If you’ve been a follower of Pelican House for some time you likely already know I’m not into the consumptive side of the holiday season. It may seem counter productive for someone who owns a business to not jump on the holiday shopping bandwagon but it has never felt in line with my values to promote mindless consumption in the name of a holiday (or at all for that matter). This doesn’t mean that I don’t like to partake in our cultural tradition of exchanging gifts this time of year, I just don’t like the idea of buying someone something just to buy them something. Nor do I think it should be the focal point of the holiday traditions. But we can still partake in the tradition of gifting, in a more thoughtful and eco minded way by. This time of year is crucial for most small businesses, especially for those that donate proceeds to benefit organizations, so a little mindful holiday shopping can be a really beautiful thing. Here’s some quick tips for mindful gift giving :
- Don’t overdo it– choose quality over quantity
- Support local (or small online) business
- Give responsibly made/sourced gifts
- Do a family or friends gift exchange by drawing names so each person gets and gives one gift
- Remember that a gift doesn’t have to be a physical object for consumption, get creative!
Gift giving is an energetic exchange, so shouldn’t the energetic quality of the gift itself be important? We give gifts for the pure joy, the surprise, the feelings of being appreciated and seen by our loved ones and vice versa. And nothing gives more of the feels than a gift full of heart that was made with intention and respect. If you are buying physical gifts this year, here is a list of businesses that create with the fullest hearts, and do so with reciprocity and respect for mother Earth!
Mother of the Moon
Mother of the Moon is the beautiful creation of Austin based Cayce Matteoli. She uses her gorgeous hand drawn art and lettering in a rad little collection of items made to bring the good vibes. My favorites include the insanely cool foil stickers (perfect for stocking stuffers!), essential oil candles, original art prints, and bandanas. If you’re a Schitt’s Creek fan, be sure to check out the “Ew, David!” gift wrap paper… so good! Cayce’s art is truly magic, and you’ll surely find something made with love for the gold dust woman (or man) in your life. Find her shop at www.shopmotherofthemoon.com or on Etsy here | Instagram @mother.ofthe.moon
Mountainside Made
Mountainside can only be described as an embodiment of it’s creator, Amber Duncan– an impeccably skillful and creative jeweler, a curious playful mind, a kind and loving soul, a lover of the mystical, and always down for an outdoor adventure. Her jewelry is all handmade with intention and responsible materials, inspired by travel and tradition, and her passion and warm nature can be felt and seen in every piece she creates. Amber has expanded her original jewelry company into a treasure trove of a general store nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Mountainside brings a rustic aesthetic into modern times with items that strive to be timeless, cherished pieces. I highly recommend checking out her general store full of beautiful and curious finds from other eco friendly makers. If you don’t live in the area don’t worry, you can find all of her goods (and jewelry) in her online shop as well. Be sure to click through each tab under “general store” to explore the wide variety of curated goods. You’ll find something for everyone, and I especially love to find gifts for dudes here. Find her shop at www.mountainsidemade.com | Instagram @mountainside_made
Brick and mortar: 6235 HIGHWAY 9 FELTON, CALIFORNIA | Hours: W-Sun 12–6pm
Anato
Anato is an organic, zero waste, “forest to face” skincare brand created by Céline Jennison. Céline’s passion for sustainability and outdoor adventure has shaped every part of Anato. You can fall in love with her products, knowing that they are locally crafted using only regenerative or responsibly sourced organic ingredients (many of which are grown and harvested by Céline herself), are packaged with zero waste solutions, and have been field tested for maximum efficacy. I have seen first-hand how well these products work, as Céline always has the most GORGEOUS complexion and hair! I personally love the kelp-forest mask which comes in the cutest glass bottle with a cork. I also cannot survive winter without the Tree Balm which is the ONLY thing that instantly soothes and heals my dry lips, nose, and hands in dry climate (the perfect stocking stuffer!). Be sure to check out the Zero Waste Voyager kit, which includes the kelp mask and has the perfect selection of skincare for the plastic-free mermaid in your life. Céline was so kind as to offer our readers 20% off, use code PELICANHOUSE. Shop Anato online here www.anatolife.com | Instagram @anatolife
De La Terra
De La Terra brings you swoon-worthy botanically dyed clothing, accessories, and home decor. Everything is made in small batches by hand from start to sun-dried finish right here in California. A variety of dye techniques are used to create unique textile designs — I especially love the wraps which can be worn and used in many different ways. They are perfect for beach lovers, to wear as a sarong over swimwear or as a head scarf! I also adore her silk scroll wall hangings, each one is a unique piece of art. Find De La Terra online here www.delaterratextiles.com | Instagram @delaterra_
Ginger June Candle Co.
