What is less cool than a present that has so obviously not been bought specifically for you, perfectly chosen for you?  If you ever are in that much of a pickle - a really gorgeous bottle of wine, box of fudge, or potted plant is ten times better than trying to grab something at the drugstore (read: ugly slippers or Old Spice).  Some examples of some our crazy past gifts; a mammoth umbrella, a frame I’d bought the same person a few years prior (re-gifted to me!), a pair of sharkskin bracelets (sharkskin for the vegan, animal lover), and numerous other head scratching moments where I can’t help but wonder “What were they thinking?”

Avoid that fate with our specified guide below.  Click on image to be brought directly to item’s online home.

FOR THE ANIMAL LOVER

Your dog’s gonna go bonkers for these organic, vegan dog cookies.  When we have them in the house - our dogs stand vigil by the counter waiting for just a crumb to happen to fall from the box in the middle of the night.  These home-made muffins (made by the cutest family in New England) smell so good, you’ll want to eat them yourself (and can).  Think on it - why would you feed your animal something you wouldn’t eat yourself?  The “Holiday Crock” below is $99, but visit the site for tons of other holiday gift options under $50!

Holiday Boston Baked Bonz Crock, from Boston Baked Bonz, $99.

Eco-friendly doggy and kitty toys, so they are getting out their indoor winter frustration while you do the earth some good.

Zanies Eco-Friendly Canvas Toys, $3.49.

This is the ultimate Vegan Cookbook for everyone from the snobby gourmand to the junk food addict.  We can’t stop buying this cookbook for everyone we know, and the reviews are always RAVES.  Buy it (and any other fantastic vegan shoes, accessories, books, videos, and more) at MooShoes.com and get a discount with a cheapskates code here.

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, $27.50

FOR THE WORK-A-HOLIC WHO NEEDS PAMPERING

LUSH uses whole organic fruits and vegetables and pure essential oils in their products (all handmade and fresh) and are strict as Math teachers when it comes to preservatives and chemicals.  Over half of their products are solid, paraben-free, and packaging free!  Products are 100% vegetarian, 75% vegan and all products (AND raw materials) are completely free of any animal testing whatsoever.  Yay.  We heart the Supernatural Gift Box which is chock full of bath bombs, moisturizing goodies, and homemade soaps.  It’s enough to make you never want to leave the tub.

Supernatural Holiday Gift Box, $59.99

When you hear the words “Chocolate Truffle Butter,” what goes through your head?  Are you drooling already? Handmade from the purest raw ingredients, s/he can drizzle this over his/ her favorite dessert, add to smoothies, or eat right out of the precious little jar.

Chocolate Truffle Butter, at OneLuckyDuck.com, $16.

FOR THE COMMITTED GREENIE

This darling bonnet will put a bee right in it!  It’s made from hand-woven organic cotton jersey, and dyed with vegetable and plant extracts.

Eairth Bonnet, available at Kaight, $115.

Each “Tree in a Box” kit contains a biodegradable peat pot with an expandable nutrient soil pellet, seeds and a 32-page information-packed booklet inside a decorative box. As well as growing instructions, the booklet contains information about the specific tree, “Tree Facts” about the environmental benefits of trees and tree mythology. The kit is designed to be “add water only” and grown in a sunny window. All the materials in the kits are biodegradable; the book and box are printed on high-grade recycled paper with soy inks.  These tiny gifts are cuter than care bears!

Tree in a Box, Approx $3 each.

Who wouldn’t love this luxurious, vegan, faux fur throw for their couch?  Our kitten is currently snoozing on ours.  The quality of this eco-blanket is just lovely.

100% Organic Cotton Faux Fur + 100% Organic Cotton Twill Lining, from Loyale, $196.

FOR THE SEXY GODDESS

You don’t need to be a fan of the Opera to enjoy donning a well-made pair of luxe velvet gloves.

Lord & Taylor Velvet Gloves, $39.99

Dream a little dream about this heart stopping 14kt gold plated cuff with gold bullion heart from Rumblefish Collection. Semiprecious inlay in your choice of stone.  Click our Cheapskates button for a discount code on all gorgeous jewels from this collection (too lazy to click?  Okay: it’s code GirlieGirl for 20% off anything on the site!).

Hearts On Fire Cuff, at Rumblefish Collection, $185.

You may just become a hippy afterall when you recieve or give a box of aura sprays which are meant to be sprayed in an arc in the air “around you to energize your aura, or spray around a room of your home or office to renew the energy of your space.”

Aura Sprays, Daily Om Store, $115.

