GGG: A Stocking Stuffer Bonanza (Giveaways!)

When it comes to gift giving, I love to keep you guessing and I pride myself on the recipient’s reaction of satisfied surprise when a gift is opened.  Your happy heart makes my day.  A few weeks ago I sent out something about ‘green’, ‘stocking stuffers’ and ‘giveaways’ – the trifecta of holiday gift giving.  Well, here’s that much-anticipated goodness.  Enjoy!

Happy Holidays for our home to yours!

Green Wax: Shred lightly

After finding Green Wax, a company based out of a wicked corner of the U.S. – New England of course! – and looking into their company’s commitment to eco-conscious, performance-quality ingredients – I knew I had to get my hands on some Green Wax. I had never stepped back to consider the wax that is put on a board, be it a snowboard, surfboard or ski, is shed at some point during the activity (otherwise you’d never need to rewax your board – right?).  And, the next logical step is to consider that this wax is being shed into the environment – the snow or the water.  So, the ingredients DO matter.  But, so does the performance.  What good is a board wax if your ride isn’t smoother, your board cleaner and your cuts more uniform?

My coordination level has ensured that I will never venture farther than the beaten path of cross country skiing, so I had to rely on a trusty, snowboard-lovin’, Montana-livin’ native to give me the performance report on Green Wax.   The wax got the big thumbs up from my boarding guru and he was impressed by the ease of application – melt on or rub on.  The ingredients are 100% natural, 100% petroleum free (not petrol chemicals) and 100% made in the USA.  Add an affordable price tag and you are set.  The company and the individuals are awesome.  The state where it’s made is great.  And, the product in the tube speaks for itself!  Go Green Wax!

Where to buy? Visit Green Wax’s website for locations and retailers.
Get socially connected: Check out Green Wax on Facebook.

Graham Gardens: Organic, Natural and, oh, so Sweet!

Stocking stuffers are my thing.  I am always on the hunt for goodies that are affordable, but not junky.  It is so much fun to find tidbits that are great gifts (a.k.a. usable and/or useful), but still fit the stocking stuffer mold.  Well, Graham Gardens is just the perfect place for snatching up these bits.  They are a homegrown, small company based out of Frenchville, Pennsylvania and they specialize in organic, all-natural balms.  Think: lip balm, hand salve and the bestest of the best – an all-natural, chemical-free, totally-working Bug Bar repellant!  Their newest addition is a wholesome soap.

All of their ingredients are natural and the majority are organic, too.  The soaps are made with saponified oils, botanicals (plant parts) and essential oils.  The biggest lifesaver is the Bug Bar mosquito repellent.  It works – like really, really works in even muggy-Washington-summer camping weather, that’s next to a river and the said campers are housed in a tent.  I feel safe pasting Beckett up with it and I appreciate the security it offers to keep the bugs off of her.

A sneak-peek at the giveaway...

And, who doesn’t love a good lip balm?  If you are looking for a scrumptiously, sweet smelling balm that really moisturizes dry lips without an unnecessary shine – check out the Peppermint Candy, Orange Sunset or Coffee Break goods from Graham Gardens.  The Orange Sunset is like a perfect shot of summer – the pungent scent of an orange creamsicle popsicle!

Where to buy? Visit Graham Garden’s website for locations and retailers.
Get socially connected: Check out Graham Garden’s on Facebook and Twitter.

Smart Monkey: Monkey See, Monkey Do, Monkey Recycle

Smart Monkey is one of the coolest companies I have come across and I have actually been left thinking “Geez – why didn’t I think of that?!”.  It’s local (Tacoma, Washington), it’s small and it’s the epitome of the doctrine reduce, reuse, recycle.  Leah, Smart Monkey’s creator, has found a niche in the crocheting and knitting world (a place very close to my heart and pocketbook) by selling reclaimed yarn.  Not reused.  Not recycled.  Reclaimed.  The hunt begins with high-end sweaters, thrift and second-hand store finds and ends with a whole lot of time spent turning one person’s discards into usable yarn.   It’s a time-consuming process of unraveling, unknitting and then rewinding.  The selection at Smart Monkey’s online store is ever changing and the prices are oh-so affordable (about $6.50 for a 200 yard skein).  I love that Leah saw a use in someone else’s junk and now there are reclaimed stories to be told of pieces with a history.

Visit Smart Monkey’s store on Etsy.com to get your hands on some reclaimed yarn!

Asher Jasper: Natural Toys

The owner, creator and artist, Vicky, of Asher Jasper is one of those people I feel like I’ve known forever.  Her work started the addiction I have to needle-felting and has given me the ultimate goal of what I strive for in quality.  Needle-felting basically involves repeatedly poking raw wool with a barbed needle.  The end result is a shapely, carved, solid(ish) three-dimensional object.  Vicky’s work captures your imagination and whimsy and I love that the end result is all-natural, sticky finger, drooly mouth safe.

If the needle felting wasn’t enough to send me over the top, the latest edition to the Asher Jasper store is Vickie’s husband’s work (talk about a talented family!) has created a true tizzy for me.  He is making beautiful wooden toys for children – teethers, alphabet blocks, building wedges and even stilts!  The woods of choice are natural, organic hardwoods that are sealed with pure walnut oil (sans the teethers).  They are the naturalest of the natural wooden toys you’ll find.  And, the quality is stunning.  My heart skipped a beat when I picked up the honeycomb teether.  I couldn’t resist a classic combo of honeybees and nature!

Luh-luh-love Asher Jasper!

Visit Asher Jasper’s store on Etsy.com or Facebook to get your hands on some beautiful, handmade, natural wool and wooden toys!

Ready to stock your stocking with some giveaways?

Three lucky Sacred Bee Blog readers will win one of the following:

• A stick of wax from Green Wax
• A gift basket from Graham Gardens
• A skein of yarn from Sock Monkey

Interested in entering the giveaway?

Comment on this post and tell me: What’s your favorite go-to stocking stuffer every year?

Want additional entries? You must follow these directions and tell me about them via a comment on this post. Each of these options is available for one single entry per giveaway, not per day.

• Subscribe via email – WordPress or Feedburner (three total entries for becoming or being a current subscriber via email!)
• Subscribe via a reader – Feedburner
• Link the Sacred Bee’s Blog to your website (you must send me the link or a screen shot via a comment on this post)
• Link the Sacred Bee’s Blog to your Facebook page (you must send me the link or a screen shot via a comment on this post)
• Grab the Sacred Bee’s Button and add it to your blogroll or website.
• Follow @sacredbee on Twitter and retweet this giveaway. Notify me of the retweet using a comment on this post. Only one entry per single retweet each day.
• Become a fan of Green Wax on Facebook.
• Become a fan of Graham Gardens on Facebook.
• Follow @Graham Gardens on Twitter.

Winners will be drawn on Wednesday, December 15th 2010 at 8:00pm PST.

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