All I Want for Christmas...

Healthy, green gifts for everyone on your list ... at your local health food store. Enter to win a free gift basket packed with many of these favourite things!

Welcome to alive’s 2011 holiday gift guide! We’ve been hard at work searching for the latest and hottest gift ideas for even the most hard-to-please person on your list, so you can do a stress-free one-stop holiday shop at your local natural health retailer. 

Tip: These products can be found at natural health retailers across Canada. Not every store carries each product, so check with your local natural health store. You can also visit the company’s website to order online or find a retailer near you.

Our Holiday Gift Basket Giveaway contest is now over. Congratulations to the four lucky readers who won a gift basket piled high with these great products!

Healthy kitchen

Make home sweet home a little healthier with these unique gifts.

Bambu Serveware These elegant cooking and serving utensils are made from bamboo, a fast-growing renewable resource. Plus they’re lightweight, heat resistant, and won’t scratch delicate nonstick surfaces. Perfect for the new homeowner!bambuhome.com

Abeego Food Storage Wraps Move over, ugly plastic food storage bags! Abeego offers stylish, eco-friendly food storage wraps made from cotton and coated with beeswax and plant oils. Use in place of disposable plastic wrap and bags.abeego.ca

Food

These healthy delicacies are sure to delight the foodie on your list.

Twisted Pit Olive Oil Twisted Pit was created by two brothers to encourage people to use olive oil creatively. With flavours like Rosemary, Ginger, and Orange and Mountain Herbs, Chili, and Lime, there’s no shortage of inspiration!twistedpit.com

Arayuma Fair Trade Organic Spices These Fair Trade organic spices are packaged in beautiful handwoven boxes perfect for gift giving. Blend them together to make your own chai, or try the curry recipe from their website.arayuma.com

Crofter’s Organic Spreads Crofter’s Organic Superfruit Spreads are loaded with antioxidant-rich, flavour-packed fruit from around the world perfectly sweetened with Rainforest Alliance certified Fair Trade cane sugar. Each serving contains just 30 calories.croftersorganic.com

Kicking Horse Coffee With names like Kick Ass, Cliff Hanger, and Grizzly Claw, we can tell Kicking Horse Coffee means business. Better yet, it’s 100 percent organic and Fair Trade.kickinghorsecoffee.com

Domo Tea A chilly winter evening goes hand in hand with a hot mug of tea, and Domo’s matcha, rooibos, and chai blends are perfect chill chasers. It’s traditional tea with a contemporary twist.domotea.com

Self care

What to give the friend who won’t spare a minute for herself? The gift of “me time,” of course.

The Mystic Masala Bath and Body Products Ancient Ayurvedic tradition categorizes people into doshas based on their personality and body type. These body oils and bars balance your dosha and bring your inner self into harmony.themysticmasala.com

Weleda Body Oils Celebrating 90 years in business, Weleda is no newcomer to natural skin care. This kit contains six nourishing body oils in sample sizes so your loved one can find her favourite.weleda.com

Hugo Naturals Bath Bombs These deliciously scented fizzy bath bombs are infused with vitamin E and plant oils to moisturize and soothe dry winter skin.hugonaturals.com

Who doesn’t love Chocolate?(seriously, who?)

Theobroma Chocolat These organic chocolate bars have real pieces of fruit that add a touch of sweet to the rich dark chocolate base. Try coconut, pineapple, or raspberry to dazzle your taste buds.theobromachocolat.com

Green & Black’s Organic Green & Black’s holiday line features assortments of their favourite flavours individually packaged in boxes, or as adorable miniature chocolate bars, so there’s something for everyone.greenandblacks.com

Kayer Dark Chocolate Truffle Bars For consumers who choose dark chocolate for health benefits, each delicious Kayer bar is sweetened only with low-glycemic organic coconut palm sugar. Their gluten-free bars are made in Canada with organic chocolate and other natural ingredients.vbarkleys.ca

Naturally beautiful

No beauty maven’s cosmetic collection is completewithout these natural wintertime luxuries.

Deep Steep Candy Mint Foot Polish Feet can be neglected in the winter, and cold weather can make heels dry and cracked. Deep Steep’s Foot Polish leaves feet smooth, soft, and smelling like a candy cane!deepsteep.com

Kiss My Face Lip Balm These sweet-smelling beeswax-based lip balms are packed with natural moisturizers such as shea butter, vitamin E, and coconut oil to condition and soothe chapped lips.kissmyface.com

Dr. Hauschka Rose Gift Set This creme is the perfect remedy to prepare dry skin for the harsh winter elements. Dr. Hauschka’s formulations restore skin to its healthy balance without encouraging dependence on heavy moisturizers.drhauschka.com

Lavera Body Lotion Lavera’s Body Lotion in scents such as Vanilla-Coconut, Vervain-Lime, and Orange-Sea Buckthorn conjures up a beach in a tropical paradise. Wishful thinking...lavera.com

Earthlab Raw Mascara Natural paraben-free mascara that doesn’t run down your face. No clumping, no flaking, no smudging, and it’s made in Canada.earthlab.ca

Aroma Crystal Therapy Aroma Crystal Therapy, makers of Gardener’s Dream Cream, offers an award-winning, rejuvenating all-natural skin care line. Their products are made with 100 percent pure essential oils, are chemical free, and made with love.aromacrystal.com

Kids

Gone are the days when eco-friendly toys were unfashionable and uncool—kids will want to show these gifts off at school!

Green Toys You won’t be finding any PVC, BPA, phthalates, or other harmful plastics in the Green Toys tugboat or jump rope. Colourful and made from safe materials including recycled milk jugs, these toys encourage fun and environmental values.greentoys.com

Nature Clean Treehouse Bubble Bath and Soaps Kids’ favourite TV and book characters join them on Nature Clean’s bubble bath and soaps. They’re natural, gentle enough for sensitive skin, and their fun designs make encouraging healthy habits a breeze.naturecleanliving.com/treehouse

Piggy Paint Nail Polish Piggy Paint colourful nail polish will make every girl feel like a princess, and will put every parent at ease knowing it’s all natural and nontoxic.piggypaint.com

Stocking stuffers

These stocking-sized gifts will complete your holiday shopping.

Kaia Facial Cleansing Cloths Kaia biodegradable bamboo cleansing cloths are a cleanser, makeup remover, and toner in one, so there’s no excuse not to take off your makeup—even after a long day of holiday partying!kaianaturals.com

Carebags It can be hard to remember to bring produce and bulk bags when shopping, but Carebags makes it easy with light, durable bags that fit easily into your purse or pocket.carebagsonline.com

Ecojot Stationery Ecojot offers journals, greeting cards, and sketchbooks made from post-consumer recycled paper printed in Canada. Their hand-painted designs make them almost too pretty to write on.ecojot.com