2021 Christmas Gift Guide (ad)

This post contains items gifted in exchange for review and inclusion, however all opinions remain my own. Please know I would never include an item I didn’t love myself.

It’s nearly December, so I thought it was about time I released my Christmas gift guide for the year that has been 2021. It’s been an odd year I think for all of us, adjusting back into a semi-normal life, but I hope Christmas will be just as magical as ever. If you haven’t already, make sure you head over to my very small, small business gift guide, where I highlight 5 small businesses you should consider buying from this year.

Today’s post features lots of lovely brands that I have had the pleasure of trying out recently. I’ve tried to cover lots of different interests and ideas – enjoy!

Echor Sleep Wellness journal

Launched during lockdown, Echor is a brand that is passionate about mental health and helping people create a relaxing evening routine, and have created products to help aid a restful nights sleep.

All products are vegan, cruelty free and eco-friendly. For example, their pillow mist is housed in a reusable glass bottle and the journal has been created with sustainably sourced paper, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

They have a wide range of products available, including pillow mists, blankets, eye masks and candles. One of my favourite products is the End Of Day Wellness Journal, which has been created to help reduce stress and anxiety. This is a semi-guided notebook that explains the benefits of some powerful psychological mindfulness exercises including gratitude, affirmations and reflections with prompts to consider each throughout.  

This journal is housed in a lovely, premium gift box which doubles up as a place to store the book when not in use. This would make a really lovely gift for a loved one this Christmas.

PrimaBerry London

PrimaBerry is a UK based, sustainable clothing and accessories company that caters for everyone – men, women and children. They have a huge range of items that are all inspired by the diversity and culture of multiple countries around the globe. PrimaBerry use environmentally friendly materials and methods where possible and avoid using plastic as much as they can. They are also involved in national and international volunteering projects, and they donate 5% of profits to causes and projects mainly related to education and animal welfare.

There are a huge range of gifts available, including many under £15. These include bamboo socks, umbrellas and cork notebooks. My absolute favourite design is the ‘Fashionista Cat‘, which I think would be perfect for any cat lovers out there. I recently tried out a few of these items and I’m so blown away by the quality and detail of them.

Wuka sustainable period products

Wuka (Wake Up Kick Ass) is a sustainable period pants brand that completely replaces the need for single use disposable tampons and pads. One of their goals is to break the taboo and stigma surrounding period talk and body shame. They provide a variety of different underwear styles and flows to suit everyone’s needs, which are also sustainable and eco-friendly. Wuka believe that periods should not cost the earth, and are on a mission to ensure sustainable lifestyles are accessible to all. They replace plastic-riddled disposable pads and tampons with the world’s most comfortable and sustainable period underwear. Their sizing is very inclusive, going up to a ladies 26.

I’ve been trying out the Ultimate Midi Brief for medium flow, and honestly I was so impressed with the performance. The first thing I noticed was how comfortable they were to wear. The quality of the fabric is amazing, they didn’t dig in anywhere and they also don’t give big pant lines under my trousers. I felt really secure in them and didn’t feel like they were going to leak or ‘overfill’ in the slightest. I love that they do varied styles as well, such as thongs or high-waisted, so you can get some to suit any need.

As well as sustainable period pants, Wuka also sell period accessories such as this wearable hot water bottle. I’ve tried this out during that time of the month and it’s so good to help sooth some of those aches and cramps. I’m not a huge sufferer of cramps, but I always get the achy lower back and this hot water bottle helped massively. What I love about this is that you don’t have to stay tucked up on your sofa with a normal hot water bottle – you can tie it around your tummy and carry on with your daily business. It’s got a really snuggly fleece cover so feels lovely to have against you. They also have available a ‘First Period Pack’ which are really popular amongst parents and young adults. This includes a book that explains the period process to younger readers, and there’s also the option to select an autism-friendly version which I think is just amazing and really inclusive. These would make great Christmas gifts this year.