Ginger June is an eco conscious candle and beauty brand created by Cass Collins. Her conversation candles give a sassy twist to eco friendly candles with cute and funny label designs such as “Calm your tits”, “I’m glad you’re as weird as me”, and “I like your butt”.. you know, for that special bathroom candle lol. All of their ingredients are 100% cruelty free, and fragrances are vegan, paraben and phthalate free. Their candle wax is even made with sustainable US grown soybeans by a family owned company in Los Angeles! The scents she creates smell soooo good too, and she just added a line of natural perfumes. Ginger June also donates 3% of profits to animal rescues, something very near and dear to Cass’ heart. Hurry over to her site for 25% off through 11/28! Find her at www.gingerjune.com | Instagram @gingerjunecandleco
The Lit. Bar + Bookshop.org
Books are always a great gift idea… but please, for the love of books, support your local bookshop! I recently came across this wonderful indie bookshop in the Bronx when looking for an alternative to the Website-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named. If you are shopping for books online, please check out bookshop.org. Their mission is to provide an online shop that financially supports local, independent bookstores. When you shop their site, select a specific local bookstore to support, and that store will receive the full profit off your order. If you do not select a specific shop, your order will contribute to an earnings pool that will be evenly distributed among independent bookstores (even those that don’t use Bookshop). My favorite indie store on their site is The Lit. Bar, founded and operated by Noëlle Santos. The Lit. Bar is the ONLY bookstore serving the Bronx borough, is black-owned, woman-owned, and centered around serving their community and culture. I’ve been wanting this beautiful book “Brown Bohemians” for my office and found it at The Lit. Bar! Just type your book search into the bar and know your online purchase is keeping brick and mortar bookstores alive. Shop here bookshop.org/shop/thelitbar | Instagram @thelitbar
Wash Ashore Store
Wash Ashore is owned by one of our very own customer ambassadors, Eliot Jordan. Her company was formed as a collaboration of her passions… dogs, clean beaches, and sustainability. Eliot creates cool and highly durable dog leashes made from marine debris that she finds washed ashore. Yes… she collects, cleans, and untangles all the fishing line she uses! It’s truly a labor of love. Get your dog (or the dog lover in your life) a leash that is made with love and cleans up our beaches. I’ve had mine for years and it’s still like new! I also absolutely love her door mats woven from the same fishing rope. Find her shop at www.washashorestore.com | Instagram @washashorestore
Ventana SurfboardS & SUpplies
Ventana is one of my favorite local companies. If you’ve been with us a while, you may recognize them from some local event collaborations we’ve done including our first runway show. They have so many beautiful eco-goods to offer in addition to their surf-able art. A popular offering this time of year is the Save-A-Surf Box. This unique reclaimed wood wax box and tool kit from Ventana will help the surfer in your life save their surf session when they’re out in the wild, and keep their car clean from the melted surf wax monster! It includes a bar of Ventana Cold or Warm Water XXL wax with a fun surf-related fortune, five integrated fin screws, an Allen wrench secured with tiny magnets, a leash cord, a wax comb and scraper lid, a recycled guitar pick, a ruler, and a stainless-steel ring bottle opener. Position the Allen wrench in the groove using the angle guide on the back of the box, turn the compass rose to the north and use it as a sundial to tell time in direct sunlight! If you know the time, position the shadow on that hour and it becomes a compass! The box itself is made from some of the same reclaimed woods used in their stunning wooden surfboards. Use code “GIVELOVE15” through 12/13 for 15% off online.
Check them out here www.ventanasurfboards.com | Instagram @ventanasurfboards
Kapture Packs
Kapture Packs is new to market and absolutely killing it with their innovative surf pack design built from upcycled windsurfing sails and vinyl banners. Each one is unique and handmade with passion in Santa Cruz, California. These beautiful packs include a wetsuit changing mat, wetsuit dry storage, and more to keep your soggy suit contained and hold your essentials for a day in the waves. Tyler Fox, legendary Maverick’s surfer, and founder of Santa Cruz Waves designed these unique bags.
DM on Instagram, contact [email protected], or call +1-831-227-9196 to order.
Local Shops
If you are visiting, in, or near the Santa Cruz area be sure to check out my favorite brick and mortar shops!
Botanic and Luxe: 110 Cooper St.shop Suite 100F, Santa Cruz, CA
Tom Boy: 1207 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA
Wallflower Boutique: 103 Locust St, Santa Cruz, CA
Eothen Circle: 402 Ingalls St # 15, Santa Cruz, CA
Cameron Marks: 402 Ingalls St #21, Santa Cruz, CA
Thanks for supporting small businesses! Use code “givelove15” for 15% off everything in the pelican house shop now through 12/13
Bonus gift idea! While you likely found this post through us and already know about Pelican House, I thought it was worth noting that I just listed some special gift certificates for our Luxe Swimwear Package. This gift certificate is for a private one-on-one fitting, a swimsuit with any included customizations, and bubbles to sip in the relaxing atmosphere of our design studio here in Santa Cruz. For the special person in your life that lives in a swimsuit, the gift of a custom fit and made swimsuit is the ultimate! Shop our gift certificates here.
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