‘Tis the season for spending...and giving back!

I must apologize for the radio silence; November literally flashed before my eyes in a blur. In between a second set of grommets for the human child, stressing about printers not delivering orders on time, finding a new supplier, cramming Christmas shopping into a few short weeks, volunteering my skills while looking for more permanent employment in addition to my day job – there has been little time for me to pen my thoughts.

Every year I tell myself that next year I will be better organized and have all the Christmas shopping done before December 1st, and every year, I fail miserably. I have come awfully close this year, but not quite there yet.

This year I decided I wanted to shop local and support those that give back in some way to conservation. I struggled to find many that ticked both boxes, but below is a list of some of the places I came across:

For the love of coffee

For the love of coffee and conservation – Outliers Coffee Roasters.

I happened to stumble across this family run business while searching the EWT (www.ewt.org) site. I limit myself to 2 cups of coffee a day, before midday. Anything more or after midday, I become a trembling insomniac – which is no fun for me or those who live with me or anyone I come into contact with.

They are a local (in my area) business and donate a portion of their sales to various causes including The Endangered Wildlife trust. This was a no brainer for me – you had me at coffee and conservation.

Choose your grind, from whole coffee beans to the finest Turkish grind…

https://outlierscoffee.co.za/outliers-shop/

Robyn Ansell Art in collaboration with Wild Soul

I have been following Robyn on Instagram for a while and she is so incredibly talented. When she launched her Christmas collection I absolutely had to get my hands on them.

Robyn recently did an amphibian collection in support of the Endangered Wildlife trust. Her work is simply exquisite and all packaging is eco-friendly and fully recyclable.

Check her out on social media or visit her online store; you may find the perfect gift for the art lover in your life:

https://www.robynansellart.com/shop/

I was introduced to Wild Soul via a collaboration with Robyn. At Wild Soul you will find a variety of items from salad servers to buffs. The Queen Protea bag, made from 100% cotton, is what caught my eye and I very quickly placed my order.

Stylish headgear

Ellie & May

While I haven’t purchased any Christmas gifts from Ellie & May, I did purchase items from them earlier in the year. They stock cotton peak caps and beanies and as an owner of both, I would highly recommend both the cap and beanie. The solid knit beanie is warm and comes in a variety of different colours. The cotton peak, also available in several fantastic shades, is one size fits all with an adjustable metal clasp at the back to adjust it to your desired size.

Added bonus – each of their products contribute towards and raises awareness about elephant conservation. And if you are like me who wants to #jointheherd you get an awesome sticker that you can stick on your car (or wherever you choose).

https://ellieandmay.com/

The Platter Project

Another South African Gem, the Platter Project beneficiaries are focused on 3 areas, wildlife, education and children battling life threatening kidney and liver disease.

Their product offerings include unframed A3 prints, stickers and ceramic 17 inch platters. Prints include a variety of birds and wildlife as well as icons such as Nelson Mandela and a young Freddie Mercury.

https://theplatterproject.co.za/

And then there is me with my 2022 calendars, mouse pads and prints for sale. A portion of each sale is donated to cheetah conservation. I will be making my first donation in January once all the Christmas sales are wrapped up. I am truly humbled by the interest received and the orders placed. It’s been a learning curve of note, but everyone must start somewhere, right?

If you want to shop local and support small business while contributing to a cause, please hop on over to their website(s).

If you haven’t seen this before “When you support a small business, you’re supporting a dream” …

Until next time,

Lara

Disclaimer: I have not been paid for this nor have I been asked to write this. These recommendations are based on my experience and findings while searching for gifts this holiday season.