Navajo Made Shimá Earth Gift Box by Orenda Tribe, $40

I cannot tell you how exciting it is that sharing content like these ethical gift guides gets easier & easier every year, as more consumers choose to shop consciously, allowing more businesses to thrive sustainably. Of course, there’s so much more to it but we are making a difference, all of us.

Wellness Candle Collection by Seventh & Oak, $28 each

Back to the gift guides. Self care has been trending for a few years now but I think we’re all seeing it differently having endured 2020. Self care products can be totally trendy, and yeah, a little gimmicky, but they can also serve as important reminders to slow down and honestly just consider what’s going on in our own bodies and minds for a moment. I also just love the ripple effect that sustainable self care gifts have. You feel good purchasing from a brand you support, the recipient feels good getting something that benefits their wellbeing, and of course the brand benefits from the sale, especially during a time like this. And on it goes.

Bath Soak Gift Set by member Daughter of the Land, $36

We’ll share more sustainable gift ideas next month but with the election next week it felt like a pretty damn good time to indulge in a little extra care… even if that just means getting inspired by a new-to-you product!

Rituals Wellness Journal by Wilde House Paper, $28

I love Wilde House. Their stationery and journals are made with recycled and eco friendly paper, and they have beautiful handcrafted details such as this hand-torn cover and beach speckle print. This journal has spaces for your intentions & meditations, and lots of space for free writes.

Soap Minis + Bar Soaps by Pep Soap Co, starting at $3 each. Create a sampler set or opt for the Everyday Me Time Gift Set ($24) which comes with an organic bath pouf. All eco club approved soap and skincare products are free of palm oil.

Foxy Drops by member Au Naturel ($30) or Groove Juice, which contains CBD, are breath mints and vitamin supplements in one! I love taking it with me while traveling or stashing in my purse.

Four Ferns 100 Piece Puzzle by Lemonade Puzzles, $30

If you have a friend that struggles to disconnect, wind-down, or relax, a puzzle is actually a really incredible self care gift. I always feel the need to do something with my hands, which too often leads to me working while “unwinding” with TV at the end of the day. I also find that with the difficult ones, I truly do just focus on the puzzle which allows my mind to switch from its usual cycle of anxiety & plan making.

These Salves & Balms, ($12 each) by The Orange Clove are so perfect with their personalized options like “knitter’s salve” or “plant mom hand salve”.

If you can score a bath soak bundle ($29) from Homebody before they sell out, you’ve got one for you and one for a friend!

Seersucker Pajama Top by member Back Beat Co,  $125

I think we can all attest to the need for comfortable loungewear at this point, yeah?

CBD Bath Bliss Set by member Floramye, $70

Choco Soap Bars by Nana x Livy, $12

Morning Bliss Essential Oil Roll-On by fern + petal $14

Maya Angelou Three Tea Blend by Bon Temps, $46

Detoxifying Bath Bomb Pack by Bare Skin Bar, $24

CHILLAX Bedtime Tea Blend by WOMY, $24

Have a zero waste loving friend? They’ll be super into these soap seconds/ends from Wild Lather! $14

Self Care Zine Trio from fruitsuper, $36

 Raw manuka honey by Activist

Gold + Ivy fall trio of candles… don’t they all sound so good!?

The Evening Sampler from Sweet Reason, which includes drinks infused with Hemp CBD, adaptogens, and herbs.

Treat your pal to a duo of vegan nail polish from Bess & Color, $16 each.

Choose from plant based lattes and elixirs from Wylde One $35, to address every need from increasing energy to calming to boosting immunity.

Cozy up with a luxe, chunky knit blanket by August Sage from member Made Trade $395.

Saipua’s handmade bar soaps are just TOO pretty and TOO luxurious not to gift! $18

Does anyone else want to fill themselves a stocking right about now? Let us know how you’re supporting small during the holidays this year! And, be sure to past these self care gift ideas onto your wellness-loving friends.

Take care xx

The post 25 Sustainable Self Care Gift Ideas For Your Stressed Out Pals appeared first on Eco Club.

And interesting note: When writing, I thought through my own experience with each of the bullets below, and when I’ve decided to do them. So often I do any of these only after I’ve felt lousy for a good long time. A lot of modern psychology (in therapy, in studies etc.) will tell you to practice all of these things (my old psychiatrist was actually the first person to ever tell me to sleep in if I want to, or cancel plans when I don’t feel up to it… the kind of permissions we struggle to give ourselves) because it’s effective if you practice it enough. The only deep breath you take that week shouldn’t be during a breakdown. So, here’s to practicing these in all times, good and bad… simply because they feel good.

1. A mindful walk. A walking meditation is a way of practicing mindfulness while moving, and it challenges your natural tendency to do things on autopilot, like moving your legs, breathing, and observing the sights, smells, and sounds around you. It sounds incredibly simple so it’s easy to overlook it as an effective form of self care, but it’s an entire sensory experience that personally gives me immense gratitude and a feeling of calm every time I’m intentional about doing it.

2. An experience. A day at the beach, exploring a new neighborhood, there are so many ways to have an experience without spending money. Money can cause so much stress and neglecting to take care of yourself while struggling with it and other factors will only worsen your situation. Getting active and out in nature is an obvious antidote, but there are plenty of free museums, cultural events, and other enriching experiences put on by neighborhoods and towns all over, you just have to get out and do it.

3. An early bedtime. Sometimes you just want to call it a day. Why don’t you? In a world that never unplugs, choosing to stop is a radical act.

