The holidays are all about celebrating acts of giving, making it the perfect opportunity to make your gift giving smarter this season. There are so many amazing businesses out there that give back when you purchase one of their products. These companies are tied to doing good somewhere in the world every time a purchase is made. Read on for my 4 favorite gifts that give back – and if you hurry you can still get these goodies by Christmas.
1. Warby Parker Glasses Eben and I both wear glasses and love the stylish, affordable frames from Warby Parker. For every pair of glasses that you buy, a pair is donated to a person in need. If you don’t wear glasses, that is alright – Warby Parker also offers fantastic sunglasses.
2. Feed Bags I have been familiar with FEED Bags for a very long time – I remember first seeing them in Whole Foods back when we lived in Georgia! FEED Bags come in a huge selection of styles and sizes and with each purchase a portion of the proceeds go towards feeding the children of the world.
3. TOMS Shoes Most likely you are already familiar with TOMS shoes – for every pair you purchase a pair is donated to a child in need. With a great selection of shoes for everyone on your list, TOMS is the perfect holiday gift!
I am having a lot of fun planning how the dinner table will look this Thanksgiving. Especially since it will be super small which means less pressure and more relaxing!
First on my list of things to do to prepare is to decide on place cards for our tiny family. I really love, love, love these pear place cards from Sunset. I think a beautiful, delicious organic pear with a lovely recycled name tag would be perfect. I am also considering giant pomegranates with recycled name tags attached. (You know how I feel about pomegranates!)
What type of place cards will you be using on Thanksgiving?
This time of year is all about gathering with loved ones and expressing gratitude. And in the U.S., gratitude is best expressed in the form of food. Thanksgiving is the embodiment of this tradition, and this time of year is full of more friends, family, and food than most people know what to do with.
Even the most well-intentioned holidays can lead to excess, and this excess likely goes against your sustainability goals. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal while keeping it green and eco-friendly. The following are some of the many ways to throw a sustainable Thanksgiving dinner.
Buy organic meat and produce. Whenever possible, purchase locally-grown organic produce for your delicious Thanksgiving dishes. As for the meat, grass-fed is generally best. This may be tough if you’re committed to turkey, but there are lots of sustainable meats to choose from. Beef from grass-fed cows has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins A and E. As for the turkey, opt for a free-range bird.
Use reusable plates and utensils. While paper plates and plastic utensils offer convenience, these items are a significant source of waste. Instead, serve food on reusable or ceramic plates. Whoever didn’t help with the cooking can clean them. Easy, right?
Decorate with natural materials. Store-bought Thanksgiving decorations tend to adorn the table for one day before landing in the garbage. This year, try decorating with natural materials instead. One of the best decorating tricks is to choose three colors for the event theme and then use them for all of the decor items. The oranges, browns, and greens found in nature are perfect for your entire Thanksgiving color scheme and centerpieces.
Cook outdoors. In a recent study, the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association found that 60% of grillers cook outside throughout the entire year. This can be a great way to cook more sustainability, as long as you stay away from gas-powered grills. Instead, try cooking over a fire or woodstove. Food tends to taste better when it was cooked outdoors, so your taste buds and the environment will win.
Compost any cooking scraps. The simple act of cooking is one of the most significant sources of Thanksgiving waste. When cooking a big meal, food scraps pile up. Instead of throwing them in the garbage, compost them instead. If you don’t already compost at home, contact your local compost companies about pickup and dropoff services.
Remember to say thanks. Gratitude does not produce any waste. Take the time this year to pull the focus off of material items and onto the act of giving thanks and cherishing the people you love.
“If distance or circumstances prevent you from spending Thanksgiving with some of the people you love, call, email, or write them a letter (on recycled paper) to tell them why they mean so much to you and how they make your world a better place,” Larry West writes in ThoughtCo.
By spreading the love to both your dear ones and the planet, you will have a wonderfully nourishing Thanksgiving Day.
It’s part inspiration, part education, and completely gorgeous, a celebration of purple tomatoes, pink beans, magenta potatoes, speckled lettuces, and all the edible wonders that make gardening feel like art.
🌿 A Book That Will Change the Way You Garden
What I love most about Vibrant Harvest is how approachable it is. Sandra doesn’t just tell you what to plant , she shows you how to bring color, creativity, and personality into every inch of your garden, whether you’re working with a raised bed, a few pots on the patio, or an entire backyard plot.
Her mantra says it all:
“Vegetable gardens absolutely don’t have to be boring plots of green!”
Yes, please.
The book is organized into four easy-to-follow sections that take you from dreaming to harvest:
Choose Your Plants – 42 dazzling vegetable profiles, organized by season and edible part (I already have my eye on the purple cauliflower and candy-striped beets).
Plan & Start Your Garden – Site selection, soil prep, seed starting, and transplanting, Sandra walks you through it all.
Care for Your Garden – Watering, feeding, pruning, staking, and trellising, written with the kind of real-life advice only an experienced gardener can give.
Pick, Preserve & Prepare Your Harvest – Smart tips on harvesting, storing, and even cooking your colorful bounty.
It’s the kind of guide that makes you want to run outside, dig your hands into the soil, and start planting something beautiful.
🌸 Why I’m Adding It to My Holiday Gift List
Every year I try to give at least one gift that inspires someone to slow down and reconnect with nature, and Vibrant Harvest is exactly that kind of gift.
It’s perfect for:
The friend who’s already planning next spring’s seed order.
The foodie who loves photographing their meals (rainbow carrots, anyone?).
The eco-lover who believes homegrown always tastes better.
