Christmas Ideas: The Gift of Soap
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I am in the thick of Christmas shopping. For the first time in my life, I went out into the dark morning of Black Friday and all I can say to sum up my experience is that I was disappointed. I’m not sure I saved enough to warrant getting out of bed and being forced to witness the fist fights. I gave traditional shopping a try today, but I just can’t take the holiday crowds and the limited selection.
I’ve spoiled myself by doing most of my gift shopping online the past several years. Instead of having to get in and out of the car and from store to store to be able to look at a huge variety of items, I’ve done most of my shopping from my home office. And, as of today I am going back to my old ways.
One of my favorite types of gifts to give is a gift that is consumable. I’m not big of giving a figurine that will either collect dust or get put in a closet. I like to give thoughtful gifts that people use, like food or bath supplies. I’m not a fan of the big bath products chain stores. I prefer skin care products with minimal ingredients and pure simplicity.
Virgil’s Fine Soaps are a family-made product that contains simple moisturizing ingredients and a blend of pumice and loofah that makes them ideal for exfoliating. They contain aloe and vitamin E, so they are also fine for those of us with dry skin. And, unlike your favorite body products chain store at the mall, the scents in Virgil’s soaps are clean-smelling, not overpowering and flowery.
They have many varieties available, but what initially caught my eye was one of Virgil’s Gift Baskets – the Gourmet Gift Bowl. I have a lot of amazing cooks in my life and this is a quirky way to celebrate that fact. The bowl contains 2 bars of Cook’s Companion soap (Light, citrus fragrance), a jar of Hot Pepper Butter and crackers, stainless steel tongs, wire whisk, wooden soap dish, wooden fingernail brush, sisal Washcloth, and a chef’s hat (that’s the quirky part.)
If a full gift basket is not in your budget, or if you can’t figure out which of the soaps strikes your fancy – try the Virgil’s Soap Sampler.
Virgil’s products are made right her in the United States – Ohio, to be exact. In a world where it seems like every single item you pick up at the store has “Made in China” stamped on the bottom, giving Virgil’s Holiday Gifts is a great opportunity to support a small American business.
Here’s a great idea: when giving soaps, buy a variety of colors and then connect the meaning of the colors to the soaps for a bit of “added value” — great way to give meaning to practical gifts and actually make them feel personal and special.
For instance, if you give rose colored soaps, write a note about how rose is the color of love and you hope this conveys your affection; give blue soaps as an expression of healing. This same idea works really well when giving something like socks, another practical gift.
It’s always the thought that counts, and adding a special note is one way to show just how thoughtful you are!!
Happy Holidays, Patricia Sheehy, author, Giving with Meaning