Holiday gift buying can be stressful at the best of times, but there’s no greater feeling than finding the perfect gift for those you care for - and knowing you’ve supported a small business in the process! Instead of heading for the big brands this year, why not check out some companies closer to home?
Our superstar Operations Manager, Adrianne, helps to keep us all in line here at Joeyband, and does a stellar job of ensuring our departments run together smoothly. Luckily for all of us, she’s also a super organized and thoughtful gift giver! In this post, Adrianne kindly shares the products she and her two boys love to use at home.
From parenting guides to handcrafted slippers, Adrianne’s choice of womxn-owned, Canadian companies promote sustainability, inclusivity and are all advocates for change. Happy shopping!
Founded by a wife-husband duo from Bowmanville, Ontario, Little Buck’s high quality, eye-catching snapbacks and toques for babies, children and adults - making them a great gift choice for all the family.
As a preemie parent, co-founder Marianne struggled to find anything much to fit her tiny, 3lb baby, let alone a stylish hat! This was when the concept of Little Buck began to form, and the company now donates a portion of their sales to its local Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Lakeridge Health.
Check them out at littlebuck.ca or follow them on Instagram at @little.buck.shop
Josiah and Co. create the most adorable crochet and knitted products, including slippers, hats (in both baby and adult size!), cards and even DIY crochet kits for the creative mamas out there.
Having experienced the grief of multiple pregnancy losses, the company aims to end the stigma around pregnancy and infant loss through each piece that they create. Josiah and Co builds supportive, inclusive communities for those impacted by pregnancy and infant loss through quality handcrafted products, workshops and social events.They also have an anti-racism commitment and promote inclusivity in the modern parenting space.
Josiah and Co is currently offering 15% off with the discount code JOEYBAND15. Shop their handcrafted items at josiahandco.ca or follow them on Instagram at @josiahandco.
Satya is a steroid free, effective anti-inflammatory that can be used for your face or body - perfect for tired winter eyes and chapped lips!
Made with just 5 simple ingredients and created in a kitchen crockpot by founder Patrice, Satya organic skin care was originally created to stop Patrice’s baby daughter Esme from scratching her Eczema skin raw. Her mom’s hand-made balm was a roaring success, and now Satya Organic Skin Care ships worldwide from Canada.
Eczema is a common but difficult issue for adults and babies, and it’s still a challenge to find creams that’ll do the trick. This one really does work wonders by calming inflamed skin down and putting a stop to endless scratching.
If you know a family looking to achieve healthy, irritation-free skin (especially during a Canadian winter!) make sure to put Satya Organic Skin Care at the top of your holiday shopping list.
Satya is currently offering 15% off with the discount code JOEYBAND15. Shop online at satya.ca or follow them on Instagram at @satyaorganic.
Linnie von Sky (Silk Web Publishing)
Berlin-based Linnie Von Sky spent many years in Canada, and over the course of her life has been deeply moved and shaped by issues like immigration, bullying and depression. Von Sky’s books are based on these topics in the hope that they provide an opportunity for conversation. Her latest book, ‘The Birds and The Bees Don't Do It - A Milky Tale’ is centred on breastfeeding, and hopes to tackle the taboo and judgement that remains attached to it.
They’re a great way to create opportunities for meaningful bedtime conversations, while building your kids’ awareness of important issues in an enjoyable, engaging way.
Check out Linnie Von Sky’s collection at linnievonsky.com or on Instagram at @linnie.von.sky.
This ‘badass guide’ aims to end mom guilt one page at a time. Founded by two self-proclaimed ‘unlikely moms’, Torontonians Nikita and Aleks created therebelmama.com as a reaction to ‘traditional’ parenting rhetoric.
The two best friends give a funny, honest account of what parenting actually looks like, sharing the way they do motherhood and inviting you to join them. A ‘cheat sheet’ complete with a cocktail list, ‘The Rebel Mama’s Handbook For (Cool) Moms’ makes a perfect Christmas gift for any expecting or new modern mamas out there seeking judgement-free advice (and a lot of laughs!).
Visit their website at therebelmama.com or follow them on Instagram at @therebelmama.
While incredible in all sorts of ways, motherhood can sometimes make moms feel like they’ve lost their identity. Mayana Geneviere creates comfortable, flattering nursing bras which successfully combine fashion and functionality!
Clasp-free and stretchy, these bras accommodate nursing as well as breast fluctuation. Mayana Geneviere bras are luxurious, ethically-made and help to inject a dose of glamour into motherhood (which can sometimes feel anything but!).
Shop their bras at mayanageneviere.ca or follow Mayana Geneviere on Instagram at @mayanageneviere.
If you know a mama who loves unconventional, eye-catching graphics, Inchworm Alley is the place for her. Available in kids and adult sizes, Inchworm Alley creates clothing featuring anything from your favourite band to old school candy.
They also take sustainability seriously, using only the very softest, GOTS certified organic cotton, and maintaining a zero-waste approach to design. On the sustainability pages of the site, Inchworm Alley even has a counter displaying how much water and energy you can save with each purchase, as well as how many hours of fair wage labour the purchase has paid for. This helps to really promote transparency in the fashion production industry, in addition to showcasing digestible content for the conscious consumer!
Check out their unique collection of products at inchwormalley.com or follow them on Instagram at @inchwormalley.
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