My holiday gift guide is here and this year, I’ve taken it to a whole new level. Only compassionate, eco-friendly gifts made the cut. I believe that giving to someone you love doesn’t have to mean taking away from someone or something else—other people, animals and the environment included.

So much of our gifting culture is wrapped up in an excess of things. Wasteful things. Things with a short lifespan. Things that hurt our fellow beings or beautiful planet. That’s why I’m challenging us (myself included!) to give with a different mindset this year. Let’s focus on meaningful, caring tokens of our affection. On quality, not quantity. And on showing love not only to our friends and family, but to the creatures large and small, soil we tread on, water we drink and air we breathe.

Before we jump into the wonderful world of eco-friendly gifts, I wanna say one thing. I know that taking on a more sustainable, ethical approach to gifting can be overwhelming at first. Don’t feel like you have to go from zero to sixty right away. This is a process and it’s definitely not about being perfect. Every little bit you do makes a difference!

Alright, fellow eco elves, let’s do this!