Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Vegan Gift Guides

We decided this year to have a very tiny Christmas. The kids aren't coming home, our grandson is out of town with his mom and her other family, we already sold our tree in anticipation of moving (still waiting), and well, funds are kind of tight. Rather than drive ourselves crazy (mostly me) with shopping, wrapping, and shipping a bunch of stuff all over the country, we decided to cut out all of that in favor of a simple little Christmas at home.

Rick and I have gotten each other one gift to open Christmas morning, because we tried zero-gifts one year, and had to admit that it made us kind of sad to have nothing. We like presents. We just can't see the sense in overspending for a family who already has everything they need. We would rather make a donation to someone like A Well Fed World, knowing it will go to someone who really needs it. (Done!)

I always think it's best to buy from local artists and crafters whenever you can, or to make your own gifts. It means more that way, and supports your own local economy. However, if you are shopping out in the world this year, you might want to do it in the greenest, most compassionate way possible. Below is my roundup of Holiday Gift Guides, where you can find all sorts of things to delight everyone on your list, vegan or not.

VegNews

From VegNews, peruse the Ultimate Green Gift Guide.

VeganCuts offers lots of lovely giftable items. And if you're stuck without ideas for a special someone on your list, you can chat with one of their Gift Gurus!

Thought Catalog has put together A Gift Guide for Your Annoying Vegan Friend. I'm not sure if I'm offended by this or not. Probably not. It could be helpful for non-vegans who think we all just sit around eating lettuce all day.

Choosing Raw has compiled a lovely Holiday Gift Guide. If I were buying stuff for lots of folks this season, I'd start here for advice.

As I mentioned above, check out A Well Fed World. What could be better than feeding people? It's where my heart is, and where you'll always know your gifting dollars are well spent. While you're there, read the article on the Top 10 Reasons to Say No to "Gift" Animals.

A Well Fed World
That should be enough to get you started, along with one little shameless plug for my BeadShop. The holiday season used to provide an important part of my annual income. Since I stopped making beads, I've had a steady stream of emails begging me to start up again. That's not going to happen, but I do still have a fair number of beads for sale, so now is the time to get them. They're vegan. I made them with my own little hands. And, yeah, I can still use the money.

Happy Shopping, Happy Giving, and Happy Holidays, how ever you choose to celebrate them!