The perfect starter kit is this Pure Chimp Matcha Green Tea Gift Set* (£29.95, link) which comprises of a full-size jar of their excellent Matcha Green Tea, a stainless steel measuring spoon and a bamboo whisk and holder.
Are you shopping for useful and practical Christmas gifts this year?
