After another year that's gone like a bolt, the holiday season is now here and Christmas is just around the corner.
I do love Xmas for the chance to catch-up with friends & family, but I'm not a huge fan of the stress, chaos and expenses that come with it!
When I do buy gifts for people I like to make sure that they are useful, thoughtful and excellent quality.
With that in mind, I've put together a list of the top 6 products I've found under $65 that I myself will be buying for people this Christmas!
CONTENTS:
- Life Cykel Grow Kits
- Chow Cacao Chocolate Stack Pack
- Joco Glass Reusable Cup
- SuperFeast Jing Blend
- BBBYO Bottles & Lunch Boxes
- The Aerobie AeroPress
Read on below to check it out - I've also managed to get you a few great discounts on some of these products too, check the bottom of each item. If you're buying for a few loved ones this year, I hope this helps you save some money and get them something that they'll use and love!
1.) Life Cykel Grow Kit Bundle Pack
The Life Cykel Grow Kit Bundle brings together all three of their amazing 'grow your own' boxes in the one package, with a solid saving of 20% off RRP of all three too!
The bundle pack consists of 1x Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit, 1x Save The Bees Pollination Kit & 1x Alkaline Microgreens Grow kit, all of which grow on recycled coffee grounds and celebrate the idea of the 'Circular Economy'.
I'll quickly run you through each individual kit below:
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Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit:
Simply combining discarded coffee grounds and mushrooms spores in the right ratio, the Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit is one of the easiest ways to grow fresh oyster mushrooms in your own kitchen.
No special skills or tools needed, simply cut the box open where directed and spray with water daily. Watch them burst out of the box over a few weeks and harvest for cooking when they are ready.
If you're lucky, you can even get 3 - 4 harvests per box, giving you up to 16 weeks of grow time and heeeaps of tasty oyster mushies!
Grow with a good conscience knowing that the coffee grounds in these kits have been collected from cafes around the country, diverting them from being buried in landfill.
It's also good to note that if for some reason your mushrooms don't fruit at all, Life Cykel will send you a new box!
Save The Bees Pollination Kit:
Nearly all living creatures rely on bees to pollinate flowers and help numerous ecosystems flourish. You've also likely heard the sad and scary news that bee numbers are currently declining at a scary rate...
The Life Cykel Bee Pollination Kit allows you to easily grow bee-attracting flowers at home and make a real contribution! The kit comes with 2 varieties of bee-attracting flower seeds (borage and alyssum), a coffee compost mix to grow them with and recycled coffee cups to grow them in - you don't need anything else!
The Bee Kit has been put together for Life Cykel by the folks at Byron Bay Herb Nursery and to further add to the good juju for this one - 100% of profits go to Beemunity Research to find a solution to Colony Collapse Disorder which is impacting bees globally!
Alkaline Microgreens Grow Kit:
With up to 16 harvests of cress and mizuna in each box, the Life Cykel Alkaline Microgreens kit will keep your bench top loaded with fresh greens for weeks!
Packed with vitamins, minerals and tonnes of flavour, these are a great throw in for any savoury meal or smoothie.
The kit comes with seeds, Life Cykel's unique coffee compost blend and 8 recycled grow cups from the Cup Of Life Project.
Again, super simple to grow, great for your health and sustainable the whole way through!
Who's This For?:
These are a great gift for anyone with limited space who wants to grow some of their own produce at home and support a business that is truly behind the idea of 'reuse and reduce'.They also make a particularly great gift for kids, inspiring them to learn about growing their own food and participating in eco-friendly practices!
Click here to buy them direct at 20% off the RRP - and as one of our readers you can also enter the coupon code 'thebircherbar' for a further 10% off your entire order.
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Add their ready to brew Kombucha Kit to your order for an epic gift pack that keeps on giving!
2.) Chow Cacao Chocolate Stack Pack
Based in the beautiful Byron Bay, Wil & Trudy from Chow Cacao spend their days raising their little family and hand-making some of the best raw, organic & vegan chocolate I've ever found.
Using nothing other than simple natural ingredients, Chow Cacao combine a mix of both traditional and exotic flavours to produce a range of bars that suit all kinds of chocolate lovers. Unlike much mass-produced chocolate, the bars are not loaded with sugar allowing the natural flavours to shine.
The Chocolate Stack Pack is one of each of their signature bars and works as a perfect gift box, taking you on a flavour journey through all of their different styles.
From the classic Peanut Butter Slab through to the mouthwatering Chewy Raspberry, there isn't one yet that hasn't sent me back for more.
Who Is This For?:
Chocolate enthusiasts who are eco-conscious, health aware and appreciate a true artisan chocolate. The chocolate stack pack is a great for a gift, or to simply hand around the table at any gathering!