Everytime a new vegan bag line is launched, we have a little ‘gasm.  Like this new line, Sparrow, which features organic and sustainable materials, inside and out. Textiles are dyed with low-impact dyes and prints are created and designed in-house using non-toxic inks. Bag bottoms are cut from recycled tetra boxes and handles are made using stiff hemp webbing.

Sparrow, Jasmeen Bag, $85.

Or this cute little baby;

Iris Vegan Leather Clutch by HER Design, $149.

FOR THE CRAFTY MO FO

S/he’ll appreciate these 100% reclaimed glass tumblers from Westport Rivers wine bottles, with the sweet sandblasted fish design. The producers of this glassware take ordinary glass bottles headed for the landfill and transform them into stylish and unique goblets, tumblers, and vases. The metamorphosis of these bottles turns them into useful and beautiful glassware.

UNDERWATER TUMBLERS, set of 2, at BTC Elements, $26.

S/he may not have time to bake all the Brownie’s in the world, but s/he’ll thank you each and every Month when the Brownie-of-the-Month (or Cookie, Fudge, etc) or from Allison’s Gourmet shows up on her door.  These vegan tasty treaters will be a sweet reminder, year round, of how much you love him/ her/ them. Alicia Silverstone has raved that “Allison’s makes AMAZING vegan brownies!”  She truly does!

Allison's Gourmet, $35. per Month.

This hook is a beautifully designed,  practical, handmade dream.

"Offer" Wall-Mounted Hand Hook, at ElseWares, $76.

FOR THE ANGRY ACTIVIST

Let her/ him ho humbug all over town with their very own snowglobe.

Fuck Snow Globe, New Museum Store, $150.

We make no bones about what our favorite magazine is that covers all things animal, eco, veggie, and activism.  Gift subscriptions are just $15 (which always include a super-cute note sent to the recipient), and their popular VegNews Gift Packs are now just $40 (regularly $55). Those babies are filled with their signature oversized tote bag, an organic tee, 6 jumbo vegan cookies, a one-year sub to the mag, the current issue, a gift note, and free priority shipping.  It’ll make your favorite veg-head pee tofu.

Veg News Giftpack, $40 OR Gift Subscription $15.

Give back with a loan to Kiva. Kiva allows you to give a loan of any ammount (in a loved ones name) to a developing-world entrepreneur.  Lenders browse profiles of entrepreneurs in need, and choose someone to lend to.  Kiva collects the funds and then passes them along to one of their microfinance partners worldwide. Kiva’s microfinance partners distribute the loan funds to the selected entrepreneur and provide training and other assistance to maximize the entrepreneur’s chances of success. Over time, the entrepreneur repays their loan. Repayment and other updates are posted on Kiva and emailed to lenders who wish to receive them. When lenders get their money back, they can re-lend to someone else in need, donate their funds to Kiva (to cover operational expenses), or withdraw their funds.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Mwanaid Said Group sell charcoal and firewood in Dar es Salaam, Tanzani.

It may lessen his or her load to see the gorgeous gift of nature as birds feed on this beautiful perch every morning.

Birdfeeder at Branch Home, $84.

This bracelet, fashioned after African Elephant Hair bracelets, encompasses 5 strands which weave through the gold knots representing the different seasons. The knots symbolize powerful forces in life, gracing the wearer with good fortune and many years of love, prosperity and happiness.  For some reason, whenever we wear this bracelet - we have really good luck.

Safari Jewelry, Lightweight Bracelet, $150.

Miss. Guy isn’t only a rock n’ roll, downtown legend… he’s also a dog lovin’ mush who says brilliant things like “Give me Cher, Bowie, and Elton!” (which we’d be happy to sport on our gravestone or spraypaint on our tits). Guy is not only a DJ who has been a mainstay at the hippest parties all over the world for over a decade (the most notorious being the never-to-be-repeated classic Squeezebox Party where you’d never come home without having had a one night stand and puking on the sidewalk), he also fronts the seminal hot filthy boy band Toilet Boys.  Guy formed  the band in 1995 as an opening act for a Debbie Harry performance to fulfill a “lifelong dream” of performing on the same stage as her.  As most happy accidents, the band that was only intended to do one performance became a cool kid mainstay of 90’s rock culture. As lead singer of said band, Guy toured with everyone from Motorhead to The Ramones, where they spewed pyrotechnics and wore some of the hottest trashy outfits you’ll ever google.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers personally asked the band to be their main support on a six week sold out arena tour in 03.  Currently, this musical wunderkind is writing with Boy George and Deborah Harry, performing with his new band GoonSquad, and can be seen eating rice n’ beans in Chelsea.  We reconnected with the fashion icon who gives good face (I mean, his make up is always the most perfect thing we have ever seen) at a Farm Sanctuary benefit last week and asked him a few questions about his glittering life;

GGA: Is rock n roll dead? If not, how are you keeping it alive?

