Disclaimer: Girls Gone Water does not receive any sort of financial kick-back from these products or links – they’re just our honest holiday gift tips that keep on giving with their connection to water.

Many people show love and appreciation through gift-giving…

and let’s be honest - most people love to receive a thoughtful gift! But during the holidays, it can be tough to nail down the perfect gift for the special people in our lives, and we often resort to pacing around shopping centres looking for stuff that could quickly end up on a pile somewhere.

At Girls Gone Water, we believe it’s possible to find that perfect gift while also deepening our connections with the water around us. We keep thinking up more water-related holiday gift ideas, so our second Holiday Tips Series post is dedicated to another round of water-focused gifts.

#1 – For your S.O.

Dates, birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines… maintaining creativity can be tough.

Stay creative by planning a water date! Get out on the water in a canoe, go surfing, or learn to scuba dive. Live in a colder climate? Take your partner ice skating or ice fishing on a lake (or cuddle up at a waterfront cottage with a view).

Want to switch it up even more? Spend a date volunteering with a local organization that focuses on water stewardship, like planting trees along a riverbank or reducing plastic waste.

Remember, this experiential gift is for you too!

#2 – For your friend group

Try a gift swap with a limit of $0.

Chances are your friends have different spending limits they’re comfortable with. Avoid the awkwardness by swapping things you already own. Got a decoration or a book your besty would love? A diffuser you’ve never used?

Here are the benefits:

• you are free to re-gift without guilt

• it’s free

• your friends can have stuff they’ve been eyeing at your place for months

• you are curbing consumption that could end up damaging our waterways.

#3 – For the intellectual

Books are still in fashion...

and they will always be in fashion for the intellectual. Give a book about the science or stories around water. Try this list of 18 water-themed books to dive into by Popular Science for ideas.

Our personal favourite? “The Secret Life of Lobsters” by Trevor Corson.

#4 – For colleagues

Make their commute to work more interesting with a membership or subscription.

Get them a membership for a bikeshare or carshare and keep the water footprint of your office small. Or try a subscription to a magazine like National Geographic that tells stories about culture and nature - and helps them escape the reality of their long bus ride every morning.

Working in the water sector? Get them a membership for a professional water association.

Did we miss an awesome watery gift? Drop us a line in the comments below!