Gorgeous Christmas Gift Ideas

November 19, 2015 · 6 Comments

Gorgeous Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas shopping can be emotional, expensive and exhausting.

Never fear! I am here with a round-up of the best natural and new age gifts for Christmas. Grab a cuppa or a wine, sit back on your couch, browse and shop. Too easy.

Actually this gift guide sort of accidentally, maybe on purpose turned into my Christmas wish list. My birthday is five days after Christmas so I have even more chances of getting lucky!

What is on your Christmas Wish List???

♥ The Jojoba Company Starter Pack

Beautifully gift boxed, this starter pack from The Jojoba Company has a sample of some of their most popular products. Ideal to try them out yourself or introduce someone else to the magic of jojoba oil! I love everything I try of this range and it really has improved my skin. Life long fan here!

You can get it in pharmacies or health food stores or you can buy online here.

♥ Happi Gratitude Journal

My all-time favourite gratitude journal by the very talented Fran at Happi Empire. Beautifully designed, it has various prompts, quotes and inspiration for your daily gratitude.

Get it from Fran here.

♥ Fressko Drink Flasks

These are fabulous! They keep drinks hot or cold for hours as they are double walled and still cool to touch. I love the inbuilt infuser for my loose leaf tea. I just make up a brew before I leave home and sip on it throughout the day – it sure beats buying hot drinks and it’s eco-friendly. They look so stylish as well. You can get a few different sizes and also one in stainless steel with a bamboo finish too.

Get them online here.

♥ Hot Air Ballooning

If you have never been hot air ballooning, you are missing out on a wonderful experience! I went many years ago over the Cairns hinterland and I still remember the beautiful feeling of serenity and peace floating up above the earth. It’s pretty magical!

You can get vouchers for hot air ballooning all around the country online here.

♥ Mortar and Pestle

A mortar and pestle makes a great gift for any foodie. They are so handy in the kitchen – this one is so funky and it’s affordable too. Made from porcelain and bamboo.

Get it online here

♥ Radiation Protection Ipad Case

I actually bought this for my daughter a few weeks ago. It’s a beautiful black leather case that protects you from radiation emissions. There is a massive 50% off the Cellsafe brand for phone (we also have these!) and ipad cases at the moment too.

Shop online here.

♥ Fermented Book

Fermenting is making a come-back but a lot of us don’t know how to make these traditional foods. They do require a little bit of knowledge to get just right. This beginner’s guide will give you everything you need to know about sourdough, yoghurt, kimchi, kefir, kombucha and more.

Get it here.

Stocking Stuffers:

These little gifts are great for stocking stuffers, secret Santas or just for small gifts!

♥ Dindi Hemp Soap Saver

This crocheted hemp soap saver bag comes with a natural soap bar. No nasties – just beautiful natural ingredients and essential oils. The hemp does not rot and will last ages and ages – it’s particularly great for filling with all those little bits of soap so you don’t waste them.

Get it online here.

♥ Love Chai Tea

Love Chai is one of my all time favourite tea brands! They are a small, Aussie owned business and formulated by naturopath Emma Watson. I love that they are all organic and loose leaf so there is no need to worry about toxic teabags.

Get the range online here.

♥ Firelighter

You will never need matches or a lighter again with this magnesium striker that works in any weather and at any altitude. Made in Sweden, it also has an inbuilt emergency whistle. A very practical gift that is sure to also be a talking point!

Get it online here.

♥ Eye pillow

These are the most amazing things ever! Made with natural cotton, flaxseeds and lavender oil, the gentle pressure is soothing on your eyes. A really lovely relaxation experience.

Get them online here.

Where to shop?

Biome Eco Stores for all things good for the planet

Emporio Organico for a huge range of all things natural and eco-luxe

{parts of this article are sponsored and contain affiliate links}

25 Homemade Real Food Gifts

November 7, 2014 · 25 Comments

25 Homemade Real Food Gifts

How special is it to get handmade goodies?

I think it’s great that people take time and effort to make things with love.

You don’t have to be a cooking whizz or crafty. Just grab some pretty jars from the opshop and spend a couple of hours in the kitchen with the kids. Whip up a few treats and then jazz up your jars with a little raffia, ribbon or string and a homemade tag and there you go: gifts sorted! For a more susbstantial gift, combine a few homemade treats in a cute basket or wrap in an beautiful tea towel. Cheap, eco-friendly and made with love.

What more could you want?

Here are 25 real food (because we don’t want to feed our loved ones fake food) ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Just click on the link under the photo for the recipes. Enjoy.

Taco Seasoning mix

(my friend Iwa from Additive Free Bites made my recipe in pretty jars)

Crio Mac (chocolate macadamia toffee)

Vanilla Essence from Cyndi at Changing Habits.

Bacon Jam from Helene at Super Kitchen Machine

Spelt and Almond Cantucci from Jo at Quirky Cooking

Choc Hazel Bliss Balls – a healthy version of Ferrero Rochers!

