Valentine's Day Wellness Gift Guide
If you’re reading this blog title with a side eye, sit down for a second and let me explain. Yes, Valentine’s Day is an over-commercialized attempt to sell over-priced red and pink shit to people who feel obligated to purchase these things in February, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it does make some people feel anxious, needy, pessimistic, sad, and even worthless.
I was once one of those people, so I’ve always made it a point to practice extra self-care for myself, and give thoughtful gifts to those I wanted to show extra appreciation for during the month of February.
I gift on Valentine’s Day because I am conscious of the way that society projects their ideals of love and how it might affect someone’s mental and emotional health, NOT because I feel obligated to purchase things I don’t care about to comply with a sensationalized holiday.
It’s been a while since I’ve put together a gift guide (or any guide at all), but I want to do my part to stop the fluffy, sugary, fake bullshit and promote some useful wellness products that can be used to show your actual love and appreciation.
Whether that means you’re gifting these to another human being or to yourself is no one’s business but yours, but if you do happen to cop one or some of these favorite thangs of mine, let me know with a shoutout on Instagram, Twitter, or via email. I love to know when my product recommendations go well.
My Favorite Type of Gift
DIY GIFT BASKETS. I’m a pretty good gift-giver, but a terrible decision-maker, so when I got my first little job as a teenager and could actually give gifts to my loved one, I went this route and never looked back.
DIY gift baskets can be put together easily but buying a basket of your size preference (you can find these at Home Goods, Target, or even thrifting if you have the patience and energy) and filling it with small to medium sized “stocking stuffer” type gifts. I’ve always stuck to wellness gifts because what’s better than receiving a self-love/self-care basket PLUS they’re super easy to put together. But you can put it together according to who you’re gifting the basket to. ie: If the person is a foodie, fill it with delicious organic foods, snacks, etc.
My husband caught on to this and gave me MY first DIY gift basket for Mother’s Day last year and I’m STILL using some of the products he included in it. I’m not worthy of his amazingness. (Yes I am.)
Here are some ideas of products you can buy to fill your DIY basket with or buy to gift on their own. Pressed for time? Get yourself a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime to receive all the things in two days or less.
Basket Ideas
Gift Ideas
Himalayan Salt Lamp
I’ve had my HSL for over seven years and I can’t tell you how obsessed I am with mine. Besides the fact that it’s a beautiful way to introduce the elements into my home (which I always say is essential to creating a sacred space), keeping a HSL in your home or whatever space you spend the most time is said to have many health benefits. To name a few:
Improves air quality by ionizing the air with its “natural ionizers” meaning they change the electrical charge of the circulating air
Helps reduce the affects of allergies, asthma or diseases that affect respiratory function, such as cystic fibrosis
The negative ions and pink light emitted by the lamp can help boost your mood, helpful for people who battle depression, anxiety, S.A.D., or other mental health issues and mood disorders
Help you sleep by limiting bright light and created a relaxing atmosphere that helps you unwind
Essential Oil Diffuser
If you’ve never experienced the wonders of a diffuser and are wondering what the hype is about, believe the hype or just buy one for yourself. My family has kept essential oil diffusers of all kinds for years, so when I moved out to create my own family, it was one of the first purchases I made. I first bought an expensive one from a popular brand that quickly let me down, but I was saved by this little guy who still has my heart. It’s cheap, it’s powerful, and I reap all the health and wellness benefits of diffusing my favorite essential oils into the air.
Essential Oil Pack
Whether you or the human you’re gifting has a diffuser or not, these oils can also be used directly on the body with a carrier oil and come in handy for so many reasons. I’ve used and continue to use different essential oils for different reasons and seasons. Sometimes I use already-curated blends and sometimes I blend my own. Either way, I’m reaping the health benefits, relieving stress, and feeling better as the oil penetrates. Here are some of my faves and how I use them:
Muscle relief – Diffuse after the gym or directly on my body with a carrier oil to relieve tension
Immunity – Diffuse to prevent or treat cold/flu symptoms
Stress Relief – Diffuse while I’m working for focus or after work to wind down
Head Relief – Diffuse or directly onto temples with a carrier oil to help with headaches and migraines (My top fave!)
Sleep – Diffuse while we sleep for the deepest sleep imaginable
Breathe – Diffuse or put on chest with carrier oil to relief cold/flu or asthma symptoms (Also a stress reliever!)
Mission: Self-Love Affirmation Cards
Simple, beautiful, charged with love, and easy to shuffle (I have a bunch of cards, and this is a thing!), these Self-Love Affirmation Cards are a straight-to-the-point way to practice affirming your power, beauty, and potential. The cards, custom written by self-love and mental health blogger Yetti of YettiSays.com, have become a staple for my self-care sessions or when I just need to quickly remind myself of wtf I am.
