Read on for our selection of Christmas gift ideas from small businesses, many of them local, mum-run, and ethical. We're aiming to help you to look after the planet, support people who need it, and get unique, special presents wrapped up, all in one go!
For little ones 👶🏻👶🏾👶🏽
🎁 You'll love small batch and custom kid’s clothing business @bab_kidswear with gift cards to purchase online from £20. Everything is made by B’Opera mum Sarah, in her home studio in south Birmingham, using 100% natural textiles, minimal waste cutting methods, and careful scrap repurposing to create timeless, stylish, gender-free garments that can be passed down from child to child, generation to generation. https://www.babkids.co.uk/
🎁 Check out designer and illustrator Jenny Elliott's animal alphabet in book and poster form which make a beautiful gift idea for little ones. They are available via her shop www.jennyelliott.co.uk/shop. All products are printed on high grade smooth recycled silk papers or use recycled materials for packaging (and an amazing compostable vegetable starch based protective bag instead of plastic!). The direct link to the animal alphabet is here: https://jennyelliott.co.uk/shop?category=Animal+Alphabet
10% off these with mailing list sign up in the website and free UK delivery over £40.
🎁 @naturemakerslichfieldwalsall are booking for their gorgeous Jan/Feb nature inspired art and craft sessions. Sign up to learn about nature, creating art and craft inspired by amazing things like moss, worms and owls! What a lovely waste-free Christmas present for little ones!
🎁 Little Village Bookworms (www.Facebook.com/littlevillagebookworms ) offer a selection of brand new childrens' books, costing just £2.50/£3 each because reading is important and needs to be affordable. Having seen their selection, I can tell you I'm hopping over there now to do some of my Christmas shopping!
🎁 Tafara and the Patchwork Blanket https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0885TFKYK/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_i_bul1Eb1WVXDGS - A delightful children's book for primary-aged children by our friend Fadzi, that talks about ethnic diversity in an absolutely beautiful way. This stuff needs to be addressed with children and Fadzi has done a beautiful job of it.
For everyone 👩🏼🎤🙎🏽♂️🧒🏾👵
🎁 We love @milanillustrates Bournville Chocolate Box Christmas cards (full Birmingham-themed range available on Etsy here Indulge in a hand-crafted collection of Bournville favourites with this illustrated chocolate box. Milan designed B'Opera's Alice and the Library Tree flier and his work is just beautiful. We bought some of his cards last year depicting scenes of Birmingham, and they had definite wow factor.
🎁 The B'Opera Advent Calendar makes a beautiful waste-free present for all the family to share together, with 25 days of gorgeous music into your email inbox throughout Advent, accompanied by lyrics, information about the song, and accompanying activities. The perfect gift for little ones near and far for just £15 ! Why not buy one as a Christmas present for a friend or family member who would love a daily dose of musical love and positivity in their inbox! Just leave a message with your order giving the intended recipient's email address.
🎁We can't wait for the Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Christmas Selling Weekends 27th/28th November, and 4th/5th and 11th/12th December. They have a lovely selection of gifts and cards in a beautiful setting with lovely gardens to explore, and the locally made lavender beeswax hand balm is divine!
🎁 Zero waste supermarket The Clean Kilo offer a flat rate delivery of £4.50 to any B postcode and offer lots of gorgeous waste free products, not just food. Check out their zero waste parcels
For mothers and mothers to be 👩🏽🧒🏾
🎁 Polly Hancock offers online singing lessons that promote wellbeing and positive mental health. Working primarily with women who want to start taking a bit of time back for them to focus on developing a skill, benefitting from the positive mental health benefits of singing and focusing on a hobby that fits with children and a busy family life. She offers flexible, one-off and ad hoc lessons as well as more traditional weekly or fortnightly sessions. DM for further information
🎁 Healing birth trauma and your birth story is Charlotte of Birth Essence’s area of specialisation and she’s offering a generous discount for B'Opera followers. There are three options with three places available for each option. Here's what she says: "Honour Your Sacred Journey as a Mother. It can be so tough becoming a mother, at all stages there is a steep learning curve and there always seems to be another stage to go through. The pandemic has added another level of toughness with more women birthing alone or having their choices restricted. Birth trauma and postnatal depression rates are through the roof. It is hard enough to be the mother you want to be without having to carry the burden of unresolved trauma around with you." Find out more here
We've benefited hugely from Charlotte's work, and can't recommend her highly enough.
Please share and spread the love! 🎁
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