Crunchy Gift Guide for 2025
I love thrift stores, and for me, it’s one of the best places to find gifts. It’s way less expensive, plus you are repurposing something that may otherwise end up in the landfill. However, I recognize that there is some level of luck required to find the ‘right’ thing for someone, which can make it hard to find something good, last-minute.
For your potentially last-minute shopping convenience (or list-making for black Friday), here are some of my favorite businesses that sell products I use and recommend for gift ideas. Some of them are affiliate links (which means that I earn a small commission if you click the link and buy something within 30 days. This costs you nothing, but helps support the costs of maintaining my website), but they are all products I would feel good about buying for someone or myself.
Personal Care & Hygiene
Leaf plastic-free shaving set
I use this set and it works very similar to a normal razor minus the PFAS from the moisture strip often found in these products and made from 100% stainless steel, and no plastic. It takes regular razor blade cartridges which are very inexpensive and better for the environment compared with your regular grocery store brands.
Baiden Mitten
I have used these for exfoliating in the shower for several years and they work super well and really hold up. I have a few of these and just throw them in the wash when they get icky. Normal shower loofahs are usually made from plastic which can harbor bacteria and also shed plastic particles into the water supply. Affiliate link.
Kossma Beauty
This family-owned small business makes amazing skincare products with high quality ingredients sourced from the USA! She formulates using infused herbs (as opposed to essential oils which can be irritating and disruptive of your hormones) and animal-based products like Tallow and beeswax. I have loved every single product I’ve tried, but especially the tallow balm and the reishi rose oil.
Primally Pure
This brand makes superb deodorant that works well and is also free of the toxic ingredients found in most deos like aluminum and parabens. They also carry some candles made with beeswax and essential oils, and other skincare products that I have yet to try out, but have heard good things about.
Home & Garden
Kitchenaid Stainless (lead-free) Mixer Attachments
Did you know that the kitchenaid attachments that came with your mixer may be contaminated with lead? Luckily there are now compatible attachments made from stainless steel. They work just as well as the originals, minus the potential health risks. Make sure the ones you’re buying are the right size for the mixer you have. Affiliate link.
Vitamix Blender
+ stainless steel jug
I use my Vitamix for so many things, and I’ve had it for 7+ years and it has never failed me. Smoothies are super smooth, and it can even grind grains into flour and make nut butters. Back when I used to drink almond milk it was a night and day difference from the blend-tec I had upgraded from.
And if you have already have the Vitamix, it’s definitely worth the upgrade with this stainless steel one. Affiliate link.
Oberon Design Leather Refillable Journal
I’ve owned one of these leather journals for about 7 or 8 years. I find that journaling is really good for mental health and get a lot of satisfaction in filling up a whole journal. These are nice and durable, and can be used for years without showing any wear and tear. They come in a variety of sizes to fit almost any moleskine notebook and similar.
Earth Guild
Earth Guild is a small craft shop based in Asheville, NC, focusing on fiber arts, spinning, weaving, knitting, felting, candlemaking, tie-dye and more. This area is still recovering from the damage inflicted by hurricaine helene last year, and could use your support. Their website may be a bit prehistoric, but I have ordered from it and everything arrived just fine. They have excellent quality productss, and their staff are highly knowledgeable. If you’re buying for a crafter in your life or are looking to treat yourself to some supplies, why not support Earth Guild?
Interesting Books
These are some of the best health-adjacent books I’ve read in the last couple of years. Click the image to open the Amazon page in a new tab. Note that these are all affiliate links (costs you nothing, but I do earn a small commission that helps support the costs of running this website).
Food & Consumables
Mountain Rose Herbs
Mountain Rose Herbs is where I buy almost all my herbs. After trying out several other popular retailers, they consistently have the freshest quality. They also carry pre-blended organic teas, personal care items like moisturizers and face masks, glass storage containers, spices for cooking, stickers and books on herbal medicine. Affiliate link.
This is also a great resource for anyone wanting to make gifts for their friends and family this year since they carry so many DIY gift supplies. Here are some ideas of things you could make, using supplies from mountain rose:
face moisturizer with jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil & infused with skin-soothing herbs
rosewater facial toner spray
seed sprouting / microgreen kits
essential oil aromatherapy blend roll-ons
herbal simmer pot kits - cinnamon sticks, cloves, citrus peels, star anise
homemade vanilla extract
herbal bath salt in an aesthetic glass jar
essential oil room spray / air fresheners
sea salt texturizing hair spray
SubLuna
Subluna is an herbal apothecary that sells a wide range of herbal products, tinctures, drink mixes, gummies and topicals. Over 30% of Subluna sales are directly invested into other female owned businesses. I love getting their St John’s Worth infused oil - it really supports nerve pain, which is something many of my clients experience. Their products are high-quality and are made from organic/wildcrafted herbs and organic ingredients. Use my link for a $10 discount on your order!
