Gift Guide for the Grinch this Holiday Season
Story by Cassie Hepler, Submitted Photos
As we come to the close of this year, I can’t help but look back and think what a wild ride its been since I delved into this world of content creation and blogging full time two years ago. I’ve traveled to so many amazing places and met a ton of friendly faces who have helped me take it to the next level. For that I am so grateful and you know who you are!
However, I am not tone deaf and in my own little able to travel the world bubble like most of these vapid “influencers”. I know that this year has been extremely rough on so many people with corporate greed, billionaires squeezing Americans and a very unclear and uncertain future for 2025 and beyond. With prices rising for no other reason than they can gouge us from car and home insurance to the price of eggs – again – it is just ridiculous. So no wonder if you’re not feeling fabulous and festive this season!
So this list is for the Grinch, but the ones who are actually realists and don’t have a cold heart. Real, random products I’ve tested out this year for real people with actual non-toxic ingredients! What a ground-breaking concept… I think we will see more of a push toward demanding we have the same ingredients as other countries and not the 20-foot long list of items you can’t even read or pronounce that are most likely causing cancer that then pushes us into this horrible health care system. Perhaps we needed to see just how bad it can get before the rest of America realizes it too… an awakening if you will. I think it’s happening already via “The Adjustor”.
Regardless, please enjoy this random list of stuff for sale. Or don’t. Some people are barely able to buy groceries this holiday season and to that, I say join a “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook in your area. For instance, mine is “Buy Nothing North Phoenix” and you can grab some goodies to make your holiday brighter for free and/or trade. It’s the oldest and best system in the world!
Don’t forget to add a treat to their stockings! Wiley Wallaby offers soft and chewy licorice and drops that satisfies cravings for something sweet though the holidays and into 2025. Wiley Wallaby Licorice is fat free, vegan, and does not contain artificial colors and flavors. Plus, each piece is thick, chunky and super-soft, making this gourmet licorice a favorite. Flavors include Hot Cinnamon, Classic Red (always a favorite!), Green Apple, Watermelon and more. Wiley Wallaby Licorice is available at retail stores nationwide. Visit their store locator on their website.
Drizzle on the holiday spirit with Sweet Chaos! Their drizzled popcorn is the perfect mix of your favorite sweet and salty snacks… especially their seasonal offerings that include Hot Cocoa, Black & White Sugar Cookie, Iced Gingerbread and Peppermint Crunch. Sweet Chaos Drizzles are gluten free, made with non GMO popcorn, and have no artificial colors or flavors. Their mouthwatering popcorn is popped in coconut oil, with just the right amount of cane sugar and sea salt, and then sprinkled with delicious drizzles. Get all the Sweet Chaos seasonal flavors!
Founded by Michele Hoskins, Michele Foods is the first Black woman-owned syrup company, offering three delicious gourmet options made from secret family recipes dating back to the late 1800s. The 40th Anniversary Gift Box features Michele’s Gourmet Maple Creme and Butter Pecan syrups along with Michele’s Gourmet Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix as well as recipe cards. Cooks regularly use the syrups as condiments in their recipes, adding a touch of sweetness and unique flavor to their creations. You can pour it over Fried Chicken, Ice Cream, Ribs and much more! (Michele’s Syrups are available at grocery stores nationwide, MicheleFoods.com. This fabulous gift box above from Michele Foods includes the delicious Butter Pecan Syrup, Maple Cream Syrup, Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix and a recipe book!
Women-owned and operated, Haute Minute Makeup beauty brand also champions social causes, donating a portion of every sale to OurRescue.org, an organization dedicated to combating human trafficking and supporting survivors. They also provide mini makeup for gals on the go! Elevate your beauty on the go with our Mini Glam Bag in a stunning champagne hue. This chic, compact bag is perfect for holding all your clutch-sized makeup essentials, ensuring you stay organized and stylish wherever you are. A must-have accessory for every glam enthusiast! Haute Minute Makeup is proud to announce the official launch of the world’s first complete line of mini makeup and travel-sized beauty essentials, designed for today’s busy, eco-conscious beauty lovers. This rad brand delivers clean, vegan, and cruelty-free products that merge convenience, high performance and luxury, combining quality and environmental mindfulness without compromise.
