I feel so fortunate to have met so many great personalities this year. These are the people behind the small businesses that we love here at Vanilla Beige. These are the providers who work so hard to care about, produce and bring us so many great products – products perfect for gift giving this year! Enjoy our last instalment of A Very Vanilla Christmas. But better be quick, there are only a few days left so best put your order in soon!
Lotus Wei Flower Elixirs
Image provided by An Uplifted Day.
I was first introduced to these by Shan Shan Yap (read her interview here) from An Uplifted Day. Before that, I had never heard of them. She gave me one of the little mists, the one called Inspired Action, and from there, I was hooked. I even ordered a few to give to some very special people that have meant alot to me this year. The beauty of these flower elixirs to me, is that they have a way of making me feel that little bit happier, they smell wonderful and are easy to carry around where ever I go. To find out more about them, read this article introducing you to Lotus Wei and visit their website. To purchase in Singapore, head over to An Uplifted Day. You just might find a few other items that would be perfect for gifting too.
Available at: anupliftedday.com
Poppy & Maria
Meeting these two lovely ladies was a highlight for me this October. Not only were they lovely personalities to have a chat with (read their story here), but I really enjoyed looking at the bling they wore – jewellery designed by themselves! I recently bought a friend one of the Poppy & Maria bracelets and I was secretly tempted to keep it for myself. That, I suppose is a sign of a good gift!
Available at: poppyandmaria.com
Milc by Mishell
Mishell Leong is one of those irrepressible souls that you are always happy to have met (read her story here). Kids go wild for her personalised range of art that is created just for them but recently, she launched a set of coasters that I just knew that my Mum would love. I ordered a set for her but before I had even paid, my Mum was WhatsApping me to see how she could buy them. I had to fess up and tell her that I had already gotten her a set. When Mishell dropped the coasters off to me, I was so thrilled because they are vibrant and colourful. They would make anyone smile. In the meantime, if you’re looking for something personalised for your kids, Mishell has also produced personalised coasters, just for the little ones.
Milc by Mishell’s beautiful Peony coasters. Image from Facebook: MilcbyMishell
Available at: milcbymishell.com
A Helping Hand: Delicious Recipes in English & Tagalog
A useful item to have here in Singapore, the first cookbook that I have come across that is written in English and Tagalog (read the story here). I bought A Helping Hand when it was fresh off the press and it’s been a great addition to our home. Filled with yummy ideas for grown ups and kids, we have already tried several of the recipes. It’s also handy to use as a resource because sometimes there are ingredients that deserve an explanation, in Tagalog, when any description by myself is just not adequate enough. I always love receiving a beautiful cookbook as a gift, so this one deserves a mention.
Available at: www.helpinghandseries.com
Kalapata Gifts
Anything here… Just anything, we love Amreen’s style and design. From wrapping sheets to note cards, lacquered boxes and trays to iPhone covers and fabric clutches. Read our interview with Amreen from Kalapata Gifts here.
Available at: kalapata.com
No, we have not forgotten the men in our lives, and for them, we have grouphunt.sg (though, admittedly, I shop on here more than The Vegetarian does)!
This year, I came across a website called grouphunt.sg. It was a revelation! Not only can you source great, hipster products, you can purchase them at a lower price by using this group buying platform. Then, if there is a particular item that you have fallen in love with, can’t find or would like to purchase for a cheaper price, you can submit that product to grouphunt.sg and see if it it will gather enough interest for a group buy. I have gotten so many things here, coffee gadgets, fountain pens, ink and cables. Here is a selection from the Grouphunt Marketplace (because these will be in stock and you should be able to get them before Christmas). But please spend some time on their main site as well. There may be something there that you’ve always wanted and can now get at a discounted price!
ZUS Kevlar Charging Cable
Look, anything with Kevlar in it is bound to be cool. I got two earlier this year because I was sick and tired of buying and throwing out cables that kept fraying.
Knomo Knomad Portable Organiser
I don’t have one of these yet, but for my travelling husband, this would be great to keep all his bits and pieces easily organised.
Iwaki Water Drip Cold Brew Coffee Maker
Ok, so the Iwaki Water Drip may be more for me, but I got one earlier this year and absolutely love it!
All available at: marketplace.grouphunt.sg
So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Thank you so much for reading, following, sharing and liking Vanilla Beige. We can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store.
Images have been provided by the the businesses mentioned unless otherwise noted. Please note that we were not paid for any these recommendations nor were we given any products in exchange for listing in our Gift Guide. These products are our personal recommendations based on people we’ve met and items we thought would make great gifts.