Flavoured Salts (thermomix) from Cooking with Tenina.

Honey Nougat from Jodi at Hot Pink Chilli

Preserved Lemons from Bead Recipes

Chocolate Coated Nuts – the healthy way!

Buckwheat Granola from Jo at Quirky Cooking.

Chai Tea from The Kitchn

Spiced Fig and Ginger Bread from Alexx Stuart.

Healthy White Christmas

Healthy Homemade Milo

Ginger Candy from Alexx Stuart

Choc Hazelnut Spread from Jo at Quirky Cooking

Beetroot Relish from Iwa at Additive Free Bites.

Chai Spiced Honey Biscuits from Jane at Marinya Cottage Kitchen

Salted Choc and Almond Fudge from Collette at Cut out the Crap

Mango Curry Chilli Chutney from Alexx Stuart.

Easy Marshmallows from Quirky Cooking

Cheese Crackers from Georgia at Well Nourished

HOT TIP! Bec from 4 My Earth covers her homemade goodies with her extra small food cover. They are reusable and eco-friendly alternatives to plastic wrap. They make a great little extra to add on to your homemade gift. Super cute!! You can find them here.

Do you make handmade real food gifts? Share your links and recipes with us!

10 DIY Christmas Gifts to Make with Love!

November 8, 2012 · 47 Comments

10 DIY Christmas Gifts to Make with Love!

I have put a challenge out to my family this year.

We have to make, with our very own hands, one gift for each other for Christmas!

This challenge was met with shock, then laughter and disbelief. When the hoo-ha had died down and they realized I was serious, their brains started ticking over and then ……… they started getting excited!

Trying to avoid the commercialism of Christmas time without being a Grinch is a pretty fine line. But this year, getting back to basics and making something with love for each other might just be the answer.

Now, DIY gifts may seem a bit daggy. But if you have been browsing Pinterest lately, you will soon see that DIY can be very funky, stylish and not all that hard, even for a creatively-challenged person like me!

We have all sorts of ideas lined up and I wanted to share a few with you that I have found with thanks to the wonderful world wide web.

Of course, I am going with natural and new age theme!

Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub

Simply mix 2 1/2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and a few drops of essential oils. Any of the citrus oils would go beautifully with this. For the full tutorial, go here. Put it into a pretty jar with some ribbon, a cute spoon and a home-made tag. Wonderful!

Christmas Tea

Oh how I love my tea and I also love these cute jars from Ikea, which I have a zillion of! I am looking forward to making some of this blend up for family and friends. Choose organic black tea and organic spices for extra goodness. Find some pretty Christmas ribbon and make some tags or find some free printable tags online.

Quote Crockery

This very cool idea has been going viral on Pinterest and Facebook. I can’t wait to try it. I can imagine all my favourite quotes on a whole dinner set! Draw some of the kid’s favourite characters with coloured Sharpies onto plates or a funny moustache for Dad onto a mug. The ideas are endless. Check out your local op shop for some white crockery and get into it! Go here to see how to do it.

Photo candles

How beautiful is this idea I found on Pinterest? I couldn’t find the original website, but the instructions were on the pin. Use glass vases (try the op shop!) Then print out your black and white photos on vellum (from a scrapbooking store or Spotlight) and glue them (or use double sided tape) to the outside of the vase. Add a soy tealight candle and you have a beautiful and heart-warming gift for family and friends!

Oil Diffuser

I love my aromatherapy oils! First, get yourself some good quality oils (check out the ones at Twenty 8). Then all you need is a pretty jar or bottle (try the op shop), some bamboo skewers and a carrier oil like almond or jojoba. I have also seen it done with twigs from the garden for a really rustic look. Go here to see how it’s done.

Aromatherapy Playdough

I used to make this all the time when my cherubs were little, but with a little imagination, it transforms beautifully into a special gift. Make a whole set of play dough, each with their own natural colour and scent! Use Hoppers natural food colouring and good quality oils so you know your littlies will be safe. You can even name them fun things, make labels and package in some upcycled containers. Go here to see how it’s done.

Upcycled Jewellery Rack

How sweet is this!! Find a piece of driftwood or old bit of wood you have lying around. Go to the opshop or hardware store and find some cute door knobs. Attach. I even think I could manage to do this one! You could make it a coat or tie rack for the men in your life using slightly more masculine knobs (ooh that sounded a bit rude). Get creative! Go here for the details.

Upcycled Tyre Swing.

A seriously cute and budget friendly idea for the kids. Get an old tyre, paint, attach hooks and chain and find a tree. Lots of fun! Go here for the info.

Okay, so that is some of the very funky and clever ideas I have found so far! We still have a few weeks to go until the fat man arrives, so we are busy thinking and plotting and planning. I am really pleased at how fun this is turning out to be!

I would love to hear from you. Do you make handmade gifts for Christmas? Do you have any more ideas or links to share with us?