
Tips for conscious & sustainable gift shopping
Do you remember that feeling you had as a little child? Impatiently waiting for your birthday, for Christmas, for Sinterklaas, for that special day to come. A special day filled with happiness and laughter, friends and family, nice food and perhaps a special outfit. And, of course, a day filled with gifts. Small, big, self-made, practical, all of those things hardly mattered – just the gesture of receiving something that is coming straight from someone’s heart brought you all the joy in the world. Even as adults, gifts are just as lovely to receive. But more often than not, it often feels like a forced gesture. Buying something for the sake of buying it, gifting it purely for the sake of gifting it. With Sinterklaas, Christmas and several birthdays just around the corner, we wanted to share our thoughts on gifting meaningful and sustainable gifts.
Making Conscious Choices
With all those offers surrounding us, it is so easy to be seduced and spend your money on everything. Just looking at the rise of Single’s Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday and special Christmas offers, big companies are trying their best to get us to buy things that we don’t need just because they are cheap. But when you start viewing every purchase that you are making as a vote, do you really want to vote for mass consumption? Or would you rather vote for ethical products that are made with love and support a local community? By making conscious choices, we are claiming our power back. Finding a sustainable gift doesn’t have to be expensive! Sometimes it just requires a little thinking outside the box.
Planning ahead of time
Do you tend to be an early bird and finish all your Sinterklaas and Christmas shopping in due time? Or are you waiting for the last minute to find the perfect gifts? In our experience, a tiny bit of planning can go a long way in making you feel less stressed out and keeping everyone happy. Why not meet up with a dear friend to do discuss ideas and do your shopping together? Don’t forget that our Sample Sale with Brandt Kaarsen is coming up if you are looking for some inspiration and a sustainable gift.
Being attentive and doing your research
There are no rules when it comes to gifts, but isn’t it the best feeling when you receive something that you truly love? Something you laid your eyes on for a little while. Or maybe something that is improving your quality of life or is creating a beautiful memory for you to keep forever. Think back and be attentive: did the person you want to gift something to mention something they like or need? What brands are they following on Instagram? Is there something you could replace for them with something more sustainable? Is there an experience you could surprise them with? If you haven’t heard about the five love languages before, you should have a look at our blog post. Sometimes, gifting a physical object is inferior to spending quality time with someone.