Guy: I’m an optimistic person for the most part, so I never say something is dead in seriousness, but I do often feel that NY nightlife is dead at the moment. That doesn’t mean it’s over. It just means something needs to happen to shake it up, and I guess that’s how I feel about rock. What is definitely dead to me is celebrity culture. It’s at an all time low as far as I’m concerned. Who cares about these people. Give me Cher, Bowie, and Elton! These are the real stars! Deborah Harry has more excitement in her little finger than Britney, Paris and Lindsay combined. But I secretly like Britney.

Yea, we feel bad for her, but kind of want to brush our her weave and feed her organic sprouts.  You were one of the superstars of 90’s downtown NYC - tell our youngster readers about those days - and how they differ from the Whole Foods era of the LES?

Well, you could be a part of the underground (in those days) and still get recognition in the mainstream. Now, if you’re not on the cover of Star magazine nobody knows or cares about you. It was fun in the 90’s, but I wouldn’t want to go back to those days. I live for the moment, and right now is the best time of my life!

You definitely are an optimist.  Love that and couldn’t agree more.  What is one thing you did today to better the world?

I didn’t drive a car for one thing! I always feel proud that I walk everywhere because I feel like I’m doing my part to save the environment. I also hung out with my super sweet dog which betters my world!

Favorite Food?

Japanese, Mexican, and Indian. I also love a simple salad with lemon, olive oil, and garlic.

Photo by Mike Ruiz, 2008.

Is there any malaise garlic can’t fix?!  NYC can feel really stagnating if you’ve stayed too long at the fair.  What are a few places in NYC that still make you feel alive and happy?

Just walking down the streets make me feel great! I love the parks too. I like the Cuban restaurant on 8th ave between 19 & 20 streets, it’s been there forever and the rice & beans are delicious!

Someone asked me the other day in an interview who I’d want to meet, and I realized I’ve met most of the people I’ve looked up to. Who do you look up to that you have met, and who have you yet to meet?

I’ve met some great people in my life. Debbie Harry is a good friend, and I’ve always been a big fan of hers. She the epitome of New York cool. I still want to meet Bowie. I’ve had several chances to go up to him and meet him, but it didn’t feel right. I won’t just run up to someone because we’re at the same party. I’ll meet him when it’s the right time.

Tell us about a moment in your life where you felt pure bliss:

I’ve had many moments on tour with Toilet Boys when we’d be onstage. It’s pure bliss to be with my dog.

What’s next on the agenda for you?

I’m really excited about my new band GoonSquad. I think there will be another Toilet Boys tour in 2009 after 6 years of not playing, and that will be fun. As long as I have friends, music, and travel in my life, I’m happy.

VISIT GUY ONLINE HERE;

myspace.com/missguy
myspace.com/toiletboysnyc
myspace.com/goonnyc

These classic trends aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon.  With good reason.

MOTORCYLE STYLE JACKETS

From Steve McQueen racing down the highway in his hog to 80’s supermodels strutting the runways, a man or woman in a (faux) leather, puffy, or fabric motorcycle style jacket always gets our juices going.  You can find some vegan mens options here.

Metallic Biker Jacket Price, at Top Shop,£50.

Mossimo Black Faux Leather Biker, $17.

Victoria's Secret, Puffer Jacket, $49.

Urban Outfitters, Silence & Noise Hooded Bomber Jacket, Faux-leather, $128.

LACE AND RUFFLES

Think “Crimson and Clover” or Stevie Nicks sitting on a pillow in the 70’s.

"Rain on your Windowpane" Vintage reworked dress, BTE Elements, $180.

Lace Leggings, Forever 21, $18.

Torn by Ronny Kobo, Ann Lace Bustier Tank, $69.

MODERN OPULANCE

Marie-Antoinette had jewels to top off her jewels.  Costume jewelry is here to stay.

Erickson Beamon Oversized hoop earrings at Net a Porter, $445.

Tori Spelling Black Enamel 5-Station Necklace at HSN, $60.

Rhinestone & Enamel Deco Cuff by Kenneth Jay Lane, $315.

Azaara Large Stone Ring, Bloomingdales, $90.

We can’t get over the fun we’ve had choosing the gifts you’ll want to buy your loved ones this Holiday Season. A key rule in gift giving is - if you wouldn’t buy it for yourself (and it wasn’t specifically requested) do not buy it for him or her. Kick off your faux-marabou slippers and tighten your garters while browsing these tantalizing presents. We think you’ll be pleased to see we’ve found some fabulous gift ideas all over the budget range.

