Staff Shop 2021 Gift Guide
Happy Holidays from your Friends at Staff Shop!
What better way to kick off the holiday season than with a gift guide. This guide highlights amazing Indigenous, Female, and Canadian-owned businesses that are leading the way in their industries. As well as features a not-for-profit organization, encouraging the chance to give the gift of a donation this holiday season to help the lives of many. We wanted to put together this guide not only as a resource for everyone on your list this year but as a tribute to amazing businesses led by inspiring entrepreneurs. As Staff Shop is a Canadian-Indigenous-Women-owned company, founded and led by CEO Jennifer Ménard-Shand and COO Alison Hernández, this guide is close to our hearts and values of Faith, Passion, and Freedom. We encourage you to buy from and support these meaningful businesses and organizations this holiday season.
The Sacred Bather is a line of natural, intentional & healing bath products. It was created in Edmonton in 2020 by two best friends with a passion for therapeutic, spiritual bathing. For years they searched for natural & healing products but found even the “healthiest” can turn out to be filled with harmful chemicals & dyes. Their bath products are made with all natural, quality ingredients so that you can feel confident in the quality of your baths. The Sacred Bather believes in the power of earth elements and cherish sacred bathing as one of our most precious therapies.
The Sacred Bather has an amazing selection of bath bombs and bath teas, made fresh to order with all-natural ingredients and the intention to heal from the inside out. This holiday season they are releasing a Limited Edition bomb called “The Holly Bomb”, available on their site today! Take one sniff of The Holly Bomb and let the magic speak for itself. This bomb will transform your tub into a refreshing, winter wonderland while nurturing & detoxifying your body & mind. These are limited edition bombs, snag one while you can!
Website: www.thesacredbather.com
Instagram: @thesacredbather
Wonderkind is a female-owned company founded by Shawna and Tara. Brought together through cobblestone, fundraising, and motherhood Tara and Shawna immediately connected. It did not take long to realize they shared common values, life experiences, and ambition. Their zeal for bringing people together, supporting entrepreneurs’ and thoughtful gifting inspired a business platform. Shawna and Tara shared a vision to build a Canadian gifting company that embodied their values and would create a movement to spread kindness, support female entrepreneurs & give back.
How does it work? Through their fun, simple online quiz they get to get to know you or your recipient better. Their goal is to introduce you to companies and products across Canada. You can also purchase one of their pre-made boxes filled with amazing products organized by interest and recipient. When you purchase a Wonderkind not only are you receiving carefully sourced products, you are also supporting female driven companies and creators. 10% of their annual profit is donated to Canadian charities. Their “One of a Kind” and “Wild Rose” gift sets include amazing products by an Indigenous-Female founded and owned business, Skwalwen Botanicals from BC. If you are someone who loves surprises, unique Canadian products, paying it forward, believe quality over quantity matters, lives a busy life, can’t commit or predict, and loves a challenge; leave the research, sourcing, and gift-giving ideas to Wonderkind.
Website: www.wonderkind.ca
Instagram: @wonderkind_inc
Cheekbone Beauty is an Indigenous-owned and founded, digitally-native, Canadian cosmetics company established in 2016. Based out of St. Catharines, Ontario, Cheekbone Beauty is known for creating high-quality, cruelty-free beauty products all designed for low environmental impact and maximum wearability. Jenn Harper, the founder of Cheekbone Beauty has been making a name for herself in the beauty industry for a number of years but quickly gained popularity after being a hit on the CBC show, Dragons Den. Keeping in line with her Anishinaabe roots, Jen launched a less-waste line of lipsticks in 2020. Cheekbone’s aim is to make a difference in the lives of Indigenous youth through donations addressing the educational funding gap, and to create a space in the beauty industry where Indigenous youth feel represented and seen.
