Vegan Holiday Gift Guide 2014

For the briefest moment, I thought I had struck gold. The texture was perfect; the taste, comforting and familiar. As I bit into my Okanagan Soya Co. grilled cheese sandwich, I was delighted, inspired and convinced that I now possessed the power (and more importantly, a legitimate cheese substitute), to become vegan on the spot. I slid up to my computer and began excitedly tapping Okanagan into the search engine, expecting to find emphatic reviews from every vegan blogger worth their weight in tempeh. What I uncovered instead was a warning: Okanagan cheese contains casein, or milk protein, a profitable byproduct of the dairy industry. All of a sudden, I was back to square one, questioning whether or not my struggle to cut out dairy for ethical reasons made me crazy, weak or both (spoiler alert: I still haven't decided).

Admittedly, it was a very minor bump on the Richter Scale of setbacks, but it was also the first time I experienced a real taste of veganism: double, triple checking every label, yearning to find a suitable replacement for (seemingly) everything and anything. Even though there is no better time to go vegan, and no shortage of wonderful blogs, websites and guides to help facilitate the transition, it's still a lot of work – and I'm only commenting as a vegetarian bystander. Ergo, I decided to pick up some of the load by sharing a few sweet vegan holiday gifts that have blipped on my radar lately. I know it's cutting it awfully close with Christmas literally three days away, but you know what they say: better late than never.

For the vegan girl about town

John & Jenn Bingham Vegan Leather Jacket with Faux Fur Trim ($149)

Vaute Couture Perfect Winter Leggings ($80)

Cri de Coeur Jaden Over-Knee Boot ($180)

Lush Cosmetics "Fight Animal Testing" Bag ($12.95)

Stella McCartney Falabella Pearlescent Shaggy Deer Cross Body Bag ($1,270)

SHANY Bamboo Brush Set with Synthetic Hair ($16.18) 

Lippy Girl Vegocentric Organic Vegan Lipstick ($23)

Lush Cosmetics Hot Toddy Shower Gel ($29.95)

For the vegan studmuffin

Drake General Store Earth Coasters ($42)

Roots Soap Co. Fisherman's Soap ($6)

Mine Design Copper Tin Soy Wax Candle ($34)

 Olsenhaus Men's Wallet ($55)

 Jaan J Skinny Plaid Cotton Tie ($44.50)

Apolis Global Washed Linen Pocket Square ($32)

 

Object & Totem Berliner Mug ($36)

Primal Strips Vegan Jerky

Woodbuds In-Ear Headphones ($45)

Vegan Rumpus Tee ($29.99)

 

Lush Cosmetics Grass Shower Gel ($28.95)

For the vegan gym rat

Meat Free Athlete Softstyle Fit Ladies Tee ($22)

Stella McCartney for Adidas Run Three-Quarter Printed Tights

Inov8 F-LITE™ 195

NewGrip Vegan Gym Gloves ($26.99)

SunWarrior Raw Vegan Protein Blend ($72.29)

BlenderBottle Classic Bottle ($15.99)

Schmidt's Bergmot + Lime Deodorant ($10)

Gaiam Everything Fits Gym Bag ($60)

No Meat Athlete by Matt Frazier ($11.40)

For the new (or expecting) vegan mama

Earth Mama Angel Baby Mama's Breastfeeding Essentials Bundle ($35.27)

Lush Cosmetics Ro's Argan Body Conditioner ($32.95)

bkr Glass Water Bottle ($35)

Sanuk Kimbrrr Slipper Shoes ($64.95)

Matt & Natt Raylan Med Diaper Bag ($195)

Beyond the Sling by Mayim Bialik ($13.71)

The Kind Mama by Alicia Silverstone ($17.24)

Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon ($14.50)

For wee vegans!

Baby Jives Gold Star Cloud Mobile ($60)

Land of Nod Not-so-Wild Elephant by Michelle Jewell ($19.97)

Wren & Rumor Mint Cross Swaddle Blanket ($44)

Mjölk Baby's Tableware Set by Ryuji Mitani ($175)
 

Spartan Shop Wooden Baby Rattles ($20)

Goumikids Chevron Hat ($16)

Peetie Design Love All Life Print ($20)

More good stuff coming soon!