HOLIDAY [anytime] GIFT GUIDE : for the dogs & the humans that love them!

you knew i just HAD to do a gift guide for the dog lovers, right?
in the past 5 months ; blake and i have fallen hard in love with our [sometimes naughty] pup.
we love the way she jumps on our lap & loves to be held like a newborn baby [except the fact that shes 60+ pounds]. we love the calm, relaxed feeling she gets when blake and i are both home for the night.
we love her for a lot of reasons. ;) without a doubt, rescuing a dog is one of the coolest things i have ever done in my adult life.

here are a ton of my favorite doggy gift ideas : 
1) dura doggie toys
these toys come in three different sizes & the 20% from EACH toy is donated to charity.
[you get to 'chews your cause' ; breast cancer, dog rescue, the planet, fighting diabetes]
they also stand behind their products & will replace your toy if it gets destroyed.
just a word of caution : if you have a dog that can destroy a toy in a few minutes flat ; these toys will NOT hold up. daphne ripped the face off the large toy in less than 6 minutes.
we do enjoy this company & love what they are doing by giving back.

2) holiday feast AND lumps of coal?
yes. these dog treats are awesome & the packaging is great.
human-grade ingredients & made in the us ; two things that we wont compromise on.
and hello? lumps of coal in your dogs stocking? so cute.
ps : this website is awesome. their products are some of our favorite ever.

3) personalized notecards

[obviously for you ; since your dog doesnt have thumbs..]

the silhouette of the pit looks just like daphne.

these would make a super thoughtful gift for an animal lover.

[they offer TONS of different breeds, too]

 

4) hug the dog art print
local artist alert! studio mela is based here in minneapolis & her work is so fun!

5) the super-talented dani makes custom-felted pet portraits!
such a cool idea! you send her a picture of a pooch & she creates a felted replica.

6) similar to the pet portraits above ; shelter pups
[this is the best idea ever!]
on their website, they have tons of felted dogs modeled after REAL dogs that need REAL homes.
so, you 'adopt' the shelter pup & your money goes to a local rescue to help dogs in your area.
[so awesome]
also, they will also make an exact replica of YOUR dog!
the company is awesome ; wool is high-quality & everything is made in the US

7) dog soap
our pup HATES baths [really ; she ignores us for an hour after the bath] ; but good soap is so important.
this soap doesnt have anything icky ; no sulfates, parabens, preservatives or synthetic dyes.
also, i reviewed this awesome brand of dog soap a while back.

8) a new sweater!
i know this one doesnt pertain to all of you ; BUT if you live in a cold climate [or your dog has a super short coat], a dog sweater // jacket // hoodie is important.
daphne has this doggie hoodie from american apparel, and she also has the moose sweater in the picture below.
best thing about this sweater? [other than the fact that it has antlers...] ; they are hand-knit by a small family in south america AND they receive fair-trade wage for their work. [this is SO important!]
[we should never settle for products where people arent getting a fair wage!]
see more cute sweaters here and here. and this parka [with a fake fur hood!] is great, too.

9) fancy feet balm
speaking of cold weather ; fancy feet balm is meant for dry patches on your dogs paws & skin. we have quickly learned that daphne has SUPER sensitive skin & balm like this is a 'must-have' for her.
if your dog is walking on snow // ice // salt // sand, the pads of her/his feet could take a bit of a beating.
also? this balm is made right here in minneapolis!

10) canine couture diy book

this book was gifted to us as a prize from a costume contest that daphne won ; its a very cool book.

there are 25 pretty easy projects for your dog. anything from a holiday stocking to legwarmers. 

great gift for the crafty dog lover!

11) how about a bark box?

daphne has been getting a bark box for 4 months now & we are really happy with it.

each month, she gets a bunch of great [eco // natural] pup products. we have gotten toys, treats, poop bags, personal care items & more. a monthly subscription is a great gift idea.

you can see my review of our latest bark boxes here.

