Green Gift Guide: Eco-Friendly Candles

Green Candlelight

Many women (and some men) love candles but most traditional candles are made with petroleum by-products, toxic fragrances and lead laden wicks.

Yet you can give the gift of green candlelight this season by choosing eco-friendly candles for holiday stocking stuffers. There are now many eco-candles available so you light up the dark winter evenings with candles made from soy wax, beeswax or even vegetable based paraffins.

You can’t go wrong when giving an eco-candle to a candle lover.

Here are some of the best in green candles:

Suey’s Scents offers beautiful and yummy scented soy candles along with a variety of bath and body products (all which would make great stocking stuffers). The candles come in assorted size glass apothecary jars, metal tins and small tea lights. All containers can be reused or recycled and the soy wax burns cleans.

Candles range in price from $6 to $16 for the larger candles. Tealights are $5.50 for a package of 6.

Illume Candles offer several lines of natural, soy, and vegetable paraffin wax candles




The average Illume Candle retails for around $25 though they do have some that are cheaper and some that are more expensive.

Scandle has created eco-friendly candles that burn at ultra low temperatures so the warm wax can be poured on the body and used as a massage oil or moisturizing lotion. Talk about 2 in 1 luxury! Who wouldn’t want a Scandle candle?

Scandle Candles range in price from $12.95 to $21.95.


Butterfly Effects offer pure soy wax candles made from soybeans grown right here in the USA. Pure, natural essential oils are used to scent these delightful candles and no dyes are used to color the wax. You end up with pure white candles in reusable and recyclable glass tumblers or curvy glass jars with lids.

Butterfly Effects Candles retail for $25 and less depending on the style and size of candle

EcoSumo has some nice candles including the Paddywax Pomegranate & Currant Tea Candle, a hand-poured candle with the tangy aroma of pomegranate that adds zing to the dark, rich sweetness of currant. The candle comes in a chlorine free paper pulp box that is biodegradable and it is wrapped with a 100% post-industrial recycled paper label.

The candles retail for $18

Green Gift Guide: Interesting Eco Gifts Under $30 for Anyone on Your List

Here are some interesting green gifts for the hard to shop for person on your list.

Motherboard Gifts is a company that utilizes old motherboards and computer parts to make fun and useful reclaimed gifts: business card cases, money clips, picture frames, clocks, coasters, jewelry, bookmarks, binders, and even Christmas ornaments.

These are eco-friendly gifts even the most tech savvy, computer geek may love and most are under $30 like the business card cases, CD clock, money clip, clip boards, picture frames and many other fun, recycled gifts.

Eco-Artware is “your one stop gift shop for all things beautiful, well made and environmentally friendly.” They offer a huge selection of handcrafted, green, and recycled artwork. You are sure to find something for anyone on your list at Eco-Artware. Some of the gift items to choose from include: jewelry made from old pennies, typewriter keys, and watch faces; bowls made from old records and signs; coasters made from old unplayable vinyl records; and baskets made from chopsticks in addition to many other fun recycled and Upcycled gifts.

Many eco-gifts are under $30

Aromapods are a new simplified way to experience aromatherapy. Aromapods deliver essential oils directly to the nose with an inhaler that's smaller than a credit card and will fit conveniently in a pocket or purse. All you have to do is slide it open, inhale deeply 3 to 5 times, and close. They are available in 24 different blends including Calm, Energize, Focus, Diet Aide, Lavender, and Peppermint, and in relief formulas for Headache, Sinus, Cold & Flu, Insomnia and PMS.

Aromapods are healthy, eco-friendly, and priced under $6



Kokokahn also offers aromatherapy inhalers in little tubes (remember the little Vicks inhalers we used to always carried around when stuffed u, that’s how these are made). These aroma packed tubes put the scent right where it needs to be-directly to your nose. These highly scented tubes come in three powerful formulas: Stress Relief, Immune Support and Emotional balance.

