Holiday Shopping -- A Few of My Favorite Things

Although it's uncomprehendable to me, anxious shoppers got up in the early hours of the morning the day after Thanksgiving to start their Christmas shopping expeditions. ARGH! For an anti-shopper like me, it's my worst nightmare. Don't get me wrong -- I love to surprise people with gifts that are perfectly suited for them (this is my claim to fame). The thing is -- I HATE shopping. These past few years, I've been doing most of my shopping online, and I must say that it's a beautiful thing!

I'm not a mall person. I was forced to go to one last week (hmmm...my mall visit coincided with the onset of my nasty stomach virus -- wonder if they're somehow related because being in the mall definitely made me feel ill) because I needed an outfit for an upcoming Christmas party. Let's just say that my time in the mall wasn't exactly pleasant. Can you say overstimulation? I remember back in the day when Victoria's Secret first opened -- the store was small and intimate, as though you were shopping in a boudoir. Now the store is immense complete with neon lights and obvious sexual images. It seems that the company has traded class for trash. They're not the only one. I walked by a store that plays music so loudly (how does anyone shop inside that store?!?!?!) that it was loud to me as a passerby. To say that a trip to the mall overstimulates a person is an understatement.

It's no wonder that I prefer small shops. The shopping experience is quite different when you go into a small shop and the merchandise is typically unusual and lovely. When I'm in Vermont, I might pick up a Christmas gift or two. The rest of my shopping will be done online -- again. No crowded malls, harried shoppers, holiday traffic, overly-commercial stores for me -- no way!

And since Oprah has her little holiday list of favorite things (the majority of which are usually high-priced), I thought I'd weigh in with a few of my own favorite holiday picks this year. It's hard for me to recommend a lot of items, as I usually pick an item based on the person I'm shopping for. I admit that while Oprah's gifts are popluar with the average person, my gifts are a little more targeted to the yoga crowd. That said, here's my list of favorites this season:

1. If you know someone struggling with aches and pains (I'm always surprised by just how many people are) in their upper and/or lower back, I can't recommend Gary Kraftsow's DVDs highly enough. I'm actually getting one of these DVDs for my secret santa. Choose from either Viniyoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum, and Hips or Viniyoga Therapy for the Upper Back, Neck, and Shoulder. The yoga routines on these DVDs are suitable for a beginner, so the recipient doesn't have to be an accomplished yogi to appreciate them. They will appreciate how these routines will ease their pain though!
2. There is a lot of yoga-inspired jewelry out there, but if you're looking for some unusual and lovely pieces, I recommend Chakra Activating jewelry from Marsya. All of the jewlery is handmade and it's absolutely, positively lovely. I treasure my Marsya anklet. All of the pieces are quite reasonably priced, and what could feel better than supporting an independent artist? Designer Marsya Ancker is based in Vermont (I'll be paying her a visit when I get to Burlington) and is a complete joy to deal with. My order came nicely wrapped with a hand-written notecard thanking me for my purchase. Gee, is it any wonder I would rather buy from an independent artist than shop at the mall?!?!?!? This time of year the diamond commercials come out in force. Sure, you could buy someone a run of the mill piece of jewelry and support who knows what kind of diamond mining methods or you could buy from the delightful and talented Marsya.
3. Combining my love of candles and my love of local artisans is Vermont Rock Candles. These lovely oil lamps are made from rocks picked from Vermont-area quarries. Talk about a unique and lovely gift -- these lamps are amazing! If any of my friends are reading this -- hint, hint. Anyways, these pieces make a delightful addition to any home. Anything that brings a little nature indoors gets big points with me.
4. For the yogi in search of a mat bag, I highly recommend the Yopa Mat Pack. This versatile mat bag (in backpack form) does it all and carries it all. I can't even begin to describe all of the amazing features, but I'm happy to say that my friends at Yoga Lifestyle have done it for me. The bag is cheap too -- under $50. I have one and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
5. Books are ALWAYS on my list of great gifts. There are way too many excellent books out there to create a manageable list, so I'll just recommend two of my latest favorites: The Untethered Soul and Sex, Love, and Dharma. Amazing books for anyone -- yogis and non-yogis alike. You don't have to be a yogi to appreciate the universal topics covered in these books. They're easy reads too. I'll definitely be picking up a few copies for some of my friends. As for more books and DVD recommendations, you can see my Amazon store here.
6. There are a variety of fantastic (as well as organic and fair trade) items at Mandala. One of the more unusual and way cool gifts they're offering is something new -- Mandala soaps. Not only are these useful (after all, they do get you clean -- and smell fantastic) but they are beautiful to look at. And the best part -- after you've used the soap, you end up with a lovely mandala art design, suitable for framing. What's not to love? Choose from soaps with delightful names like Harmony, Nirvana, Lotus Light, and Inner Journey. I can't think of a better stocking stuffer!
7. For the women on your list I have what may seem like an odd recommendation -- an ebook. Yes, it cuts down on packaging and all of that, but I'm not recommending it because of its oh-so-convenient e-format. I recommend it because the book has a wonderful message, advice, and tips for women living in our image-obsessed world. The Beauty Promise is a must-read (and a delightful one) for women of any age.

