A huge thank you to Boon Supply for sponsoring this post.
If this year has proven anything, it’s that I have a serious number of people in my life to be thankful for. Some will come as no surprise: my little family unit. My momma. Lana’s teacher, who is managing 22 kindergarteners from her bedroom “office” while her twin girls tackle high school in the next room. I can’t even begin to imagine.
Some are maybe…less expected.
William, the neighborhood ice cream truck guy, whose tinny (and, yes, politically incorrect), jingle echoes rain or shine. His prices have doubled in the past six months, but he’s also comp’d us on cashless days more times than I should admit. “You ever don’t have the cash for ice cream? You don’t worry about it. Everyone should have ice cream.” We need more Williams in the world. (And don’t worry, we always make it up at the next stop.)
The Instacart delivery driver who chuckles as he takes two huge steps back and asks me to remove my mask so he can confirm my ID and hand over my wine. We both shake our heads in a way that instantly communicates the sheer ridiculousness of this interaction.
And Bubble Friends. That is, friends with whom you’ve joined forces to create a safe COVID social unit — within which you can carry on an almost normal existence. This Bubble Friendship has been, quite frankly, the key to preserving my sanity over the past couple of months. Friends to dine with, to cocktail with. To do absolutely nothing with. Friends who accommodate your husband’s distaste for tomatoes, avocados and brie. Who offer unrestricted access to their trampoline when they go out of town for the weekend. Friends whose kids your kid proudly proclaims to be her “besties.” This Bubble thing has been so good for the soul.
So when Boon Supply reached out with an opportunity to curate a selection of gifts and products that give back this season, my mind immediately went to our Bubble. This little gift selection is exactly what I’d recommend for any friends who have become your chosen family over the course of the past few months. Ok ok, well, it’s more for the parents of said family, but I know I’m not alone here — right? This year has been a weird one, but it’s forged some fast — and lasting — bonds.
The Gift That Gives Back: Holiday Shopping At Boon Supply
Boon Supply operates on such a cool model. They offer a tightly curated selection of household and sustainable living goods that are perfect for yourself or for gifting — think reusable totes in non-cheesy prints, zip-top silicone pouches and seasonal candles — and contribute 40% of your entire purchase to a non-profit of your choice.
In anticipation of Giving Tuesday (December 1!), 40% of all Boon Supply purchases made through The Mom Edit now through 12/31 will benefit Metavivor, which is dedicated solely to increasing awareness of advanced breast cancer and directly funding research related to Stage 4 cancer and its hopeful cure. In this pinkwashed landscape that is Breast Cancer Awareness Charities, this one is doing it right. Putting the dollars into extending and maintaining the quality of life of Metastatic Breast Cancer patients. I’ll not speak for S here, but as someone who personally lives under a tiny, perpetual Eeyore cloud of Impending Recurrence Fear — and who knows too many women who have lost their lives to metastatic breast cancer — this is the type of breast cancer research I want to fund.
Even better, Boon Supply is giving The Mom Edit readers free shipping on all order over $50 with code TMEFREESHIP. Offer is valid through Friday, 12/4. Nice of them, eh?
So now — about that gift that gives back..
tote | thermos | candle | wine bag
For “Bubble Friends”: The Date Night-In Gift Bag
Chris and I haven’t had a true date night in, ohhh, nine — maybe 10 months? — but we do try to find little ways to sneak in something dateish after we put Lana to bed, even if it’s just popcorn and a movie (with our laptops and phones begrudgingly stashed away). And I know our Bubble Friends do the same. A gift like this would be perfect for cozying up together when the bedtime routine is all said and done. If you’re feeling generous, you could even include a note offering to host their kiddos for a sleepover so your pals get a real night to themselves. At the very least, I’ll be offering to watch Netflix on our friends’ couch while their boys sleep so they can take their drinks down to the beach.
