6 Valentine's Day Gifts That Give Bac
While corporate marketing tells us that Valentine’s Day is only reserved for romance, we can break the mold and shower everyone in our lives with a little more appreciation. From our friends and family to our co-workers to ourselves, these days, everyone needs more love.
And since it feels good to both give and receive, UWM figured it’d feel even better to give and give back. So we’ve curated this list of apparel brands and lifestyle accessories that redefine the old adage “look good, feel good.”
Shankara Naturals Gift Set.
Nothing says “love” like a box of chocolate… that is until Shankara Naturals added a 30 mL bottle of their signature body oil. Their collection is a luxurious blend of all things flower power, like the mix of Lavender, Ylang Ylang, and evening Primrose in their Harmonizing Body Oil, designed especially for “Her.”
Each bottle is small-batched in Texas with care, and chock-full of wildcrafted, organic ingredients to restore your skin’s pH balance. It’s so nutritious for the skin, you could eat it — or you could indulge in the surprise Ayurveda-inspired chocolate bar sent with the Valentine’s Day Gift Set, a present from our friends at Elements Truffles.
UWM: Enjoy 15% Off. One hundred percent of Shankara’s net profits goes towards programs to support women, youth education and PTSD survivors.
Naja.
If you’re looking for a more traditionally romantic V-day present, consider getting some sexy thangs for yourself or your partner from Naja. Naja has range of eco-friendly undergarments from cute and quirky to lacy and alluring.
And you can feel extra good while you look good knowing that Naja primarily employs single mothers and female heads of households and commits to paying fair wages with benefits including providing books, uniforms, and meals to the children of Naja employees.
Able.
If you’re more into giving a gift of practicality, Able has you covered. From simply designed jewelry to ethically made leather goods like wallets, purses, and totes. Through their business, model Able seeks to disrupt generational poverty in developing countries by providing stable jobs to the women who produce the brand’s high quality wares.
Plus, each Able piece is named after the amazing woman who designed it.
Girlfriend Collective.
Got a very active bae or otherwise loved one? Get a cute set from the Girlfriend Collective and plan an adventurous date hiking or checking out a new yoga studio. And while you’re getting active with your boo, you can feel good because you’re sweating it out in recycled water bottles. That’s right! The fabric of each of these body-hugging leggings is made out of 25 recycled water bottles.
And it’s not just the fabric you can feel good about, per the GC website, their “SA8000 certified factory in Vietnam uses no forced or child labor, mandates fair working hours and safe conditions, allows unionization, and pays living wages.” Talk about L.O.V.E.
Sudara.
Trying to cultivate more of a Netflix and chill vibe? Well, Sudara has the goods. They got your loungewear game covered with their signature lounge pants, the Punjammies and beautifully patterned robes with matching shorts.
Grab some of this athleisure gear to plan an over the top date night in and whisper in your loved one's ear that every purchase invests in job creation and skills training for women in India who are working to remain free from sex slavery.
Bombas.
I know, I know. When we were kids, our eyes would roll to the back our head if we opened up socks on a holiday. But as we get older, you learn there’s nothing like a perfect pair of socks. Not only do these babies fit like a [foot] glove but when you purchase a pair, Bombas will donate a pair to someone in need. Did you know that socks are the most requested item at homeless shelters?
LSTN.
Shopping for an audiophile? If your loved one is always bopping around with beat up earbuds, head on over to LSTN and snag some of the most beautifully designed headphones and speakers on the market. Anyone’s heart would melt at LSTN’s wood with gold accent earbuds and no-tangle cords (can I get an amen for never having to unwind another cord rubix cube?).
Slip a note in the gift box, too, that by wearing them you’ll be keeping the whole world in better balance: LSTN partners with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, using proceeds of their products to give out hearing aids to children in need.
Shortly after earning her BA in neuroscience at Oberlin College in Ohio, Adriana began practicing and studying yoga in 2011 after taking her first Bhakti Flow class in Oakland, CA. An athlete growing up, she was first drawn to the physical challenge of the practice but quickly delighted in the equanimity it brought to her mind and spirit. Adriana believes life is a conversation and is constantly surprised and inspired by the answers found on her mat -- and the questions which come from those answers.
After moving to Philadelphia, Adriana completed the 200 hour teacher training at DIG Yoga in alignment-based hatha yoga, with her teachers Sue Elkind, Naime Jezzeny, Nikki Robinson, and mentor, Mariel Freeman. Adriana’s relaxed, conversational teaching style invites students to honor and relish the present moment in whatever form it takes, be it effort or ease. Through clear alignment cues and thoughtful sequencing, she encourages, supports, and empowers students to cultivate a deeper connection with their breath and body, creating a sustainable yoga practice to carry throughout life. Follow her on IG @adrianaadele.