Click here to buy the Chocolate Stack Pack direct from the team at Chow Cacao - and as one of our readers you can also enter the coupon code 'thebircherbar' for 10% off your entire order.
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Already know which flavour is your favourite? Grab their single flavour boxes here.
3.) Joco Glass Reusable Cup
A reusable coffee cup is one of the easiest ways you can help with the #waronwaste and also save yourself some serious cash each year!
Launched back in 2008, the driving mission of Joco is to reduce the staggering amount of waste produced from single-use plastics and disposable coffee cups. It's estimated that over 500 BILLION disposable paper, Styrofoam and single-use plastic cups are used worldwide each year!
After seeing what was available on the market, the Joco team realised that the only way to make a real impact was to create a cup that was not only sustainable and reusable, but one that was stylish and user-friendly so that as many people as possible would use it!
As such, the Joco Glass Coffee Cup is built for a lifetime of use - constructed from sustainable and highly-durable borosilicate glass. They fit all standard cup holders and have exceptional heat retention due to a double-walled design with a silicone outer sleeve.
Sporting a tight leakproof lid and a huge range of colours, they've quickly become one of Australia's most popular reusable glass cups.
(Note: Joco's partner charity is Take 3 For The Sea with every purchase contributing to the removal of significant amounts of plastic from our oceans - just another great reason to support them)
Who Is This For?:
Coffee or tea lovers who want to save some cash on every purchase and do their bit for the environment with one of Australia's best reusable cups.
Click here to get the best price, ethics and customer service we've found on the Joco range!
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For another brilliant reusable cup with a sturdy stainless steel construction and a whole other take on design - check out this one from Frank Green.
4.) SuperFeast Jing
The Xmas period is a super important time to be looking after yourself as the stress from a busy year and a hectic holiday period can all catch up pretty quickly.
SuperFeast Jing is designed to help you do exactly that, combing 6 of the most potent Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs and medicinal mushrooms available to support the body's energy levels, hormone balance and general 'vitality'.
When taking Jing I definitely notice more even and sustainable energy levels - the key is to take it consistently and get onto it before I feel burnt out and run down (prevention is the best cure!)
I personally take this one at night as I also find it helps with a more restful sleep, especially when combined with Reishi.
Who Is This For?:
Anyone that has had a big and busy year that could do with a little extra nourishment and energy restoration. This is a great gift to give someone you love, particularly if that someone is yourself!
Click here to buy Jing direct from the team at SuperFeast - and as one of our readers you can also enter the coupon code 'thebircherbar' for 15% off your entire order.
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SuperFeast specialise in the worlds most useful and effective traditional tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms, supporting all aspects of human health and vitality - click here to explore the whole range
5.) BBBYO Reusable Bottles + Lunchboxes
Based in the beautiful South Golden Beach area of Northern NSW, BBBYO endeavour to do their bit for the ocean by creating super high-quality glass and stainless steel water bottles and food travellers from recycled and up-cycled materials.
The founders have been personally involved in ocean conservation for over 15 years now and are passionate about reducing plastic waste and the unnecessary creation of products from new materials.
They've created a brilliant range of bottles, carry sleeves, tea flasks, lunch boxes and kid's products that all fit their strong eco-principles and give the customer endless choice when it comes to sustainable food and drinkware!
Who Is This For?:
Everyone I know drinks and eats ... so everyone! With a range for kids and heaps of different colours, sizes and styles available there is a bottle and lunch box here to suit anybody.
Click here to get the best price, ethics and customer service we've found on the BBBYO range!
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There are now many great products hitting the market that all contribute to reducing waste and plastic use - check out more of the latest eco-product ideas here.
6.) The Aerobie AeroPress
If you've been following The Bircher Bar for a while now you won't be surprised to find the AeroPress as one of my best gifts under $65 (... well under $65 actually) - I'm a bit obsessed with it.
This is one of my favourite coffee makers by a long shot - famous for it's consistency, affordability and ease of use. I've tested it time and time again against much more expensive and elaborate espresso machines and very rarely is it second best.
It's known the world over as one of the best portable coffee makers ever and is a cult classic amongst campers, hikers and adventure lovers for it's robust design and portability.
It'sI've given this one as a gift to nearly all of my coffee-loving friends over the years and haven't had a bad review yet!
Who Is This For?:
Anyone who loves quality coffee - particularly those who like to get outdoors or travel a lot for work.
Click here to get the best price and service we've found on the AeroPress!
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That's A Wrap!:
I hope you've been inspired with a few great options for your friends & family, maybe you could share it around and score one of these gifts yourself!? (hint hint) :)
If you've got any questions at all or want to explore a few more ideas, don't hesitate to get in touch, otherwise, have yourself a brilliant Xmas and holiday season!