Behold the much better and cleaner meat stick (or square) for road trips, lazy chefs or protein packing! Meet Wild Zora with a medley of tasty options that are gluten-free, paleo-friendly meals, snacks, cereals, soups, quinoa bowls, meat and veggie bars, outdoor adventure meals, organic fruits and vegetables, sustainable meats, gluten-free, non-GMO, high protein, made in Colorado by a women-owned business. Learn more about this rad brand on their website.
Get ready for dry January! After all the holiday booze and gluttony, I find the beginning of the year the perfect time to reset and give my liver a break. Sober curious if you will because let’s face it, alcohol is delicious poison… Enter Philters, a premium non-alcoholic spirits brand offering full-flavored, alcohol-free alternatives infused with adaptogens and nootropics, designed to enhance social experiences and support mental clarity. Philters amplifies the best aspects of social drinking – connection, joy, and shared experiences – without the negative effects of alcohol. Discover a new way to enjoy cocktails in unexpected places, with four distinct flavors: Jynn, Mezkahl, Ruhm, and Wiski. Find a new ritual to enjoy!
I found these little travel sized pouches of flavorful tea and coffee came in clutch this year! I know what you’re thinking ewww instant tea and coffee but I kid you not it tastes like the real deal. Cusa Tea & Coffee really is the best instant tea and coffee around! They sell award-winning coffee and teas perfect for outdoorsy people and busy people on the go. They use the best ingredients: organic tea, 100% Arabica coffee and real fruit, spices, and herbs – you know, things you can read with actual ingredients.
You don’t need to go to France to get amazing bread from St. Pierre Bakery! No holiday spread is complete without a hearty stuffing. While add-ins are a matter of preference, choosing the right bread is crucial. This eggy, rich brioche thanks to its butter and egg content, St. Pierre’s Brioche Loaf provides the perfect balance of crisp toastiness while remaining soft and creamy inside, while its lightly sweet flavor adds a decadent quality that can still lean savory. As America’s favorite brioche brand, St. Pierre’s products are widely available via grocery stores nationwide and makes a mean French Toast too!
I used to order Chinese food every week or more! This takes craving out of the equation, is in the freezer when it does hit and has a variety of options of your favorites. Royal Asia Shrimp Spring Rolls by Tai Foong USA are still there for me and easy to put in the toaster oven with a ding when ready. Available on northernchef.com and your local grocers, your favorite foodie is sure to enjoy these delectable Shrimp Spring Rolls with the featured ginger soy sauce! Royal Asia offers premium, authentic Asian cuisine made with high-quality ingredients and responsibly sourced seafood. Their ready-to-eat meals and appetizers bring the rich, diverse flavors of Asia right to your table. Family-run and founded in 1958, Tai Foong USA is proud to offer a unique line of frozen dim sum appetizers and Asian entrees inspired by its favorite childhood dishes.
Forget those cardboard tasting trail mix bars! Ziggy Bars are where it’s at as they are moist and don’t contain any questionable ingredients. A mother-daughter duo, Mary-Lou, and Rachel, are on a mission to create happy tummies for a happy life! Their delicious, 100% natural Ziggy Bars are packed with essential nutrients and fiber and are a delicious way to support digestive health. The bars come in three popular flavors, with Cinnamon Oat being the best-seller but my faves are peanut butter and chocolate. Vegan and naturally gluten-free, even picky eaters will enjoy them and everything is made in the USA with functional ingredients recognized for aiding digestion and offering gentle relief from constipation.
For those who love a good mocktail or cocktail mixed with some goth or emo vibes like me! Shake up some dark, brooding cocktails with 50 drink recipes inspired by your favorite gothic horror books, including Interview with a Vampire, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights – a perfect gift for book lovers and mixologists. Written by Iphigenia Jones, The Turn of the Screwdriver: 50 Dark and Twisted Literary Cocktails inspired by Anne Rice, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Other Legendary Gothic Authors! This dark book celebrates gothic literature, both classic and modern, and encourages readers to toast to how much fun these books have brought us.
She so thick! Our witchy sisters Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock still have amazing hair to this day. You can join their lush lock club with Thicc Organics natural hair growth oil. Not unlike a potion, their hair growth products are powered by plants and free from harmful synthetic fragrances and harsh chemicals. This 100% plant-based and cruelty-free product makes using and loving their brand easy, follow them on social media to see for yourself. Users rave about the results they see after just a few weeks of use. Remember what you put on your skin ends up in your body!
