Here’s to a second holiday season since the Covid-19 pandemic started. While things are starting to feel normal—sans this new variant I guess—will things ever be the same? Likely there’s been more and more normalcy this year, more travel, and more celebrating with family and friends. Here’s this year’s gift guide with a focus on local, woman and people of color (POC) owned businesses and brands.

Food & Drink

Fulcrum Roasters delivers responsibly sourced coffee in a modern cafe space in Belltown (590 Bell St., Seattle) and sells their beans and merchandise online. Fifth-generation Costa Rican coffee farmer Blas Alfaro—together with founding partners Lee Falck and Brian Jurus—build lasting relationships with farmers around the world and hand selects the coffee for Fulcrum Coffee. A great year-round gift for a coffee drinker in your life is one of their coffee subscriptions. There are 15 to choose from, but if you’re not sure, the All Brands Subscription is $15 per month for a different 12 oz bag.

Browse all the subscriptions here.

Sweeten the season with delectable treats by Seattle-based, woman-owned Seattle Chocolate Company (Seattle Chocolate & jcoco), an ideal gift option for those who want to decrease their carbon footprint and support the local economy. Find options from Seattle Chocolate’s Merry Little Care Package to sister brand jcoco’s Tasting Experience Box.

Shop the temptations here.

Celebrate those you love with a three-pack of Bubbles by Yellowhawk Resort. When the pandemic completely U-turned the life trajectory of winemaker George-Anne Robertson, the former estate director of Walla Walla Vintners, she landed a dream job creating sparkling wines for Yellowhawk, Walla Walla’s only dedicated sparkling winery.

Browse the three-pack here. 

Everyone appreciates the gift of food! Support Stephanie King’s brand new Pike Place business by doling out gift cards to Kitchen & Market, a sleek space that features fresh goods, meal kits and recipe ideas, too.

Explore the new culinary concept here. 

Through her company Jordan Delights, Seattle-based Shadin Khreis aims to create a bridge to Middle Eastern culture and cuisine (think premium, chocolate-covered dates). Find her tasty creations on the website or in 15+ stores throughout Washington and Oregon, including Whole Foods and Leschi Market.

Shop the goods here. 

Ayako & Family partners exclusively with Mair Farm-Taki to create delicious heritage and heirloom plum preserves in their signature hexagonal jars. Mair Farm-Taki is a Japanese-owned and operated Certified Organic farm in Wapato, Washington in the Yakima region. Century-old orchards, walnut trees, over a dozen varieties of wild, heritage and heirloom plums make the farm. Read more of their story here.

Shop the jams here.

Whether you want to jazz up turkey sandwiches or make flavorful, gourmet-level meals with minimal fuss, Simon’s Secret Sauce is a great addition to your condiments shelf. It comes in three yummy flavors, Original, Spicy, and Truffle and is created with the same vegan, kosher, gluten-free ingredients. Simon Mashian, an Iranian American, founded the company during the pandemic after his wife was constantly asking him to bottle up this amazing sauce.

Shop the sauces here.

Local Stores

Good Sister is a Black/Filipina and woman owned small business in West Seattle that sources and sells goods from BIPOC brands as well as non-POC businesses. Along with a retail store, Ennjoili offers a range of self-care services including brows, waxing, lash lifts, facials, and sugaring, and specializes in ethnic skin. They also offer reiki and cranial sacral services.

Book services here.

Friends Kaitlin Uemura and Kaitlin Madriaga opened Sairen in 2020, three years after launching their Morning Siren clothing line. Located in International District, the aim of their brick-and-mortar is to serve people looking to take their style to the next level with handmade, design-driven products. Their shop features carefully curated one-of-a-kind clothing items and accessories made in Japan, Hawaii, and handmade items from local artists.

Shop in store (600 S Jackson St., Seattle) or online here.

Black-Latina owned Valerie Madison Fine Jewelry offers custom, made-to-order pieces for the elegant, ethical, environmentally conscious consumer as well as pieces under $500 for holiday gifting, like these dainty x & o earrings for $95 (pictured below). Valerie designs and creates her pieces using conflict-free diamonds, gemstones, and nearly 100% recycled metals.

Shop in store (1411 34th Ave., Seattle) or online here.

Kiko Eisner-Waters is the founder and visionary behind The Cura Co. who sought to curate an art gallery and design boutique to highlight woman-made, sustainable, artisan goods from around the world. The Cura Co. is committed to cultivating more socially conscious consumers and connecting people through the origin stories of its merchandise.

Shop in store (2407 E. Union St., Suite D, Seattle) or online here.

Linda Takano has been in the soy wax candle and shower steamer (think of them as bath bombs for shower people) business since 2013 and opened up Lulumiére’s brick-and-mortar in 2021. Scent has always been an important part of her life, and she loves the mix of science and art in candle pouring. Every candle sold at Lulumiére (which means light) is made with intention. Linda includes essential oils in each candle, in the hopes of encouraging renewal and deep breaths.