4. A day to yourself. Again, it’s a busy world out there. Everyone wants you to do and be something different, everyone has a demand. Declaring, “I’m making no plans today.” seems almost absurd. But oh, it feels so good.

5. Saying “No.” To another work request you quite literally don’t have time for, to an invitation to go out when you want to stay in, to undercharging for your work, to another unreciprocated favor—there are countless things a woman does each and every day that mean putting her needs behind others. They add up. Giving is one thing, but exhausting yourself won’t help others or you. Saying no might mean saying yes to yourself.

6. A deep breath. Stressed? Anxious? Tired? Angry? Hurting? Sad? Worried? Embarrassed? None of these things feel good. A deep breath is kind of like reminding yourself you’re still here and that this too, shall pass. Take a deep breath and acknowledge your feelings, and that they will soon pass.

7. A social media break. Recently our Charity posted in her Insta Stories asking what her followers do when they’re feeling anxious. A lot of them agreed: get off social media. It doesn’t have to be that specific things on social media have upset you—there’s just so many times when there are a million other things you could be doing, to benefit yourself, rather than a thing that can be pretty mindless and unfulfilling.

8. An affirmation. Affirmations and positive self talk are ways of expressing gratitude and visualizing a positive future. There is research that shows it can calm anxiety, make you happier (by making you more content with where you are), and more. Plus, like a big, deep breath, it just feels nice.

9. Phone a friend. I’ve personally spent a lot more time considering whether I should reach out to a friend than actually talking with them. Up until a few years ago, I figured if people wanted to talk to me, they’d call me, and if not, I was on my own. This is not so. Friends are often thinking the same thing, or they’re experiencing their own distractions, and well, life gets in the way. Do you and your friends a favor and keep in touch.

10. A good read. I never regret reading, yet I read so much more rarely than I want to because I put about a million other things first. Taking the time to go to the library, physically browse and pick out a book, check it out, and bring it home to read (all for free!) is another quiet way to declare that you’re spending time with yourself, your mind, your imagination.

Let us know what you’d add to this list.

The post 10 Acts of Self Care That Don’t Require a Purchase appeared first on Eco Club.

(Photo by Laura Marchbanks)

It was my first new social experience in Seattle and almost a year later, I still keep up with a few acquaintances from that workshop, the only plant I can seem to keep alive and flourishing is weaving its way down that macrame in my apartment window, and I’m still in touch with Amy, the founder of Social Creative, who you see in the following photos by Jess Flagel:

Last fall, I also started exploring a form of therapy called acceptance + commitment therapy, which is rooted in mindfulness. Self care took on a whole new meaning. Yeah, I’d been taking baths in my less-than-glamorous tub and had memorized the script to UCLA’s guided meditations, but this idea of embracing experience as a form of self care was a little different. For a socially anxious introvert, it was a push. It meant committing to an experience that I know might cause some discomfort in the beginning: not only investing money in an experience rather than a product, but simply showing up to an event where I knew maybe one or two individuals, and trusting that I’d value the outcome so much more.

Thinking back, I’ve actually put myself out there in this way many times in the past. And even when they didn’t turn out as amazing as my time with Social Creative did, I still took something from it, I still committed to doing something for myself just because I wanted to.

A few months back, I got the chance to chat with Amy about this very thing, about how some of the best forms of self care look a bit different than what Instagram might have you believe. It might just be committing to a meetup for the sake of good conversation. It might just be a couple hours crafting with new friends in a beautiful space, which is what Social Creative is all about.

We discussed how experience can be a form of self care, and here’s Amy’s take:

Self care is huge.

It’s one of the most nourishing, loving, responsible things we can do for ourselves. And it doesn’t have to come in a lotion, or a scrub, or any product purchase for that matter. It’s the gift of time. Time to be replenished, time to reflect, time to be excited, pampered and engaged, to be silly, to express yourself, and feel carefree.

Whether it is work, home, kids, the fast pace of life, or the constant face-down swirl of technology, we all deserve to take a pause in the form of self care experience. This means time set apart to experience joy, relationships, relaxation, creative freedom, and something for just you. This could a bath drawn with your favorite soak enhancements (by candlelight and with wine, of course) or hours blocked out on the calendar to explore and experience, at your leisure, all the things that spark joy.

It may also be an experience that provides a creative outlet, and fills your tank with warm conversation, delicious tastes, and thoughtful gestures. That is what Social Creative aims to do. We are an experience-based creative workshop that cultivates relationships, offers a space for life-giving, carefree fun, and provides some self care by way of food, drink, atmosphere and creativity. I wholeheartedly believe in the power of moments, creating memories, and dazzling all the senses. This is what experiences are about—and fond memories never expire. Exhale, experience, enjoy.

Photos from Jess Flagel Photography above are a peek at Social Creative’s upcoming jewelry design workshop with Ruth Ryan Jewelry on Sunday, March 24th at the Marian Built Loft in Seattle, WA. Locals, click here to save your seat.

Other upcoming spring experiences:
Cooking Elevated | April 18 with Not Without Salt
Floral Design & Watercolor | May 11 with Teressa Johnson Studio and The Mint Gardener
Social Engagement: Spirits | May 26 with Mischief Distillery

Social Creative is an elevated creative workshop experience: party meets workshop. Each workshop is created to be more of an experience. It is an event with cocktails, wine, good food, and ladies coming together in a hip Seattle venue with elevated touches everywhere. We partner with top Seattle creatives, artisans and local businesses to curate a one of a kind experience. Find us @socialcreativeworkshops www.wearesocialcreative.com.

The post It’s Time We Prioritized Experience as a Form of Self Care appeared first on Eco Club.