Stocking Stuffers with Soul

In my family growing up, our Christmas stockings were extremely pragmatic. Although my mom had sewn us each of us kids these beautiful, ornate velvet stockings, we always found them stuffed with the most mundane gifts: a toothbrush, school supplies, socks, deodorant, underwear... and at the very bottom, a mandarin orange for good luck. For some reason, though, we always looked forward to digging through our stockings on Christmas morning. It's not like we spent the rest of the year without toothpaste or soap, but oddly enough putting December's supply of toiletries and Vitamin C in a velvet sock made them all the more special. I plan to carry on this tradition -- only my future children will have to deal with the additional annoyance of getting organic toothpaste and bamboo toothbrushes from their hippie mom (ba ha ha!). From the future, here's a selection of practical stocking stuffers (and one stocking) that give back, from fair trade orange chocolate to sweatshop-free socks.

1. Marisol umbrella | Made in Brooklyn, USA

2. Fair trade orange chocolate | By Divine for People Tree

3. Recycled pencils by Remarkable | Made in the UK

4. Red ornament stocking by Joyn via TOMS Marketplace | Handmade in India and helps provide employment, educational opportunities and medical care to artisans in the Himalayas

5. Jack N' Jill organic toothpaste for kids || Bamboo toothbrush by Bogobush | For every toothbrush purchased, another one is provided to someone in need

6. PACT organic socks | Super soft and sweatshop-free 

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