For the healthy DIY-er, consider gifting a home brewing kit for kombucha. Haven't frequented Whole Foods recently? Kombucha is a drink produced by fermenting black tea using a symbiotic colony of bacterial and yeast (known as SCOBY). The fermentation process gives the drink a natural fizz and probiotics, and offers health benefits including detoxification, joint care and an immune boost. Kombucha originated in Northeast China and later spread to Russia and has been enjoyed for over 2,000 years. Since it's naturally fermented, kombucha contains a small amount of alcohol. For those who want to gift a little more of those benefits, how about a home brewing kit for gin?
It's hard buying my Mom gifts. She constantly tells me she doesn't need anything, and she doesn't want anything. For years, I've purchased nice gifts (or what I thought were nice gifts), only to see them be returned. So, this year, I decided to embark on a little DIY project, something she couldn't return. All jokes aside, my Mom has a green thumb and has recently taken an interest in terrariums, so when I stumbled upon marimo balls, I was inspired.
Marimos are live moss balls found in lakes in Iceland,
Scotland, Japan and Estonia. Lake currents swirl the little
plants around so that they grow naturally into petite pom-pom
shapes. The name, "marimo," originates from two Japanese words--"mari"
meaning "bouncy ball," and "mo," a term for plants that grow underwater.
I was struck by the marimo's simplicity and cuteness, and decided to create a marimo terrarium for my Mom for Christmas. The sweet, sphere-shaped creature is adored around the globe: the
Japanese believe that it brings good luck, and in Iceland it is believed
that a well-loved marimo makes wishes come true! How could she not love it?
The required supplies are short and simple:
-tiny glass rocks from a local flower nursery
-a small vase from CB2
-a grab bag assortment of sea fan pieces from Etsy seller seashells11035
-marimo balls (I purchased mine from eBay)
I placed the glass rocks and a few sea fan pieces into the tiny vase, using a knife to situate the sea fans where I wanted them. You may have to wash the glass rocks prior to placing them in the vase since they can be dusty or dirty and will cloud the water.
Then, I waited anxiously for my marimo balls to come in the mail. Almost all marimo balls are shipped internationally, so factor in two weeks to receive them.
Then, place the marimos in the vase filled with water. They will float for about a day, but will eventually sink to the bottom of the vase and begin "playing."
I added a gift tag with care instructions and included a card that explains the origin and meaning behind marimo balls. My non-returnable gift is complete!
Let's be honest, homemade gifts are objectively more thoughtful than Bloomingdale's gift cards, but there's a creepy element to them. The handmade wreathes and turkey drawings were cute when we were in kindergarten and didn't have money to purchase real gifts; but now, as a grown-up, if you're gonna gift a homemade item, it better be nice and nicely packaged. We don't want recipients thinking, "When did you make these gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies? And what exactly is in them?" We want them to think, "Wow, are you Rachel Ray's sister? Not because of your voice but because I think you're crafty."
This is where San Francisco-based Yellow Owl Workshop comes in. They offer various stamps that help you personalize the gifts coming straight from your kitchen or garden. How about drying those mint leaves from your garden and instead of putting them in a plastic Ziploc, packaging them up in a small tin and stamping your gift of tea? After all, we don't want those tea leaves to be mistaken for anything else, just like how you don't want to be mistaken for Rachel Ray's sister.