Each inhaler is only $6

Kokokahn also has a fabulous selection of bath and body products for under $30 including body scrubs and body balms.

EcoSumo has a wide variety of eco products-clothing, household products, cleaning products, even furniture and pet products. Some of their items are under $30 including the Reusable Bag and Bottle Combo sets which feature an EnvioSax reusable bag and a matching stainless steel 20 ounce Skinny bottle. The fun and funky prints are sure to please someone on your list. I really love La Boheme Combo 1 which is a black and white print with lacy, black almost paisley like designs on an off-white background.

The bag/bottle combo sets retail for $23.00

For the writer or sketcher on your holiday list consider ecojot notebooks and sketchbooks made from 100% post consumer waste with chlorine free and acid free cover boards. They also use vegetable based inks and glues for a truly eco product. With fun designs and funky colors these little books are sure to inspire.

Ecojot products may be found in a store near you or at one of these online stores.

Most of their products are well under $30

EcoBags are the original reusable bag and have been in business since 1989. I love, love, love their classic string bags. I walk around throwing everything in them, even though they were designed to be used for fresh produce. I just adore them. They can hold up to 40 pounds and are made from 100% organic cotton.

A set of 5 classic string bags is $29.99, a single classic string bag depending on style and size starts at just $3.49 and goes to $7.99






Bring it in a Bag is another company that offers stylish reusable and eco-friendly bags. Check out their round totes made from natural jute. They are stylish and can be used for anything. I rarely leave home without my black with natural trim large round tote.

They also have mini round totes to match the large bags, they would make such adorable little handbags.

Large round totes are $20.99 mini round totes are just $10.99


For the coffee lover on your list check out Green Mountain Coffee’s assortment of ethical, fair trade and organic coffee selections. They have an organic sampler pack perfect for holiday giving that contains: Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Organic French Roast and Organic Sumatran Reserve.

The organic sampler is just $24.95



Another fabulous coffee gift is the Rain Forest Rescue Gift Set from the Arbor Day Foundation. This is one of those wonderful gifts that gives back by supporting the Arbor day Foundation.

The gift set contains a bag of Arbor Day Blend Coffee and Rain Forest Mug for $19.95, a set with two mugs is $24.95



Got a tea lover on your list? How about specialty teas from Teatulia? They have whole leaf tea pyramids bags in lovely eco-friendly canisters.

A set of three of Teatulia’s Signature Organic Blends which contains white, black and green teas is $25.00

For a huge variety of flavored teas check out The Republic of Tea, they have the largest selection of flavors I have ever seem. Pomegranate Vanilla, Holiday Spice, Cinnamon Vanilla…I’m already hooked on these delicious teas. They have their everyday selections along with some nice samplers and gift sets for the holidays.

Many of their tea gifts and samplers are under $30

Looking for something a little stronger than coffee or tea? How about a bottle of wine?

Persimmon Creek Vineyards offers quality wine made in the mountains of Northeastern Georgia. Everything is still done by hand: planting, pruning, harvesting, and bottling- all the old fashioned way for high quality Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Seyval Franc, and Icewines.

Most bottles are under $30

For the chocolate lover on your list consider Divine Chocolate. These delightful fair trade chocolates are truly divine. They have a variety of chocolates and gifts for the chocoholic on your holiday list.

The lovely Alpine Sky Gift Basket is $27.00

For the chocolate lover who enjoys something a little different check out Original Beans. They have a few chocolate bars in unusual flavors- dark chocolate mixed with mulberry, or cognac, honey, even sea salt. This is truly exotic cocoa.

A single bar of this exotic chocolate is $11.95

For the kiddies on your list who may like something sweet but aren’t really into the exotic chocolates consider Glee Gum. Glee Gum is all natural chewing gum with no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. A perfect gift for kids is the make your own chewing gum kit. Kids can learn while having fun.

