It’s Beginning To Look Like Shopping Time

It’s that time of year again. Shop windows have transformed into bizarre messes of tinsel and reindeer. You’re getting calls from extended family asking for Christmas lists and details on the family lunch. But as with everything else, we need to keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts, the crying baby who changed all of our lives, Jesus Christ.

But how can we keep this in mind when buying the many presents we need to get for our relatives? Here are some ideas for presents which fit the criteria of What Would Jesus Buy?

Nice Smelling Things

When thinking of presents for loved ones it’s easy to fall into the default of soaps and hand creams. If you are going to go for these nice smelling clichés, try be ethical with it. Brands such as Thankyou and The Body Shop aim to provide products that are good for you and others as well. Thankyou is a not for profit organisation who have a wide range of products which you can track once you’ve bought them. This means that with the unique code from our product you can actually see what difference that one bottle of hand soap is having.

Caffeinated Things

No sane person is going to deny a nice new packet of rich coffee. Or a new box of sweet smelling tea. But when you’re picking out drinkable presents look for these brands. The Oxfam Australia website has an incredible range of coffees and teas you can purchase, they are all fair trade and delicious.

Tasty Things

Know a chocolate lover? That’s a trick question because obviously everyone does. Brands such as Oxfam Australia, Bennetto, and Heart of Chocolate allow you to buy chocolate which you can feel good about.

Wearable Things

Do you want to buy your best friend some funky clothes for Christmas? Don’t let the scare of fast fashion stop you. Here are some Australian brands who are committed to making ethical clothing and although they’re probably a bit more expensive than Target, you’re bound to feel better about your purchases. Reformation are committed to using sustainable materials, and they often recycle and reuse old materials. Salt Gypsy is a brand who recycle old nylon waste from old fishing nets and other ocean waste to create a quirky range of swimmers. The brand Bon makes a wide range of t-shirts. They believe in ethical production and they are against fast fashion. They use a wide range of ethical materials to create their shirts such as recycled pet bottles, organic cotton, and the usually unused parts of the cotton plant.

Decorative Things

We all love a wooden trinket to brighten up our coffee tables, but where is the best place to buy one? VivaTerra uses reclaimed and recycled materials to create furniture and other home décor items. All of their products are handmade and guilt free. Ecochic is another brilliant brand for home decoration. They are an all-Australian brand who use renewable resources and are FairTrade certified. Their products include wall art, lamps, and rugs.

Invisible Things

Don’t know what to buy for the relative who has everything? Check out the World Vision website and get them something for someone else. Some options are clean drinking water ($60), a goat ($40), and a fish farm ($30). No, your relative will not be sent a goat in the mail, but a family who needs a goat will be given the opportunity to have one. Similar gifts can be found on the Uniting World website, gifts such as Goat’s Poo and Flushed With Happiness will bring smiles to everyone’s faces.  So don’t get your great aunt a pair of socks she doesn’t want, get her a gift that will make her feel good and that will make a real difference in the world.

Enjoy the holiday season and I hope you enjoy buying gifts that your loved ones will enjoy and that make you feel good at the same time.

Susannah Cornford