happy holiday

Like most people, I love giving and getting gifts at the holidays. However, sometimes the stress of finding the perfect gifts makes it less fun. This year I tried really hard to give thoughtful gifts to my loved ones, and support products and companies I love. I gave my mom a hydrosol from my favorite herb company Juniper Ridge and a gift certificate to Honeycomb Salon, I gave my brothers box sets of men's grooming products from Portland General Store, and I gave my dad one of Isa's hand tatted handkerchiefs from SHIP & SHAPE.

I think my friends and family members were thinking the same thing, because I was given some of the most thoughtful and usable gifts this year. Some of the highlights were Weleda body products (biodynamic!), amazing smoke scented Finnish Tar Soap, Peruvian alpaca gloves, a hand made wooden bowl, sage smudge, local raw honey, and a beautiful book called Odd Bits. They book was a gift from my mom, who knows about my strange love of organ meat and, well, odd bits. Lucky for me, my brother and sister-in-law also gave me a gift certificate to Clancy's Meats, the best butcher shop in Minneapolis, so I may even be able to try out some of the more adventurous recipes.