Harmony Co-op holiday gift guide

The holidays are upon us! Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa, or just the end of a very eventful year, it’s the season of getting together with friends and loved ones and making warm light in the cold winter darkness. While many people rightly condemn an emphasis on crass commercialization and sheer material goods, the fact remains that gifts—both the giving and receiving—are customary, and it’s always nice to make someone you appreciate feel special. Picking out the “perfect present” isn’t easy for most people, and the sheer variety of “stuff” can reduce even the most seasoned shopper to an overwhelmed blur. Here at Harmony Natural Foods Co-op, we want to make everything as easy as possible, so we’ve compiled a helpful list of gift ideas you can find within our walls.

Let’s start with with some stress relief.

These are but a few of our favorite Harmony products!

Bath bombs, anyone? We’ve got a great assortment of Pacha “Froth Bombs”, pleasantly-scented and brightly-colored that fizz when dropped into water.

Aura Cacia and Natural Vitality have bath salts options—Aura Cacia uses essential oils, and Natural Vitality contains magnesium to help calm and de-stress.

Speaking of Aura Cacia’s essential oils, we have an extensive selection of stress relieving scents including Lavender, Frankincense, Bergamot, etc. — and if you don’t know what scent your recipient would prefer, how about a diffuser? We even have one that plugs into your car!

If you’re not into essential oils, we carry pre-mixed and pre-scented Andalou Naturals’ individually-sized face masks. They are not only fun but affordable (try one of each!), and you can give the gift of fifteen minutes of “spa time” in the comfort of your own home.

Aloha Bay has some beautiful candles— great for meditation, mood lighting, or just a little bit of extra cheer.

Badger Balm has a gift set containing several of their most popular salves. What a perfect stocking stuffer for cold Minnesota hands!

Badger’s beard oil, beard balm, and hair pomade will delight the facially-hirsute on your gift list, and new parents will definitely appreciate a tin of their baby balm or diaper cream.

Dr. Bronner’s soap gift sets not only contain great-smelling sustainable hemp soaps, but the entertainment value from reading the packaging is priceless.

For beverage aficionados

You can’t go wrong with Klean Kanteen’s expansive line of reusable containers. Not only are the metal bottles sustainable and durable, but they come in a range of sizes from growler to kid-sized (and some great coffee cups). Klean Kanteen also makes reusable metal straws—another option for the thirsty and environmentally-conscious. (All Klean Kanteen products are 20% off right now, too!) Add a tin of herbal or caffeinated tea or perhaps a pound or two of sustainable coffee (we love local Wollman Roasters) or perhaps an IOU for a trip to Bemidji Brewing to put that new growler to good use.

Speaking of beer, your favorite fizz-lover might enjoy a chance to try making their own—we make that easy, with packaged homebrew kits in a variety of flavors (we also have wine-making kits for fans of the grape, too).

The Written Word

For the book lovers in your life, Harmony has an excellent selection of reading material. Not only do we carry cookbooks—everything from barbecue to the vegetarian classic Moosewood Cookbook—we have an excellent selection of local authors. You might even bump into one of them right here in the store!

We also have several lovely calendars (2018 already?!) and a selection of magazines (subscriptions are indeed the gift that keeps on giving).

Local Love

If you really want to impress out-of-state friends and family, Harmony carries an impressive variety of local products. Minnestalgia syrups and jams come from berries grown right here in the Northwoods (the blueberry syrup is a favorite), and Bar Bell Bee Ranch (from nearby Squaw Lake) has a variety of products and sizes (including honey straws and raw honeycomb) from stocking stuffer on up. Red Lake Nation Foods’ fish batter and pancake mix helps support our local economy, and Native Harvest wild rice is harvested by tribal members on the White Earth reservation. Send pancake mix and maple syrup from Maple Island Syrup right up the road in Tenstrike, and you’ve just rocked breakfast!

Harmony also has gift cards in whatever dollar amount you’d like—so even the pickiest on your list can’t help but be delighted.

While it’s fun to give and receive presents, we all know the point of the winter holidays isn’t the loot—it’s a chance to spend time with people you love and help each other get through the long, cold nights of winter. Whether you’re exchanging homemade cards or fancy electronics, no matter what (if any) special day you’re celebrating, Harmony Co-op wishes you and yours very happy holidays and an awesome New Year!