Make your chewing gum kits are $13, other Glee Gum products and gift packs are almost all under $30

Books Make Great Gifts

Green Christmas: How to Have a Joyous, Eco-Friendly Holiday Season by Jennifer Basye Sander, Peter Sander, and Anne Basye is the eco-Christmas guide book to help you get through the holidays in green without seeing red. From decorating to shopping for gifts, to throwing holiday parties and even cleaning up afterward- this wonderful little book will help any eco-minded person streamline the holidays. Make this season more meaningful with the help of Green Christmas, and if you want to help others have a more eco-holiday season this book will also make a great gift.

Cover price for this book is $7.95

Celebrate Green: Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family by Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson is another fabulous book that can help you make all of your holidays and celebrations green. Not only will it help you get through the winter holiday season it will help you green all of your celebrations throughout the year. And it makes a fabulous gift.

Cover price $24.95

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More by Anna Getty is a really great green Christmas book full of crafts, how tos and fabulous advice. This is one of the best green Christmas books I’ve come across, it can help make your Christmas meaningful again.

Cover price $24.95

Don't Forget the Batteries

If you are purchasing gifts that need batteries make sure to go green in that department as well by getting rechargeable batteries or the new Fuji Enviro Max batteries which are mercury free, cadmium free, PVC free and packaged in recycled materials.

If you like recharagable batteries check out PowerGenix PGX1HRCH-4AAZiNc-1.6v 4-Position Charger with 4 AA High Voltage 1.6v 2500 mWh ZiNc Rechargeable Batteries
it delivers an efficient & fast charge at a great value. You can charge two AA or AAA NiZn batteries in 1 to 1.5 hours, or charge 4 AA batteries in about 3 hours. The PowerGenix Quick Charger is intended for use with eco-friendly NiZn batteries only.

Green Gift Guide: Eco-Friendly Stocking Stuffers and Gifts for Kids Under $30

Green Gifts for Kids

Little ones on your list are sure to love Maggie’s Organics adorable sock monkeys. They are the cutest, organic sock monkeys that I’ve seen. They are a must have for any kids on your list. My little guy received over a year ago and it is still his favorite toy. It is made from organic materials and filled with recycled poly fill so it is green and safe for your little ones.



Maggie’s Organics now has other sock creatures as well.



Sock monkeys retail for $20. Maggie’s Organics organic Penguins are $20 and Maggie’s barnyard animals are $15







Ditch the plastic bottles and opt for CGKidz stainless steel water bottles by CynerGreen. They are stainless steel and fabulously reusable, a great way to carry around water or juice. Better than BPA filled plastic bottles that are neither safe nor eco.



All of the stainless steel bottles made by CynerGreen are under $25

Ecousable also has a nice selection of stainless steel, BPA free bottles including cute 10 ounce bottles with kid friendly designs and filter bottles that have their own built in filter to help get rid of what could be lurking in your tap water.



10 ounce kid size bottles are $12.49 and prices go up from there the filtered bottles are just over our $30 budget at $34.99 for an 18 ounce and $39.99 for a 25 ounce









A really green toy making company is Plan Toys. They offer quality wood toys made with environmentally friendly, kiln dried, chemical free, rubberwood. Their toys are also made with E-Zero glue, water based non-toxic colors, and recycled and recyclable materials. Plan Toys does everything with “green” in mind. Rosie Hippo shares the “green” passion of Plan Toys and sells only ethical, quality, eco-friendly toys for children. Rosie Hippo offers many Plan Toys like the wood and metal cookware set which is realistic yet small, the perfect size for little hands. The matching tableware set is a playful work of art with cute little plates, bowls, forks and knives all made of wood.



The cookware set retails for $20 at Rosie Hippo while the wood tableware set is $25. Rosie Hippo carries a wide variety of other eco and ethical toys in addition to those by Plan Toys

Stubby Pencil Studio, they have eco-art supplies for your little ones that are perfect for holiday stocking stuffers. Eco-friendly pencils, soy crayons, smencils, Forest Stewardship Council approved colored pencils, banana paper notebooks, washable markers, recycled paper sketchbooks and journals.