The deck includes 45 self-love affirmation cards broken into 5 different categories and 54 cards total.
Take 10% off your YettiSays purchase all February long using the code SELFLOVEMONTH.
Reiki-Charged Intention Candles
My sister-in-law gifted me one of these years ago, and now I can’t help but to continue buying them for others as gifts. These vegan candles not only give off beautiful, calming aromas, but they emit positive energy due to having been reiki-charged. Each candle serves a different purpose and has been designed with a specific intention using a unique, corresponding blend of essential oils. This pack includes some of my favorite Crystal Journey candles that I use while setting my sacred space, while centering and meditating, or when I need that extra push:
Money – Use to attract lotteries, raises and cash. Use in combination with Abundance for business moves, career moves or starting new projects. Scent : Clove, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Myrrh, Citronella, Rain
Love – Use to attract someone to you. Use in combination with Harmony to find a compatible roommate. Use in combination with Abundance candle to attract clients to your business. Scent : Olive Oil, Patchouli, Rose, Clove, Lavender, Dragon's Blood
Good Health – Use to heal the physical body. Use in combination with Harmony candle to heal pets. Scent : Clove, Nutmeg, Lemon Balm, Poppy Seed, Cedar, Honeysuckle, Juniper
Joy – Use to discover true joy within one's being. Scent : Plumeria, Jasmine, Sandalwood
The Butter by She Plants Love
“Body butter for Valentine’s Day…how innovative," you might say. Well eat your words because this body butter is one of the best things I’ve ever worn and is worth every penny, period. I got a sample jar of this magic in a gift box last year and I quickly bought a second jar before even finishing the first one. That’s how good this body butter is.
It’s webpage reads, “nutrient dense, high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, the butter is truly restorative,” and they are not kidding. As someone who glows on the inside, but not so much on the outside due to seasonal eczema and generally snake-like skin, this certified organic butter brings me all the way back to life. You might even say it helps my skin (and hair) remember wtf it is. (Yes, I said it.)
Certified organic ingredients: Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter); Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil; Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil; Mangifera indica (mango) seed butter; Rosa canina (rosehip) fruit oil; Persea gratissima (avocado) fruit oil; Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) essential oil.
My tribe can take 15% off their buttery purchase with the code BEWELLVALENTINE through February 15!
Golden Milk by Gaia Herbs
You might have seen me sipping a cup of gold on Instagram…well, this is what I was drinking. I’ve had golden milk before, but Gaias’ taste and drinkability is unmatched. Packed with nutritious, warming ingredients – organic Turmeric, Ashwagandha, Black Pepper, Dates, Cardamom and Vanilla bean – Gaia’s Golden Milk delivers a convenient modern spin on a revered Ayurvedic drink that you can easily add to your daily wellness ritual. Ojas, meaning vigor in Sanskrit, is the essential energy of life, and it’s said that Golden helps to naturally strengthen that vitality. The ojas circulates to sustain the body and support clarity of mind and emotions.
Making golden milk from scratch takes about 20 minutes if you have all the ingredients handy, but with this you can just add the vegan powder to your tea, smoothie, or a hot or chilled cup of water or milk and you’re all set. I love starting or ending my day with this, and whoever you gift it too will too.
Organic Seasonings by Loisa
Who said candy and sweets are the only acceptable edible gifts? Not in my house! I recently gave my mom the gift that keeps on giving via Loisa’s Organic Adobo and Sazón duo-pack and I got the best daughter in the world award. Besides the delicious flavor they pack into whatever you sprinkle them on, they they are 100% real organic, non-GMO, gluten free, certified kosher, MSG free herbs and spices that are better for you, period.
Besides amazing seasonings, they also carry organic, ready-to-heat rice that are THE BOMB. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fooled by family by telling them I made moro de habichuelas negras and all I did was microwave a few packs of Loisa’s magic. (I hope they’re not reading this.) I can’t recommend Loisa’s homemade-feel organic products enough.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
Besides being a classic, this is truly one of my favorite of the few life-shifting books I’ve ever read. Written by spiritual leader Deepak Chopra and published in 1994, the bestseller ‘shatters the myth that success is the result of hard work, exacting plans, or driving ambition,’ by breaking down seven very simple principles which can be applied to all elements of personal life to evoke real success. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success seamlessly spells out the notion that once we uncover our true selves and learn to live in harmony and work with nature law, abundance will pour into our lives. This book is a must for any literary collection and recommended reading for anyone motivated to change their life financially or in general.