Why you should consider shopping locally this Christmas
We say it every year - man this year has gone fast! 2021 is no exception with the pandemic, earthquakes and a tornado all added into the mix making it a year to remember. So when the first of the 'get ready for Christmas' posts started popping up last week my immediate reaction was....seriously??
After the year we’ve had we now have to think about getting ready for Christmas?! Add to that an overloaded postal network and suddenly online shopping for the gifts we wish to send or give seems like a waste of time.
The answer is to shop local!
“Where?!” I hear you ask, well that is why you are here today. Let’s think a little differently this Christmas, if the pandemic has taught us anything it is, the importance of prioritising our health.
Here at The Functional Joint (TFJ) we believe in functionality and sustainability and we stock products that reflect exactly that, everyday practical products that your loved ones will enjoy while helping protect the environment and their health.
Not sure what to get your loved ones this Christmas?
Here are our top 5 gift ideas this Christmas!
After nearly 2 years of working from home for a lot of people, who wears shoes? You might have noticed that your sneakers are feeling a bit snug, or create pain in your shins, heels or even knees when you go for your walk now. Your high heels with the pointed toe suddenly you can’t even squish your 5 toes in and pretend to be comfortable! What happened?
Your feet relaxed, spread out and returned to their natural splay. What you need is shoes designed to fit around a foot, not a foot that gets crammed into a shoe.
The benefits? Less pain, stronger feet and if you get onto it early enough and with a bit of help from health professionals like us you will avoid bunions! Learn to love your feet.
We stock barefoot shoes for the whole family, kids through to adults and it’s never too late to start. If you are under the care of a Podiatrist and aren’t sure if these are right for you we suggest you make an appointment to see the team at Deakin Holistic Podiatry for advice.
We have 2 brands: VIVOBAREFOOT and PaperKrane, sizes are listed in EU, so to get the best fit we recommend trying them on in store or if that isn’t possible stand on a piece of paper, trace around the feet and measure the length in cm.
As with clothing brands, sizes differ the same applies to shoes. You will not always be a size 9, some brands you will be a 9 others a 10, always go for the correct fit.
Alright, what else have you got?
To go with the shoes you need functional socks, because what’s the point in wearing a barefoot shoe if your socks are so tight they pull your toes together? The answer is Toe Sox! Yep those weird looking glove like socks for your feet. We are a stockist of Toe Sox Australia. With socks for daily wear and grip socks for Pilates, Yoga and dance.
“The pandemic has also seen an increase in people doing fitness from home via online classes, which means you need mobility tools at home. We stock spikey balls, booty bands and for your environmentally conscious family member” - Mobeco.
Mobeco is a gorgeous range, made entirely from natural cork, sustainably sourced from Asia. Hang on, isn’t the use of cork unsustainable? In wine bottles - yes, as a mobility tool that you plan to keep forever - no. This is a premium range, the cork mat is divine and feels so good under foot. Being cork if you get sweaty hands or feet the mat becomes grippier when wet! It’s also easy to clean, disinfect and dries fast, the natural rubber backing gives it a nice weight and grounded feel and the other bonus - no curled up ends - EVER. That’s right, rolls out flat every single time. Pair it up with their hemp yoga strap with rose gold D rings and you can make a carry strap, to carry your mat in style to and from your outdoor yoga classes by the river.
They also have a cork peanut, massage ball and yoga block as well as a small, portable roller that isn’t for the faint hearted. Mobeco also stands for sustainability, with no plastic in their packaging and they plant a tree for every item sold. If a product becomes damaged the entire range is compostable.
Magnesium is also a hot product. Every health practitioner will tell you that we struggle to get magnesium from our foods now due to commercial farming practices and depleted soils, as well as the fact that stress depletes our bodies of minerals quickly like magnesium.
We are your local stockist of Salt Lab, which now has compostable packaging for their deluxe bath salts and refills for their magnesium oil sprays. Australian owned and made.
For the regular bather, we have Silver Clove bath salts which gives you 2-3 baths per pack.
Another thoughtful gift is a heat pack from our Wili Heat bags range. Not just a heat pack it can be used cold. Gorgeous prints, handmade in Adelaide. The back wrap is popular, featuring a velcro strap to hold it to your body, the neck and back wraps have sewn in panels to keep the lupins in place - that’s right, lupins, not wheat! No more wheat smell!
The eye masks are also great for hay fever and migraine sufferers as well as those with dry eyes.
Let's not forget about stocking fillers!
We have some great ideas for smaller gifts too, such as:
We sell cold brew coffees, nitro coffee and teas! Something different and perfect to enjoy during the summer time. We can organise a mixed 6 pack and team it up with our range of healthier snacks from Chief and Beauty Food.
We now stock Chief Biltong Beef bars, jerky and their collagen bars, as well as Beauty Food nut butters and collagen cookies. The Nitro coffee and beef bars and jerky have been very popular with our male customers.
Make Christmas shopping easy on yourself and shop local, arrange a time to drop in or you can buy online and arrange a collection.
We also offer gift vouchers which can be used on any products in the store or a massage with one of our therapists Nathan Bruinhout.
Start your Christmas shopping now, browse all our products here
Don’t forget to check out our socials!