Or honestly, yourself, because who couldn’t use a little more color (and joy) right now?
With 150 vivid photos and Sandra’s encouraging voice, it’s a reminder that gardening isn’t just about growing food, it’s about cultivating beauty, creativity, and connection.
🌱 From the Author’s Garden to Yours
Sandra’s own Southern California garden is a year-round rainbow, but what’s wonderful is that her guidance works for gardeners everywhere. Whether you’re in the warm sunshine of the South, the breezy coasts, or the mountain towns like mine here in North Carolina, you’ll find tips that match your growing zone.
And if you’ve ever struggled to keep your garden feeling inspired mid-season, this book will re-ignite that spark. It makes gardening feel like play again, messy, colorful, creative play that fills your kitchen with flavor and your heart with joy.
🌈 Grow Boldly, Eat Brilliantly
Vibrant Harvest reminds us that food can be both nourishing and beautiful, that a tomato can be as stunning as a bouquet, and that growing your own vegetables is one of the simplest ways to bring art into everyday life.
This holiday season, gift a little color, creativity, and inspiration, or keep it for yourself and start planning your most colorful garden yet.
Because why settle for a plain green garden when you can grow a kaleidoscope? 🌿💚
If someone on your gift list lives for trails, paddles, peaks and packing the RV for spontaneous getaways (ahem, that might be you or my husband Jayson) then I’ve found a holiday winner. The Sawyer × Cnoc Squeeze Water Filtration System (2 L bladder version) is exactly the kind of gear that says “I see your adventure-lust and I support it.”
Why it works: light, rugged, travel-ready, and built to keep the water flowing when you’re off the beaten path. Because let’s be real, when you’re hiking in the Blue Ridge, or camping near a quiet lake, or road-tripping south in your RV, you don’t want to worry about whether that stream is drinkable. With this system, you’re covered.
🌿 Why I’m Totally Into It
Here are the reasons I’d love to get this (and you might too):
The system features a 0.1 micron absolute hollow-fiber membrane filter that removes 99.99999% of bacteria (like E. coli, salmonella) and 99.9999% of protozoa (like giardia, cryptosporidium). It even filters out 100% of microplastics.
Built with a durable TPU 2-liter bladder with a wide mouth for fast filling, so when you’re dipping into a creek or using a campsite spigot, it’s easy.
Lightweight, packable, no bulky pump or heavy parts, meaning less gear-stress and more actual adventure time. Reviewers call it “light and durable” and a top choice for backpacking.
Perfect for traveling, RV trips, paddleboard trips, weekend hikes out of Banner Elk, winter getaways to Florida. One piece of gear that covers hydration anywhere.
A gift that’s thoughtful, not just a “thing,” but a readiness-essence accessory: for safety, for joy, for being outdoors without compromise.
🎁 Gift-Giving Scenarios
Here are some real-life ways to frame this as a holiday gift:
For the Hiker
“Pack your backpack, strap on the boots, and know your water game is as strong as your trails.” The Sawyer × Cnoc system says: you’re ready for roots, rocks, and remote water sources.
For the RV Traveler
They’ve got the camper, the cooler, the outdoor chairs, now give them the gear that makes a creek stop feel like home. Imagine Jayson pulling our RV beside a riverside rest stop, filling the bladder, filtering fresh water, beach chairs out, pure freedom.
For the Family Adventure Crew
The gift isn’t just for one person, it’s for all the little “oops” moments: forgetting a bottle, scrambling to buy water, realizing the spigot tastes weird. This system sidesteps all that.
Pack it in the backpack cooler alongside your favorite backpack cooler (hello Titan by Arctic Zone), and you’ve got an all-in one adventure kit.
🛠️ How I’d Use It in Our Life
On a Banner Elk hike: Fill at a stream, filter, then sip while we sit overlooking the ridgeline.
On a paddleboard day: Fill at the shore, filter, stow the bladder in the dry bag, row out knowing hydration is settled.
Road-trip stop: A rest area with a questionable water fountain? No problem, use the bladder, filter, refill bottles in the RV.
Winter escape to Florida: Whether it’s a hike through dunes or a river paddle, this gear stays in the RV just in case.
✅ Why It’s a Smart Buy (and a Smart Gift)
Durability + longevity: Built to last, not just for one season of adventure.
Versatility: Trail, water, wheels, anywhere.
Thought fulness: Shows you care about their experience, about their safety, about their kind of fun.
Eco-friendly angle: Fewer single-use bottles, less waste, more being present outside.
The “cool gear” factor: It’s not a gimmick, it performs.
Make sure it’s the full kit (filter + bladder) so the recipient doesn’t have “just a bag” and then has to buy the filter separately.
🎄 Final Holiday Wrap Up
If you’re looking for a gift that’s outdoor-ready, practically-useful, and inspired by adventure, this one’s a winner. It says “let’s go somewhere,” “let’s explore,” “let’s not worry about the water.”
And that’s exactly the vibe you want when you’re living close to the mountains, hitting picnic hikes, RVing south for the winter, the gear should fade into the background while the adventure stays front and center.
So tie a bow (eco-friendly ribbon, maybe a pine sprig) around this one, drop in a note: “Here’s to streams, sunsets, and clean sips on your next big trek.” I guarantee the adventurer in your life will smile.
The holidays are all about celebrating acts of giving, making it the perfect opportunity to make your gift giving smarter this season. There are so many amazing businesses out there that give back when you purchase one of their products. These companies are tied to doing good somewhere in the world every time a purchase is made. Read on for my 4 favorite gifts that give back – and if you hurry you can still get these goodies by Christmas.
