Introducing… Em’s Ethical Gift Guide!

Without further ado, below I’ve rounded up a bunch of ethically or sustainably-sourced gifts for him, her, home, friends, colleagues, parents, siblings, neighbors, etc.

Instead of breaking items into different categories, I wanted to keep them all together to give you a central resource and also because I don’t know how you categorize the folks in your life!! Everyone shops differently. Now, let’s get to shopping…

Here are the links:

1.Haiti Design Co. Aluminum Cuff Bracelet | 2. MADE51 “Proud Camel” Ornament | 3. French Girl Organics Rose Sea Soak | 4. RefuSHE Clementine Scarf | 5. Girlfriend Collective Halter Sports Bra | 6. Marine Layer Men’s Henley

7. Porter Ceramic Travel Mug | 8. Friendsheep Wool Dryer Balls (Sloths!) | 9. MeUndies Men’s Terry Jogger | 10. Machete Green Hair Clip 11. Thistle Farms “Balance” Essential Oil Roller | 12. Kicheko Goods Acetate Earrings

13. Allbirds Wool Runner Mizzles (water-resistant!) | 14. Matt + Nat Vegan Leather Card Case | 15. Mercado Global Woven Cosmetic Pouch | 16. Amsha Studio Woven Lidded Basket | 17. Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag | 18. PACT Holiday Socks

19. Stasher Sandwich Bags | 20. Equilibria Daily CBD Drops – Winter Citrus | 21. Abby Alley Brass Message Necklace | 22. Sézane Gaspard Jumper | 23. Printfresh Short Pajama Set | 24. Our Place Always Pan

25. Obakki Serena Fruit Bowl | 26. The Little Market “Pop Fizz Clink” Wine Tote | 27. Preemptive Love Sisterhood Soap Set | 28. The Little Market Cookbook Set (make your own!) | 29. Anchal Project Monstera Tea Towel | 30. Bright Endeavors Pomegranate & Champagne Candle

Voilà – there’s your guide to ethical gifts in 2021!

I have gifted quite a few of these myself, including the Stasher bags, Allbirds (check out my full list of sustainable shoes here), CBD drops, tea towel, and candles. The rest of the items, while I may not have owned or given them personally, come highly recommended or are on my wish list.

Every brand on here has implemented ethical, sustainable, and/or fair trade measures into their production process and some are even NGOs or social enterprises that give back to communities in need (Haiti Design Co, RefuSHE, Preemptive Love, Kicheko Goods – to name a few). I mean, is there anything better than getting a beautiful product and knowing it made a positive impact on someone else’s life?

In the interest of full transparency, a handful of these products have affiliate links, so if you click on it and buy the item, it will help support this blog without any additional cost to you. Win-win!

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention – the ethical gifts you won’t see here are items you can make or upcycle yourself and give to others (i.e. food, crafts, services, re-gifts, etc.). That would be a wonderful blog post, perhaps for next year when I have the time and bandwidth to think about it. I will share an “experiences” gift guide and a giving guide soon, though, which are in a similar vein. Keep an eye out…

Anyway, I hope this helps make your holiday shopping a bit more ethical, so you can feel a bit better about the massive consumption that happens this time of year and give back a bit along the way!

XO,
Em

shop the guide ↓

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Spring Floral Jumpsuit

Also, I’ve been tearing up a lot as I walk around this city. Before we go further, I should note that I tend to cry at a lot of things normal humans wouldn’t get emotional about. I’ve cried about seeing cute, fluffy dogs on Instagram, in excitement for the spice markets in Morocco, and every single time that I listen to “Unimaginable” from Hamilton. All the feels!

Anyway, so I’m walking around Chicago and I see all of these restaurants that are open indoors again and people milling about (decently masked) and I just thought – wow, how far we’ve come from just a year ago! I distinctly remember walking last spring when it was literally the only thing we could do outside/needed to do to stay sane. The streets felt empty, everything was shut down, and uncertainty hung in the air like those days when the fog hangs below the skyline and you feel like you’re in a cloud. I remember telling Shiv that I just wanted to hug our city and tell it that it was going to be OK.

And now, things are looking up for this place we call home! In no way am I taking credit, but I still feel like a proud mama. I’m happy to see Chicago on its feet, taking steps after that long pause. Spring is just different this year. I hope it always feels like this – new, hopeful, stuffed with possibility.

In case it doesn’t, here are some photos I’ve taken recently as I wander around to different corners of my neighborhood…

Lakeview + Lincoln Park Walks

Happy Spring, everyone! I hope all the physical and metaphorical flowers you planted bloom and thrive this season!