12) you want to make your own treats or toys this year? [great ; i have TONS of links for you!]

you can make a dog bed // a tug toy from an old t-shirt // blueberry doggy donuts // apple pupcakes // a dog food container // or a batch of frosty paws 

13) hipster pit print

hahaha. look, i am a pit bull. i love this print. the glasses, bike, scarf & diana camera. 

 and remember ; a food // toy // financial donation to a local shelter // rescue is NEVER a bad idea!

also, dont miss any of my other gift guides // tutorials
gift guides : for the coffee lover // the small human // the foodie
tutorials : make your own sunflower butter // naan bread // bubble bath

see you tomorrow!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE : 12 super-rad gifts for the small humans in your life :

happy wednesday!
i have ANOTHER gift guide for you.
this time its for the small humans in your life.
two weeks ago, i shared a few of my top 'kid gifts' here. [seriously, go see. i picked good gifts ;)]
and today, i have 12 more awesome gift ideas to share.
i am a big fan of toys that are NOT made in factories by other small children. i enjoy toys that are gender neutral, use imagination in place of batteries and can be used for a long time.

here we go :

1) a punch-out easy-to-assemble play town
this is best for ages 5 & up.
no glue or scissors needed ; just punch and play.
[and arent the bright colors awesome?!]

2) veggie chalk!
its made of high-quality ingredients ; so if swallowed, its really no big deal.
no wheat, preservatives or added sugar. also totally vegan!
[i have worked with a bunch of kids who are sensitive to wheat in products [like chalk & play doh]

3) green toys gardening kit!
when i was a kid, my family had a huge garden. i use to grow seeds in little cups on the window.
this is the same thing ; but way cooler.
the planters are made from 100% recycled milk jugs [woo hoo]. the packaging is compostable & there is no cellophane, plastic or twist ties [love this]
the seed packets contain basil, sunflower & zinnia.

4) wooden vegetable set
wooden toys are my fave.

ps : their entire shop is full of awesome wooden toys!

5) super hero doll
i am a firm believer that every child on the planet should have a doll.
these super hero dolls are adorable!
there is also a girl super-hero in the shop.
[this would also be a great gift for kids that are going through some sort of transition]

6) love the 'doll idea' but prefer to make one yourself?

here is a super-cute [seriously ; so cute!] PDF sewing pattern.

there is also a girl pattern available.

[i cant get over this doll. the 'swoosh' hair. the socks. the overalls!]

7) a wooden camera
again, wood toys are so great. this is a great 'teething' toy for a babe & can also be use for imaginative and dramatic play with toddlers and preschoolers.
also, little sapling toys plants a tree for EVERY toy sold!

8) when i was born
this really is the most beautiful, incredible childrens book i have ever seen.
the colors, the text & the message are lovely.
since blake and i have both read THOUSANDS of books in our years and years [and years] working with kids ; we are sort of 'childrens book snobs'.
books are NEVER a bad idea. and this one is awesome.

9) the sweetest pair of booties for a new babe
my friend shannon makes these! they are well made, bright & affordable

10) memory game

there are so many awesome memory games out there. i love the wooden // hand stamped versions.

alien [shown in photo] // snack time // animal tracks // transportation

this was by far my favorite game as a kid.

11) peas in a pod mancala game

look at the detail of this game!

intended for kids 8+ ; its the same as traditional mancala ; but with peas!

12) natural fruit & veggie paints

glob is doing AWESOME things in the world of eco- art supplies.

you get 6 paint packets ; each using ACTUAL fruit // veggie // spices for coloring.

they also sell brushes, paper, greeting cards & more.

pretty sweet collection if i do say so myself ;)
we have a couple of kids on our holiday list this year & we are excited to support some awesome companies.

see you tomorrow!

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE for cooks, bakers foodies & other humans that love being in the kitchen :

happy monday!
good weekend? 
we got a BUNCH of snow this weekend [15+ inches!]
so much scooping & walking & playing around. i do love winter.
[although, i am fine if we dont get any more snow for quite a while]

lets talk about gifts!
your shopping is going well?!
today i have a bunch of great gifts geared towards the people in your life that love to cook // bake // eat // spend time in the kitchen.

1) some super-awesome vegan fudge
the best thing about [most] vegan treats // desserts is that they taste AMAZING. they aren't chalky or gross. and its organic. and no animals were mistreated [winwinwin]

2) a cutting board in your favorite state [minnesota, duh!]

each and every cutting board is made from bamboo. and you have the option of adding a heart or star to your city.

3) how about a 'make your own cheese' kit?!
such a cool idea! back when i still ate dairy ; we took a class to learn to pull // make our own mozzarella. it was delish! [and easy!]

4) ceramic stacking bowls
pigeon toe ceramics is a super-cute studio in portland, oregon. these two stacking bowls would be great for the couple on your list.

5) 2013 beer & food calendar
awesome local artist alert! i saw this calendar in person a couple weekends ago & the detail and design really are beautiful!

6) the global vegetarian cookbook
this book looks great. so many recipes from all over the world.
also awesome? your purchase helps eradicate poverty around the globe.