I might diverge from my usual habit of store-bought only gifts this year. I saw a wonderful article in Positive Thinking magazine that brought out my creative side. The article offers a wonderful recipe for making your own bath salts. Hmmmm...that could be fun. And it would be a gift that I'd be proud to give. After all, who doesn't love a nice, hot bath?

Okay, that's my list for this year. Watch out Oprah, there's another list o' favorite things around!

And for those of you who'd like to cut down on what I like to call the Great Christmas Card Waste, I suggest sending e-cards. Okay, perhaps there not exactly appropriate for Grandma, but I personally think they're great. No poor trees have to die and you're not adding to someone's clutter. Check out the cute yogi e-Christmas cards from Yoga Lifestyle (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Om, Om, Om (just picture me flying away on my yoga mat rather than in a sleigh carried by 8 reindeer)! That's this yogi's gift list for the folks that have followed their Yamas and Niyamas.

Namaste!

Comments

[Valerie]

Hi, What a wonderful surprise to come across the review of our Mandala Soaps tonight! It is our very first "review/mention," so we're pretty excited. Thank you so much!

[Laura]

Thanks for the great list of suggestions! Just what I need this time of year.

[Shannon]

As I was reading this I could not help but think of www.thefitpro.com. This is a national health and fitness marketing tool. You can find yoga studios, pilates instructors, wellness centers or any other health professionals depending on the area in which you live. A great gift would be a few yoga sessions! If you have friends or family that do not live by you, it may be a good idea to go to www.thefitpro.com and find someone in their area! Happy searching!

[insideoutweightloss]

Good question Pradeep. I'm actually going to answer this publicly because I feel strongly about this topic. I like to include useful/helpful links in my posts. I am an Amazon affiliate, so I do receive a small commission if someone buys something via one of my Amazon links. More often than not, however, I don't get any sort of compensation for the products I recommend (case in point would be the holiday recommendations from this post). When I have a positive experience with an item or service, I like to pass that along to my readers -- regardless of whether I profit or not. I won't recommend something that I haven't tried and/or believe in. I am often contacted by people who want me to promote things on my blog (whether they be events, products, services) and I stand strongly by the "if I haven't tried it and liked it then I don't promote it on my blog" policy. Just because someone sends me a product to try doesn't mean that I'll give it a favorable review -- free doesn't cut it -- it has to be something of value. That's the looooong answer to your question. In short, I like promoting good things and good people and I do use my blog to do that on occasion. That's the joy of the blog -- sharing, helping, community. Thanks again for your question. Namaste!

[Pradeep]

By habit, your site is still in my browsing list. Your articles are always full of details abt other URL's. Do you get any encouragement from these people to promote their URL's?. Or do you just find these and do a service of announcing them?.
Just curious!.