The following is a guest post by Kate Gavlick, a nutritionist with a master’s degree in nutrition, peanut butter addict, writer, and photographer. You can find Kate's blog here.

The Holidays are magical time of togetherness with friends and family, festive parties and get togethers, and abundance - in both spending money on gifts and alllll the sweets & treats this time of year brings. Of course, buying gifts for loved ones and eating plenty of cookies is a wonderful way to ring in the season. However, you CAN save a few pennies and make DIY gifts for friends and family, which sometimes are far more thoughtful than just another gift card or sweater!

Read on for some of my favorite ways to DIY the Holidays...
 

Ornaments. One of my favorite gifts to give and receive are ornaments for Christmas trees! It's a sweet way to give someone something that they'll use every single year to decorate their tree. You can make ornaments by painting glass balls and hanging them with string, baking and decorating special gingerbread cookie ornaments that can withstand the test of time (with applesauce, glue, and cinnamon), pieces of wood from craft stores, pinecones and more. Use your creativity to think about what that particular person would love on their tree! 

Holiday Cheers Kombucha. Going to a party? Bring a bunch of Health-Ade Holiday Cheer kombucha with a festive twist. I like to either add sparkles to the bottle (seriously) or glue google eyes, a red pom pom nose, and pipe cleaner antlers on top in the fashion of Rudolph. A festive drink and a holiday decoration in one! 

Homemade soup mixes. Because the gift of a nourishing and homemade recipe is perfect for this time of year. Layer all your favorite spices, dried beans and lentils, noodles, and other dry ingredients into glass jars. Tie with a bow and include instructions on how to prepare the soup.

Homemade hot chocolate. Like soup in a jar, a glass jar of festive hot chocolate mix is a treat. Simply layer 3 Tbsp. cacao powder, 2 Tbsp. coconut sugar, 1 Tbsp. dark chocolate chips, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, and a small handful of marshmallows or crushed up peppermint sticks into a glass jar. Cover, tie with a bow, and provide instructions on how to make! So perfect for your BFF and coworkers who love staying in and being cozy! 

Homemade sugar lip and body scrubs. Mix together equal parts coconut sugar and coconut oil, plus a few drops of an essential oil of your choice. Add to pretty jars and gift to the person in your life who totally loves all things self-care and relaxation! 

Some of my other favorite simple DIY gifts include picture frames with a memorable photo inside, certificates of little asks (one free back massage, one home cooked meal of choice, etc.!), and deliveries of homemade healthy cookies or granola for family to snack on around the Holidays. 

No matter what you gift to your favorite people, remember it's always, always the thought that counts. Give presence, love, and thoughtfulness this year. Happy Holidays! 

Today's blog is written by our very own Daina Trout, MS, MPH

Daina is not just our Co-Founder, she is also a nutritionist that has spent her adult life dedicated to finding and sharing health and wellness through food. With 2 masters' degrees in nutritional biochemistry and public health, Daina has called upon her education often while leading the way at Health-Ade - from how we make every batch of kombucha, to how we talk about gut health to consumers, to even how healthy our employee workplace is! She even writes a few blogs here and there. Happy reading! :)