💫 Our wishlist for a fairytale
The end of the year celebrations are approaching fast. While some are delighted, others dread them. For animal rights activists, it sometimes feels like a sort of torture. But remember: we also have the right to skip our turn (remember that Christmas is not compulsory!) and tell our family: “This year, it's the turkey, or me!”
Ideas and arguments to add to our bag of tricks.
• Monique Koch of the Brown Vegan blog presents recipes and tips for people who want to go vegan but aren’t quite sure of how to start the transition. Her article on going vegan with a family is a practical guide to making small changes, such as slowly replacing animal-derived ingredients with vegan alternatives.
• Beyond species, a podcast exploring issues around speciesism and the struggle to dismantle it.
She also hosts a podcast with guests to discuss a variety of topics, including vegan fitness and travel.
• Fox and Possum’s blog, Brisbane-based brand strategist, and peculiarly this article: Why do people eat meat.
Things to make ourselves pretty.
• Apparis, this cruelty-free fur brand offers capsule collections, each one consisting of two models made out of an original fiber obtained from plant waste (corn and hemp). If you can hear your bank account trembling in fear, now is a good time to tell your loved ones to start pooling their money!
• Superbe, bodysuits made in Europe or Turkey, wildly colorful and shiny, perfect for asserting your style.
• Caire, elegant cactus-based bags, including a mini model designed to carry just what you need to go out. Top style made in Spain.
Gifts that make sense.
• Pourprées, periodical panties made in France in organic cotton, suitable for all body types. They are beautiful and they are sold at the right price!
• Maison Fantôme, small and large “leather” goods in recycled inner tubes, timeless accessories made in France.
• Archiduchesse, French-made socks to keep the feet of the whole family warm.
• And here are a few more ideas, pamper yourself with these cosmetics for all: Avril, Ça va barber, Clémence et Vivien, Indemne, Lamazuna and Zao makeup,
Books to slip into young hands.
• The True Adventures Of Esther The Wonder Pig, written by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter & Caprice Crane and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld, (Brown books, 2018). After becoming viral on the internet, the story of this rescue pig is now available on print!
• T-Veg, written by Smiriti Prasadam-Halls, with Katherina Manolessou’s colorful illustrations. (Abrams Books, 2016). How do you make friends when you're a veggie tyrannosaurus? A story that helps us to accept our differences.
• Chickpea Runs Away, written by Sarat Colling and illustrated by Vicky Bowes (Vegan Publisher, 2019). Chickpea the cow lives on a big farm. She watches as her friends and family are taken away to an uncertain fate. When she realises it might be her time to be sent into the unknown in the frightening truck, she decides to run away.
Recipes to treat ourselves, alone or accompanied.
• Addicted to hummus (🇪🇸🇬🇧 – IG, Tiktok & on line). Easy and generous recipes. Bonus: their videos are funny and beautiful.
• Make it Maya (🇩🇪🇬🇧 – IG, Tiktok & online). She revisits the classics of European cuisine in a vegan version! One day it’s Italy, the next day it’s Germany… there is no time to be bored!
• Marie Laforêt, the french vegan diva (🇫🇷🇬🇧 cocorico!) whose 5 books have been translated so far, including her bestseller Vegan bible.
Films to sit back and relax to.
• The Game Changers (American documentary film, 2019, directed by Louie Psihoyos). Do you also happen to have a cousin who says that high-level sports and veganism are not compatible? Tie him to the sofa and show him this uplifting documentary that shows the journey of vegan athletes. If he persists in saying that he has to eat a steak before going to play ball with his neighbor, then he’s just full of it.
• Empathy (Spanish documentary film, 2017, directed by Ed Antoja). If you have a recalcitrant friend who already knows all about animal sickness but still refuses to stop eating their meat, perhaps this film will finally teach him empathy.
• Okja (Korean film released in 2017, directed by Bong Joon-ho). The story of a little girl and her pig mate, very critical of intensive breeding, but not exclusively. The child embarks on a quest full of twists and turns to find her friend, with the help of a small group of vegan terrorists.
Films to sit back and relax to, with kids.
• Zootopia (2016 animated film, Disney studio). Zootopia is a society where all mammals live together without carnivores threatening other animals. But the rabbit heroine has a hard time finding her place there… Meanwhile, a mysterious virus revives predatory instincts. The moral of this story is quite simple; we should not trust appearances or preconceived ideas and we should accept each other, without racism or misogyny.
• Chicken Run (2010 animated film, Aardman studio). The henhouse is in danger. Ginger, the runaway hen, is helped by Rocky, the free and lonely rooster-boy. Will they succeed in saving the chickens from Mr. Tweedy's pie? After watching this movie, eating Christmas turkey should be impossible.
Are you finally making the dream come true?
How about a pair of GURU as a gift for you or a loved one?
We’re well aware that shipping costs are a big obstacle to purchasing. So here’s a small present from us: this year, we are offering free shipping to Europe!