Sebesta Apothecary 2019 Gift Guide

The holidays are often stressful, especially when you want to find the right gift for that special someone who doesn’t NEED anything else. Add to that the drive to be more eco-conscious and you have yourself a bit of a challenge! 

Let us help you create lasting memories with some of Sebesta Apothecary’s favorite local and eco-friendly holiday gifts. 

Stocking Stuffers: (Under $20) 

1. Shower Soap Bag $5, Sebesta Apothecary One of our best selling gift items, drop a bar of soap into the bag and use directly on skin to create additional lather, light exfoliation and extend the life of your bar. Perfect for travel, camping or the gym!
2. Coconut Husk Brush $6.99, Tare Market  This brush has unique bristles made from coconut husks, the outside of dried coconuts, making these brushes naturally antibacterial, toxin-free, biodegradable and sustainable! In the lab, we like to pair this brush with our Solid Dish Bar for sustainable and zero-waste dishwashing.  
3. Minimalist zippered bag $13, Grey Duck Bag Co. These little reusable laminated cotton bags are water-resistant and perfect to carry on all your adventures. Perfect size to stash a phone, a couple bucks, our tin of lip balm, and a few aromatherapy rollers. Added bonus, Grey Duck Bag Co, donates 3% of sales to Ely, MN youth programs.
4. Bamboo Toothbrush $3.59, Twiggy Fresh Plastic toothbrushes make up a large part of the ocean pollutants. This sustainable bamboo toothbrush is all-natural, and BPA Free. Pull the bristles out when you are done using and compost the handle! 

Mid-priced gifts: ($25+)

5. Handcrafted Premium Botanical Wax Candles From a Carbon-Neutral Candlery $26 Begonia & Bench As the winter gloom sets in, hygge to the max with a good book and one of these seasonal scented candles knowing that you’ve planted a tree with your purchase, and a donation was made to a great cause that inspired the scent! 

6. Inspirational Tees $28, Spoonful Apparel Look Good. Do Good. Feed Kids! 50% of their profits are donated to an organization in your community that is committed to fighting childhood hunger. Yes - if you make a purchase online from outside of the Minneapolis area, the donations are made to organizations in your area! This 'I choose Joy' tee =  27 meals! 

7. Zero-waste shave set $38, Sebesta Apothecary Old fashioned shave sets aren’t just for grandpa’s anymore, and they aren’t just for men! Not only is this set zero-waste, but it is easy to use and long-lasting. Plus it's great for those with sensitive skin. **Upgrade: Complete the set with a Leaf razor, a premium safety razor with a flexible head for a plastic-free experience without sacrificing the high-quality shave. Available online or at Tare Market in South Minneapolis.

8. Person & Pup Matching Set in Buffalo Plaid $50, Val’s Brew Treats Not only does Val’s have the best dog treats in town (made from recycled spent grain sourced from Twin Cities breweries), they now have bandana sets so you can match your dog! 

Intangible things: 

9. Carbon Offsets Help your friends and family offset their carbon footprint by gifting them carbon offsets for travel, commuting or daily energy consumption. 

• Don’t know what the average American footprint looks like? You can start by calculating your estimated yearly carbon footprint here. 
• Once you know your number, you can offset that by funding education and sustainable actions that will help provide education for sustainable forestry, ways to keep drinking water clean and preserve nature. Here are our favorites: 
• The Nature Conservancy advances conservation in 79 countries and territories spanning six continents. Focused on four priorities, Tackle Climate Chance; Protect Land & Water; Provide Food & Water Sustainably and Build Healthy Cities. 
• Future Forests Funds (Minnesota) Keep your funds local, the Future Forests Fund gives Minnesotans the opportunity to partner with the DNR to keep state forests healthy for future generations. Your donation helps to increase the number of trees planted and cared for on state land.

• Second Harvest Heartland is one of the largest and most innovative food banks in the country and it provides hunger relief for those in our community! You can find and volunteer for a shift near you using their online calendar. 
• Volunteer Match - This program helps find local opportunities that are meaningful to you. They even have ways for you to donate your time and skills to organizations from the comfort of your home! 

The Twin Cities community is full of many more eco-conscious small businesses and makers. Who do you turn to for earth-friendly gifts? What steps are you taking to minimize your gifting footprint? Let us know in the comments! 

Enjoy the season, 

Kim