I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been lucky enough to pursue a passion project within my everyday role, but have yet to share that work widely. Outside of my marketing role, I lead our Region’s Health and Wellness team, which provides resources and events for all Region employees.
The Health & Wellness team is dedicated to four pillars: Movement, Mental Health, Meals, and Mindfulness. In March, when the majority of our organization moved to working from home, our team saw the opportunity to lean in and help our teammates prioritize their wellbeing in these crazy times.
We started a weekly meeting/webinar series, called Wellness Wednesdays. We also provide a monthly newsletter with recommendations for each of our four pillars. I can’t wait to share more about all of this; but I am particularly excited to share our healthy living gift guide for the Holidays!
I scoured countless similar articles from this year and previous years, and added a few things from my own shopping list. My intention with this list was to avoid trendy items that may be more hype than truly beneficial. I also wanted to provide gifts that would be a good fit for a variety of loved ones, and for all levels of fitness and health awareness.
Many of these gifts are from Amazon or larger companies. If this list sparks an idea for a small business equivalent, that’s wonderful! My intention was to help people give gifts that will meet their loved ones where they’re at.
This year has been tough, at best, and it can be easy for health and wellness to fall to the wayside under increased stress. At the same time, this is when our bodies and minds need more care and attention.
I hope this helps your holiday shopping, or creating your own wish list! Let me know your favorites in the comments!
MOVEMENT
- TRX GO Suspension Trainer System $130 Create intense full-body workouts anytime, anywhere. TRX anchors to any door, rafter, beam, tree, pole or post in seconds that supports 350 lbs. Use your body weight and suspension to push, pull, plank, squat, lunge, hinge & rotate.
- FITINDEX Electric Foam Roller $50 This electric massage ball provides deep tissue trigger point therapy and myofascial release to improve mobility, flexibility, and recovery.
- Whatfit Resistance Bands Set $24 Different color adjustable resistance bands: Yellow (10 lbs), Blue (20 lbs), Green (30 lbs), Black (40 lbs), Red (50 lbs). Each apply to different types exercise-good for toning your arms, shoulders, chest, glutes, legs etc.
MENTAL HEALTH
- Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock Options $39.95 – $169.95 Help your loved ones wake up on the right side of the bed! Inspired by nature’s sunrise, the Philips Wake-up Light uses a unique combination of light and sound to wake you in a more natural way, so you feel more refreshed.
- Foot Spa Bath Massager $41 Give the gift of slowing down with this heating, masssage rollers, & pedicure stone. With bubble and vibration, you can rejuvinate and enjoy a spa experience at home.
- Dohm Classic Natural Sound Machine $45 Give sleep a chance with this two speed options for adjustable tone and volume, excellently masking background noise for better sleep for children, office privacy, and soothing sound-sensitive pets.
MEALS
- Spiralizer 7-Blade Vegetable Slicer & Veggie Pasta Maker $24 This is the perfect gadget for healthy eating that’s easy and fast to prepare. This multi-knife kitchen appliance allows you to make various veggie inspired noodles, which you can utilize as a main dish, salad, or appetizer.
- Hello Fresh Gift Card $65 – $130 Give the gift of step-by-step recipes complete with nutritional information and fresh, pre-measured ingredients to get you whipping up delicious dinners in no time.
- Ninja Personal Blender $59 Perfect for smoothies, juices, and sauces for meal prep. This comes with two 16-ounce cups, 2 Sip & Seal lids & 30-recipe inspiration guide. The personalized size makes blending faster and easier to clean, and also saves on dishes!
MINDFULNESS
- Q&A a Day Journal $11 The perfect mindfulness gift for journaling beginners! This Q&A format gives daily prompts to make it easy to get in the habit of daily reflection. It has daily prompts for everyday of 5 years, so the writer can later look back on what they were thinking about in previous years.
- Deep Sea Sand Art for your Desk $95 As the line between the office and home has been blurred or erased for many, this desktop sculpture will offer a calming and grounding focal point to help the mind slow down and stay present on busy days. This nature scape will appeal to men and women.
- Self Care Bucket List $50 Perfect for the to-do list maker in your life who puts everyone else first. Speak their language with this deck filled with 100 helpful, self-love suggestions broken out into 3 main categories: life, love, and laughter.
Thanksgiving is an interesting day for a vegetarian. Yes, the option of having a “bread turkey” has been visited, but I have never been one to get on board for swapping protein for carbs. I’ve had black bean burgers on my plate for many years, and frankly, it’s a little sad. I have friends that opt out and go for Noodles mac&cheese, but to my last points, I am determined this year to be more included in my favorite holiday.
2 eggplants
S is for Scrappy 