100% Bamboo Fine Jersey Scarf will keep him or her cozy and warm. One Lucky Duck, $12.

Who wouldn’t want to bake fresh bread in their own Breadmaker?! Throw in a few ingredients, switch the breadmaker on, and you are set with delicious fresh loaves forever! Your home will smell like a French Patisserie! Panasonic Yeast Pro Automatic Bread Maker @ http://www.bread-maker.net, $117.

This dope gadget will monitors your entire home’s energy usage. You’ll be able see how much you’ve been overusing or saving! TedStore, $139.

Gotta love a travel bag with Chutzpah! This faux-leather travel bag with hot pink lining espouses classic Yiddishisms like “Oy Vey,” “Meshuggeneh,” and “Bubbeleh.”  We know quite a few gals n’ gay boys in our posse who would go bonkers for this shmata.   Rabbi’s Daughters, $54.

Reduce, reuse, recycle! Amazing grace, how sweet a reminder is this necklace that will be your daily wake up call to rinse out that cat food can and pop it in the blue bin.   Janet’s Jewelry, $58.

Our boys keep telling us that these pants are the best fit ever. Plus, they come in really great colors and styles.  Bonobos, $120.

Okay, so maybe you don’t use a parasol, but wouldn’t you kinda love one strung up somewhere in your apartment? Retro-A-Go-Go, $20.

Let your love burn up for these elegant beige n’ paint splattered heels. Chloé has these and wants you to know that Easy Spirits ‘aint got nothing on the comfort of these babies.  Not to mention they are sexy as all get.  Olsen Haus, $215.

Sponsor a sweet animal for a friend this holiday season. You can sponsor angelic Whitaker (below), or a number of other precious, rescued farm animals through Farm Sanctuary for $50 a Month. Farm Animals not your thing?  Sponsor a chimp (like Kendra below) through Save The Chimps or a Dog (like Basil pictured below) or Cat through Best Friends.  Your friend/ loved one will get a beautiful gift card noting your donation, and you will get peace of mind knowing you saved a life instead of buying a fruit cake.

Think we are done with gift guides?  Ha!  We’ve only just begun!  Check in weekly for a new guide that will leave you wishing we could always choose your prezzies.

Every veggie gal or guy’s favorite question is “HOW do you get your protein?”  Today, Guest Blogger Katherine of  Be In Balance weighs in on this hot button issue;

Contrary to what you might have been told, you do not have to eat meat to get adequate supplies of iron. It is a myth that vegetarians suffer from iron deficiency more than meat eaters! In fact, meat eaters obtain on average 86% of their iron intake from vegetarian sources!

Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in the blood. Iron is normally obtained through food in your diet and by the recycling of iron from old red blood cells. Without it, the blood can not carry oxygen effectively. Anemia develops slowly after the normal stores of iron have been depleted in the body and in the bone marrow leaving you feeling exhausted and irritable.

Approximately 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women, and 3% of men are iron deficient. Women, in general have smaller stores of iron than men and have increased loss through menstruation, placing them at a higher risk for anemia. Symptoms of anemia include weakness, fatigue, depression, coldness of the extremities, dizziness, overall pallor, noticeably pale and brittle nails, pale lips, and in some cases loss of menstruation. A simple CBC blood test at your doctor’s office should deduce whether you have anemia.

Good sources of iron include whole-grain breads and cereals, leafy green vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens, watercress, brussel sprouts, arugula, spinach, sprouts and parsley, molasses, lentils, kidney beans, pumpkin seeds, olives, and dried fruits such as apricots and figs. Additionally, you can supplement your iron intake with iron supplements, Spirulina supplements (Pacifi ca makes a good product) or a Green Powder drink (BerryGreen, Amazing Grass, or Nature’s First Food are all good brands.)

Iron absorption is enhanced when consumed alongside Vitamin C so liberally sprinkle the juice of a lemon over your kale or spinach, drink orange juice in the morning with your toast, and overall try to pair your meals so there is a combination of iron and Vitamin C for maximum absorption.