Cheekbone Beauty is offering a holiday bundle this season, making it the perfect gift for any beauty lover on your list this year. Their limited edition B.Yellowtail x Cheekbone Beauty Capsule features 5 products including the Limited Edition Gold Body Shimmer, Warrior Women Liquid Lipstick in shade Bethany, SUSTAIN Mascara, SUSTAIN Blush/Bronzer in your choice of shade, and a SUSTAIN Eyeliner Pencil in shade Raven Black. Cheekbone Beauty and B.Yellowtail partnered to bring everyone this curated Beauty Capsule in honor of Native American Heritage Month. This bundle makes the perfect gift while giving back. $5 for each Beauty Capsule sold will be donated to Billuuke Strong, a non-profit that is local to B.Yellowtail and supports youth mentorship and community mutual aid in Crow Country,
Website: www.cheekbonebeauty.com
Instagram: @cheekbonebeauty
Mother Earth Essentials was founded by Carrie Armstrong who comes from a long line of Cree Medicine Women. She started to form the idea for a bath & beauty line business during her first teaching job at Amiskwaciy Academy, where she used traditional plants to connect the students to their history. Prior to teaching, she worked in the beauty and retail industry as an esthetician and a cosmetic sales rep. These combined experiences helped her down the path to launch her collection of natural products through Mother Earth Essentials. Mother Earth Essentials was founded in order to share the nature-inspired teachings rooted in the sacred plants of the Medicine Wheel. They’ve interpreted their offering based on the teachings of their founder, Carrie Armstrong, and elder Francis Whiskeyjack (Cree, Saddlelake FN). Since the beginning, Carrie has been passionate about sharing her Indigenous culture and the spiritual properties handed down to her.
Mother Earth Essentials offers many natural bath and beauty products for anyone on your list. Whether it be hair care, handmade soy candles, or tea, they have it all. Mother Earth Essentials is also offering an amazing selection of gift sets for the holiday season. Sets of handmade bar soap, aromatherapy kits, and bath & body essentials are just some of their amazing offerings to name a few. What’s better than the gift of all-natural self-care rooted in the sacred plants of the Medicine Wheel.
Website: www.motherearthessentials.ca
Instagram: @motherearthessentials
BEE23 produces clean small-batch skincare solutions that plump, smooth, and soothe skin naturally! They offer all-natural balms, blends, and teas that work for sensitive, dry, damaged, and maturing skincare free from synthetic chemical additives, fragrance, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, and fillers. After suffering from severe headaches, Michelle Rosetta, founder of BEE23, realized the trigger was her favourite perfume. Although the scent was soft, with research she realized there were severely detrimental synthetic chemical additives in the products. As a women and mama bear of four, she immediately saw the connection between what she wore on her skin, her health, and the impact it had on those around her and the environment. Taking matters into her own hands Michelle set out on a journey of becoming a skin clinician to gain the knowledge and skills needed to create her first cornerstone product the ‘Hotty Balm’. A natural waterless balm formula that soothes, restores, and rejuvenates with all aspects of a potent facial moisturizer and none of the contaminants that actually can dry skin and irritate and or take away from a youthful complexion.
This holiday season BEE23 is having a special promotion, 15% off from December 3rd to the 15th with the code HOLLYHOTTY15. You will also receive a free travel size Hotty Balm for every purchase over $75. These all-natural products would make the perfect gift for anyone on your list, especially those who are on the hunt for amazing products that are free from harmful chemicals. Give the gift of plump, smooth, and restored skin this holiday season!
Website: www.bee23.ca
Instagram: @hottybalm
International Justice Mission (IJM) is a global organization that protects people in poverty from violence by partnering with local authorities in 24 program offices in 14 countries to combat slavery, violence against women and children, and other forms of abuse against people who are poor. IJM, their partners, and trained government officials have rescued more than 66,000 victims from violence and oppression, convicted over 2,700 perpetrators in local courts, and since 2012, trained over 251,000 people.
When you give a gift through International Justice Mission Canada’s Holiday Gift Catalogue, you will be sending rescue and restoration to children, women, and men who are victims of slavery and violence in the developing world. Give a gift with meaning in honour of a friend or loved one! Here is how it works: 1) Choose a Gift, 2) Send an E-card, 3) Provide Rescue.
IJM has also partnered with JustOne to provide beautiful tangible “dream” gifts such as a cuff bracelet, necklace, ornament or combination for those wanting to share and be reminded of IJM’s work in that way.
Website: www.ijm.ca
Instagram: @ijm & @ijmcanada
Thank you so much for reading our gift guide and supporting these amazing Female, Indigenous, and Canadian-owned businesses. As well as making a donation to a not-for-profit organization that is going to help the lives of many. Staff Shop wishes you a happy holiday season, a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
STAFF SHOP NEW YEAR’S DEAL: 10% off ANY orders for temporary staff or direct hire search services in the months of January & February