7) family heirloom dishtowels
this one makes me cry! its a little more work ; but i would imagine its SO worth it.
the link will take you to a blog & walk you through the steps of scanning & printing old family recipes onto dishtowels.
i am SO doing this.

8) how about some eswatini jams?
tons of flavors. no preservatives. and each purchases gives money to youth programs for children that were orphaned by AIDS.

9) pyrex baking dish

you can never go wrong with a beautiful vintage pyrex pan // dish. ive been looking for months around town for my dream pyrex bread pan. im still looking ; but this one is a close 2nd ;)

10) you can never have too many [cute] floursack dishtowels!
we have the blueberry dishtowel. the packaging is great [and reusable]. the link is for a set of four. you can always give a few away & keep one for yourself ;)

what do you think? anything catch your eye?
see you tomorrow!

holiday gift guide : for the coffee lovers :

hey everybody!

lets talk about holiday shopping!

do you have a coffee lover on your list?

everybody in my family [except me] drinks coffee. 

lets pick out some gifts!

1) you need an eco cup

in 2010, 23 BILLION [BILLION!!] one-time use cups were used and thrown away.

please, please, please bring your own mug to the coffee shop. blake brings his with him everywhere & has never had a problem.

some coffee shops will even give you a small discount for brining your own mug.

these cups make a great [affordable] stocking stuffer & really do make a difference.

and look at how cute they are ;)

2) grow your own coffee beans!

i am not sure how successful this kit would be ; but it would be a fun stocking stuffer for your coffee lover.

 

3) a misto box subscription!
i got one of these for blake & its great.
each month, you get 4 mini-bags of different fair-trade beans from around the world.
if you choose to buy a full-sized bag, you get free shipping.
AND, with each purchase, you get points. you can then cash them in for MORE coffee ;)

4) coffee & cream soap
you can never have too many bars of soap ; such a simple stocking stuffer.
these DO have goats milk ; so they arent vegan, but they look awesome.

also, through the end of the year get FREE shipping.

5) reusable coffee filters
again, such a simple, eco idea. blake uses unbleached, compostable filters, but these? these you can reuse each and everyday!

6) coffee scrub soap
look at this packaging!! [awesome, right?]
there are REAL coffee grounds in here ; so great for exfoliating.

7) one-pot coffee stocking stuffers.
again, high-five for awesome packing
you get a 3-pack coffee beans. PERFECT for teachers, a hostess gift or a neighbor.

8) do you know project7?
i featured them in my black friday gift guide.
they support seven causes ; from meals for the hungry to medicine for the sick. each purchase makes a big impact.
we have purchased coffee, mints and shirts from them!

9) chocolate-covered coffee beans!

such a great gift for a caffeine-loving sweet tooth.

what do you think?

any of these on your list? any other ideas for your coffee-fan?

holiday gift DIY #3 : how to make your own bubble bath :

easy. easy. easy.
i love making gifts for friends and family. its affordable. from the heart & fun to do.

on monday, i shared how to make your own naan bread. [which you could wrap up with some hummus, lentils, pizza sauce or eggplant spread]
and yesterday, i shared how to make your own sunflower butter [which you could give with homemade jam & bread, or as a housewarming gift with some other snack-y treats]

today is for relaxation!
one of my favorite things to do before bed is to take magazines from the library. fill the tub up to my ears with bubbles & lay & read for an HOUR.
i love it.
making bubble bath is surprisingly easy & affordable.

the castille soap isnt pictured. daphne ate the wrapper..

what you need : 
*storage container [something with a lid], a large bowl, cheese grater
*few drops of essential oil ; optional [i used citrus scent]
*a bar of castille soap [i used dr. bronners & found it at the co-op. most grocery stores should carry it. i know that our targets do]
*2 ounces vegetable glycerin [i found a 4oz bottle at whole foods for $6]

how to do it :
1) heat 4 cups of water until warm to the touch ; not boiling, but not lukewarm
2) grate the bar of soap & stir into the water. stir until it melts ; should take 3-5 minutes, depending on the temp of your water
3) add in the glycerin & your oil. i added about 6-7 drops of oil
4) once everything has completely cooled, transfer to a resealable jar.

*the consistency is a bit of a tapioca//jelly-type ; its not a smooth liquid like traditional bubble bath. adding a cute little spoon would be a great gift idea ;)

this project took very little time & is super affordable. 

if you use 1/2 cup in each bath ; you will be able to get 8 baths from this recipe.

the materials cost me less than $8 [i already had the essential oil] ; so you are paying about $1 a bath.

would make a great hostess // teacher // new friend gift.