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November Bonus: Travel & Black Friday

A quick note before a flood of Black Friday emails start hitting your inbox: breathe. 😮‍💨 It feels urgent, but most likely it's not. So many products and gifts and gadgets are firstly unneeded, and secondly not even that good a deal.

And if you hang out here, you probably prioritize traveling. ✈️✌️

I often say no to buying things I don't need so I can add to my travel fund. I also do my best to nudge away from these types of gifts from others and ask for experiences instead. Like a dance class in Puerto Rico or a day trip to Stonehenge from London. We're even thinking about booking a vacation home for our extended family this winter as one big gift for everyone. 🎁

Our own lists will be live in a couple of weeks. As always (after THIRTEEN years of gift guides!), we do our best to feature sustainable brands, small businesses, endeavors owned by marginalized communities, and B corp companies. It syncs well with our message that traveling is for everyone, and everyone should always be included! 🙌

Honestly, I'll still grab a thing or two from Amazon. Especially because all my kids ask for is one of those ride-on jeeps and I don't think I can get one locally! But overall I'm taking steps to be thoughtful about waste this holiday season, and I hope you'll join me too. 🤝

Happy (mindful) shopping!

-Eileen

PS, don't miss my podcast ep on Big Blend Radio below, I covered EVERYTHING about traveling with young kiddos!

Pure Wander's past favorite gift guides

Babies on the road! 2023 Gift Guide

by Eileen Cotter Wright

You have a baby and traveling ends, right? Sure, things look a little different for my trips now that I have two daughters. There’s definitely a LOT more gear. But with some careful planning and strategic packing, I’m having just as much fun traveling with them as I did solo. It’s a process, but I’ve tested out what works and doesn’t work to streamline our experience.

So if you have loved ones who hope to take trips or vacations with their little ones, I have some personal suggestions for great gifts this holiday season.

Celebrate a Sustainable World: 2024 Gift Guide

by Eileen Cotter Wright

Some live for this time of year, others prefer to head out to a tropical island and wait out the holiday chaos. I get it: I like a balance of both. During this season of gift-giving, I focus on things for my loved ones that are personal, sustainable, and hopefully something they will use for a long time.

As we do every year for our recommendations, we really work hard to choose gifts that are friendly for our planet and that amplify small businesses and marginalized groups. Sometimes we hit all three!