One of the biggest holiday “stressors” has become what gifts to give spouses, family, co-workers, and friends. Our lives are full, and at times we don’t feel like there is room for one more “thing”. Here are fun, unique, and easy alternatives for your gift giving.
#1: Cryotherapy Facial
www.CharmCityIntegrative.com
Tom Ingegno
Charm City Integrative Health is Baltimore’s spot for full body cryotherapy (inflammation, pain), oxygen therapy, salt therapy (respiratory health) and now Cryotherapy Facials. These facials go beyond regular topical treatments by building collagen. Each treatment is 12 minutes long and the immediate after effect is a glowing complexion. For best results and longer term collagen building a 10 package is recommended with 2 to 3 treatments per week until expired.
#2 Yerba Mate Tea
www.LoveFromArgentina.com
Ana Goldseker
Starter tea packages or subscriptions, tea blends (detox, skinny, chocolate & more)
Yerba Mate, the tea of Argentina, is the hottest new tea on the scene! One drinks the tea loose in the mate (cup) with a bom (filter straw). Yerba is an autogenic herb rather than a tea leaf. It has both an awakening and a calming effect. Love for Argentina’s website lists the various benefits of enjoying the tea which range from weight loss to focus to constipation relief.
#3 Aluminate Life by LL Coconut Wax Candles
www.AluminateLifebyLL.com
Liz Lehman
Aluminate Life is a lifestyle collection of organic natural products to enhance your mind- body well being. The candles are made with clean burning coconut wax infused with essential oils that range from restorative to energizing scents (Clear, Lift, Still, Bloom, Dream). Each candle has a healing crystal in the base plus the container is a reusable high ball glass! The collection was developed by a local anesthesiologist who found she was burning the candle at both ends. An injury “forced” her to reevaluate her over-stressed lifestyle. As a result she combined her love of chemistry and the desire to create therapeutic aromatherapy healing products to enhance life. Along with the candles, Liz has essential oil sprays that can be used on linens, yoga mats, bathrooms, and even in the car and Reed diffusers.
#4 Splendid Spoon Smoothies, Meals or Soup Cleanse
Splendid Spoon is the perfect gift for the “on the go” type on your list! Their smoothie plan is perfect for breakfast or afternoon snacks. The meals can be warmed up for a quick lunch or for dinner served on a bed of sautéed veggies. And if you have a health nut who loves juice cleanses or has plans for a New Year’s Detox, the Soup Cleanse is a new approach. It’s a one day program where 4 bottled and 1 meal soups are enjoyed to reset the body’s hunger signals. The meals arrive frozen and can be defrosted the night before or warmed under water.
Discount Code BGSPLENDIDSPOON20
#5 Massage
Thai Massage
www.TouchAlchemy.com
Gregory Oed
This is a fully clothed massage where Gregory moves your body through positions to release tension and elongate muscles so pain is reduced and mobility increased.
Therapeutic Massage
www.WilliamJohnMassageStudio.com
Bill Rodick
Bill has a magic touch! If there is someone on your list who needs a little “self-care” and calm, this is the perfect gift. Light touch and deep tissue available.
#6 Private Yoga Class
www.BethGrahamWellness.com
Beth Graham
Yoga is a practice for everyone from compettive athletes to those requiring a more therapeutic approach. The best way to learn yoga or improve a current practice is with one on one instruction so proper alignment and form in the postures can be understood. If you have someone on your list who has back, hip or shoulder pain from hours of sitting at the office or is feeling a little stressed, yoga has been shown to help and reduce pain along with increasing mobility and strength.
Packages and single sessions available.
#7 Personal Trainer
www.NewFitnessCreations.com
Carlos Dorsey
New Fitness Creations is a program created by Carlos to help participants reach their fitness goals by developing strength and cardiovascular health. He will help you sculpt your body while building agility and flexibility. Carlos can help you create a home based program or one in a gym. He has a “never give up attitude” and is committed to supporting you reach your goals.
#8 Mom’s Organic Market or Trader Joe’s
Gift Cards available
www.MomsOrganicMarket.com
www.TraderJoes.com
Mom’s is located in The Rotunda in Hampden and Lutherville at York & Ridgely Roads. Trader Joe’s is in Towson at Kenilworth
#9 Dry Farms Wine Subscription
www.DryFarmWines.com
Wine Subscription
Dry Farm Wines is not a vineyard but a wine distributor and all wines must share natural farming and traditional wine making practices. Wines are low sugar/slow carb, biodynamic (organic), mold free, low sulfates and low alcohol (12.5% or less). Wines must meet their exact and specific standards including lab analysis by a certified oenologist. Along with wines meeting specific criteria for nutrition/diet programs, they must also meet standards for the optimal mind and body enjoyment!
#10 Feng Shui Consultation
www.TouchAlchemy.com
Cheryl Oed
This is the perfect gift for a new homeowner, someone who has recently moved, or the home decorator on your list. Think of Feng Shui as acupuncture for the home. It’s about placement of furniture and use of elements (water, wood, metal, earth, wind) to enhance the feeling of well being by moving energy. The home is divided into sections (health, love, work, wealth/abundance etc.) and Cheryl will show you how to stimulate the specific areas.