Shop in store (5200 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite A., Seattle) or online here.

Cut from the Culture is a purpose-driven accessories shop—an homage to Hmong women—preserving and sharing Hmong paj ntaub (“embroidery”) through contemporary mediums. It’s a reclamation of Hmong history, culture, and stories. It’s an homage to the Hmong women who have had to bite their tongues one too many times. 

All earrings are custom-made from sketch, to digital-design, then laser cut, hand painted, and assembled by Seattle-based owner Houa Lee. Shop online here.

K Banana founder, Liz Kang Yates, opened a natural Korean beauty pop-up in University Village in 2018 that has now become a permanent shop. The space is bright, happy, and full of K Beauty skin care products and cosmetics, and fun trendy accessories.

Shop in store (2621 NE Village Lane, Seattle) or online herehttps://hellokbanana.com.

Gift outdoor gear from Washington-based company Northside this winter. Since 1985, the Marysville-based brand has been producing well-made yet affordable apparel for kids, men and women, like the Bishop SE Boot (pictured).

Shop the brand here. 

Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. It was founded in 2008 when Louie Gong (Nooksack)—an artist, activist and educator known for merging traditional Coast Salish art with influences from his urban environment to make strong statements about identity — started customizing shoes in his living room. Now the first Native-owned company to ever produce wool blankets—with a flagship retail store in Pike Place Market.

Shop wool textiles, including this beautiful 100% Merino wool scarf (pictured below), made in Seattle here.

Sustainable Gifting

Tokki bow-cards are the digital alternative to greeting cards but with a personal, individualized touch for your holiday gifting that still looks good on that wrapped present! Tokki means “bunny” in Korean; the bow-cards are designed to “hop” from person to person as they are reusable.
PNW-based owner & founder, Jane Park has long been on a mission of creating eco-friendly products, like Julep Nail Parlor. In addition to their bow-cards, they also sell reusable gift bags & wrapping paper and recently launched their line of coconut soy wax candles!

You can purchase a single bow-card or packs of four here.

Girlfriend Collective is a Seattle-based eco-friendly active wear brand founded by Ellie and Quang Dinh. They use recycled polyester, recycled fishing nets, recycled plastic bottles, and cupro, a delicate fiber made from a waste the cotton industry leaves behind.

Read more about their sustainability practices here and shop online here. You can Girlfriend Collective in store at Nordstrom.

Spa & Wellness

Kayla, the co-owner of Opal Nail Studio is a Native Hawai’ian who grew up on Hawai’i island. Opal Nail Studio is women-owned fresh and modern nail salon that uses all non-toxic products and offers gorgeous hand painted art. They have two locations in West Seattle (4155 California Ave SW, Seattle) and a new location in Capitol Hill (401 Broadway E., Seattle).

Book services here and buy gift cards here.

Yuan Spa is Asian and woman owned, with healing philosophies of the East blended with the modern spa technologies of the West, engulfing guests in a holistic sensory journey that transforms the body, mind and spirit. The journey begins with the great tradition of Chinese bathing with a modern hydrotherapy experience with a dry cedar sauna and relaxing eucalyptus steam room. The spa features 8,000-square-feet of space on two floors and is located in Bellevue at (1032 106^th Ave NE #125, Bellevue).

Book services here and buy gift cards here.

Classes

The Works, owned by Kellie Phelan, offers online classes and DIY kits, perfect for an interactive activity with your friends and family or to gift. They have returned to in-person classes and they include block printing, watercolor 101, and holiday wreaths.

Each DIY box includes project materials, detailed instructions, and a video with a member of the teaching team sharing the secrets to given topics.

Shop classes and DIY kits here.

Donate

All in WA—a coalition of public, private and philanthropic leaders—has created a resource page, in coordination with Afghan-led organizations, with opportunities big and small for people looking to support Afghan families access the resources and support they need to thrive. This is the perfect opportunity for those looking to give back or donate in the name of a loved one this holiday season.

FareStart has been helping to break barriers in poverty by investing in community by providing culinary job training and other life skills for over 30 years. People experiencing poverty struggle to escape the cycle they are in and often face other compounding barriers to getting and keeping a job. Their restaurants, cafes, and catering programs provide hot meals to shelters and schools throughout Seattle.

WA Therapy Fund Foundation aims to alleviate the burden of cost and burden of discount to both Black clients and the therapist who serve them. The foundation grants free therapy services to those in the Black community who are in need, and suffering from racial trauma, anxiety, depression, and other ailments due to systemic oppression, economic sufferings, and intergenerational trauma that has not been addressed in the past. WA Therapy Fund also aims to support the tuition costs of Black clinicians who will serve this community.

Contributors: Jennifer Liu, Corinne Whiting, Tram Tran