Save Our Happy Place is a climate action newsletter dedicated to making it easy for you to help protect the places you love from climate change, written by Lindsay Nunez. Read on for simple yet effective climate actions, and sustainable + eco-friendly lifestyle tips.

Seasons greeting turtle doves! Welcome back to Save Our Happy Place your weekly pop of environmental and climate activism. This holiday season, I am really prioritizing helping my loved ones, coworkers, and friends on their sustainability journey - a gift I hope will keep on giving. So here’s a quick compilation of items, that I either love or want for myself, to help inspire you in your gift-giving pursuits.

5 of My Favorite Eco-Friendly Gifts

For Climate Warriors, Friends, Lovers, and White Elephants

When it comes to finding that special someone a gift they didn’t even know they wanted or needed, sustainable gifts are the way to go. Not only are you avoiding gifting useless junk that will inevitably end up in the back of their closet, but also you're empowering them to make sustainable choices and probably saving them some dollars along the way. In fact, most sustainable gifts create cost savings by allowing you to cut out the purchasing of single-use items like water bottles and paper towels.

1. The Climate Optimist Handbook

The Climate Optimist Handbook was written by my friend Anne Therese Gennari of The Climate Optimist. The handbook aims to shift the narrative on climate change so that you can act from a place of courage and excitement, not fear. As we embark on a new year, approaching our climate journeys from a place of replenishment and optimism is a great place to start.

Why I love it: Taking on a transformational journey from reading an inspirational book like this, can offset emissions and waste exponentially over someone’s lifetime.

Shop the Handbook

2. Silicon Popcorn Poppers

For the snack lover, this zero-waste kitchen accessory makes a great Secret Santa or White Elephant gift. Microwave popcorn has been linked to a myriad of health concerns. It also is laced with PFA forever chemicals and creates unnecessary waste.

Why I love it: Popcorn is by far one of my favorite snacks, but the waste and toxins from instant popcorn and the effort of making popcorn over the stove often deter me from indulging. This makes it super easy to make a quick no-waste snack.

Shop Popcorn Poppers

3. Lifestraw Go Stainless Steel Water Bottle

For the friend that still gravitates towards the plastic water bottle for taste preferences, this water bottle filters the water as you drink it, making the water taste delightful whether you’re getting your water from the tap or fresh from a lake.

Why I love it: This is my go-to water bottle for travel and day-to-day life. Not only does it keep me from needing to buy a plastic bottle of water on the go, but it also filters out all of the microplastics found in local tap water.

Shop Water Bottle

4. Ugly Produce Box

We’ve all experienced skyrocketing prices at the grocery store. So gifting the ability to get organic affordable produce while cutting back on food waste is not just a gift for your loved ones, but also for the planet. Almost half of the food grown in the U.S. is thrown out because it can't be sold in supermarkets. Many grocers are only interested in carrying identical “perfect“ produce. That is where eating “ugly” or “misshapen” produce comes in. There are a few of these businesses, but my go-to is Misfit Markets.

Why I love it: I have been regularly getting Misfits Market boxes for two years now. They’re a fantastic way to get affordable, organic produce. Why not share that with loved ones?

Shop Misfits Market

5. Reusable Organic Napkins

These are actually on my wish list! At only 5% of the world’s population, the U.S. consumes nearly half of the world's paper towels. Make sure to opt for organic linen or bamboo to cut down on the water needed for processing cotton and organic doesn’t use pesticides.

Why I love it: Paper towels that get used for two seconds and thrown away are just not something I am willing to spend money on, especially when there are amazing eco-friendly alternatives. Save the planet and your wallet.

Some Rays of Sunshine

Headlines We’re Happy to See

• Wind energy is now South Dakota’s No. 1 producer of electricity. - Read More

• European Union to regulate shipping emissions, in a historic first. - Read More

• Montreal unveils new 4-year bike plan promising 200 kin of new paths. - Read More

• Portugal triples offshore wind power auction to 90% of its energy consumption. - Read More