While I am a vegetarian and find that I get all of my nutrients from vegetable sources, I am not going to get on my soapbox and tell everyone to stop eating meat. (ED’S NOTE: WE ARE PERSONALLY ALL ABOUT SOAPBOXES, BUT RESPECT KATHERINE’S DECISION TO NOT SCREAM “MEAT IS MURDER” AT THE SHABBOS DINNER TABLE LIKE WE DO) So, if you must eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy, it is essential that you eat it in moderation. (ED’S NOTE: THOUGHT IT’S CLEARLY BETTER FOR YOU, THE ANIMALS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT TO NOT EAT IT AT ALL, GO VEGAN!) With the popularity of the Atkins diet, many were left with the belief that eating protein makes us skinny. Eating a diet primarily based upon protein will make us lose water weight at first and place our body in a constant state of ketosis (ie. stress) where in a panic our body burns our fat stores instead of carbohydrates or even protein. This is not a healthy, long-term solution. And, have you seen many fat vegetarians? What about meat-eaters?

On the standard American diet, most of us consume far more protein than we need. To calculate how much protein your body needs CLICK HERE.  For some examples to put things into perspective, as a 5′6″ female, I need 26.6-47.3 grams. My husband needs 36.4-64.7 grams. This is not very much when you consider just how much this is!   3.5 oz of chicken has 16.79g, turkey 23g, beef 30-36 g, salmon 25.56g, tuna 29.91g, tofu 17.19g, walnuts 15.03g, cashews 15.31g, peanut butter 25.09g, egg yolk 15.86g, cheddar cheese 24.9g, whole milk 3.22g and ½ cup of brown rice 2.58g. If you eat just a handful of cashews, then you will have met your daily requirement!

Oprah did a wonderful segment called  Making Conscious Choices a few weeks ago. Please visit her site and watch the show.  She discusses conscious choices we all can make. (ED’S NOTE: OPRAH DID THIS SHOW BECAUSE OF KATHY FRESTON, WHO’S BOOK “QUANTUM WELLNESS” IS A MUST READ FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING ON THE PLANET.  READ IT) You can easily get all of your protein needs from vegetarian sources such as quinoa, brown rice, tofu, tempeh, seitan, leafy greens such as kale, spinach and swiss chard, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beans such as lentils, black beans, and kidney beans, avocados, nuts such as walnuts, pecans and almonds, all-natural almond and peanut butters, soy and rice milks. Instead of having protein from animal sources try to substitute some vegetable and grain sources for your optimal health.

Following is one of my family’s favorite recipes:

Grilled Tofu (in under 20 minutes!)
1 package extra-firm tofu (ED’S NOTE: TOFU ALWAYS TASTES BETTER DRAINED AND FROZEN.  WE DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT THE TOFU ALWAYS GETS A MILLION TIMES MEATIER ONCE IT’S BEEN FROZEN AND DRAINED.  TO DRAIN; PUT TOFU ON A PLATE AND COVER WITH TEA CLOTH OR PAPER TOWELS.  THEN COVER IT WITH SOMETHING WEIGHTED - ANOTHER PLATE OR COFFEE CUP WORKS GREAT. LEAVE IT FOR AN HOUR AND LET ALL THE WATER DRAIN OUT.  THEN FREEZE.  WHEN READY TO USE, LET DEFROST.  IT SOUNDS LIKE A SHLEP TO DO, BUT WE PROMISE THE DIFFERENCE IN TASTE IS MIND BOGGLING!)
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Chopped red & yellow peppers and/or celery and tomatos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain the tofu, pat dry and slice into cubes. Place the tofu in a casserole dish and liberally cover with olive oil and soy sauce. Cook and turn periodically until very brown and done. Sprinkle the chopped vegetables on top to decorate and enjoy!

Image courtesy of vegalicious.org

Tofu “Club Sandwich”
1 package extra-firm tofu
2 slices “Fakin Bacon”
2  slices of 7-grain bread
1 thinly sliced tomato
Sliced lettuce
A bit o’ Vegenaise

Real Food Daily, in LA, makes a mean tofu club.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain the tofu, pat dry and slice in ¼ inch thick pieces. Place the tofu in the oven in a casserole dish with the “fakin bakin” slices at for 15-20 minutes. When done, add tofu and “Fakin Bakin” to bread along with sliced tomatoes and lettuce. Slather bread with mayonnaise and enjoy!   Often I cook the grilled tofu recipe one night and then make sandwiches the next!

(ED’S NOTE: DON’T JUST BELIEVE US; READ SOME OTHER MUST READ ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC FROM THE PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE HERE AND ON THIS UBER INFORMATIVE SITE; THEPROTEINMYTH.COM.)

Founded by nutritional consultant Katherine Pennington, Be in Balance offers holistic health and lifestyle counseling in New York for women and men who want to lose weight, gain energy, sleep better, reduce stress, get in shape and achieve a greater sense of well-being, balance and happiness in their lives and those of their families.  For more information, please visit her website at www.be-n-balance.com or  send an email to katherine@be-n-balance.com.