Many of you know that my daughter was born with congenital heart defects and spent her eight short years with us fighting off infections and other complications. I made it my full-time job to make our home as healthy as possible. Even though Elli is no longer with us, we still work hard to stay healthy. We have new considerations, including skin sensitivities, food intolerances, and allergies to antibiotics, plus the germs we’re all exposed to at work and school, especially at this time of year. We have our share of stories of missing holiday gatherings because we were all puking our guts out, just as I’m sure you do.

These years of hanging out with doctors and nurses has taught me a lot. I’ve also learned a lot from other moms with special issues to manage among their families. One of the biggest threats to our health, I’ve learned, are the things we allow into our homes: foods and chemicals. We are trying, as our budget allows, to use organic and natural foods and cleaners (both personal cleansers and home cleaners). These items don’t exacerbate asthma and respiratory conditions, nor do they send me running to call Poison Control if the kids get into something they shouldn’t.

You won’t catch me whipping up a batch of cookies or giving candy gifts. It sometimes seems like a losing battle, but I watch our sugar intake. Have you ever wondered why winter is the most common time to get sick? It’s because we eat candy and desserts from Halloween through Easter. I’ve learned that consuming sugar weakens the immune system for up to six hours. While I haven’t developed the backbone to banish all sugar from our house… yet … I do try to keep it to a minimum.

So, what to do? I like to give gifts that help.

You can give meaningful gifts (I’m rather partial to the World Vision gift catalog), and you can give healthful gifts. Since World Vision has already put together a fabulous gift guide, I’ve compiled a guide to giving healthy gifts for you. I have found a company that specializes in all-natural, organic, clinically-researched products and is highly respected for their science (they partner with NASA, MIT, and several US Olympics teams, UC Berkley School of Public Health, and just to name a few). You can either click the links in the guide, or shop my secure online store.

Gifts to Pamper

• Luxury in the shower and after: Enfuselle® Moisturizing Shower Gel, Ultra Moisturizing Shea Butter Cream, and a Bath Sponge in a pretty shower caddy or with a set of monogrammed towels.
• Give her happy feet: Herbal Blend® Multi-Purpose Cream with some nice slippers or designer socks and a note about how Multi-Purpose Cream soothes & smooths tired feet all year around. And don’t forget those elbows!
• Banish dry winter skin: Enfuselle® Hand & Body Lotion with a tube of Enfuselle® Lip Treatment SPF 15 with a winter scarf and glove set.
• Refresh her face: Enfuselle® Refining Polisher and Infusing Mineral Masque with a loofah and bath robe for a spa experience.

For the Active Lifestyle

• Does your recipient love spinning or P90X or other rigorous workouts? Pair Performance® Pure Hydration Drink with Physique® Sports Recovery Drink with an exercise video or jump rope for a great work-out.
• Joint & Muscle® Pain Cream and a specialty ice/heat pad or pillow for gentle relief after a long workout.
• Taking a winter getaway to beach or mountains? Put together Enfuselle® SPF 30 for Body Lotion and an Enfuselle® Lip Treatment SPF 15 with a pair of sunglasses, picnic basket, or sun-hat.
• Love to hike or ride? Pack Cinch® Snack Bars, Energy Chews, and Cinch® Energy Tea in a small back pack or carry bag with a metal water bottle.

Gifts that Keep On Giving

• For the clean-car buffs in your life, Get Clean® Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate (16ozs) and Scour Off Heavy Duty Paste with the Get Clean® Caddy (pre-filled with Get Clean accessories)
• For the new home owners, new parents, or newlyweds, give them a clean start with the Get Clean® Starter Kit of your choice with the Get Clean® Caddy (comes with accessories).
• Allergies or skin issues? Give them Fresh Laundry Concentrate of your choice with the Get Clean® Soft Fabric Fragrance Free Dryer Sheets with a stack of new organic Cotton Towels, or Hand Wash Concentrate with pump dispenser bottles for each bathroom, new organic cotton hand towels to clean and condition your hands at the same time.
• Have a little one? Try ShakleeBaby® Soothing Lotion, Gentle Wash, Diaper Cream and Massage Lotion in a decorative basket with organic cotton baby towels & bath cloths and tub toys.
• Bad water in their neighborhood? Give them Get Clean® Year of Water (contains Get Clean® Water Pitcher and 4 filters). Filters more than 5,000 8 oz. glasses and saves more than 2,400 plastic bottles from the land fill, all while filtering out 99% of the lead as well as other nasty pollutants.

Party Favors or Hostess Gifts for $10 or less

• 2 or 3 Cinch® Snack Bars with a few Cinch® Energy Tea sticks packed into a decorative mug.
• Enfuselle® Lip Treatment SPF 15 tucked into a pair of mittens with a personal note.
• Herbal Blend® Multi-Purpose Cream to soothe elbows, knees and feet.
• Enfuselle® Eye Makeup Remover with cotton make-up removal pads.

Easy Links to our Gift Guide Round Up!

Sarah’s Favourite Things ~Sarah Bessey
Natural & Eco Friendly Gifts for Family & Friends ~Sorta Crunchy
Stylish Gifts! ~Fried Okra
Gifts for the Wine Lover ~Blah Blah Blahger
Gifts for HIM ~LoveFeast Table
Photography Gifts ~Kelly Sauer
Gifts for Toddlers ~O My Family
Gifts for the Adventurous ~Nish Happens
Gifts Tweens Want to Get ~Love Well
Healthy Gifts ~Joy in this Journey