I love so many things about the Christmas season that it’s hard to pick an absolute favorite. However, selecting just the right gift, wrapping it up, and watching a smile light up the receiver’s face is certainly near the very top! I love to pay attention throughout the year, listening for hints of something they might like, then surprising them with that special gift at Christmas.
I also love looking for great ways to make our budget stretch and scoring super deals with Black Friday and other sales throughout the season. On the flip side, I’ve learned, that sometimes it’s worth spending a little extra on a gift, if it’s a gift that blesses not only the receiver, but another person or organization as well. And today, you’re in luck! I’ve got a list of a few great items for you to consider purchasing, all coming from companies dedicated to giving back in one way or another...and they’ve all offered us a discount code for a limited time – so it’s win-win-win!
FOR THE LITTLE GIRL
Beads of Good is an organization started by teen sisters, Elizabeth and Allison. With a little help from their parents, they work with girls in Africa who make beads, which Beads of Good then sells in bead kits here in the US. They are perfect for kids wanting to get creative and make fun jewelry! Elizabeth and Allison also wrote their first book, The Girl Chronicles, encouraging girls of all ages to find that thing inside of them that they can use to make a difference in the world!
They are offering 10% off of the books and bead kits from December 5 through 12. Be sure to check these out at www.beadsofgood.org.
FOR THE WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE
Arise Creations is an entrepreneurship and discipleship program within New Life Centers of Chicagoland. The founders of Arise desire to help girls grow spiritually and to provide a way for them to earn a fair wage. This desire merged with a very creative idea when they were sitting at a bus stop and there was broken glass all over the ground due to a gang shooting. They carefully gathered up some of the pieces and the program was born! Here the young women are taught how to wrap pieces of glass in wire and make them into pieces of jewelry with a very special meaning. You just have to check out their Etsy site to see all the beautiful things they create from broken glass!
Arise Creations is offering $5 off from December 5-15, using the code BEAUTIFUL. Visit www.etsy.com/shop/AriseCreations to see their entire collection.
Harvest Ethiopia is a socially-conscious fashion company, employing Ethiopian women with a sustainable, fair wage that allows them to support themselves and their children. You can hear the entire story of Harvest founder, Kendra Crabtree, on episode #20 of the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast. Harvest Ethiopia has grown and developed into a fashion company with gorgeous leather goods, textiles, and jewelry. Each beautiful product is hand-made by women in Ethiopia, and their unique jewelry comes from bullets gathered from war-torn areas - a true picture of beauty from terrible places.
Harvest is offering you 20% off from Dec 5-15 with the code BEAUTIFUL at harvest-ethiopia.shoplightspeed.com.
FOR THE SKIN CARE LOVER
Dulce de Donke was created when the Traywick family received the news that their 6 year old daughter had developed a rare autoimmune disease. They begin praying and researching what might possibly help and stumbled upon donkey milk. In other cultures, donkey milk is well known for its health benefits, but in America it’s extremely rare, so they did what any desperate parent would do for their little girl... they bought donkeys. ;) This milk is saving their daughter’s life and they now also use it in fantastic skin-nourishing soap, moisturizer, and deodorant. Each purchase you make benefits another family, as they give the first jar of milk free to each sick child that comes to their farm.
Dulce de Donkey is offering you 5% off from December 5 - 14. Use the code BEAUTIFUL at www.dulcededonke.com to order.
The next five items are available only in-store at Blue 7 at 7518 N. May Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK, 73116.
FOR THE ADVENTURE LOVER
Kammock is an outdoor gear company with a desire to equip and inspire life- changing adventure through high-performance hammocks that maintain comfort and durability on your wildest adventures. They offer clean design, high-performance fabrics, and give back by donating 1% of their top line revenue each year, investing in youth through outdoor mentorship supporting the growth and positive development of the next generation of leaders and decision-makers.
Blue 7 is offering 20% off of any Kammock goods through December 20th, using the code BEAUTIFUL at the checkout.
FOR ANYONE WHO WEARS SOCKS
LYNT socks stands for LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR THREADS. Each pair of socks feeds 3 hungry bellies...enough said! What an easy, practical gift that makes a difference.
Blue 7 is offering 20% off of any LYNT socks through December 20th, using the code BEAUTIFUL at the checkout.
FOR THE OUTDOOR LOVER
Parks Project was born when the founders learned about all the unique National Parks projects needing funding, advocacy, and support. They created collections of park goods that directly fund these projects. Each product sold gives a portion to national parks, and as an official business partner to the National Parks, they work directly with over 30 park conservancies across the US.
Blue 7 is offering 20% off any Parks Project goods through December 20th, using the code BEAUTIFUL at the checkout.
FOR THE LOVER OF FASHION
Seeds Jewelry is created by a mother and daughter team from Minnesota who work with women in Haiti to develop and create beautiful jewelry, impacting the artisan’s lives and the communities they live in. Seeds offers earrings, necklaces and bracelets - each piece features their signature seed beads.
Blue 7 is offering 20% off any Seeds Jewelry through December 20th, using the code BEAUTIFUL at the checkout.
Project Social T creates women's fashion with a desire to give back to the community they live in. Blue 7 carries several colors of their long and short-sleeved tops, which support the Huntington Beach Youth Shelter. By purchasing these goods, we can help children ages 11 through 17 receive meals, counseling, tutoring and life-skills development in their shelter … that’s a no-brainer for me!
Blue 7 is offering 20% off of any Project Social T item through December 20th, using the code BEAUTIFUL at the checkout.
So there you have it, eleven companies that all give back! These gifts go far beyond your loved ones’ hands. Let’s get to shopping!
Remember, these special discount codes expire soon!
Click the link below to listen to the Gift Guide podcast episode:
Meet the Author!
Heather McAnear is a wife, mom, author and speaker with a passion for sharing God's truth to help women understand their uniquely beautiful design and how to use it for God's glory! In fact, Heather hosts the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast on iTunes in hopes do just that! She loves teaching young married couples with her husband, homeschooling their three children, traveling the world, enjoying good chocolate and long conversations in coffee shops. CRBC has been her church home for two decades and she is thrilled to be part of the Women's Ministry team, helping women connect with each other and grow in their walk with Jesus!