Congratulations on your eleventh anniversary! If you are like me, you are scrambling for gift ideas.

 I love sticking with the theme (and giving a great gift), but as the years have gone on, I have less interest in accumulating even more stuff (that we have to clean) and more interest in making new memories. In these years since we got hitched, it has become clearer and clearer that our planet is in desperately rough shape. If I want to live many long and happy years together (or see grandchildren), I need to take better care of the planet now.

This includes every gift I buy and every purchase I make. Think about how many things you have bought since your last anniversary! Probably more than we can remember. Our purchases add up, and we can do a lot of good with them.

To make my gifts more eco-friendly, I try to approach every gift with these rules in mind:

1. More Meaning, Less Stuff

You have 11 years of life accumulated together already- do you really want more things to clean? Instead, opt for an experience gift that won't have any clean up involved or one really meaningful gift (as opposed to a bunch of little stuff that you don't really care about). The less we all consume, the lower our carbon footprint.

2. Give Something a Second Life

Whether the item is secondhand or recycled/reused, it will keep things out of landfills. This is particularly great for steel, because steel often has lots of life in it when it is done being used for its original function. You can find TONS of upcycled and reused steel items out there.

3. Think Local

Transit is one of the most climate crisis-producing parts of our lives, but a HUGE percentage of this is actually shipping. If everything you buy is from around the world, you are supporting a lot of globe-trotting for your stuff. It's a lot of fossil fuels. On top of that, you may save a dollar or two, but that savings is because they treat their people like slaves. Do you really want that kind of negativity in your home?

Buy local to you, so your stuff travels way shorter distances, doesn't use unethical labor, and uses way less fossil fuels!

So I always start trying to think of experience gifts, and from there check for cool sources for recycled or locally-made stuff. That means what you find shopping wherever you are would be totally different from me, but hopefully I can spark a good idea for you!

This blog does use affiliate links from Etsy and Amazon, but I highly recommend that you skip Amazon and buy your gifts from local stores whenever possible. Remember, the less your stuff travels, the better it is for the environment. 

Ok, let's do this! Eleventh anniversary!

Experience Gifts

Experience gifts give your marriage what it most needs- new experiences, new memories, and new stuff to talk about. They can also be excellent for the planet, creating less waste and shifting your mindset. 

Go to a Steelers Game

Ok, this only works if you are from Western, PA (like I am), but when I think steel, I think Steelers. If you have a football fan on your hands, a ticket to the game should be enough gift (and enough money) to cover you for the rest of the year!

A Trip on a Train

You could also think in terms of the steel rail, and head off on a romantic train adventure. Traveling by train feels like a throwback, and it is actually one of the greenest ways to take a trip. How relaxing! Check whether there are any passenger trains still running near you. Plan even a long weekend and take your Amtrack to a nearby city. It will be a cool adventure worth remembering.

A Gym Membership

Ok, you HAVE to know your partner before you do a gift like this. If they could possibly get offended, do not do it! It's not worth it!

That said, a membership for a nearby gym or some lessons from a personal trainer could be the perfect gift. Do it for both of you, and have it be a fun thing that you do together, focusing on yourself for a minute even though life is busy.

Go Get a Piercing

I know it's a little bit crazy, but if you have ever wanted one, why not go do it together? If not now, when? Take a big crazy (or not so crazy) leap together.

from Ohio Flame

Romantic Gifts

A Fire Pit

The Boy has these dreams of having a fire pit in our backyard, so we can sit in the summers and just hang out together. Sounds nice, right? I always imagine it with smores, but some adults aren't purely motivated by treats. Check out Ohio Flame, because they make their fire pits in Tennessee. Just kidding! It's Ohio. You can also find them secondhand sometimes, especially on Facebook marketplace and Ebay. This firepit on Etsy from boldmfg is also simple and attractive.

A Steel Heart

I think this simple recycled steel heart from fttdesign could make really beautiful decor tied to this special day. It could also go outside!

from DenmarkDesignsLLC

Lighting

Steel and metal are used in so many lights, lamps, and lanterns. Maybe there is a lighting fixture that you think your loved one would be excited to replace with something special? New soft lighting can fuel romance on a daily basis as well, so it feels like a very romantic gesture.

