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Stocking stuffers for the bakers and foodies in your family (plus one just for fun)

Some wonderful gifts to show off your great taste.

Stocking stuffers for the bakers and foodies in your family (plus one just for fun)

Whether they’re being baked for your loved ones (or just yourself), the one thing we should all be able to agree on is that holiday treats go better with a warm beverage sipped straight from a steaming mug. And while this list will certainly up your stocking game, we won’t blame you if you give these gifts a little early (or stick them in your own stocking). Plus, each of our top picks are from ethical, sustainable, incredibly unique brands who have all agreed to donate 10% of sales made through this gift guide to Feeding America, to help alleviate hunger for people in need this holiday season.

Peace Coffee - Organic and fair trade, in addition to being women and LGBTQ+ led, Peace Coffee brings freshly roasted small-batch coffees straight to your door. Gift their Decaf French Roast to serve after the holiday dinner, or a Seasonal Coffee Subscription so dashing, beans will be brewed as soon as they’re pulled from the stocking. And if you feel like you need to give yourself a little boost to get through this holiday season, check out their signature blends like Birchwood Breakfast Blend or Black Squirrel Espresso.

Verdant Tea - Sustainable, small family, farm-to-table Verdant Teas are unmatched in quality and taste. Perfect for the foodie or travel bug, these teas bring the very best of China’s tea country straight to your door. Gift something unique like a tea tasting kit featuring six individual farmers, or a 2018 white tea aged with mandarin peel from the Wu Family. And for those bigger stockings, consider adding a Golden Ginko Glass Brew Mug or Long-Handle Contemporary Glass Teapot.

Javamelts - Enjoy gifting these naturally-flavored sugars that bring your morning cup of joe or holiday baking to that gourmet level. The French Vanilla and Mocha sugar packets are ideal for traveling, and if it’s your S.O.’s first time meeting your family, the least you can do is sweeten up their morning coffee after a restless night sleeping on your mother’s lumpy couch. Or, if you’re hosting the holidays, make this show-stopping caramel chai martini, because isn’t it more fun to drink your desserts?

Burlap & Barrel - These premium, ethically-sourced spices have never been available in the US before Burlap & Barrel partnered with farmers from different regions around the world. Give the foodie in your life the Chef’s Collection, which includes spices like Black Urfa Chili and Tomato Powder. For the home cook, give the Salt and Pepper Collection, with blends like Black Lime and Chili Salt. Feel like giving a bit of both? Build your own set of spices and move this present from the stocking to the box under the tree.

Behrens - You may need a real heavy-duty stocking, but if you have a sustainable-loving chef on your list, you can always gift them Behrens’ indoor kitchen composting pail. Not only does it compost any food scraps quickly and effectively, but it looks great on your kitchen counter doing it. And if your chef is lucky enough to enjoy a warm, outdoor holiday season, consider giving them some of Behrens fantastic gardening and party products to throw an outdoor holiday get-together that’ll make all their snow-dwelling friends jealous.

Gem Joy - While the baker on your list is waiting for their next treat to come out of the oven, why not gift them the fun of a Gem Joy augmented reality bracelet? These beautiful gems allow you to feel like a sorceress and have enchanting encounters like flying with dragons and riding with unicorns. Play games, learn, and explore new worlds any time you want a little break from the holiday commotion.

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They saved $27,500 a year overall.

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Saving money and living comfortably don’t always go hand in hand, but people do find ways to accomplish it. Sometimes all it takes is thinking a little outside the box—getting a job that allows you to travel the world or swapping out a traditional mortgage for more creative, less costly home ideas.

Take this couple in North Carolina, for example, who gave up living on land to move into a floating cabin and apparently saved $27,500 annually by doing so.

According to Good News Network, Sarah Spiro, 27, and her boyfriend, Brandon Jones, 40, break down the math: Their one-bedroom floating home, which they bought in March 2021, originally cost less than $30,000. The pair then spent two months and $23,000 renovating, for a total initial investment of less than $50,000. And now, they pay $2,500 a year to live on the lake. Yes, you read that right. $2,500 a year. They used to pay that much per month on their combined individual rents.

Obviously, it was a “no brainer,” said Spiro.

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A clever, catchy and slightly chaotic take on the English language.

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New study shows spanking hurts kids' mental health and is less effective at teaching lessons

Why is it wrong to hit an adult or an animal but OK to spank a child?

Photo by Kat J on Unsplash

Yet another study shows that spanking isn't good for kids.

Whether to spank your child or not is one of the oldest debates among parents. Many live by the age-old wisdom that to “spare the rod” is to “spoil the child,” while others believe it’s wrong to resort to violence to punish a child when so many alternatives exist.

It also begs the question: If it's wrong to hit your spouse or pet, why is it acceptable to hit a defenseless child?

The 2021 American Family Study found that support for spanking has declined in the U.S. over the past few years. In 2015, 54% either somewhat or strongly agreed with the practice, but that number dropped to 47% in 2021. Thirty-five percent of respondents disagree with the practice and 18% neither agree nor disagree.

A new research study from the Parent and Family Research Alliance in Australia led by Professor Sophie Havighurst and Professor Daryl Higgins from Australian Catholic University makes a strong case that people should stop using corporal punishment to discipline their kids. The study “Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform” analyzed countless studies on the topic and found spanking ineffective and harmful.

The study was published to urge lawmakers to make corporal punishment in Australia illegal. Sixty-five states across the world have made corporal punishment illegal, protecting 14% of the world’s children.

The study defined corporal punishment of children as using physical force to cause pain, but not injury, to correct or control a child’s behavior.

The most startling meta-analysis published in the study found that "only 1 out of 111 statistically significant effect sizes was associated with a link between 'spanking' and a positive child outcome," while 110 were found to be associated with adverse outcomes.

The one positive outcome was in a 1972 study of children of the U.S. military living in West Germany that found those spanked showed less amphetamine and opiate use as adults.

However, the remaining 110 significant results found that spanking had adverse effects, including: “reducing trust and connection with those they are closest to, lower self-esteem, more internalizing and externalizing behavior problems including aggression, mental health difficulties, and increased risk for later substance abuse, antisocial behavior, and violence.”

A meta-analysis found that when children are spanked, they are less likely to internalize the moral implications of the behaviors that led them to be disciplined. It also found that non-physical discipline was more effective at teaching “alternative behaviors,” “developing a child’s conscience,” and advancing their “emotional development.”

\u201cTo support ending corporal punishment in Australia, where it is still legal for parents to hit children, sign this petition to help change legislation so that we can join 65 other countries that have already taken this step to protect chn from harm \u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f\u2b07\ufe0f\nhttps://t.co/2whNouk3eq\u201d
— Parenting and Family Research Alliance (@Parenting and Family Research Alliance) 1682897165

Another meta-analysis cited in the story found that corporal punishment in childhood was associated with mental health problems, low self-esteem and antisocial behavior.

In the end, the studies show that corporal punishment is counter-productive when it comes to raising healthy, happy children. But it will take much more than a study to get people to reconsider their views of corporal punishment because they are deeply rooted in many cultural traditions.

Looking for some non-physical alternatives to discipline your child? Here’s a great place to start from WebMD.

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