Need a holiday, housewarming, hostess, wedding, college, birthday gift? Want to give something original that is also useful and eco-friendly? These are a few of my personal favorite home items that also make unique gifts.
who gives a crap 100% recycled, soft, 3-ply toilet paper wrapped in fun, colorful paper with humorous text is plastic-free, and each purchase helps provide toilets and clean water to those in need. * For the healthiest, most earth-friendly option, choose 100% recycled tp, not their bamboo tp. Although bamboo is a fast-growing resource, it takes a lot of toxic chemicals to make it soft for our bums.
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august table beautiful, subtly colored block print cotton napkins and table cloths will elevate any home while preventing the sacrifice of a tree for paper napkins and reducing landfill waste. I love them so much, I have three different prints. *Woman-owned company.
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meema upcycled from denim & cotton, their napkins, aprons, and dish towels have a classic european farmhouse look.
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healthylinen organic, chemical-free, flax linen napkins, tablecloths, and kitchen towels in a rainbow of colors. Buy a set of one color or several colors to coordinate with the season or recipient’s style.
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coyuchi organic throws, bath towels and kitchen towels are top quality and gorgeous. Cheap they are not. The best time to buy for discounts is black friday through cyber monday. I love this throw that we keep on the couch (our dog Olive loves it too and the grey doesn’t show her black hair), these bath towels (they give our white bathroom a hint of Mediterranean blue color), and I just purchased these french linen kitchen towels as a hostess gift for my brother’s girlfriend’s mom, who cooks up a spectacular feast for the holidays.
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earthhero dryer balls in an assortment of colors from classic white to penguin faces, these eco-friendly, natural wool balls will reduce drying time, eliminate the need for dryer sheets/liquid softener, and help fluff down comforters and coats. *If you have a 2-in-1 washer/condensing dryer, like me, add the dryer balls after the wash and before drying. I made the mistake of putting them in at the beginning with the wash and the dense, wet wool balls soaked up so much water that the clothes never dried. Oops! For our down comforters, I actually damp-dry them first before adding the wool dryer balls.
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high sierra low flow, non-clogging showerheads in a variety of finishes provide an invigorating shower while reducing water consumption by 40%. Use less water, heat less water, save money!
With easy installation, we switched our apartment showerhead to a high sierra because it provided a better shower experience (feels great and gets the shampoo out fast). When we moved out we switched it back and installed the high sierra showerhead in our new home. *My very sensitive child and elderly mother feel that the spray is too powerful so they have gentle low-flow showerheads.
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beeswax precious unscented candles in a variety of colors, shapes, and holiday-specific figures look lovely, burn clean and add an element of nature to warm the home.
Did you know that standard candles made of paraffin wax are petroleum-based and burn toxic chemicals into our home? Additionally, chemical fragrances in candles contribute to indoor and outdoor air pollution (42% of human-created VOCs contributing to air pollution are due to fragrances in our products). Unscented beeswax and soy candles are better for air quality, better for everyone’s health. * Woman-owned business.
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airdoctor air purification removes viruses, bacteria, mold, pollen, pet dander, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs like formaldehyde that can make indoor air quality worse than outdoor air). An airdoctor is a gift of health for people with allergies, asthma, compromised immune systems, people living in older homes, and people who love cooking (clears tough cooking smells).
A friend with severe sensitivities to mold, who lives in an older home in a damp climate, has several airdoctor purifiers running. With old carpet and direct knowledge of mold behind several walls, she had her air tested and it came back with only low mold levels due to running her airdoctors.
Healthy indoor air is a priority in our home. In addition to designing and building our home with low VOC products, we have an ERV that continually brings in fresh, filtered air and removes stale air (a necessity in a tightly sealed home). Our ERV is great at removing the dust and soot from our urban environment but we purchased an airdoctor to go a step further in keeping our indoor air healthy. I like it so much I’ve ordered a second one for our entry… both as an extra measure for covid but also to clear the smells from my mom’s cooking and VOC heavy nail polish that settle in the entry. Multi-generation living has many perks but we cannot stand each other’s smells! *I have no special relationship with airdoctor and paid for our air purifiers (and all items mentioned)… although I’d be happy to accept free ones. Just saying.
Jen Grauer 