Reusable Canvas Tote // Perfectly sized for groceries, the farmers market or library books. And I love almost anything with ticking stripe. It’s preppy and fresh, but it functions almost like a neutral and plays so well with other patterns.
Bottle of Wine or Apple Cider + Mulling Spices // 2020 anything calls for a good bottle of wine! Or, let’s be real here: a good enough bottle of wine and a jar of mulling spices to bring a little holiday warmth to your goblet. If you’re doing a gift more geared toward the whole family, you could also do a bottle of fresh pressed apple cider, or a canister of hot cocoa bombs with candy canes for stirring. Wrapped up in a cute, reusable wine bag, of course.
Insulated Thermoses // I’m a little bit obsessed with travel mugs, and this thermos is just the right size for taking that mulled wine out to the firepit or on a nighttime beach walk. (Walking literally anywhere at night without kids instantly puts me in date mode. It’s just something that occurs so rarely these days — and the smell of cool, wintry nighttime air is definitely a thing.) You could also deliver the thermoses pre-filled with a hot toddy or an easy, warm dessert. Rice pudding, I’m looking at you.
Balsam Fir Candle // We burn balsam scented candles all year long, and this is a good one. Subtly piney and just a little smoky. So good.
Fresh Flowers // We rarely shop in-store any more, and fresh flowers are one of the things I miss most about visiting the farmer’s market or even our local grocer. Now whenever we get them, it feels like an especially noteworthy occurrence — I know our Bubble Friends would feel the same.
Homemade Granola // I’m a bit of a one-trick pony, so we make this granola (that just happens to be vegan and gluten-free) in big batches a couple of times a year and jar it up for everyone we know: neighbors, teachers, the postal worker, extended family. I love the idea of including it here as either a snack (I’m munching on it as we speak) or a fun and easy breakfast for the following morning. Packed full of nuts and seeds, it’s great on the trail, too. Or skip the granola altogether and go the route of Boon Supply’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, so they can bake up a treat together as a family. Even easier.
tote | thermos | candle | wine bag | gift wrap
wine bag | thermos | candle | gift wrap
wine bag | thermos | candle | gift wrap
Of course, those are just a few ideas. Boon Supply has such a fun selection of products that you could easily turn into gifts for friends, teachers, coaches, therapists — yourself. (I may or may not be eyeing these clever Zero Waste Laundry Strips — so cool!) You can even give now and pay later with AfterPay. Super convenient.
Oh, and remember that amazingly thick, double-sided wrapping paper that seemed exclusively available through elementary school fundraisers? Well, Boon Supply has got that, too, and both the seasonal prints and quality are top notch.
Shop More Fun Gift Ideas At Boon Supply
I genuinely can’t begin to communicate how grateful I’ve been for friends that are like chosen family during this strange season of life, and it’s even cooler that Boon Supply allows me to express my thanks while simultaneously supporting a cause that hits really, really close to home. This feels like a win-win, if only a small one in the grand scheme of things. But the way this year’s been going? You better believe I’ll take every victory I can get.
Don’t forget to shop Boon Supply through this link 11/27-12/31 to support Metavivor, friends — and use code TMEFREESHIP for free shipping on all orders over $50. 🙂 And thanks to you, as always, for your continued reading and support.
cheers!
Em
Thank you so much to Boon Supply for sponsoring this post. I love Boon Supply’s online shopping experience — a super-clean, pleasant website, and a thoughtfully curated (read: non-overwhelming!) selection of well-designed products. And of course their fundraising model is so lovely, whether you’re supporting our chosen cause or one of your own. And thank you, always, to our dear readers for showing up to this space time and again, and supporting the brands that help us continue to great content. We appreciate it so much!
Guys! Follow me on Instagram for more peeks into our life on the Northern California coast. And if you feel so inclined, pop over to my personal food + lifestyle blog, The Pig & Quill, where I share salty scribblings from my kitchen and home life. Byeeeeee!
.){kind=link}