This year I thought it would be nice to compile and share some ideas for gifting this festive season.
I LOVE a list, be it on scraps of paper, in my diary or daily planner or…. on my phone where I have a whole array of lists. But one in particular is TOP SECRET, my present list. Whenever I have an idea for a gift, I write it down. Come Christmas or birthdays the list is always there to help me choose something.
Now I know most of us have a lot of stuff, so I’ve tried to compile a list of ethical, useful, informative or charitable gifts.
I hope there is something here to inspire you and for different budgets.
I’d also like to say that I have found some brilliant gifts in my local charity shops, and buying second-hand is a triple win in my opinion. We re-use, put money in the hands of charities and we may find something we won’t find anywhere else.
C A N D L E S
There is something intrinsically calming and relaxing about the light from a candle. Is it something deeply wired in us connected to our distant ancestors staring into their life-sustaining fires?
Whatever it is, my home wouldn’t feel quite the same without candles…. with the addition of carefully selected essential oils, not only will they make you feel great but they’ll save you some electricity too.
Miss Bees Balms is a highly experienced medical herbalist with a passion to empower you on your path to health. Fiona produces 100% natural, pure plant skincare, candles and herbal tonics.
From her candle collection I have selected the Bergamot Cedar Wood & Vetiver Candle, mmm…. if any family members are reading this….take note.
Available to buy directly through Miss Bees Balms website, the burn time is around 30 hours and the french amber glass beakers can be reused once your candle has burned down. Order here for £26
Also many thanks to Cecily for recommending The Recycled Candle Company which makes beautiful candles from recycled wax. Cecily sends the remaining bits of candles from their fine dining restaurant and they go in to making things like these Christmas Trees candles, £15 for a set of three. What a brilliant idea!
Cecily and Peter’s restaurant, the Homestead in Goathland, North Yorkshire has a menu that ‘follows the ebb and flow of the seasons, using home grown organic vegetables, local suppliers and even produce kindly donated by local folk who kindly bring anything they have an abundance of.’
Recommended in the Michelin Guide for 2022, The Homestead also do Gift Vouchers for the restaurant. And, you don’t need to worry about driving if you opt to book their self-catering cottage which is right next door.
C A N D L E H O L D E R S &
S T E M V A S E S -
S K Ó G R S T U D I O
At the weekend I had the pleasure of taking part in the Hepworth Wakefield Festive Market after a three year break from events. There was such a great atmosphere and I loved speaking with people about my work. Another great thing about doing these events is meeting fellow stallholders and seeing the wonderful things people make.
I was lucky enough to be neighbours with Tom from Skógr Studio and his Cubism inspired candle holders and vases, all lovingly shaped and sanded from reclaimed wood. I’m happy to say one made it into the hands of my husband.
Tom created Skógr studio in late 2020 with the vision of creating sustainable, functional sculptural objects for the home that are heavily influenced by the forms and shapes of the cubism art movement.
Each piece is carved from his home studio and all wood is sustainably sourced, locally from Yorkshire. From dried bloom vessels and bud vases, to book-ends and photo holders, Skógr studio aims to create both functional and decorative pieces with an aesthetic to suite any living space.
You can find Tom’s work online here
B O O K S
The Seafarers by Stephen Rutt £9.99
Wintering by Stepen Rutt £9.99
So like it or loath it, social media can be a great way to connect with people you wouldn’t normally get to meet. Over the last few years, I’ve been able to have the occasional bird-related chat with the writer Stephen Rutt.
After reading his book Seafarers and thoroughly enjoying it, I found Stephen on Instagram and we occasionally swap recent bird sightings or I’ll pick his very knowledgable (bird) brain, if there’s something I need to know about a species.
Stephen ‘won the Saltire Society’s first book award, as well as a Roger Deakin award for his debut book, The Seafarers. His second book, Wintering was one of The Times’s best nature books of the year for 2019. His writing has been published in The Guardian and The Scotsman.’
I can thoroughly recommend Seafarers. Wintering - A Season With Geese will be on my own ‘request’ list this year. Click here to buy.
The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2023 by Lia Leendertz is published by Gaia (£12.99)
I have been buying these Almanacs for the last few years and now I wouldn’t be without them. They are… ‘A perfect toolkit for connecting with the world around us and the year ahead as it unfolds – all in a compact and pocket size guide that just begs you to pick it up and browse.
You may be familiar with Lia’s work as she also writes about gardening, growing food and cooking, for the Telegraph, the Guardian and Gardens Illustrated.
The Almanac: A seasonal guide… reinvents the tradition of the rural almanac for a new audience. It gives you the tools and inspiration you need to celebrate, mark and appreciate each month of the year in your own particular way’
Each year brings a new theme or thread for the books and each month has a wonderful illustration, a perfect companion for gardeners, cooks, foragers, sea lovers, amateur astronomers and wildlife watchers. Available to buy here for £12.99
P L A N E T F R I E N D L Y B A G S
Most of us have now cottoned on (excuse the pun) that plastic bags from shops are bad news and the more organised among us carry one or two tote bags with us when we shop.