Almost everything at Stubby Pencil Studio is under $25



Another company that offers wonderfully “green” art supplies for kids is Clementine Art . They make safe markers, natural glue, natural soy crayon rocks, soy crayons shaped for little hands to hold, safe finger paints, and natural modeling dough- all which will make fabulous stocking stuffers for the budding artist on your shopping list.



Plan to add some of Clementine’s art supplies to your cart when you’re at a Whole Foods Market or visit their new online store.

Eco-Artware is one of my favorite eco shopping destinations Eco-Artware has gifts for everyone including several toys for little ones like adorable stuffed animals made from recycled sweaters. My daughter has been eying the penguin for ages. She may just get it this Christmas.



Most of the sweater critters are $26 each. Some are cheaper, at $20 while a few are more expensive

Do you have budding builders and architects on your shopping list? Then check out CitiBlocs the newest building blocks for kids. Made from renewable New Zealand forests of Radiata Pine, CitiBlocs are unique because every single block is the same shape and size, precisely cut and shaped to make sure they offer stable, quality pieces that can be stacked and balanced. No glue, snaps, or connectors needed -just a bit of imagination which children are often full of-especially when they have the right inspiration in front of them.



A natural set with 52 pieces is $15

If you have a little princess then check out Rebekah Green’s line of children’s earrings. They are so cute and come in child friendly designs: turtles, bears, ladybugs, flowers, snowflakes, cherries, butterflies, bees, spiders, angels, and plain studs that are all sustainably made. The children’s designs are made especially with little ears in mind. They feature small, fun creations set in white, yellow and rose golds with safety backings.



Rebekah Green’s earrings are all made exclusively from 100% recycled 14K and 18K gold, fair trade gemstones, and cubic zirconia (to avoid any association with conflict diamonds and to keep pricing reasonable). The earrings are manufactured in the USA and 5% of net profits are donated to charities.



These earrings are reasonably priced. The turtle earrings are just $30. That’s a great price for ethical, sustainable, eco-friendly, real gold jewelry. Most all of the children’s earrings are under $40

HappyMais building blocks are made by Ecotoys in Italy and sold through PeekaGreen.com. The building blocks are made from cornstarch dyed with non-toxic food coloring. A basic kit comes with over 700 pieces, a sponge, a special mater-bi knife to safely cut the pieces, and a sheet of cardboard cutouts to attach to the cornstarch pieces to make creative creatures and designs.

With Happy Mais you don’t need any glue, paint or other messy stuff. Everything you need, except the water, comes right in the box. Kids get the pieces slightly wet and stick them together to make fun things. Slightly moistened pieces can be molded and shaped-just don’t get them too wet or they will disintegrate into nothing.



A box of Happy Mais is $29

Bluedominoes safe activity dough is an all natural, safe, organic, gluten free, lead free dough that kids can play with for hours of doughy fun. Even the packaging is “green”.



A five pack of different colored activity dough is only $14.99





Hape Toys has some really wonderful eco and ethical toys including wood toys by Woody Clik and some very cute bamboo cars called ERacers.



ERacers are $19.95

For the little reader on your list consider the picture story book Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus by Jeanne McNaney the author of The Legend of Honey Hollow. Where Honey Hollow featured bears, Miracle in Sumatra “chronicles Gus, a young orangutan who fights to save his parents from greedy trappers”. This wonderfully illustrated book will help children learn about standing up for what they love, compassion, and how to be an environmental advocate. It’s a book with a green message all children should learn about at an early age.



Retail price for Miracle in Sumatra is $16.95





For older children, mainly in the 7-11 age group, The Fairy Houses Series by Tracey Kane is a great series of books that combines magic and nature in a way children love. The newest book in the series is Forest Secrets. In Forest Secrets a little girl discovers her home is on the border of an enchanted forest where she finds a new friend and a mysterious fairy house in the trunk of a tree. They soon learn the woods are in danger but they are determined to save them, but how?



Forest Secrets retails for $14.95