I love these lamps made by Denmark Designs, which combines metal and reclaimed wood for a modern farmhouse look. I also think Schoolhouse Electric has some of the best mid-century style and American-made lighting fixtures out there. No matter what your style, you can probably find something on Etsy.

Gifts for your Home

Knives

By your eleventh anniversary, the knives you started with may be ready to replace. I have done a LOT of research on knives, so you can go fancy (if that's your style) or less fancy. But they are all made of America, which is pretty cool. There are also 55,000 used knives just up on Ebay, so if you know what you are looking for, you can probably find things with plenty of life left.

For Fancy Knives-

- Wusthof Epicure partnership knives, where the handle is made in the US from recycled wood and the knife is made in Germany. You can buy it as a 7 piece set (again, no one is spending that money on you) or individual knives.
- Cutco is also made entirely stateside, and the people who buy them are deeply committed. They love them. They are way on the expensive end, but they have a lifetime warranty, so you could get a couple at a time and never have to buy knives again. My Mother in Law swears by these, so you know they are great.
-Lamson and Goodnow has a wide variety of well-made (all in America) knives that you can buy individually or in sets. They also look great. The company has been in business based out of Massachusetts for 187 years, so they must be doing something right.

For Affordable Knives-

- Rada Cutlery sells pretty affordable (but well-loved) paring knives and steak knife sets. Dexter-Russell's prices are a little higher, but still not ridiculous, and they are based out of Massachusetts. They also have a good variety of knives and lengths, so you can get exactly what you want. This is their 10 inch chef's knife and here is an 8 inch version. You can also buy a 9 piece set (including kitchen sheers) from iCut Pro, manufactured by Dexter Russell.
- R Murphy Knives have been based out of Massachusets since the 1850's, and you can still get kitchen knives (with especially cool wood handles). Case has been making their knives in the US for 150 years, and you can buy their set here.

Pots and Pans

If you are partnered with someone who loves to cook, a fresh and fancy pot or pan might be a great steel gift. It becomes clearer and clearer that non-stick pans are seriously toxic, so my recommendation is to just go with the sticky pans. All-Clad pots and pans are made in the US, and they are pricey! You can find some on Ebay secondhand, so maybe start there. But they should last, so you can get a couple a year until you have a collection.

If you want to do something a little less expensive, check out these pots and pans from USA Pan, which are made in Pittsburgh.

Silverware

If you want to get silverware that looks polished, or just replace your missing spoons (where do the spoons go? Why does no one prepare us for this part of adulthood?), Liberty Tabletop is your best bet. There are a bunch of styles, and they are the only silverware company still manufacturing in the United States. They are a gem for sure.

Steel Mixing Bowls

My mother in law swears by steel mixing bowls, but I cannot find any that are made in the US. My best advice is to check out your local thrift shops or eBay to look for mixing bowls that you will never have to replace. You may be able to find them open box on Amazon as well, since it is probably on some wedding registries.

Practical Gifts

Water Bottles or Coffee Cups! 

You can find lots of great reusable water bottles, but a good metal one can last a long time. The same is true for an excellent coffee cup- great for the environment and endless reuse! If you need something little, a bottle from Klean Kanteen, Liberty Bottleworks, or even Yeti might be great options.

Zero Waste Starter Items

So much of the zero waste stuff out there that can perfectly replace the single use items in your life comes in stainless steel- lunch containers, straws (they even have wide boba straws), tea infuser, tumblers, and reusable water bottles (I actually love Liberty Bottleworks bottles more, but kleen kanteen are steel).

And that's just the tip of the iceberg! They have stainless steel ice packs, floss with refillable metal containers, and amazing, refillable metal containers for things like shampoos and lotions from Plaine Products.

A Big Metal Tub

Behrens makes all of their metal tubs in the United States. You could fill it with something romantic? We have three of these which we used to plant our tomatoes basically in our driveway, where we get the best sun. If you rent, or you just are missing the best light in your yard, big metal tubs can make the perfect garden!

Jewelry Gifts

Steel jewelry mostly comes up with lots of stud earrings, but I did have to share these bracelets, which you can personalize in your own handwriting, which might be super special. 

from VintageBrandingCo

from Atrio

from titaniumbands

from ingredientsforlovely (using recycled steel)

from dremeWORKS

from AshkalJewlery

from DesignsbyCGP