Happy Holidays! It’s that time of the year when we get to celebrate our year-end holidays with family, enjoy delicious food and share thoughtful gifts. The holidays carry with them many positive vibes, but one of the best things is the opportunity to give someone we love a beautiful, meaningful gift that will bring a smile to their face. And hopefully more health and wellness, too!
I’m taking this opportunity to share more of the products I use, what I like and recommend, to help you out with your Christmas shopping, especially for your family/friends that value “wellness”.
Here is my updated Holiday Gift List for ideas of what to gift your loved ones (or yourself!). There is a little bit of everything from fitness gadgets to beauty to healthy kitchen staples.
Note: I’ve already shared a few of my favorite products over the past years; see this blog for some of my favorite clean beauty products and clean hair care. Also here is my 2020 and 2021 holiday wish lists (where you may find some overlap with products I continue to love and recommend!)
Fitness and overall lifestyle:
Ray Ban “smart” sunglasses - for any tech junkie (or almost anyone) these are pretty awesome! (splurge)
Sonos speaker. Such a practical gift that can be used almost anywhere!
Lululemon align biker shorts and align v-neck bra top are my favorites!
Lululemon everywhere belt bag - a super practical bag to take your cellphone and keys when thats all you need!
Bala bangles - I have two of these and use them almost daily for my mini at home workouts.
Mouth tape - for better sleep and overall better health. So many of us breathe with the mouth during the night and that drastically lowers our quality of sleep, negatively impacting our energy (and more). I’m buying this for my hubbie! I also found this recommended Night Tape option on Amazon.
Beauty and Wellness:
Detox Market’s Best of Green Beauty box 2024. I’ve gotten this “best of green beauty” box twice in the past and I’ve always loved them. This years is also on the top of my list! It’s such a great deal and a great way to try new clean brands.
Red light mask. Though a bit scary looking, this is one of the TOP wellness trends as these masks have proven to do wonders for your skin! Dr. Dennis Gross and CurrentBody are two options (available on Amazon) that I researched and would recommend. Two other popular brands include Omnilux and BonCharge (they have red light masks, infrared mats and more!)
Lip masks and gloss (clean). This year I’m all about the lips, so these are on my shopping list! Lawless plumping sleep mask (on sale!), Laneige lip sleeping mask and lipgloss, and SAIE glossybounce.
“Clean & Nontoxic” Perfume. I’ve been on the lookout for a good perfume made with no hormone-disrupting chemicals (chemical fragrances are one of the most endocrine disruptive toxins to avoid) and these are some of my top picks:
“Clean & Nontoxic” Candles. Some good options include soy wax, coconut wax and beeswax. In US: there are tons of options, but I love these from Apotheke and Artic Wicks for example. In Nicaragua: I love both Yanvar and AnaK candles - both available in Balance Market!
Mineral SPF - for face and lips! I’m a huge fan of supergoop (though i prefer their matte screen and play (vs unscreen or glow screen) because its 100% mineral so more “nontoxic” and pregnancy/breastfeeding friendly). And my dermatologist this year mentioned I had to start wearing SPF on my lips too, so I’ve added their lip balm and gloss to my cart!
Clean nail polish. (All these are “free-10”, free of 10 most common chemicals found in nail polish that are harmful to our health! Note: Those that are “free-3” - free of the 3 worst offenders: formaldehyde, toluene or dibutyl phthalate - are still questionable, so if possible, choose free 10 or free 15.)
Zoya. This is my go-to brand and still my favorite. Start with this mini basics kit and this manicure kit. Then add your favorite colors!
Olive & June. This brand lasts a long time and has a wide variety of colors - like Zoya, and is 15-free, cruelty free and vegan.
Gitti. Though I’m mostly loyal to Zoya, this Gitti starter kit is what I’m buying this year; I’ve heard great things!
Karma organic. I love this kit for neutral colors. This brand is “21-free” as well as vegan, cruelty-free and plastic-free.
