A Soulful Holiday Gift Guide
Top: Calendars by Leila Simon Hayes, foot soak by Blaq Star Soaps, astrology books by Heidi Rose Robbins. Middle: Black Art Matters mask by Willie Cole, tiny dishes by Lauren Sumner, a subversive crossstitch by Julie Jackson. Bottom: holiday spice collection from Spicewalla, geometric earrings by Kyla Hygysician, reading socks from Barnes & Noble, gold glitter nail polish by Essie.
Happy Holidays!
Here are some soulful, care-filled, cozy, fun, and deep gift ideas for you and your loved ones. Even if you aren't doing gifts this year, it's always fun to discover new artists, makers, and stuff.
These are things I love or admire, many of which are offered by small businesses local to Boston and Asheville. I love to support makers from our community—let me know if you have something you’d like to feature next time!
Cozy gifts
These precious tiny dishes are handmade by Lauren Sumner in her Raleigh, N.C. studio. Tiny dishes are great for pills by the bedside, guitar picks in the living room, jewelry on the dresser, or salt in the kitchen.
This rich golden milk mix by Asheville company Spicewalla contains turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, nutmeg, and roasted coriander. Add your favorite type of warm milk and honey for a heart-warming holiday drink. Or try their Holiday Collection of apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, and mulling spice. Yum!
East End Elixir is one of my favorite teas, made by the ladies of Captain’s Daughter in Provincetown, MA.
Speaking of warm drinks, a milk frother is a fun gift for anyone who would love a homemade latte.
Dennis Hicks of Boston makes Blaq Star Soaps, handcrafted bath products that go with groovy playlists. Soap names include “Gettin’ Figgy Wit’ It” and “When Suds Fly.”
I was gifted a pair of Barnes & Noble reading socks that I wear whenever I’m curled up (they’re too puffy for walking around!). They make my feet feel like they’re inside warm clouds.
I get chronic migraines and hate being cold, so I use my neck heating pad all winter long. Here’s a plug-in one and a microwavable one.
Fun gifts
Boston designer Kyla Hygysician creates simple, elegant geometric jewelry that plays with your perception. I have the tall pyramid pendant and love how unique it is. The jewelry is handmade and some pieces require a few weeks when out of stock (it’s worth the wait!).
Leila Simon Hayes is a local Boston artist who creates the most gorgeous calendars featuring her original pattern designs. They are printed on high-quality paper by a local family-owned print shop.
True confession: I love cross-stitching in the winter. My favorite patterns are by Julie Jackson of Subversive Cross Stitch—they’re easy, hilarious, and relaxing, and they make great gifts (both the kits and the finished products). Here are a few good ones—F*ck covid, Fresh out of f*cks, Nevertheless, she persisted.
It doesn’t feel like the holidays without gold glitter nail polish. (Or is that just me?)
The amazing artist Willie Cole created a line of products with the tagline Black Art Matters. Ten percent of sales from these mugs, hoodies, and other goodies are donated to Wells Bring Hope, an organization that drills deep-water wells in rural Niger villages.
These tourmalinated quartz tumbled crystals are calling to me (say that five times fast).
Your fantasy-loving friends might like my favorite novel of the year—it’s a coming-of-age-meets-multiple-worlds story, and every sentence is a treat.
Deep gifts
My friend—the talented Michelle Rial—has come out with a new book about coping with grief and chronic pain, called Maybe This Will Help: How to Feel Better When Things Stay the Same. It’s a completely unique coffee table book about self-care told through clever graphic charts and illustrations and sarcastic personal essays. It’s a fantastic gift.
Consider making a donation in honor of a loved one. Here are two that I’m supporting this season: Therapy Aid Coalition provides therapy to essential workers impacted by the pandemic and Chizh for Cheii (Diné for 'firewood for grandpa') provides winter warmth to Diné elders living on the Navajo Nation.
Brené Brown’s new book sounds so amazing. It’s called Atlas of the Heart, and it covers 87 human emotions and experiences, and how we can connect through the language of the human experience. No big deal.
One of my favorite astrologers, Heidi Rose Robbins, has the sweetest series of twelve little astrology books. Each one is Heidi’s love letter to an astrological sign, sharing soulful ways we can connect to various aspects of ourselves.
I loved Rachel Rickett’s class on spiritual activism and I want to read her new book, Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy. From the cover, “This actionable guidebook illustrates how to engage in the heart-centered and mindfulness-based practices that racial justice educator and healer Rachel Ricketts has developed to fight white supremacy from the inside out, in our personal lives and communities alike.”
One of my December traditions is Lindsay Mack’s self-guided, tarot-based retreat to usher in the new year. It’s called The Threshold, and it helps me turn the page and welcome in magic for the new year. (Her early bird sale is available to newsletter subscribers December 2-3).
P.S. My Happier Holidays self-guided retreat is now on sale. It’s an opportunity for you to set intentions for this holiday season, including a section on giving and receiving in alignment with your capacity. Who doesn’t love a cozy winter journaling sesh? Check it out!