If you or a loved one loves planning, this is the perfect time to do so! That's why I've put together a gift guide featuring Canadian small businesses that have products perfect for goal-setting.
Today, I'm featuring Mugging Whales Premium Coffee Co.’s premium coffee beans, Blondie and the Beard’s custom pens, Minima Basics’ desk organizers, Prairie Chick Prints’ ceramic mugs and Thoughtfully Handmade’s handmade bookmarks.
Since it's the beginning of a new year, what better time to help someone achieve their resolutions? Although, I wouldn't blame you if you decide to gift these items to yourself!
Continue reading to learn more!
1. Premium Coffee
Who doesn’t love coffee? If your friend is a goal-setter, I’m sure they run on some sort of caffeine. That’s why these unique coffee blends from Mugging Whales Premium Coffee Co. is the perfect gift! The owners, Heather and Jim, hand-select single-origin coffee beans that are as unique as the countries they come from. Gift some exotic beans to your friend, and they can travel the world through their cup of coffee!
Heather and Jim ships freshly roasted, whole coffee beans all over Canada. They partner with a local professional roaster who has been selecting and roasting coffee beans for over 25 years! Did you know that roasting the beans unlocks their richest aromas and flavours? I sure didn’t. Plus, Mugging Whales Coffee is known to only offer whole beans because they stay fresher for longer than ground coffee.
What I love about Mugging Whales Coffee, is that your friend doesn’t have to worry about properly recycling their coffee bags. Most recycling programs in Canada will not accept them due to a thin layer of foil inside the bag and a plastic coating on the outside. To combat this, Mugging Whales Coffee has a recycling program! All they have to do is send in their used coffee bags (from any coffee brand) to Mugging Whales Coffee. They’ll even receive a 10% discount on their next order of $35 or more!
To find out more about their recycling program, and to purchase some unique coffee beans to give, visit Mugging Whales Coffee’s website. Don’t forget to follow them on Instagram too!
2. Custom Pens
Located in Barrie, Ontario, the wife and husband team from Blondie and the Beard creates the most beautiful handmade pens! This gift is perfect for anyone that loves to set goals. They probably have multiple planners where they write down all of their resolutions and plan out how they’ll achieve them. At least, that’s what I do! The perfect compliment to their crazy planning ways? A unique ballpoint or fountain pen! I personally prefer fountain, but Blondie and the Beard make both.
All of their pens are made with the utmost care. Each pen is handcrafted from locally sourced wood right in their garage! They also come with a card that lists their own unique pen number, date made, and materials used to make the pen, and a suede sleeve to protect it.
Each pen also has a non-toxic, water/oil urethane hybrid finish. This acrylic finish allows the pen to maintain its shine for years to come, even with intensive use! Blondie and the Beard also offer extra ink refills and gift boxes as add ons. They also make custom magnifying glasses and letter openers!
With so many unique patterns and designs, there is sure to be a pen that suits your friend’s personality. If you’re interested, browse through their full collection on Blondie and the Beard’s Etsy shop. They also post many behind the scenes photos on their Instagram account if you’re curious about their process!
3. Organization Supplies
Most stationery lovers (including myself) love having a neat and tidy desk with lovely organizers to display our supplies. That's why you should definitely give your goal-setting friend some organizers from Minima Basics! The owner, Joanne, loves helping people stay organized and feel comfortable working at their desk. She sells acrylic desk organizers that are minimal and high quality.
Don't worry if you aren't sure if your friend will like the design of the organizers or if it will match their room because they're acrylic! Joanne chose that medium for her organizers because it's clear and durable, so it'll match any space.
Minima Basics' mission is to help female entrepreneurs stop feeling overwhelmed and start feeling inspired by their space. No more heading to a coffee shop! Even if your goal-setter isn't an entrepreneur, it's still a great gift option.
If you're interested in gifting your friend some high quality and simple desk organizers to help them be more productive, head to Minima Basics' website. Make sure also to check out their Instagram, where they share some great tips on productivity!
4. Cheeky Mugs
Most goal-setters love drinking tea or coffee while they work. Why not gift them a funny mug to make them smile a bit while they’re at their desk? These mugs from Prairie Chick Prints by Crystal are professionally and locally printed with a sublimation heat press on 15 oz white ceramic mugs.
All of Crystal's mugs are printed on both sides, so left-handed people can enjoy the mug too! They're also dishwasher and microwave safe. Crystal's designs are cheeky, sassy, and sometimes sarcastic, but always relatable. A warning though, if your stationery lover doesn't like to swear, although Praire Chick Prints have many other designs that don't.
Crystal is a graphic designer who loves to create things that are beautiful and practical. That's why she sells functional items like mugs, totes, greeting cards, planners and tote bags with beautiful designs! Crystal recently started a support local campaign through Praire Chick Prints. She believes supporting local goes beyond shopping local- it's also about supporting our community. I completely agree with this, which is why I started these gift guides!
If you live in Alberta, you can find Crystal's designs in various stores throughout the province. You can also buy her products on Praire Chick Prints' website if you prefer online shopping or don't live in Alberta. Don't forget to check out their Instagram page for fun shop updates!
5. Handmade Bookmarks
Most notebooks and journals don’t come with bookmarks. With your friend being a goal-setter, they need to be able to refer back to the goals that they wrote down throughout the year. That’s why a bookmark is such a useful gift to give! Even if their planner comes with a bookmark, your friend can still use it to mark their place when they read their self-improvement books.
All of my bookmarks come with a handmade tassel attached to add a little more colour, and so it’s easier for them to find it when the book is closed. Can you believe each tassel takes 6 minutes to make? Most of my bookmarks have a watercolour background, but I do have some that are made from pattern paper.
I started Thoughtfully Handmade with a mission to help others give joy. Giving handmade bookmarks are a fantastic way to spread gratitude and positivity! I also make handmade cards and gift tags, which you can pair with any of the excellent gift ideas that I mentioned above, or my bookmarks! It’s a small gesture that can bring a lot of joy to people’s lives.
My bookmarks are unique since no two are identical, and I only produce 6-8 cards or bookmarks for each design. Once they’re gone, they’re gone! By purchasing something from me, you're also donating ten cents to a local non-profit organization in Toronto. Don't hesitate and click the images to buy or visit Thoughtfully Handmade's website. Also, visit my Instagram page for updates and behind the scenes content!
As I said earlier, I started putting together these gift guides to support other Canadian businesses like myself. It's tough, competing with big stores like Walmart, Indigo and Amazon when it comes to stationery. Hopefully, this gift guide inspired you to consider some local stores. Good luck with finding the perfect gift!
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