The holiday season is accompanied by a frenzy of consumption and a mad dash for the best deals. We need to take a step back and assess our responsibility to shop as sustainably and ethically as possible this season. Support small businesses, support marginalized groups, be kind to the planet. That is the true spirit of giving!
As a company that is committed to caring for the planet, our greater community and farmers, and caring for you and your well-being, we want to use this holiday season to focus on giving with intention, which is why we’ve created this list of tips to consider while you’re planning your month.
SHOP SMALL BUSINESSES
As a consumer, we have the power to support what we believe in. With the advent of coronavirus, many have realized the importance of shopping small and supporting local businesses, because without them, we lose a lot of what makes our towns and cities so special. For small businesses, this upcoming winter is going to be a long one, with many relying on the holiday season to make up for some lost time in sales in order to boost them through to whenever virus numbers are down.
Some of our favorite types of small businesses to support are:
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Local artists – gifting art can be a very personal thing, but if you know one of your loved one’s favorite artists or art styles, gifting an art piece can be an amazing gift that has a much longer lifespan than others. Even non-local artists and artisans like found on Etsy can have great unique, handmade gifts that add a more personal touch.
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Local restaurants – many restaurants are struggling to stay afloat and so gifting a gift card to a favorite restaurant is a great way to support them while also giving someone an enjoyable, more experiential gift. If you’re feeling more creative, you can even add onto that an experiential element where you plan a special themed dinner for them and food from that restaurant is just a part of it. A gift like that is sure to create fun shared memories.
CONSIDER GIFTING EXPERIENCES OVER PRODUCTS
Going off the last tip, this is a great way to be more sustainable. Do you have those family members you just never know what to get? Maybe they tell you they don’t want anything or that they already have everything, but either way you are always stumped when it comes time to get them a gift. Going the experiential route is a great way to give the gift of a fun memory versus a tangible present. It often requires more planning and sometimes more thinking, but the pay-off is always greater in the end. Oftentimes, we don’t really need anything new, although we may want that cool-looking Chemex coffee maker or heated blanket, we would probably be just fine without them and much better off spending time with the loved ones we can spend time with right now, doing something different and fun for a change.
SUPPORT BIPOC AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES
Along with supporting small businesses, it is also vital to support black and indigenous owned and women owned businesses this season. Supporting these types of small businesses owned by marginalized groups is important for the sake of representation and diversity in the economy. As a consumer, it is important to be conscious of where you are investing your money – is it in people you believe in? People you want to support? Our founder, Lucy Ashman is a woman of color and Tierra & Lava is a proudly women owned and operated business. We also support local indigenous farmers by sourcing our ingredients from them, which helps preserve the Mayan traditions they often are the sole keepers of. Preserving this culture and its traditions is something that is vitally important to us, and when you buy our products, you are directly supporting that. That is why being a conscious consumer is so important, because not only are you supporting a dream, but in some instances, you are actually supporting cultural preservation and perseverance.
GIFT SUSTAINABLY
Our favorite (and easiest) way to wrap presents is to use brown recycled/ recyclable craft paper, twine, and some sort of sprig of a plant – either pine, eucalyptus, or rosemary, for a rustic but put-together look. This method of wrapping gifts is very sustainable, as the materials are reusable or recyclable and mostly natural. Unfortunately, many wrapping papers are not even recyclable because they use multiple different materials that cannot be separated in order to properly recycle them. Getting creative with craft paper is a beautiful and sustainable way to gift presents.
Tip – our serum’s and soap samplers come in their own uniquely hand-woven cloth bags, so they don’t need any wrapping! They make fantastic gifts and stocking stuffers.
EAT YOUR VEGGIES!
This season is usually a time of indulgence – indulgence in foods, good company, rest, it’s probably the reason why many call it “the most wonderful time of the year.” However, the indulgence in meat and dairy that often occurs heavily around this time of year is linked to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that contribute to pollution and global warming, and even have adverse health effects on you. What many may not know is that vegetarian or vegan foods can just as easily be made into delicious comfort meals that allow you to indulge but more healthily and responsibly.
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An easy vegan treat that also doubles as a great gift for friends and family (or your own tastebuds) is roasted walnut-stuffed dates. This recipe is literally two steps – just pit some medjool dates (or any kind of date) and put one walnut (or pecan) halves in each date and place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. The end result is a delicious sweet, simultaneously gooey and crunchy healthy treat that works well as an appetizer.
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We’ve provided a great vegan mushroom wellington recipe from Veggie Society below that is a crowd favorite savory holiday dish that contains delicious nutrient-rich ingredients that taste amazing.
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