Whole Story

Here are our top five favorite tips for giving gifts with good in mind for all, including your wallet. 1. GIVE FROM THE HEART Homemade gifts, no matter how frugal, always strike a chord because it’s clear that you spent one of your most valuable resources…your time. Our Holidays 2010 site has simple “Gifts from the Kitchen” recipes (with printable gift tags) like the yummy Gingersnap Cookie Mix in a jar. 2. WASTE NOT Whole Foods Market® gift cards make sure the recipients get just what they want – no re-gifting, no returns – and of excellent quality, if we may say so ourselves. 3. SHARE THE LOVE…OF HEALTHY FOOD! Gift a healthy eating cookbook or put together a recipe box or binder with Health Starts Here™ recipes from our website and a list of your favorite healthy eating tips and foods. 4. FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT YOU GIVE A gift that you believe in is worth all the more. Whole Trade™ chocolate and flowers are great examples because they are committed to ethical trade and the environment as well as the highest quality. Plus 1% of sales goes to Whole Planet Foundation! 5. WRAP SAVVY You might not realize how much you spend on wrapping paper and ribbons until you get your credit card statement. Try these ideas instead:

• Place your gift in a cute reusable bag that is a gift in itself and one that keeps giving. Here are the top 10 reasons to use our “A Better Bag” instead of gift wrap.
• Reuse bows, ribbon and boxes from previous gifts or buy a skein of pretty yarn and use to secure brown-paper-bag wrapped gifts for a trendy “Martha” look.
• Get creative with wrapping paper, using children’s art, brown paper bags, comics, crossword puzzles, posters, sheet music, maps, dish towels, etc.

BONUS! Divide and Conquer for Stocking Stuffer Savings Purchase packages of things that can be divided up to go directly in stockings or little crafty bundles, boxes or tins. Try these:

• a crate of Clementines
• peppermint or toffee pretzel crisps
• spicy sweet kettle corn or canned nuts
• shortbread cookies
• a three-pack of our organic holiday lip balms

Turn to The Whole Deal, online and in stores, for more tips for giving, shopping and entertaining on a budget, plus coupons that save and “small bites” recipes that dazzle. Got any great ideas for good gifts on a budget? We’d love to hear them!