Above: Photo by Beatriz Pérez Moya on Unsplash
Shopping Lately
Like many, I’ve started holiday shopping (and birthday, lots of December birthdays in my family) early this year given the supply chain and logistics woes. What I’ve purchased lately:
- Wool Bombas socks for family: I really like how their socks fit and they’re a solid contender so far to my beloved Smartwool
- A new Archer & Olive journal: I’ve nearly used up all my pages in my current bullet journal, and am excited to start December in a new one. I decided to opt for a brand with thicker pages to prevent any ink bleed, and love how neutrally festive this one is.
- Lady White Co Balta T for my brother: reviewed here with a comparison to Everlane’s Premium Crew.
- A custom watercolor home portrait for my parents: they are moving after 30+ years, so I commissioned a painting of their original home as a Christmas gift. There are a ton of options on Etsy! I paid more for a physical watercolor, but there are less expensive digital options like this line sketch and this digital watercolor.
And some window browsing: Jean from Extra Petite launched her line Edited Pieces last week. Very cool to see her launch her line, after following her blog for 10+ years now. The Duo Coat is similar to the classic Curated Coat (reviewed here), but about 2” shorter in length, great for petite ladies.
Partnership Disclosure: This blog post was not sponsored by any of the brands listed. As always, all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, in which I earn a commission on purchases.
Holiday Gifting Thoughts
There was a great discussion in the latest @selltradeslowfashion community thread about including sustainable and/or ethical practices during the holiday season. Lots of great ideas around gifting experiences and consumables. Two years ago, we made marmalade with lemons from our front yard, we may do the same this year for some gifts. And as a bonus, the jars are reusable as, well, jars or glasses!
I’m thinking about setting a goal of ~25% of gifts / gift components being sustainable or ethical this year. I’d also include gift cards in this category. Over the years, I’ve definitely warmed up to these as gifts. While not particularly exciting, I do think people are more likely to take time and choose something they love (and will use!), which is more sustainable than not.
What are your thoughts on the holiday season this year?
