Now that's a real holiday!

Those cups are really cute.

If you have children, one of the best gifts is a night out w/free babysitting! :o)

I think that I would be offended/feel that I offended someone if a "gift" was cleaning products. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Mrs. Meyer's products, but as a gift? I would have loved to see Cuppow on this list, I love that product with everything I have!!

I definitely put the Mrs. Meyers Basil Kitchen basics set on my christmas wishlist! It smells so good it makes me want to clean!

I think honestly for most people, that'd be a crappy present. But if you are a college kid or person without much money, that stuff rules! I loved getting "practical" things like pantry items or cleaning supplies so then I can go spend money on the stuff I want.

Yeah, Mrs. Meyers stuff would be a nice gift. I wouldn't take it as a hint...

Anyone have experience with Keep Cups? Pros/cons would be appreciated!

Good point, Good Looking. I didn't really think of college gifts, etc. I REALLY love the lavender scent, the basil is so good, too. Now I want to gift them to myself!

Keep Cups are fabulous! We have 4 (3-16 oz and 1-12 oz) and use them every day. The oldest Keep Cup is 3 years old and has no signs of stopping. Their website is really fun (you get to pick your own colors) and customer service is excellent. I give these as gifts to both adults and children.

Mrs. Myers is awesome stuff and a bit on the pricey side, so if someone gave me a whole suite of the stuff, I'd be extatic!

Sadly I often put cleaning products on my list, along with requests for storage. Reclaimed apothecary cabinets are nearly impossible to find under a thousand bucks though.

Question: do people really use those Keep Cups? If I'm at home or work we use ceramic mugs; in the car I'd be worried they'd spill. My spill proof travel mugs look way more trustworthy.

I bought a 16 oz Keep Cup for my husband and it's great. I use a ceramic mug with a silicone wrap and lid because I hate the taste of plastic which cheap plastic coffee travel mugs give off. But when I use the Keep Cup it has no plastic taste, it's light as a feather and durable, plus the lid is very easy to wash. I think it's the best of the plastic disposable travel mugs.

I have both received and given Mrs. Meyer's as gifts. For our family they're products are a bit of a splurge in the cleaning department, and I completely <3 them. They smell all kinds of wonderful and the packaging seems to fit into any decor. In this economy, little practical niceties rule....for us at least. The Keep Cups are rad! And, I love the idea of small composting bins. Great gift ideas! Thanks.

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Love the coffee cups, but please please please don't buy the ones that say "I am not a paper cup" or the reusable shopping bags that are like "saving the earth, one bag at a time," unless you KNOW the recipient likes to broadcast preachy messages to everyone who sees them on their daily commute...

That raises an important point. So-called eco friendly gifts are great but they're not like other gifts that you buy because they are nice. These items should be an investment. Buy nice cotton bags that will last, not those horrible "recycled" plastic ones. Don't buy novelty eco friendly, buy mugs that are spill proof, and are made of stainless steel. Buy a compost bin that's large enough to be worth while.

@emmi,

I don't have a lot of storage for things like cotton bags (I have nylon ones that fold up and donated the canvas whole foods bags because 4 of them took up an entire drawer in my kitchen). I have a similar compost bin that is around the size of that simple human one and it seems to be a really good size for a grocery bag, so I can toss the bag into my green bin for collection. I don't like stainless steel mugs because I find it affects the taste of my drink, I don't like the feeling of it on my lips, and I don't need spillproof because I'll just carry it from the coffee shop to my office (full) and back to my house (empty). One size (style, material, functionality) doesn't fit all.

@emmi I use my keep cup on a daily basis- in the car and on public transport. It's way less likely to spill than a disposable coffee cup! And the lid closes very tightly, so they are very secure. (And CUTE!)

@Carrotsticks I once had a "mystery metal" reusable drink container and (stupidly) put hot liquid in it. It released nickel and I had a severe reaction! So yes I'm not thrilled with some metals either. In my comment I just meant to say, research the product first especially if it's for someone else. Novelty "eco friendly" tends to be cheap so it might get thrown away. But if the gift receiver is going to use it for a lifetime, great! Just an aside, you don't need room in your house for the cotton totes, most people leave them in the trunk of their car.

