A Very 2020 Chatham Gift Guide
Though the season of giving and gathering has made many concessions this year, we hope to supply an additional boost of holiday cheer with our 2020 Chatham Gift Guide. We’ve compiled this one-of-a-kind shopping list with assistance from the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship holiday gift guide and the Chatham Art Department’s holiday art market of student work. Allow us to boost your gift list with a few of these inspired presents:
Help a Small Business
Check out the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide which features a bounty of small, local businesses who have worked with the CWE. The guide features discounts on everything from natural hair products from D&K Whip Appeal to ciders and whiskeys from Threadbare Cider and Wigle Whiskey. Check out the full guide here.
Photo c/o Threadbare Cider Instagram
Invest in Student Creations
If you’re looking to gift a loved one some original art, head over to the @chathamarts Instagram and Facebook for the 2020 Holiday Art Market. This digital art market features innovative works from student artists, designers, and creators. Click the link for tie-dye apparel from Carlee Shreve, custom earrings from Juliette Lopez, vintage clothing from Natalie Callahan, original clothing from Jesse Solomon, and custom designs from Alexis Taranto.
Photo c/o jessesolomondesign.com, featuring Jesse Solomon and Juliette Lopez
Choose Gifts that Give Back
If it feels weird to spend money on presents this year, try finding a gift that helps those in need. Buy a gift certificate to your loved one’s favorite restaurant, donate on their behalf to a local organization like 412 Food Rescue or the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. If you still want to give a traditional present, check out The Strategist’s list of holiday gifts that give back, all of which donate a portion of their profits to nonprofits doing vital work. Need more inspiration? Catch Wired’s list of brands and companies that have been providing aid during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let Self-Care Inspire You
How have you managed to stay healthy and sane in 2020? Have you found new hobbies, decorated your space, or re-vamped your exercise routine? Consider what’s helped you get through the last nine months and how your loved ones have adapted in their own ways. If a friend has gotten really into baking in 2020, gift them a new cookbook. If a family member has a newfound video game obsession, gift them a new game or gadget. Alternately, if you want to ensure everyone appreciates a gift, make care packages for the long winter ahead, complete with Vitamin C packets and immune boosting supplements like Zinc, Vitamin D, Elderberry, and more.
Subscribe for Santa
For a winter that will be spent largely inside the house, consider gifting a subscription that your loved one can enjoy, be that to an online magazine, fitness website, streaming service, newsletter, meal prep kit, beauty box, or…just about anything else you can think of. Ask your loved ones some sneaky questions about how they’ve been entertaining themselves in quarantine and improvise from there.
Make the Most of Masks
At the onset of the pandemic, masks may have seemed like an unnecessary splurge, but now that they’re here to stay, why not gift some funky, fashion-forward masks this holiday season? Check out Etsy’s wide selection of handmade masks or if you’re really trying to snaz it up, catch Vogue’s recommendations.
Build Your Own (Present) Bag
If you’re running low on funds this season but still want to give your loved ones something special, consider scouring your talents for treasure. Poets, write them a personalized poem. Crafters, build them a holiday wreath. Budding artisans, make some homemade jewelry. Performers, record yourself singing their favorite song. No matter what you make, a gift from the heart is sure to feel extra-special this season.
We hope you enjoy these suggestions and the pursuit of presents! Happy Holidays to you and yours, ChathamU!