Umodzi Gin 

Alcohol is always a great place to start when it comes to gift giving. Buying someone a really beautifully crafted bottle of gin – which they might not normally treat themselves to – is always a winner in my books. This where Umodzi Gin comes in.

Umodzi – meaning unity or togetherness in Chichewa – is a brand new, sophisticated, luxurious sugarcane gin infused with the finest flavours from across the continent of Africa. It combines flavours from a dozen African countries – from mangoes grown on the shores of Lake Malawi to ginger from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The branding was designed in Ghana and it is distilled and bottled in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The gin has just launched here in the UK, and is based on sugarcane which is incredibly popular in Malawi, from where the name originated. This is truly one of the most sleek and unique bottles of gin I’ve ever seen, and the striking design of the bottle was also born in Africa. It’s made from recycled glass that can be recycled again over and over, but for me I think this is a bottle I’m not going to want to throw away. It could make a great decorative piece for a bar cart or drinks display, or even as a vase for some flowers. The design just screams ‘man-cave’ to me!

This gin is available to buy on the Umodzi website, as well as Amazon and eBay.

Veo sustainable snack hamper

Veo is a sustainable lifestyle shopping platform for independent brands and products, with gifts available across fashion, beauty, food & drink, and home. They have gift boxes available to suit pretty much anyone, such as the self-care beauty box or the food and drink snack box.

In the food and drink snack box you can expect to find:

• The Cocoa Concept – a cocoa husk tea made with the outer shell of the cocoa bean, a by-product that would normally go to waste.
• Pentire Adrift Botanical non-alcholic spirit – capturing the unique botanical flavours of the North Cornwall headland.
• Creative Nature Gnawbles – a 100% natural, vegan and allergen-free snack.
• Bodyhero Protein Powder – a delicious, natural and clean plant based protein to support muscle growth and recovery.
• Mr Popple’s chocolate bar – a tasty, high-quality chocolate that is kind to the planet, kind to the farmers and kind to you.

There are so many other lovely products available on the Veo website so make sure to pop over and have a look!

Identity Lingerie

I think a beautiful underwear set would make a lovely gift, and Identity Lingerie have some gorgeous pieces available. These are all handmade on demand so there is no unsold items being destroyed. The lingerie pieces available looks stunning and really well made. They also look really flattering on any shape and size, and they have colours that will compliment any skin tone.

They also have a range of dressing gowns, which I can confirm are one of the softest, most luxurious dressing gowns I’ve ever worn. They’re great for when you want to be cosy but still look like you’re a bit more put together. They’re a really lovely length – as I’ve found most silky dressing gowns come up a bit short – and they also don’t fall open at the front to expose everything! These would make lovely Christmas gifts if you know someone who likes that little bit of luxury in their lives.

Sea For Yourself Co.

If you know someone who is looking to become more sustainable and make some eco-friendly swaps, this is the place to go. They create some lovely cutlery sets, straws and toothbrushes – all made from bamboo. Bamboo is a natural sustainable material that grows at a very fast rate making it a great plastic alternative. 

My favourite item from the collection is the bamboo cutlery and straw set, which includes a fork, knife and spoon, and comes in a lovely patterned cotton pouch. I’ve found this incredibly handy to pop in my bag for work for when I need to have lunch on the go. It saves getting a plastic disposable set from the shop which I always find really small and flimsy, and always end up making a mess.

These sets are also biodegradable, so once you’ve used them to death they can go into the compost or recycling. The packaging they are sent out in is made from Kraft paper which can go straight into the recycling, which I think is a fantastic touch.

Earthy nail polish

I feel like nail varnish is always a good way to go and make lovely stocking fillers. I really love these nail polishes by the brand Earthy Nail Polish. I’ve tried out a whole range of shades in the past and I really love them. They last really well and there are so many beautiful shades available. They are also vegan friendly which of course I love.

And there you have it! The first of my 2021 gift guides. I’ll be back in a week or so with the next instalment – a last minute gift guide for when you need to get something on the quick!

Until next time.

XOX