XO,
Em

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What does that mean? It means that I’ll be sharing musings from my life, which I hope to lead intentionally, ethically, and to its fullest extent. I spent the first part of my career steeped in the artisan sector, which helped me discover some pretty amazing ethical brands that I want to share with you all. However, if I said that everything I own or use is ethically-sourced, artisan-made, or sustainable, I’d be lying. It’s a personal mission I’m always striving for, but I recognize my own humanness and how that can mean I’ll still probably purchase some things from Amazon and J Crew.

I also really hate to throw out any clothing that I have already that doesn’t fit under this category – just because I definitely underpaid for it and understand the importance of garment workers’ rights, doesn’t mean that I will add to the environmental waste that the clothing industry produces and just toss them. I actually have a Poshmark precisely for this reason, if you’re in the market for any 2010s preppy/college staples (mildly embarrassed to admit I’m a recovering Lilly Pulitzer fan).

I would, however, like to try to create a more sustainable closet, household, and lifestyle with small, intentional changes (there’s that word again!) that real humans can pull off. This isn’t a space for aspirational living or perfect pictures; it will be curated, but one thing is for certain – you will always know what I’m thinking and/or how I feel.

TLDR: it’s part accountability, part goals, part reality, and 100% life!

XO,
Em

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My adventure to get here was nothing but stressful – long lines for luggage drop, having my bag flagged/re-checked at security, not sleeping & getting sick on the plane (but I had the nicest seat neighbor!), my phone not working upon arrival, paying up the wazoo for a taxi, not being able to get into my apartment or call for help, searching high and low for the right place, hauling my two giant suitcases around, almost giving up, I could go on…

BUT the important thing is that I found this lovely little abode that I now get to call home for a while!

Since you’re probably wondering what my Parisian life is looking like so far, I took the liberty of snapping a few pictures so you can “tour” my new digs…

The airy living room

Tiny Euro kitchen

The natural light in this place is incredible

The corridor to bedrooms/bathroom

Shower room (separate from the toilet, or WC)

Comfy, cozy bedroom – my bed is on the left!

(pardon the mess)

Cute little entryway – the umbrella stand just got me

Oops, couldn’t resist the full-length mirror!

XO,
Em

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However, the road to this place has been ANYTHING but simple. I wanted to share a few tips with you guys about finding, leasing, and moving into a new apartment, because, especially for those of us who have never dealt with bills – aside from the kind you get at the theatre for a show – it can be a shockingly difficult transition.

1. Look online. There are all sorts of apartment sites out there (Zillow, Hotpads, etc), but the best apartments can be found on the very unsuspecting Craigslist. Most postings are made by management companies, so they’re legitimate. People looking on here mean business though, so you won’t want to wait a few days before calling to set up a walk-through – it’s not uncommon for it to be off the market within 24 hours!
2. Don’t rush the process. If you don’t find a place the first time you look, then congratulations, because you’re normal. Don’t give up when that dream apartment doesn’t have your lease starting date, ends up being too expensive, or just isn’t a feasible option. And don’t settle for much less than you want, either. Good things come to those who wait.
3. Read the lease. Once you’ve found the place, there are going to be a million papers you need to comb through. Bring them on the train, to the doctor’s office, or while you’re taking a study break. Read that thing like it is the latest Harry Potter/Twilight/Hunger Games/whatever people are reading these days. You will thank yourself later when you don’t get fined because you know you have to double-bag your kitty’s litter.
4. Honesty is the best policy. Ask your landlord questions early and often. It’s much better that you ask and the answer is obvious than not asking and being blind-sided later on.
5. Over-plan your move. Wait, that’s not possible. If you have movers, give them a reasonable time frame (and bring them snacks to show your appreciation). If you’re doing it yourself, you will most likely need a couple of days to move in and adjust, even if you are the Hulk and can lift eight boxes at once. You will be tired, hungry, and sore in places you never imagined had muscles. So take off of work or minimize your hours for those days. Take breaks when necessary and eat snacks to show yourself some appreciation – hey, lifting that many boxes isn’t easy, you rock!
6. Slowly but surely wins the race. Unpacking will seem like an insurmountable task – and perhaps you’ll never truly be done – but try, try, try! Three boxes a day, a room a day, one bag a day; make it work for your schedule, and give yourself milestones. It makes you feel that much more accomplished when you sit back with your celebratory “I unpacked the [insert what you unpacked here]” drink.
7. Relax. They call moving a process for a reason – it’s not going to happen overnight. And honestly, would you want it to? Relish in the thousandth trip to Target, dance around the kitchen to that cheesy, new pop song, and love your new place. It is yours, all yours, and it loves you back as long as you live there.

XO,
Em

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