Marmalade Grove
This place sells the best citrus fruits! You could do a giftcard or send a box of freshly picked, organic produce. We love getting the oranges or tangerines box, which usually last us a few weeks. These fruit are picked fresh and shipped directly from the farm, so they last a lot longer than grocery store produce, in our experience, despite not being sprayed with Apeel/produce waxes.
Nourish Food Club
This company sells corn/soy-free eggs, meat, seasonal produce, and A2/raw dairy products from regeneratively-raised animals who have been fed a traditional, low PUFA diet (no corn, soy or flax) and have not been given mRNA vaccines or antibiotics. This makes their products so much tastier and less prone to creating inflammation in the body. We get a few dozen eggs delivered to our house every few weeks. I support their mission, and hope that more US farms convert to this business model in the future.
White Oak Pastures
This Georgia-based company sells pasture-raised mRNA vaccine-free meats, which is something to look for these days as mRNA vaccines have begun their infiltration into our food supply with unknown consequences. I haven’t placed my order yet, but right now I have a bunch of oxtail in my cart. They have a variety of regeneratively-raised, grass-fed/pastured meats, raw honey in glass, bone broth and preserved organic vegetables.
Full Belly Farm
Full Belly Farm is a small farm in California that sells preserved fruits, jams, nuts and olive oil on their website. This place makes THE BEST apricot jam. You won’t know until you try it, how good it really is. Their orange marmalade also is amazing. Highly recommend.
Dandy Blend Organic Roasted Dandelion Root Coffee
This stuff is so good, not bitter like you’d expect from dandelion root and dissolves instantly in warm water! Dandelion root supports gentle detoxification of the liver and kidneys, and can help a wide range of issues that are very common in our western, work-oriented society. So convenient to now have dandelion instantly, in a warm cozy drink!
Copper Moon Coffee
If you’ve been to my house, this is the coffee I use pretty much exclusively and it’s so good! We have continued buying it because it is mold-free and third party tested, also organic and their decaf is made using swiss water process. I like to drink half decaf coffee, and swiss water processing is the way to go, since the normal way decaf is made involves some nasty chemical solvents which are not good for you to consume.
Clothing & Shoes
Glerups Wool Slippers
I am on my 3rd pair of these slippers in the last 10 years. They are amazing, and come with either leather or rubber soles. They are made from wool which is antimicrobial and the wool molds to your feet after a few wears. Super warm, true to size and comfortable, highly recommend.
My Store
Shameless plug! I make all the things I sell by hand, with the best ingredients I can find (organic/wildcrafted herbs, grass-fed/finished tallow, vintage quilts), and would love to know that you’ve bought something from me as a gift for someone special in your life. Browse my products below or visit the shop page to see everything I have in my storefront.
Quince Clothing
Quince offers organic cotton, cashmere and other ‘luxury’ clothing items at a discount. I have been pretty happy with most of the items I’ve purchased from their selection and I think you will be too. They also have jewelry and fragrances, which I can’t vouch for but I’ve heard good things online.
Christy Dawn
This shop sells ethically made, organic and timeless women's clothing. Their styles are mostly very feminine or classic styles that would look great on most women, and are made to last.
Sister Nettle
This woman-owned small business sells beautiful, organic/natural-fiber clothing centered around motherhood. These timeless pieces are so beautiful, many of them printed with hand-carved stamps featuring floral motifs.
Mate the Label
This is another natural fiber clothing company. It’s not a small business, but they do make pretty good activewear. I wrote an article about this awhile back, but a lot of these activewear companies (like LuLuLemon and similar) are testing positive for carcinogenic chemicals (cause cancer) and PFAS (aka forever chemicals) that are harmful to health and can absorb through the skin. Mate makes similarly priced gear to many of these popular activewear brands that features organic cotton and bamboo instead of plastic-based fibers like polyester. I can only recommend their leggings/biker shorts though, because their sports bras are not at all supportive.
Ok that’s what I have right now! I may add to this list as I think of other cool businesses that I want to support and direct you to. It’s always a good idea to shop local where you can and support small businesses since that is also indirectly supporting the people in your local community.
Was this article helpful? Do you have any crunchy-small businesses that you’d like to recommend? Let me know in the comments!! Thanks for reading!