@Veverka great, thanks for the review! I'm glad to hear people like them. As I said to Carrotsticks as long as people use the product and don't just shelve it, it's worth its salt as an eco friendly gift.

If someone gave me cleaning products as a gift, they'd be off MY gift list. I guess if it's known the recipient would appreciate such a thing, that's fine, but I can't suggest it unless you're sure it'll be received well.

@emmi,

Again, one size doesn't fit all. I don't own a car, so I need somewhere to store bags in my tiny apartment with an even tinier kitchen (and abnormally small drawers).

Green living (for me) is more about all ways I consume (space, energy, material, food) which involves small things and big things. Not having a car or giant house with ample storage more than offsets not being able to keep canvas bags hanging around. I'm not judging you for driving a car, but the most important "green" thing anyone can do is ditch their car and take public transit or bike. Imagine how many plastic bags you burn out of your tailpipe for every km you drive...

I make educated and thoughtful decisions that compliment my lifestyle. I'm sure you probably need to drive, but to get on some high horse about the correct green choices while toodling around town in a personal vehicle is somewhat hypocritical.

@Carrotsticks it seems you visit Apartment Therapy only to argue with people. I'm not psychic so I didn't know you don't own a car. You behaved as though I should have known that. You also responded to my previous comment in a way that showed you didn't really read it. My point was (again) to research "green" products before you buy them for people. I'm not some lawmaker that can force people to do things. People can take or leave my advice, which to be honest completely unoriginal, I am inspired by the leaders of the environmental movement who make, I think, the best choices for our future. When I repeat those messages I feel as though people have a right to that information. It's your future, too.

Sorry emmi, I didn't mean to offend you.

I interpreted your last sentence in the previous comment to be somewhat snarky "Just an aside, you don't need room in your house for the cotton totes, most people leave them in the trunk of their car". You made the assumption that I owned a car, which would be similar to someone suggesting that you keep the guest linens in the guesthouse (unless you own a guesthouse). My previous comment was just to point out that the specific things you pointed out aren't necessarily better for everyone.

I felt the tone of your comments were a bit "holier than thou". Rather than talking about what you do and why you think it's good, you professed to know what is the best for everyone (canvas bags, stainless mugs, big compost container).

Anyway, I totally agree with your main point - that you should research green purchases (or any purchase) to make sure it's the best one for your situation and that it will have longevity in your life. And yes, you should apply the same principles to gifting.

Sorry for being combative. It sounds like we're on the same team, but intelligent arguments aren't necessarily bad, in my opinion.

@Carrotsticks communicating online is like that, because there's no tone of voice or body language. Sounding genuine is tricky, nuances are impossible. No offense taken at all, yes we are on the same team. I post comments too hastily, without reading to see if any of it does sound preachy. I don't consider my personal habits any more green than anyone else's. At this point my goal is to share information so we all can be safe and sound (even more so wildlife and habitat, that's always been my goal). If you don't drive a car you're pretty far ahead of most of us - I hope to get there some day too!

Another thumbs up for the Keep Cup--we have two and use them every Monday on our early morning drive to the city. They are cute to look at, and I like that they're the size of a normal cup of coffee (I find many of the typical metal travel mugs to be a bit big/unwieldy).The lids do indeed lock in place very securely, and that little doohickey on the top flips over to close up the drinking hole too. Good design.

I am a die-hard keep cup fan, I have used one every day for about three years. My work colleagues got me a new colourful cup for my birthday this year, but if they hadn't I'd still be using my original one. They keep your coffee warm longer while remaining comfortable to hold, your barista will know your usual coffee by your cup colour and they wash up easily (all parts of the cup can be separated easily when you want them to, but not when you don't).

So, I went and bought a keep cup (based on only glowing reviews here and elsewhere). Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

I stopped bringing my thermal cup to work because the drinking mechanism was broken and it was a pain to clean. The keep cup is really easy to clean, which I didn't expect to be such a bonus. The little lid stopper comes right out and just pops back in. The lid is made of a softer plastic than the cup, which is easy on the lips, and I now get 10c off at my coffee shop (the cup was $20 after tax, so that's 200 coffees before it pays for itself). Hopefully it'll stand up that long, but it seems pretty durable. It's definitely not something you can throw in your backpack (full) but the splash guard keeps it contained on my trip in to work.