At a time when many of us don’t have a lot of disposable income, we should make sure that our gifts go to good use. When it comes to gifting, a thoughtful approach is to buy items that are practical.  Practical, however, does not have to mean boring. In honor of Marie Kondo we would like to give items that “spark joy” but also that have a purpose. We thought we’d put together a list of affordable, thoughtful and useful gifts:

Reusable cups are great gifts for our friends and our planet. They are easy to clean and uber portable. Gone are the days of single-use plastic and paper. Worried about our friend burning their hands on hot mugs? Fear not, KeepCups come equipped with a protective natural band bamboo; our drink stays hot but our hands stay cool.  

Keeping a notebook by the nightstand is a great way of getting our stresses out of our heads and onto the page. Not to mention that the gift of stationery is also the gift of screen-free time. Moleskine notebooks are a seamless mixture of function and fashion; with their sleek and minimal designs.

With so many smart devices at our disposal, we are running out of charging space. The Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Wireless Charger makes it easy for users to power up their smartwatch, smartphone and earbuds all in one aesthetically pleasing stand. 

To say that this year has been stress-inducing would be an understatement. Giving our friends the gift of Calm is about as thoughtful as we can get. Calm is the #1 app for sleep, meditation and relaxation and features guided meditations, bedtime stories and life classes. 

And finally the gift of food! Even the busiest amongst us still have to slow down enough to eat. HelloFresh offers easy to prepare 30-minute recipes and high-quality local (when possible) ingredients delivered right to our doorsteps. “HelloFresh is the first global carbon-neutral meal kit company, supporting global and local environmentally-friendly projects you care about.”