“As always, but especially around the holidays, and especially now, when we are seeing such a stark disconnect between our values and the values of the powers that be; please choose to shop small. When you support individual makers, small businesses, local shops and mom & pops, you can safely assume that the way we spend our money is similar to you: at our local shops, at other small businesses where we know the owners, at supporting our artist friends and those who need donations and mutual aid, even at places like our local vet and the neighborhood farmers market. This loop of money stays within a local sphere of mutual benefit for everyone involved. When you shop from the corporations, that money goes towards lobbying for more war, against human rights, against universal healthcare, against unions, against the best interests of the people we care about.” - Rachel Howe of Small Spells
I made a little gift guide last year featuring some of my favorite things and people, many of them are repeated again here. I like to think this is how we should be moving all year, buying from real people and things that are of better quality that will last. If we treasure and take care of what we have things can last us a long time.
I recommend Lanshin products probably everyday I am in the clinic. She makes wonderful Gua Sha tools and incredibly helpful instructional videos. I love this Massager. You can pour hot water in it and use this gently on your neck or even jaw for some relief. I have an older version of this and I love this a lot.
I talk to my patients all the time of the importance of staying warm and dressing appropriately for the weather. In Chinese Medicine it is very important that we keep our necks covered and protected in cold and windy weather. This helps to keep our immune system strong and healthy and prevent us from getting sick! I am a big mohair fanatic and I love Nongrak’s work. They make incredible hats, scarfs, and more made out of recycled mohair and other fabrics. They are a small family owned operation and I am in love with the hats I have from them.
.Nasya oil made by my friend Sheila Govindarajan of Rasa Veda Healing. She is an Ayurvedic practitioner who is part of my “health care team” and I have been using this oil for a few years now. I love the smell of it and know its one of the many things that keeps me healthy while treating so many people in the clinic :)
My dear friend Andrea is a very talented esthetician. She also is my “studio mate” at one of the spaces I practice out of. I am blessed that she shares her beautiful space with me. I am also lucky to get incredible facials from her! Also: Andrea has a substack called “Amezing News”
If you live in the Austin area or have a loved one there you are very blessed to have Lance of Touch Ceremony near you! They are an incredible massage therapist and am lucky to see them when they travel to LA a few times a year.
Two special things I think every kitchen would benefit from would be a Berkey Water Filter and an Instant Pot. I have had my Berkey water filter for 6 years now and its definitely and investment but then you will have it forever! An Instant Pot is wonderful for cooking! Mostly mine is used for cooking bone broth and pozole.
This picture is a couple years old, but a collection of some of my massage/ gua sha tools. The majority of all these beautiful tools come from The Wax Apple. They are beautiful objects and love having them dispersed throughout my apartment to use.
I love Klay! They make many wonderful things, but I have brought a couple of their pillows in my home and they are extremely beautiful and perfect for your bed/ floor/ couch etc. I recently bought this Iris Velvet Globe Cushion and am awaiting its arrival.
If you have seen me in the clinic and have come in with a plastic water bottle I have probably given you a slightly hard time ;) We are surrounded by plastic which we know is not good for us. Harsh household cleaning chemicals, plastic tuperware and plastic bottle fall under the umbrella of ‘endocrine disruptors’. Since most of us are carrying water bottles day after day, rinsing, washing with hot water I always suggest to patients to opt out of plastic, Nalgene like bottles and to choose metal or glass bottles.
I found this ‘original cycling water bottle’ after searching online for awhile for a good bike water bottle, that wasn’t plastic. It could be bigger, but this works for me for short neighborhood rides.
Solar Return is one of a kind! They make work of art cakes that are all vegan, and plant based and should be thought of for every special occasion. They also have wonderful used books and incredible children’s toys. They also just launched their website so you can order some gifts online as well.
Tortoise General Store is one my favorite places to visit, its close to me on the westside. Lots of gift options and special things for yourself, your home.
Yoka Good Things, an LA based project focused on beautiful art and objects from Southern Japan. They do pop up’s throughout the year at different locations especially around the holidays.
OEM is run by two friends of mine Shun Kinoshita and Ceilidh MacLeod, and they just came out with this incredible 3D printed, 100% biodegradable, 100% recyclable ‘care kit’ full of the products they make. They also run b.eautiful a project showcasing artists from Japan.
Reparations Club is a bookstore owned by my friend Jazzi McGilbert. I buy the majority of my books there. If you are in LA I highly recommend visiting them, they also have many events. They ship and can also special order books for you too. Also they have online gift cards available! These two books below I have recently pre-ordered from them. Pre-ordering books is important for authors and bookstores.
Here are a few books from Other Books, a bookstore I love here in LA.
Another bookstore I love from afar is For Keeps Books, a bookstore in Atlanta.
Puppy Pillow is run by my friend Amanny Ahmad, a dear friend who has a knack for finding the most special, and sometimes strangest things. Puppy Pillow items are for sale via IG and highly suggest following.
/ Amanny also has a substack called, Back Home.Old Jewelry is a run by my friend Sarah Burns. Who sells beautiful ‘old jewelry’ she finds, as well as her own editions of rings, earrings, pins etc. Here is a photo from her pop up at Marta gallery earlier this year in June. She also has a shop in New York.
Danica Stamenic is a friend who also sells beautiful vintage jewelry as well her own handmade jewelry. Last year I bought my mom one her silver bangles that she wears every single day.
My friend Annie Lee Larson has a knitwear line called All knitwear. They are works of art that you can wear and treasure forever.
Zn Ali is a very special line of clothing, I treasure my Aashiq Shoes from them.
Lastly I wanted to share a couple things things I made at the end of this year. I made a corduroy hat :) and I made a new run of my Day Acupuncture shirts in a sort of washed hot pink :) and black and a few white ones are up online too!
Day Acupuncture hat linked here <3
Day Acupuncture shirt is linked here as well <3
I have loved seeing patients and friends wear these shirts and seeing them out and about :) I released these at the end of the year to help support me while I take a little time off at the end of this year. I am grateful for my community of friends and patients who inspire me.
So happy I found your substack ❤️ am starting to explore options to become an acupuncturist 🫶🏼