It’s the most wonderful time of the year! After the many ups and downs that 2020 has brought our way, many of us are looking forward to relaxing at home during this holiday season –– maybe even celebrating as this very eventful year nears its end. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are all still experiencing, you’ve likely had to spend more time in your home this year than you ever previously thought possible, and if you’re anything like us, you’ve picked up a couple of new tricks as to how to best enjoy it along the way. With a little extra preparation, you can easily turn your home into your very own holiday season oasis. Today we are thrilled to share with you our list of essentials to help you make the most of this time of year.
Let’s face it –– we’ve all been guilty of letting our healthy eating regimen go completely out the window during the holiday season. This time of year, is best known for its abundance of sugary sweet desserts, overflowing dinner plates, and –– if you’re lucky –– maybe even a few boozy seasonal cocktails. If you’re not well-prepared, reaching for an unhealthy option to satisfy your hunger can feel like the easiest choice. Add in the whole working-from-home factor, and you have a recipe for a disaster in the healthy food department. But if you’re anything like us, keeping a kitchen cabinet stocked with healthy, wholesome, and delicious snacks can lead to smarter snacking decisions.
Enter Sol Alchemy Snacks. Sol Alchemy’s delicious nut bites leave you feeling fueled and satisfied whenever that mid-afternoon slump hits, and they come in a variety of different flavors –– Cookie Dough, Cacao Brownie, and Almond Cherry –– that ensure you never get bored with the selection and resort to eating an unhealthy alternative. These delicious bite-sized plant-based snacks have been consciously formulated for optimal health. Sol Alchemy’s exclusive use of only whole food ingredients ensures that your source of fuel is as natural and free of additives as possible.
Remaining true to their values, Sol Alchemy Snacks hold themselves to high standards in regards to sustainability, and as a result, all of their plant-based snacks are packaged in 85% post-consumer recycled pouches. The core belief of this conscious brand –– that what you leave out of your snacks is just as important as what you put into them –– comes into play in every decision they make. For that reason, you will never find gluten, dairy, processed sugars, or impossible-to-pronounce chemicals in any Sol Alchemy snacks. During the holiday season, when half of what you’re eating is made up of those things, it’s even more important to keep snacks made only of clean ingredients easily accessible in your home.
Keeping your overall nutrition in mind, the team at Sol Alchemy adds a variety of superfoods to every flavor they produce, giving you an extra boost with every bite. Their well-researched and ethically-sourced ingredients always include adaptogens and powerful botanical herbs that work to heal our bodies from within. Sol Alchemy Snacks satisfy your hunger in convenient bites of goodness, allowing you to eliminate heavily processed snacks from your diet altogether. Even better, they make perfect stocking stuffers. It’s a Christmas miracle!
Now that the weather has changed and we’re all spending even more time indoors than before, that impossible-to-reproduce holiday feeling is officially upon us. It’s hard to imagine a holiday season without that cozy feeling so many of us associate with home. Whether you’re surrounded by family and loved ones or just enjoying an evening to yourself, there’s nothing quite like snuggling up on the couch with a nice warm cup of coffee or tea in these colder months. There’s no better way to do that than with a beautiful, high-quality, socially-conscious blanket wrapped around your shoulders.
Tribe + True works with supremely talented Mexican artisans to create the most unique hand-woven blankets, all of which are ethically and sustainably produced. Partnering with weavers in several regions across Mexico and New Mexico, they stay true to the traditional weaving process in order to create gorgeous, timeless pieces for your home. Tribe + True has curated multiple collections made up of a wide variety of styles and designs, at least one of which is bound to fit effortlessly into your interior decorating style of choice. These blankets are as stunning to look at as they are to feel, and the traditional weaving technique that makes them possible ensures they will stand the test of time.
Tribe + True’s use of upcycled repurposed fabrics sets an example for us all in terms of sustainability and also ensures that each blanket is uniquely one of a kind. Their decision to give back to the communities that help make their business possible is inspiring, allowing us all to bring gorgeous pieces into our homes while also supporting an ethical business model. In a time when comfort and simple pleasures are of the utmost importance, something as simple as adding one of their blankets to your living room setup may just be the best decision you make this holiday season.
3.) P.F. Candle Co.
