[ad_1]
Geneva Pattison
This is the season for giving and sharing kindness with one another. However, Brexit has made some aspects of online shopping unnecessarily complex and ultimately more expensive than one would expect with additional import duties and customs fees. We don’t need that kind of stress at Christmas! In recent years, there has been a cultural shift towards local support and local buying. It’s a fantastic way to support small Irish businesses, to save on import fees and it helps us to be more environmentally friendly. Fewer planes and delivery ships, less carbon dioxide emissions and everyone’s happy.
With that in mind, NewsFour wanted to take a look at the best local options available for gifts during this Christmas season. It’s time to party!
The gift edit
The Gift Edit is a new concept that launched at Stephen’s Green Shopping Center in November and will run until December 31. The pop-up shop features a combination of sustainable Irish designer goods. Three small companies have merged to create this concept, namely The Beauty Kit (Makeup and Skin Care), Dainty Bear (Children’s Clothing and Accessories) and Hue Complete Me (Original Stationery and Ornaments). Expect to see luxurious skin care products, adorable baby Christmas clothes, fun Christmas decorations, and picture cards. They really have some great gift basics that are covered with unique and neatly curated gifts. Definitely check them out in Stephen’s Green Mall if you pass by!
Quaffolla Coffee
Who doesn’t love the aroma of authentic, freshly ground Italian coffee? Well the new Irish / Italian brand Quaffolla has you covered. This family owned business brings the joy and warmth of their hometown in southern Italy, right into your Irish cuisine. Do you remember the famous Caffolla Ice Cream Shop on O’Connell Street, the great-grandfather of this family owned it! The proud Irish-Italian connection runs deep with Quafolla. They also have a blog section on their website, to tell their family’s story about how they came to Ireland; coffee and history, a perfect marriage. Their products include a delicious Italian Famiglia blend, with hints of dark chocolate and a full-bodied taste. They also stock an Italian Oro blend, made from rich Arabica beans and infusing them with the taste and body of Robusta coffees, delicious! Quaffolla offers both ground coffee and beans at very affordable prices, available for purchase on their website.
Lawyer – Ballsbridge
This year, Avoca launched a selection of Christmas charities to support St Patrick’s mental health services. They stock beautifully unique in-house crafted candles in cedarwood and sandalwood scents, as well as a bespoke print collaboration with Dusty Boy Designs which reads: “In the bare winter wood, hear hope springing from the heart “. One hundred percent of the proceeds from these items will be donated to St Patrick’s Mental Health Services charity, the “A Walk in My Shoes” campaign. Charity Christmas cards are also available, but what a lovely gesture to help those in need while still providing a gift of kindness at this wonderful time of year.
2 wheels – Sandymount
It’s a bit of a tradition to have a bicycle at Christmas, not only for young people but why not for us adults too! 2 Wheels is a wonderful local bike shop located in the heart of Sandymount and offers a wide range of bikes for kids and adults in many styles. Electric bikes are also available. The price range for children’s bikes is around € 150-300 new and for adults it’s around € 600-1500 on average for a new bike. There is nothing quite like feeling that wind in your hair when you get on your bike and hit the road, it’s priceless. There is an added bonus in the sustainability category here, not only are you buying local but also reducing emissions yourself!
There are lots of ways you can support local produce and buy sustainably this season, such as supporting your green grocery store or your local farmer’s markets (shout out Supernatural Food Market on Pearse Street!) Indulge yourself. After the two years we’ve had, I think it’s well deserved. Also, don’t go to the trouble of shopping online, it is a necessity these days and there are only a certain number of hours in the day. Just try to think about buying from Irish brands and producers because for small brands every sale makes their Christmas a little more special.
Mentioned brands
Fine Bear: https://daintybear.com/
Hue Complete Me: https://www.huecompleteme.com/
The Beauty Kit: https://thebeautykit.com/
Quaffolla Coffee: https://quaffolla.com/
2-wheel bikes: https://2wheels.ie/
Supernatural Food Market: https://www.supernatural.ie/
[ad_2]
Comments are closed.