Have you checked up on your "essential worker" friends lately, or are they too busy being drained of their life force at minimum wage jobs to reply? Whether you know someone in the health care field who's constantly on their feet or a fast-food worker who deals with insufferable customers all day, they need a well-deserved break this holiday season. So as long as they aren't being forced to work over the holidays, you can hand deliver them a gift to take their mind off their tyrant manager, customers who make them pull their hair out and the workplace they dread walking into.
GOOD NIGHT TEA
After coming home from a closing shift, every worker needs a little something to wind them down. This tea from Heavenly Special Teas is calming, sweet and relieves those nasty tension headaches your friend might endure after weeks of nonstop chaos. This should give them at least 30 cups of tea to help rid them of the memories of their shift from hell and put them right to sleep. (Until they wake up the next day to do it all over again.) $12 • Heavenly Special Teas • 1817 N. Division St.
MASSAGE
There might not be anything better at relieving stress than some good old elbow grease. Not only could recurring massages help your burned-out friend feel human again, but they could give you some major brownie points with them and possibly the title of best gift-giver ever. Everyone loves to be pampered, so shelling out for an hour or two of massage for your giftee will put them on the train to the relaxation station for a much needed getaway. $109 for one hour • Elements Massage • 3209 E. 57th Ave.
HANDMADE SOAP
Sometimes the only way to forget a hellish day (or year) is to wash away those memories, literally. Kizuri has an outrageous selection of handmade soaps in every scent under the sun and is Spokane's premier fair-trade goods store; every purchase made contributes to fair and liveable wages for each artisan that the store supports. Seems like a good way to support exploited workers and exploited artists. A double whammy? $8/bar • Kizuri • 35 W. Main Ave.
THE KALM BOX
It's safe to say that sometimes we all need a breather. The Kalm Box made by Spokane-based company Kalm Learning is a perfect gift box for the stressed-out worker in your life who could use a bit of time to clear their head. Packed with three items that can help ground a person in times of panic, the leather pouch is inconspicuous and portable. Great for calming down on-the-go or at your place of work. The "worry stone" and felt ball are great distractions from tense situations, whereas hand-pressed essential oils provide a calming escape from overstimulation and feelings of worry. $130 • Kalm Learning • kalmlearning.com ♦
