inexpensive healthy holiday gift ideas (2020 gift guide)

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This is going to be a different holiday experience this year because I won’t be having family over for brunch or gifts. One of my favorite things about this season is watching people open the gifts I give them and seeing their expression of surprise and delight when they receive a gift they like, and wouldn’t buy themselves. Since being the healthiest we can be is especially important this year, due to stress, cold weather, flu season and COVID-19, I’m ordering all my gifts online, and choosing presents that will reduce the amount of toxins in the environment.

I haven’t decided exactly whom I’m going to give what, but these brands and products are much cleaner than what’s typically sold in stores, are priced well (all under $40), are from small business owners, or from companies that care about people and the environment, or I just really like the product.

The best gifts don’t have to be expensive, it’s knowing what someone in interested in, and getting a gift you can afford and they would enjoy. Here’s my top picks for the ladies, moms, dads, men, fitness enthusiasts, weight lifters, the people that are hard to shop for, and those that like to read and cook.

For the ladies

A one-stop shop that carries, green beauty, healthier skin-care and make-up, that also cruelty-free, paraben and phthalates-free, from numerous brands is

https://www.thedetoxmarket.com/

They have so much to choose from, it can be overwhelming. If you’re looking for a present, check out their gift baskets: https://www.thedetoxmarket.com/pages/holiday-gift-guide-2020

I’ve had a hard time finding the right moisturizer for my face, until now. Lotions are either too heavy, too light, make me break out, or smell weird. This vitamin C moisturizer is fragrance free, adds just the right amount of hydration, contains no parabens or color additives, and is affordable at $19.99 https://gopurebeauty.com/collections/individual-products/products/gopure-vitamin-c-day-moisturizer-deep-hydration-with-jojoba-oil-shea-butter-vitamins-c-b5

Ecologically friendly plant-based NAIL POLISHES from Hype. Order their adorable $20 gift set of four (not shown) before it runs out from https://hypenail.com/collections/gift-sets

Another brand that contains fewer chemicals, is eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the USA is Ella Milla. Their nail polish is $10.50 and most shades require 2-3 coats in addition to a top coat.

I’m wearing Pixie Dusk, which is a clear polish with silver glitter. This doesn’t need a base coat or a top coat. I’m wearing two coats of this polish, which lasts a week (sometimes even longer) https://www.ellamila.com/products/pixie-dust?_pos=1&_sid=2d0ba90cd&_ss=r

Instead of roses that don’t last, how about a lavender bouquet? These aromatic plants are made with 100% English lavender, which results in a much sweeter and pleasant fragrance. You can order these beautiful bouquets, that range from $10-$30, by a small business: Nature’s ZEAL. Jennifer is the owner of this small organic lavender/honey/maple syrup farm, located in central Michigan. Place your order by phone 517-699-4319 or email jkhehl@gmail.com

Nature’s ZEAL also sells these other lavender products: essential oil  $10-$20, pillow spray  $14, body mist $10, bar soap $7, body wash $12, lip balm $3.50, organic raw honey -$12, organic maple syrup  $20. Support this female entrepreneur by placing your order by phone 517-699-4319 or email jkhehl@gmail.com

For the person who has everything

If you want to grow back some of the hair you’ve lost, have dandruff or you like scalp massages, this funny looking tool helps remove dead skin cells. We have one for each of us at home. You can use it to massage your scalp with shampoo on your head in the shower, but if you have long curly tangled hair like mine, I use it after I put on a deep conditioner, and gently push the brush up into my scalp (my head is so much cleaner now!).

Heeta Shampoo Brush, 2-Pack Upgraded Wet and Dry Hair Scalp Massager Brush with Soft Silicone Hair Brush for Women, Men, Pets (Black & Purple) [affiliate link]

This peppermint liquid hand soap (I have this on my bathroom counter) from https://www.drbronner.com/ smells like candy canes and it doesn’t dry my hands like traditional soap does. It’s $10.99 for 12 ounces. What I like about this brand, in addition to quality products, is that they treat their employees well, use recycled materials, support living wages, and is involved in animal advocacy.

When I put too much toothpaste on my toothbrush, it makes me gag. Did you know that you’re not supposed to swallow traditional toothpaste, not even a little bit? These heathy toothpastes contain 70% organic ingredients, are vegan, cruelty free, and without artificial flavors and colors. The spearmint tastes like spearmint gum, and the anise flavor tastes like liquorish. $6.49 for 5 ounces https://shop.drbronner.com/products/anise-all-one-toothpaste

With the cold weather, dry lips are a sure thing. One of my favorite lip balms is lemon-lime lip balm from Dr. Bronner. It’s so much better than Chapstick, which is made with petroleum…gross). Theirs is made from organic jojoba and avocado oil. A single balm is $2.95. Their gift set of four is $8.79 https://shop.drbronner.com/collections/gifts-samplers/products/joy-4-pack-lip-balms

For the baker

For the baker, this alcohol-free, certified organic, pure vanilla extract is the tastiest and cleanest I’ve found. You want an alcohol-free vanilla extract in your raw desserts and smoothies, otherwise it will have a strong alcohol flavor. My favorite from is from Simply Organic. It’s pricey at $12.49, but it made my list of affordable healthy gifts https://www.simplyorganic.com/simply-organic-non-alcoholic-vanilla-flavoring-2-fl-oz/ 

For the person who loves to bake, but is trying to eat healthier, order this whole-food desserts cookbook: It’s $14.95, and 90% of the recipes are vegan. No sugar, flour or dairy is in any of the recipes:

For the person that wants to lose weight

For those who want to lose weight, but don’t like diets, and wants flexibility, using a food diary to track what you eat, results in better food choices and fat loss. Support small female business women, by ordering the book for $15.95 (that’s me!)   

For the person who wants to lose weight, reverse disease and autoimmune conditions, and/or, go dairy-free and is looking for dairy-free recipes, this whole-food, dairy-free cookbook of mine for $16.15 is the perfect gift:

For the weight lifter

I use these resistance bands for leg curls, biceps curls, front raises, lateral shoulder raises, and front shoulder raises. TheFitLife Exercise Resistance Bands with Handles, which includes 5 Fitness Workout Bands, Training Tubes with Large Handles, Ankle Straps, Door Anchor Attachment, Carry Bag was under $25 last time I checked on Amazon [affiliate link below]

This 300 page weightlifting record book tracks progress, includes sample workouts, and over 200 of the best strengthening exercises. $15.99  

No butt workout is complete without a glute band, here’s one that gives you lots of options and will work for anyone regardless of strength because of it’s light resistance (scroll towards the bottom of the shopping page for the NT Loop mini red band. It’s on sale for the holidays for $10.

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