Giving someone a present is a very personal thing between you and the receiver. It shouldn’t be a generic, forced thing you do every Christmas just because you have to. As much as I would like to show you all the cool Christmas gift sets and the glitzy limited edition make up, it will mean nothing if what you are buying is not thoughtful and hasn’t come from a warm loving place. So, don’t just buy things that you’ve come across saw in some bloggers’ Christmas gift guide.
- Create a drawing for someone to hang in their house
- Bake a cake for them
- Go for a coffee to a special place
- Share an adventure up in the mountains
- Write a sweet letter to someone expressing how appreciative you are to have them in your life
- Buy them a ticket to a show/event/festival/concert.
There are lots of things you could do that would mean the world to your loved ones which are not necessarily “things”. Plus, I want to stress out the importance of not feeding each other with useless plastic materials just because it’s Christmas. The most eco-friendly gift you can give to someone is an experience, not an object.
However! There are some exceptions to the rule and that can only be… books! Oh how much I love a good book! By sharing your favorite books with your loved ones, you are gifting them with the tool to further evolve who they are, expand their limits, open their minds and see situations from a different perspective and that is one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone.
So today, I will share with my all time favorite books that have changed me and the way I perceive things in one way or another. Hopefully they will have the same prolific effect on you or your loved ones too.
- The Nature of Beauty, Organic Skincare, Botanical Beauty Rituals and Clean Cosmetics, Imelda Burke.
This book has not only changed the way I think of beauty but has educated me on the natural and organic world and has given me the power to understand ingredients. Basically it kick started my journey into living a more sustainable life. Highly recommended if you are keen in learning about natural alternatives or if you feel like someone in your life would benefit from being aware of ethical beauty.
- The Icon Hunter: A Refugees Quest to Reclaim Her Nation’s Stolen Heritage, Tasoula Hadjitofi.
This book is the true story of Tasoula’s life, as a Greek Cypriot who lost everything during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. She brings us along on her quest to discover stolen Cypriot artefacts that got lost during the war. Over the course of the years, she finds her self in dangerous missions, lengthy bureaucratic court cases, and terrible personal tragedies. The book was an eye-opener for me because I learnt things I didn’t know about Cyprus, about the underworld of art trafficking, and the importance of having a cultural heritage. You see how difficult it was for a woman to do a man’s job back then and the obstacles she had to face because of some narrow-minded people in power. It is incredibly inspiring to see Tasoula keeping to her mission which was to repatriate stolen art. A fascinating story which I couldn’t put down and definitely a book that every Cypriot should read.
- 12 Rules for life: An Antidote to Chaos, Jordan Peterson.
This is a well-known book with good reason too. Peterson provides twelve profound, practical principles on how to live a meaningful life, from setting your house in order before criticising others, to comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not someone else today, and improving the world by first improving yourself. It’s an introduction to philosophy, mythology and the science of the mind, and it really did change the way I understood myself and other personalities. It’s honestly a great book for everyone over 16. Also a great read to give to someone in December so they can start their year afresh with a whole new perspective on life.
- The Compacts and Cosmetics: Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day, Madeleine Marsh.
By far, the most fascinating book to read if things like make up, history, politics, social and human behaviour, evolution of science and ideologies are topics that intrigue you. Madeleine explores history from the perspective of beauty. From ancient Greece and Egypt, to Edwardian era, to modern day, she investigates what was the norm for those periods and why. What the political and sociological situation was back then and why or how did it manifest in beauty the way it did? These are just a few questions Madeleine asks in her book, alongside gorgeous pictures of vintage compacts, posters and beauty tools from her collection. I’m just obsessed with this book. Please buy it to anyone who is fascinated with history and make up, I promise you they will love it.
- Period Repair Manual: Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods, Lara Briden.
Ok – Talk about life changing books… Reading this book was truly a profound moment for me. I always wanted to know more about this thing called period. Lara is a naturopathic doctor, with 20 years of experience in hormonal health. Suffering with acne and currently on the pill, I was extremely interested to see what she had to say about this topic. This book is your guide to better periods using natural treatments such as diet, nutritional supplements and herbal medicine; a source to deeply educate yourself on the subject. It contains advice and tips for women of literally every age and situation. Topics such as how to come off hormonal birth control, what your period should or shouldn’t be like, how to talk to your doctor, treatment protocols for all common period problems, including PCOS and endometriosis etc. So it will undeniably make a great gift to all women, cannot recommend it enough.
Lastly, I would also recommend getting someone an audible This way you are being eco-friendly because you don’t contribute to more materialistic possessions AND they can listen to so many amazing books! It’s the perfect gift if you ask me…
Happy Holidays!
Melanie x
The Green Edit