Keep your fridge or garden full of herbs and vegetables fresher for longer! Also stop adding microplastics to your veggies and make sure to wash them before storing. Save your produce longer in these amazing Ambrosia Produce Bags – their raw linen refrigerator bags are proudly handcrafted in the USA, simple to use, machine washable, and built to last. Their bags add up to two weeks of shelf life to our vegetation. Simply rinse your fruits or veggies and place them inside the bag while wet. Store inside the fridge crisper drawer and wash every two weeks in between uses to stay so fresh and so clean. Best paired with a local farmer’s market!
Not gonna lie, I haven’t actually used this bag… yet! But it’s in the closet with my other purses and travel bags waiting to be brought out in rotation. The Sash Bag motto is the bag you never remove, even when you need to pee which is seriously appealing to women who travel internationally. It has spaces for all your important credit cards and documents as well. And finding the perfect travel bag is challenging. It needs to be comfortable, organized, not too big or small, RFID-protected, slash-resistant and stylish. It’s ergonomic, so it doesn’t pull on your neck, stays put, and holds all your travel essentials, including a passport-sized zippered pocket, comes in leather and pleather and stays in your line of vision. You don’t have to take it off in the restroom, at restaurants, or while shopping for travel gifts. It’s totally hands-free, making your travel experiences safer!
The perfect wellness gifts for this year’s holiday creeping, crawling crud has arrived! The Herbal Zen‘s shower steamers are here to transform everyday showers into extraordinary self-care and therapeutic escapes. Only using premium ingredients to ensure the best aromatherapy experience, The Herbal Zen’s shower steamers are perfect for gifting, whether as stocking stuffers, wellness-themed presents, or even as part of a spa-themed gift basket. Headquartered in Philadelphia, The Herbal Zen was founded in 2018 when pharmacist Jason Donahue sought natural remedies for common wellness needs, and has since earned thousands of five-star reviews online. The cold kicker, medicine cabinet, eucalyptus and recenter are the top faves for the season!
For all my cat dads and cat moms! The Houdini™ Cat Harness and Leash is escape resistant, light and safe. Houdini™, designed to be escape-proof cat harness and leash was invented by adventure cat people for cat people to be the best cat harness for walking cats. The harness, designed by Outdoor Bengal gives you gentle control of your cat or kitten while being very safe and (almost) escape-proof. Unlike other cat harnesses, the escape-resistant system on the neck straps of this harness will gently provide a snug fit to reduce escaping risk when they try to walk backward. The harness will keep their neck safe thanks to the super-light chest mesh so that your cat can enjoy outdoor adventures. The harness is adjustable thanks to its side straps which will comfortably provide a snug fit for small cats and kittens as well as adult and large cats. The Outdoor Bengal harness has been designed exclusively for cats and it’s ideal for leash training your cat indoors as well as for advanced adventure cats that go hiking with their pawrents.
Has your beauty routine become just another part of the daily grind? Prepare to be revitalized! Rarely do I promote anything viral on TikTok as it’s usually through Bezos (boo to his ethics or shall I say lack thereof) however this brand is legit. Even my sensitive skin responds well to it! Maree True to You Beauty offers many products bursting with goodies to elevate your beauty content – think revitalizing eye gels, luxurious face skincare, face masks, scrubs and a few more surprises online. But if you can’t make it to the spa or get a facial, this is your go-to beauty brand in a pinch.
The Silver Lilac case from Ricardo Beverly Hills is designed for modern explorers with an appreciation for refined craftsmanship and engineered with a nearly indestructible Makrolon® by Covestro polycarbonate exterior. This exceptional collection also offers smooth, ergonomic handling, a well-organized interior, and TSA-lock security – perfect for business, pleasure and compliments on your stylish taste. This is the gift that keeps on giving as I had my zipper fly off my previous hardshell suitcase in Saint Martin and had to do the dreaded Saran wrap like a lumpy sandwich and was searched by TSA twice probably because of it. This unique color and design is rated almost 5 stars across the board so I can rest easier while traveling now. And I love the lilac color!
