Pretty Green Last Minute Gift Guide: Foodzie Tasting Box

If you still haven’t found the perfect gift, it’s not too late!

Yup, Christmas is tomorrow. Never fear, procrastinators and last minute shoppers! A Foodzie Tasting Box is the perfect gift for any foodie on your list. If you don’t know Foodzie, check them out! They’re a great online marketplace for small, artisan food producers. I’ve had the privilege to get to know some of the lovely people who work for Foodzie, and to taste many of the fabulous treats they sell, and I can promise your gift recipient won’t be disappointed, as long as they like food! Plus, each month Foodzie shares the stories of each food producer, so you know where your food comes from, and who made it.

The tasting box is available for 3 ($55), 6 ($100) and 9 ($200) month subscriptions. Inside, your lucky giftee will get 5-7 hand-picked samples from Foodzie producers. Past boxes have included Maitelates Alfajores Cookies, Amella Passion Fruit Caramels , The Spice Lab’s Salts of the World and The Redhead’s Bacon Peanut Brittles. You can either send the gift instantly to the recipient’s email address, or have it sent to you and send and schedule the box when you’d like.

PS: You can totally order Tasting Boxes for yourself, by the way. I think I just might.

Amella Passion Fruit Caramels on Foodzie

Persian Blue Sea Salt from The Spice Lab on Foodzie

Maitelates Alfajores Cookies on Foodzie

Pretty Green Last Minute Gift Guide: Etsy Local

No time for expensive (and not so green) last minute shipping? Up until the big day, I’ll be highlighting great eco-friendly gifts that are easy to find in person.

Who doesn’t love Etsy, right? If you’re not familiar with the site, get yourself over there immediately! It’s an adorable little place filled with handmade and vintage items, including art, clothing, jewelry, paper goods, home decor and more.

Recently, I discovered a very handy little link on the site. After doing a search for an item, click on Local Items on the left sidebar. For example, I searched for birds, and found 652 results in San Francisco. You can also go straight to Local Shops in your area, and browse that way. Choose an item you like, like these adorable little bird earrings (a gift for your favorite Twitter addict, perhaps?), and contact the seller. Many will be willing to work out an in-person pick up. You’ll avoid the lines, support a local business and give a totally unique and charming gift.

I checked out the local options for several different search terms in various cities, so hopefully you can find some great stuff in your area!

Some other favorites in my area. What did you find in your local Etsy shops?

Adorable tote bag

10 Speed pillowcases (I know someone who might like these!)

Leaves dipping dish

Owl magnifying glass necklace

If you find something, I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments.

Pretty Green Last Minute Gift Guide: Soda Stream

Wait, Christmas is next week? Up until the big day, I’ll be highlighting great eco-friendly gifts that are easy to find in person (no waiting for online shipping).

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write this post. I’ve had a Soda Stream for over a year and I love it. LOVE it. I’m addicted to fizzy water, but always felt guilty about buying those green glass bottles, both for the packaging – even if it is glass – and because most of them are imported. For full disclosure (hi FTC! Merry Christmas!), Soda Stream sent me one of their soda makers to try out, but I truly love it, and would have bought one myself if they hadn’t.

So, for any sparkling water lovers in your life, here’s the perfect gift! It couldn’t be easier – attach the carbonator, fill the BPA-free bottle with water (I always keep an extra bottle cold in the fridge), screw it into the maker, press the button on the top a few times, wait for the somewhat loud (and, um, a little awkward) noise and voila! Bubbly water, deep from the crystal streams of your own tap. You can even mix the water with soda flavoring, though I must say I wasn’t a fan of the ingredient list on the flavorings that came with the Soda Stream (I gave them away on Craigslist), and would prefer to make my own soda syrup, though I nearly always drink the water plain or with a squeeze of citrus. Or, ok, occasionally in an egg cream. When your carbonator runs out, bring it into one of their authorized retailers to exchange for a new one at a discount, or arrange a pick-up and exchange online.

Available in a variety of colors and models, you should definitely be able to find something that works with anyone’s style. You can find the Soda Stream at Macy’s, Bed Bath and Beyond (bring your 20% off coupon!), Crate and Barrel, Sur La Table, Sears, Williams Sonoma and more. SF Locals: The always awesome Cole Hardware sells them as well. Note: There are a bunch of different varieties, so I’d suggest calling ahead to see what your local store has in stock.

Perfect paired with: Stainless steel straws

For more information on how the Soda Stream is green, click here.