The holidays offer up the perfect opportunity to reflect on how fortunate we all are. At times it can be easy to get swept up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and we tend to forget about how incredibly important giving back to our community really is… which is actually the “true essence” of this time of the year. So today it’s all about the gift that keeps on giving as we show YOU 4 gifts that give back to the community!
Gifts That Keep On Giving! – Brit, Team Ambrosia
I think that we can all agree that giving gifts simply feels great! I pride myself on my gift giving skills and I can honestly say that there’s nothing like watching a friend or loved one open up a gift that you’ve put SO much thought and love into. So satisfying!
So think about how GREAT it would feel to shop for your loved ones when you know that in turn, your dollar is going to something truly amazing! Buying ethically made gifts that either support fair-trades, the environment or give back to the community is a wonderful way to make a positive social and environmental impact during the holidays!
Below are 4 gifts from Ambrosia that help support our communities!
1. Divine – Fairtrade Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar
How much do you LOVE this advent calendar?! So vibrant and colourful! I was totally one of those impatient children that year after year, snuck my advent calendar behind my parent’s back and completely devoured each and every single chocolate on literally “Day Number Two”… whoops!
However this particular advent calendar has a bit more depth than the ones I worshipped as a child. Divine Fairtrade Chocolates are made from Kuapa Kokoo’s fairly traded cocoa beans; they are a farmer’s co-op based out of Ghana! What’s great about this organization is that they place a priority on the farmer’s livelihood, women in the workplace and environmentally stable cultivation practices of cocoa! Their ultimate goal is for these farmers to feel empowered and to earn a dignified livelihood.
For every Divine Advent Calendar sold, 5% of sales will go towards empowerment initiatives for the women cocoa farmers of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana. I think we can all feel good about purchasing this advent calendar!
2. Pacifica – Natural Soaps
Soaps are GREAT stocking stuffers! Pacifica natural soaps are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and free from parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, peanut oil and artificial colour! Not to mention, their packaging (which is 100% recyclable) is just SO gosh darn pretty… I particularly love the French Lilac variety! The scents are just absolutely amazing, and the soap itself leaves your skin feeling silky smooth… not dry and “raw” like some of the more conventional soaps out there!
On top of all that, a portion of the Pacifica products supports charities, whether that is clean water initiatives, or donating the actual product itself to women’s shelters. Keep both your skin and our water clean with Pacifica this holiday season!!
3. Four Sigmatic – Hot Cacoa Mix
I love curling up by the fire with a hot cup of cocoa on a snowy winters’ day! One of my favourite gifts to give to people during this time of the year is a festive mug paired with hot cocoa or coffee! Simple, yet totally foolproof!
This year, I’m gifting friends and family with superfood mushroom coffees and hot cocoas from Four Sigmatic! Four Sigmatic saw the opportunity to combine coffee (an antioxidant-rich superfood) with an even bigger nutrient powerhouse in the form of medicinal mushrooms! Although “drinking” mushrooms may sound like a totally weird and foreign concept, indigenous people have been consuming it this way for thousands of years… and it’s actually really delicious too!
The medicinal properties of mushrooms are notoriously beneficial for cancer patients, so whenever you purchase any of Four Sigmatic’s mushroom boxes, part of the revenue will be utilized to donate mushroom kits to cancer patients!
4. Maiga Products
Whether they’re for a stocking, hosting gift or an individual gift all in itself, butters, cleansers and beauty products are another great go-to during the holiday season! Maiga’s beauty and natural skin care products are certified organic by ecocert and utilize pure essential oil combinations including lavender, cocoa butter, olive oil and lemon grass.
This wonderful company is also committed to improving, uplifting and enhancing the socio-economic conditions of families in Africa by donating 10% of their revenue to various charitable organizations and projects across the county.
What are some of your favourite gifts that give back?!