Sundays - is the next brand on my list to try. They even have their own salon in NYC!
Nail Polish remover! I use both Mineral Fusion and Zoya.
For those who like to cook and/or want a beautiful healthy kitchen:
Our Place Dream Cooker - this slow cooker is at the top of my xmas list this year. I love this brand and cannot wait to try their equivalent of the Instapot (using better materials!)
Our Place cookware - the Always Pan and Perfect Pot are currently my favorite pan and pot in my kitchen!
Made in Cookware butter warmer pot. The BEST stainless steel mini pan for heating up water, soup, butter, or anything quickly and evenly. Worth every penny! I highly recommend it!
Great Jones bakeware - baking trays, pans and accessories. They’re super fun. nontoxic and good quality, too!
All cooking, baking and serving essentials from Enkantos (Nicaragua). You can find the most beautiful plates, servingware, bakeware and more, in this store. Visit their IG here.
Cookbooks! I love these “healthy ones” trending right now:
Self-Care staples - great for stocking stuffers:
Haven well within Luna underwear and bras. I am slightly obsessed with these; i love the material and their cuts. My favs are the plunge bralette and the luna briefs.
Necessaire’s The body wash and their unscented The body lotion - are some of my favorite “clean” nontoxic body staples, perfect for anyone and any stage of life including pregnancy.
Dr. Bronners soaps (for everything from body wash, laundry detergent to multi-purpose cleaner). I love this kit for babies (the balm is multipurpose and awesome!) *available in Balance Market
Dry Brush. I’ve been dry brushing daily for a while now and love it; its part of my routine like brushing my teeth, I highly recommend geting one (I keep both one with long handle and a smaller travel one). This short handle one is great too! *available in Balance Market
Tongue Scraper *available in Balance Market
Journals. I personally recommend some form of journaling to everyone. Try different mothods and see what works for you. Here are 3 great options to start with:
Bullet journal - this one allows you to do organized lists as well as free writing
Perfect gifts for dinner hosts (or the best Secret Santa gift) - most items available in Nicaragua!
Apple air tag - these are such a necessity and make a great gift! Here is a 4 pack of Apple air tags and 4 pack of leather keychains for the air tags.
Loving Sunday card deck - Gift yourself or a loved one a minute of mindfulness with these beautiful inspiring cards. You can buy them in Nicaragua in Balance Market or in the US HERE. Reading one of these quotes with you morning coffee or matcha can transform your day into a more positive mindful one.
Clean nontoxic candles: Candles made from natural sources are the best option for minimizing the amount of particulate matter you breathe in. Some good options include soy wax, coconut wax and beeswax.
In US: there are tons of options, but I love these from Apotheke and Artic Wicks for example.
In Nicaragua: I love both Yanvar and AnaK candles - both available in Balance Market!
Healthy goodies baskets from Balance Market - including a nut butter trio, chocolate lovers basket, our popular seed crackers with vegan cheese, and so much more! We’ve also created baskets of our supplements and non-toxic self care things, so be sure to visit our store in Managua (Plaza Paseo Santo Domingo).
AnaK clean beauty bundles - I mentioned their candles above but they also have great skin care and makeup (all clean, nontoxic) bundles that are the perfect git for a girl friend! You can find them in Balance Market! And while you’re at it, treat yourself to one of their amazing facials!
Charcuterie by R&A boards (any size) for your next dinner, or as the perfect hostess gift. They can even make personzlied wooden boards with your name, and customize your board to make it as healthy and delicious as you’d like. Check them out!
Bukari earrings. This local brand has beautiful things at different price points and are the perfect gift for that woman in your life who you never know what to get!
*Though these last 2 are not necessarily “wellness” related, I still think they’re great gifts and amke for perfect local gift options for those in Managua, hence why I included them!
What are your favorite trending christmas gifts this year?
Please share any awesome “wellness” gifts that I might have missed as I’m always on the lookout for great products that enhance our health and wellness.
Love and Happy Holidays,
Mariana