Mind & Mountain 2025 Gift + Giving Guide
Thoughtful gifts, meaningful giving, and ways to share care – even in a tender year.
Finding something that makes someone light up – that little spark of oh, you really see me 🥹– is one of my favorite parts of this season.
This year, our gift and giving guide is short and full of heart. This blog has a short list of small businesses, makers, and educators who pour so much care into what they create. Shopping small is such a simple, powerful way to share our love – not just with the people we’re gifting to, but with the humans behind each beautiful thing.
And while the holidays can be joyful, I know they can also be tender. A lot of us are stretched thinner than usual this year (finance + capacity-wise), which makes the kind of giving that’s rooted in meaning (instead of pressure) feel even more special.
So, take what speaks to you, leave what doesn’t, and remember – your presence in someone's life is a present in itself. Hugs, homemade cards, and time intentionally spent with loved ones are all incredible gifts, too ❤️
Mind & Mountain Training Membership
I mean, I had to throw this one on here! If you have a Ski Babe or a Summer Strong Star in your lif,e we can set up a gift purchase for you. All you need to do is drop us a line here, and we’ll customize the offer to fit your needs. Maybe it’s one month, maybe it’s a year, maybe it's the Full Season of Summer Strong Training in 2026 - we can make those dreams come true!
The Training Membership includes Ski Babes, Summer Strong, Balance Training, and more bonuses than feel right to list in this short and sweet blog. To get the full details, check it out here.
Alpine Fit Co. My friend Jen started Alpine Fit Co. about the same time I started Ski Babes. It’s a forever recommendation for me, all of their stuff is so good – but if you want a specific rec, you can’t go wrong with the Rendezvous Ridge baselayer
Created and curated by Britt'Nee Kivliqtaruq Brower there’s something for everyone here from earrings, to leggings, to tea towels and it’s all Indigenous artists created. If Native arts are your thing you may also want to check out the Alaska Native Artists Directory to find artists in your area that you can directly support this holiday season.
(photo from kivliq.com)
This is such a thoughtful gift, and a great one for those watching their budgets this year! These super cute patches will help extend the life of your loved one’s favorite gear with a little more flair than the usual duct or tent tape. PS - everything on the Salmon Sisters site is amazing and thoughtfully curated - it’s very worth checking out the rest of their selection, too.
Triple Point Training’s Online Wild Ice Course
This suggestion is near and dear because, yes, Triple Point Training is my partner Luc’s creation. BUT I would suggest this even if it wasn’t. If you have an ice skating enthusiast in your life or someone who has been wanting to get into it, this would be such a supportive gift to help them learn to safely and confidently traverse wild ice.
Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund
Make a donation in the name of a loved one and really help out folks in need this season. Typhoon Halong is long gone, but its effects are going to be echoing through our state for a long time to come. Not only does this gift keep funds local, but it also helps our friends and neighbors as they try to recover and rebuild after this natural disaster.
Thanks for taking the time to read about these suggestions! Wherever you do your shopping this season, remember it is so appreciated when you use those resources to support small businesses (ask me how I know 😉), artists, makers, and local causes.
If you still need more suggestions, check out one of our more extensive gift guides from years past. These were all crowd-sourced from the Mind & Mountain training community and are chock full of small businesses, inspiring makers, and incredible causes.
Happy Holidays, everyone!