A shopping blog of cool gift ideas

With so many upcoming holiday parties, bringing bottle after bottle of wine seems so unoriginal. And who wants to end up with 15 bottles at the night’s end? Why not give a more thoughtful gift? A Reclaimed Slate Cheese Board is perfect because it’s functional for serving some party appetizers. 

The board is made of recycled chalkboards from Franklin Elementary School in Illinois, making it a great eco-friendly option. You can educate other party-goers on the selected cheese by writing the name in chalk. With this creative gift, you’ll surely be the hit of the party. And your host/hostess will think of you for years to come.

Reclaimed Slate Cheese Board starting at $48.00.

Sure, anybody can go to their local store to buy a roll of cute wrapping paper, but what if there were easy ways to make your gift as unforgettable on the outside and they will be on the inside? We’ve created our easy to follow “Gift Wrapping 101” guide to walk you through some pretty unique wrapping styles that even we could do! 

The pictures are actually our handiwork. An even easier alternative is to order custom, monogrammed wrapping paper. You can even buy recycled personalized wrapping paper! Talk about a stand out gift. So go on…dress up your gifts this year for every occasion and watch the compliments come rolling in! See all of our gift guides too.

Personalized Holiday Wrapping Paper starting at $19.95.

Quiksilver has been providing cutting edge west coast style for years, and finally this season they designed a line that the ladies can enjoy. Full of key pieces for summer, one of my favorites is this Plaid Tank made of organic cotton. 

Not only is this tank spot-on trend with it's stand out plaid pattern, but it also features a cute accent bow that adds a feminine edge to an otherwise tomboy look. And all my inside sources tell me plaid is going to be big this fall too, so this piece can easily transition into a casual Back to School outfit just by adding a preppy cardigan. Don't forget to check out the rest of our eco-friendly fashion picks, because green never goes out of style. 

Quiksilver "Little Bird" Plaid Tank starting at $68.00.

You love DIY products, you love the environment, and you love your cat, so it only makes sense that you'd love making eco-friendly products in your own home for your cat. The Eco-Me Cat Kit is a 100% eco-friendly tool kit that enables you to use safe and natural products from your own kitchen. Mixing ingredients from your cupboards like baking soda and vinegar with specially blended essential oils like rosemary, citronella, and lemongrass you can make products for your cats like flea and bug spray, litter freshener, organic catnip pillows, and all-natural treats. Treat your cat, treat the environment and treat yourself.

Eco-Me Cat Kit starting at $24.00.

By now, you’re probably familiar with the “5 G’s” of Father’s Day gifting. Well, I have another “G” to add to the list. It’s “Green” gifts. Eco-gifts have been one of the hottest trending gift categories on our site for a while now. So here is a really cool green gift for dad. “WE ADD UP” is a simple idea with unique and fun execution.

A “WE ADD UP” t-shirt has two sides. On the back of the shirt, there is an environmental “action”- for example “Recycle”, “Compost”, “Buy Local” even “Shower Together”! There are around 30 different “actions” available to choose from in select styles and colors. Here’s the cool part. On the front of the shirt, are the words “WE ADD UP” as an addition equation with the sum being a unique number which represents “your place in the sequential global count of all the people who are taking steps to help stop climate change.” So each shirt is truly one of a kind. No one else will have your number.

Here’s the even cooler part. For each shirt sold, a donation is made that helps forward the “action” the tee shirt represent. For example, for sales of each “Recycle” tee, $1 is donated to The Green Project. WE ADD UP tees are 100% certified organic cotton manufactured in the US under strict fair labor practices. As I type 11,862 people have added up to make a difference. Father’s Day is a great opportunity to add some more dads to this list.

We Add Up Recycle Tee starting at $20.00. 

As the weather heats up, and kids get the itch to play outside, you want something to occupy their creative and active needs. Look no further than the Build Your Own Airplane Kit from Cardboard Designs. 

We've blogged about our love of these guys in the past, and there's good reason. This eco-friendly kit is made of foldable cardboard, so your little Miss or Mr.Imagination gets to build it from scratch then decorate it as they please. When they're done flying around the backyard, the plane folds easily for storage or travel. For other eco-friendly fun, check out their lemonade stand or Blast Off Rocket. 

Build Your Own Airplane starting at $54.00.

Earth Day may be only one day a year, but you can live green everyday. So where do you start? There's a lot of information out there and it can be overwhelming and that's why I love these Little Green Books. 

Each book contains 250 tips to be more earth friendly and less wasteful in every aspect of your life. There's one on beauty, home, gardening, and shopping. Each is printed on sustainable paper and small enough to fit in your eco tote. Snag the whole set to get started living green! And don't forget to check out our favorite gifts for Earth Day.

Little Green Books Set starting at $45.00.

As an aunt of 9, count them, 9 nephews and nieces, I get to enjoy all the good stuff about the little guys, like big smiles, first words and adorable outfits and none of the bad stuff, like sleep deprivation, dirty diapers and weekend nights in.

And, of course, being Aunt Gillian to so many means I have given many baby shower gifts like this Organic Cotton Hedgehog Onesie. Not only is it super adorable and gender neutral (perfect for when you don't know if it'll be a boy or a girl), but it's also made with 100% organic cotton, which means it's eco-friendly and oh so soft against baby's skin.

Organic Cotton Hedgehog Onesie starting at $28.00

After I grew out of my baby clothes, they went straight to Goodwill, but with the green movement going strong, why not recycle them into something completely new? With Baby Clothes Quilt Kit, you can turn your little one's clothes and blankets into a precious keepsake. 

You don't have to be a seamstress to enjoy it (and trust me, seamstress I am not). The set comes with everything you need (thirteen white squares, batting, a quilt back), including very detailed instructions. After becoming an honorary "auntie" four times this month, I'm on the hunt for fresh and unique baby shower gifts and this kit might just do the trick.

Baby Clothes Quilt Kit starting at $28.00

No little girl can resist a doll house, and although the traditional wooden kind make great heirlooms, you can't exactly cart them around to grandma's house.  

Here's where the Kids on Roof Mobile Home comes in handy. This "green" house is made of 100% biodegradable recycled cardboard and folds up flat, making it easy for play dates and weekend trips. It makes for a cute birthday gift and a great way to start the conversation about making eco-friendly choices with your child.

Kids on Roof Mobile Home starting at $31.99