While you’re cuddled up in your home this holiday season (maybe even with your healthy Sol Alchemy snacks and handmade Tribe + True blanket nearby), why not light a luxurious candle to set the tone for a chilly evening in? When it comes to high-end natural candles, no one does it better than P.F. Candle Co., and their seasonal scents just add even more magic to this time of year. So, go ahead –– grab a good book, curl up on the couch for a few minutes, light one up and enjoy as their natural fragrances fill the air of your living room.
P.F. Candle Co. takes ambiance to the next level with their dedication to simplicity and elegance. Their candles are undeniably beautiful in appearance, coming in brown glass apothecary jars that can be easily reused and repurposed long after the wax has burned down. For a holiday theme, look no further than P.F. Candle Co.’s scents of the season. Their Smoky Cinnamon Special –– a beautiful blend of bitter orange, cassia bark, and patchouli –– and Spruce –– a tantalizing combination of snow powder, cedarwood, and citrus –– are sure to make your home feel more cozy than ever.
This company’s dedication to doing things the right way is on display via their sourcing –– beautiful and unique natural oils are all that is used in producing their timeless scents. Made with 100% domestically-grown soy wax, each candle is sustainable and earth-friendly. Your home’s mood simply isn’t complete without a burning P.F. Candle Co. candle this holiday season, all of which are phthalate and paraben free.
There’s no feeling quite like slipping on comfy pajamas, and while we love a cozy pair of old sweatpants and holey T-shirts as much as the next person, a fresh matching set just feels right during the holiday season. After all, the last couple months have been spent by many of us working from home, so maybe it’s about time we upgraded our closets with the very thing we’ve worn the most of this year –– yes, we’re talking about PJs! Print Fresh is a beautiful small company specializing in beautiful, classic pajama sets in bold, fun prints that keep things interesting.
Print Fresh pajama sets are made of lightweight cotton poplin, which means that they get softer and softer with each wash. Their unique prints are hand screen-printed by artisans in India, and their classic silhouettes ensure that these pajama sets will never go out of style. Every set is perfect for sleeping, lounging, or wearing just because. Additionally, these PJ sets are all ethically and sustainably made, which means no more wondering the origins of your favorite closet staple.
The name says it all –– Print Fresh produces the most interesting and downright coolest patterns we’ve ever seen, and their selection continues to get better and better. For the holiday season, choose from a collection of dark, rich, jewel-toned pajama sets in whimsical prints that feel undeniably luxurious. Our favorite is the Bagheera print –– a tiger-themed print inspired by India and the markets of Old Delhi. If there’s a better uniform for snuggling up in front of the fireplace this winter, we’ve yet to see it.
5.) Our Place Cookware & Dishes
It’s that time of year again –– cooking, eating, cooking, and eating some more. COVID-19 has meant that many of us have gotten accustomed to cooking the majority of our own meals from home, rather than going out every time we feel hunger start to creep in. Regardless of your kitchen savviness, you can’t deny that a well-stocked kitchen is essential to making a smooth home-cooking experience possible, especially during the holiday season. Enter Our Place, a unique brand dedicated to creating products that help you streamline your kitchen and home.
A sizzling meal on the stove is one of life’s simple pleasures –– its delicious aroma filling the air, soon to be served and shared. Our Place’s most well-known product is the Always Pan, a multi-use pan that claims to be eight (yes, eight) kitchen tools in one. The Always Pan promises to replace your fry pan, sauté pan, steamer, skillet, saucier, saucepan, non-stick pan, spatula, and spoon rest. For those of us living in smaller spaces, having one pan instead of several may help us in the kitchen storage department without sacrificing things we need to make a great meal. After all, the pan allows you to braise, sear, steam, strain, sauté, fry, boil, serve, store all in one. It also doesn’t hurt that it looks good doing it –– you can choose from six different colors, and the streamlined design of this pan sure is easy on the eyes.
For those of us looking to fill in the gaps in our kitchen cupboards, Our Place also offers a Dinner for Four set, which bundles the Always Pan as well as all the dishes you need to share dinner with the people you love. This set comes with four beautiful colored drinking glasses, four bowls, and four plates, all made in a lovely color scheme that will be sure to look perfect on your dining room table. After all, we don’t think there’s anything more apt to the holiday season than friends and family coming together over a home-cooked meal.
The holiday season will likely look quite different this year than it has in the past, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it to the fullest from the comfort and safety of our homes. However you choose to celebrate, be sure to do it safely, securely, and responsibly. We are wishing you and yours a beautiful season filled with love and light.