But sometimes those bags just aren’t big enough are they? Well let me tell you about Lucy at LDM Design, she makes eco-conscious lino-cut prints and homewares with a strong environmental message.
Made in Sheffield, her brilliant Luxury Shopper bags have a wider gusset and are made from recycled plastic which has been diverted from ending up in the ocean or landfill. I would go for this Marine Life design, just lovely. Available to buy through Etsy at £13 plus p&p.
C H R I S T M A S C A R D S
Ok, so I couldn’t resist putting something in of my own. I have a limited list of people I send Christmas cards to and if you are like me then a pack or two of my Christmas cards will do the trick.
All produced in the UK on FSC paper and packaged in a completely plastic-free box made from recycled card. Inspired by my original lino cut designs with pops of colour, there should be a design there to suit everyone.
Available ON SALE here on my website for £12.95 per pack with free shipping. Each pack contains 8 cards and recycled envelopes.
T E A
You can’t beat a good brew. Here is my tea routine:
Two cups of Clipper Everyday Tea before 8am sees me through the school run…
This may be followed by an Earl Grey or a cheeky coffee mid-morning
In the afternoon I love a Vanilla Redbush and then I am slightly addicted to…
Yorkshire Bedtime Tea at around 9pm in a large mug.
Haha. What’s your routine?
If you know an adventurous tea lover then these tea advent calendars are such a lovely idea. I get mine from my local health food shop Your Nuts in Holmfirth where they are £10.50 each.
M E M B E R S H I P
Our top three favourite nature reserves within two hours of where we live in West Yorkshire are RSPB Old Moor near Barnsley, Leighton Moss in Lancashire and Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire.
All brilliant places to watch birds, explore restored natural habitats, maybe mooch around their shops or take part in fun kids activities, and some would say most importantly, eat CAKE! My daughter loves visiting these places and that is a credit to the hardworking staff and volunteers who have nurtured these environments for people as well as wildlife.
Those are just three of many fantastic reserves across the UK and a yearly membership with the RSPB will give you free entry to all of them. You also get a great quarterly magazine and they also do family memberships with a kid’s magazine which has lots of fun activities.
I think this would make a great gift for wildlife lovers or families with young kids who are keen to get them engaged with nature. Memberships are between £5 and £6 per month, you can find out more here.
D E C O R A T I O N S
I have to tell you about these wonderful garlands from ethical company East End Press based in Scotland. They work with Fair Trade producers in Jaipur to produce a colourful array of decorations and cards featuring their screen-printed illustrations.
My current favourites are the Winter Bird and the Hedgerow garlands. Available to buy directly through their website for £12 each
B I R D F E E D E R
If you feed the birds in your garden you will know that the feeders can be either impossible or very difficult to clean. I recently came across these fantastic looking feeders called Finches Friend which are designed with cleanliness and the health of our garden birds in mind!
Their ‘range of cleaner feeders have been designed to provide the ultimate care for birds and created to limit the spread of disease and reduce transmission. Each of our perch feeders are simple and easy to clean in minutes, without the need to remove the food.
They all feature unique, removable feed stations which minimises wastage and enables the easier cleaning, making them both efficient and convenient. The innovative designs also ensure that the feed always stays clean, dry and safe thanks to a water drainage system.’
‘Made in Britain, Finches Friend Feeders are a sustainable choice that are built to last’
Available to buy from Finches Friend, the feeders retail between £23.95 for the window feeder and up to £74.99 for their largest four-chamber feeder.
F L O W E R S
Sweet Peas from Easton Walled Garden
‘Flowers?!’ I hear you say - for Christmas? Well not flowers exactly, but the promise of flowers come late Spring.
During the lockdown I found online communities of fellow gardeners and wonderfully relaxing tours around gardens all via my phone, such as those from Easton Walled Garden. From those little films I learnt about growing Sweet Peas up pig or chicken wire. I tried it for myself and it really does work very well. Once the restrictions had lifted we were able to meet my cousins at this beautiful garden half way between us, not far from the A1 near Grantham.
I also discovered that you can sow sweet peas in Winter and the followers of Anne-Marie Powell’s My Real Garden all joined together virtually and sowed their sweet peas on Boxing Day! Sadly I couldn’t join in but I am going to try and sow some early in the new year.
Easton produce their own varieties of Sweet Peas and having grown them myself I can vouch for their perfect blooms and sweet scents. And…. they come in these cleverly designed little tins. All available from their online shop for £3.50.
Mine flowered right through to October. Sweet Peas are brilliant value, just keep picking and they’ll keep flowering.
So, that’s it - phew! I hope you’ve found at least one thing here which has sparked an idea or shown you something you haven’t seen before.
Thanks for reading, Kate
(This guide has been solely compiled by me and no payment or gifts have been given in exchange for my recommendations)