We hope you and yours have a very happy holiday and new year. Our friends at Animal Place do great work. Several vegan/cruelty-free companies have started giving back to Animal Place, and because the sanctuary usually has new merchandise this time of year, we thought we’d pack it all together into one long gift guide for you: Bare Bones Body Care Unisex, non-toxic, and animal-friendly Bare Bones Body Care offers a stylish line of skincare, a vegan deodorant that really lasts, and even tattoo balm. Founder Monica Schrock uses ingredients made from scratch, and from organic and local suppliers, and

If you can’t get your family (or yourself!) to eat enough vegetables, you can try sweetening the deal — literally. By incorporating the orange-fleshed fall/winter veggies — carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, and winter squash into these vegan cakes, pies, muffins, and cookies, you’ll be adding a dose of vitamins A and C to your desserts, and a host of antioxidants and fiber. Source: Veg Kitchen

Candy Cane Nog Holiday Matcha Latte + Encha Holiday Gifts (Giveaway too!) Source: Lunch Box Bunch

I was at a friend’s house the other day. She offered me Jello. She said vegans can eat Jello, “… there’s nothing in there, right?” She was aghast when I told her what Jello was made from; to quote Merriam-Webster: glutinous material obtained from animal tissues by boiling. Okay, so there’s pulverized hooves in Jello. Vegans won’t eat that. They can easily avoid that, but if you are a vegan for ethical reasons, how would you feel if the currency notes that you deal with had animal products embedded. Well, the new £5 notes came out in the UK and they have

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We don’t just enjoy the Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving, we are still eating it every day for lunch and dinner for about a week. As we finish dishes, Jane back-fills and we keep on going… as I said, usually for a week or more. But that’s just us, most people start thinking about Christmas starting the day after Thanksgiving. For all of those people, it’s now time to start thinking about vegan Christmas cookies. Source: Oh She Glows