Hippie Holiday Gift Guide

Here come the holidays! And in the midst of snowy weather and spending time with family and friends under the glow of twinkling lights, it's time to get down with the holiday shopping! Unique and affordable are the top two criteria we consider when shopping for our loved ones; we want to give something as meaningful and individual as they are without breaking the bank! Here are some of our very favorite Mexicali Blues gift ideas:

Fleece Lined Convertible Mittens

These fleece lined convertible gloves-or glittens as we like to call them-are seriously the best winter warmers ever! Made of wool and lined with fleece, they keep you warm and dry in even the most perilous of precipitation. At only $14, these are a practical gift that is big on style! Be sure to check out our website for many colors of striped convertible mittens, rasta convertible mittens, and patterned convertible mittens, all of which have matching fleece lined wool hats.

Mexican Baja Hoodie

Bridging the distance between surfer cool and hippie casual, these warm and versatile Mexican hoodies make great gifts for the laid-back guy (or gal) in your life. Available in different color combinations (including one of our favorites, the rasta hoodie) and super-affordable ($18!), this is a gift that will rock the socks off of the lucky recipient!

Tibetan Prayer Flags

Our traditional Tibetan prayer flags are a groovy way to add a peaceful vibe to a hippie home or office. They can be hung indoors for a pop of bright color, or outside where breezes will help them to fray and carry good karmic wishes and prayers out into the world. Our mini prayer flags also make an awesome decoration for a hippie Christmas tree! If traditional prayer flags aren't your style, Mexicali Blues has batik yoga flags and chakra flags, which make excellent gifts for the yoga enthusiast. Check out our earlier blog entry about the meaning of prayer flags so you can share the history of them when you share them as a gift!

Thai Fisherman Pants

Thai fisherman pants are our favorite pants for meditation, yoga, and lounging. Their wrap style makes them an excellent fit for almost everyone, and they are some of the most unique yoga pants around! Available in a wide variety of colors and only $20 each, these are the hippie pants that are sure to please everyone on your gift list!

Hand Knit Mukluks

Hand knit mukluks are the holiday gift that everyone loves to get, especially those of us living in Maine where it is freezing cold this time of year! These toasty bohemian slippers are like sweaters for your feet, with a lined bottom of the foot to keep you from sliding all over the place. There is nothing like coming inside after a long snowy day and relaxing in the warmth and comfort of these awesome mukluks , available exclusively at Mexicali Blues!

Mexicali is proud to carry cool and unique items that have been responsibly imported from all over the world. With a wide variety of affordable fashion scarves, handcrafted sterling silver jewelry, Grateful Dead t shirts, and so much more (including our very own Steal Your State merchandise--combining our love of the Grateful Dead with our love of Maine!), Mexicali is an awesome place to find unique and exotic gifts that you won't find anywhere else!

Check out our comprehensive Mexicali gift guide for more hippie gifts, zen gifts, hippie stocking stuffers, and more! We also have four new & really cool different styles of Mexicali Blues gift cards, so you can personalize the present of a Mexicali shopping spree!

From all of us at Mexicali, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a peaceful new year!

Peaceful Home Hippie Style Guide

Your home is your haven, and you probably spend most of your days at work; creating serene and positive environments in these spaces has the potential to influence your whole outlook on life! Clutter can be overwhelming, so the first step in creating a peaceful home or office is reducing it. Get organized by getting rid of what you don't use or need, and use shelves or wall hooks to put your stuff in its proper place.

Use colors that you love to decorate your room. The color of light coming through a paper globe lantern or block print curtain panels can change the overarching hue, and thus the mood, of the whole space! There is an interesting psychology behind the way colors can influence our moods: Blue represents peace, tranquility, calm, and harmony. Find it at Mexicali in our blue vine indian tapestry or batik yoga flags.

Green represents nature, good luck, and renewal. Add a little green to your space with a jade buddha or unique hanging mobile

Red is associated with love, desire, speed, and strength. It is energetic rather than relaxing, but red accents in a room can be quite pleasing. Try a cheerful tie dye tapestry or rasta flag on your wall.

Purple represents spirituality, mystery, transformation, and enlightenment. It is wonderful color to incorporate into your space; try a lavender batik tapestry with a purple paper star lantern.

Yellow represents joy, happiness, and imagination. Add a pop of yellow to your home or office with the yellow batik mandala tapestry or a yellow submarine Beatles poster.

Decorate with items that make you feel peaceful, like tibetan prayer flags or a zen wall hanging that reminds you of a quality that is important to you, like peace, courage, love, or happiness.

Add natural elements like a wooden buddha, a fountain, or a plant to keep you grounded. Perhaps hang a soothing bamboo wind chime in a window for peaceful sounds.

Candles and incense are a great way to add ambiance to any room. Put a lavender-scented candle in a buddha candle holder, or burn some nag champa incense in a handpainted incense burner for a calming olfactory experience.

If you want to create a peaceful vibe in your bedroom, be sure to keep it cozy with a unique and soft hippie duvet or bohemian bedspread for your bed. Hang a buddha tapestry on the wall or a wooden namaste sign over the door, and you will be saying ohm as you drift off to sleep!

The Ultimate Guide to Hippie Style for Women

Hippie style is all about creative expression of your individuality, connection to nature and music, and comfort! A flowing skirt or a maxi dress is an integral part of the hippie wardrobe; long skirts are perfect for dancing wherever you go! A batik sarong is a versatile and colorful necessity in any hippie woman's closet; wear it as a skirt, dress, or use it as a curtain or picnic blanket!

Tie dye pants, thai fisherman pants, or yoga pants are a great option when you will be climbing trees, hiking, or it is just too cold for a skirt! Pair them with a loose, hippie top, like a tie dye t shirt or kurta tunic. A buddha t shirt, bob marly t shirt, or grateful dead t shirt is another comfortable and awesome way to top off a cute hippie outfit.

Adding layers to your ensemble, like a cozy alpaca sweater or fashion scarf, can make an outfit even more gypsy chic, while keeping you warm as well! A wool hat, pair of fleece lined mittens, or mukluks in natural materials are not at all out of place in a stylish hippie outfit.

Adding earthy elements to your wardrobe (like an embroidered leather belt or wooden shell necklace) is key, because one of the most important tenets of hippie style is that natural is beautiful! Try a turquoise pendant or pair of shiva eye earrings to bring a touch of grounded glamour to a casual outfit.

A funky hobo bag or sling bag is the perfect way to carry all your supplies for a fun hippie day (maybe a footbag, pair of retro sunglasses, or a handmade notebook for writing down poetic thoughts and observations). A cross-body bag with a long strap is a necessary accessory for attending a concert or festival; try one made of hemp for an eco-friendly option.

Finally, no hippie outfit is complete without flowers and/or peace signs! Try peace sign earrings, a peace sign tie dye, or even a peace sign ring. A flower necklace, floral skirt, or calico dress is all you need to show the world that you are a flower child at heart.

The Ultimate Guide to Boho Style

Wear at least one bold bohemian accessory. Bohemian style is artistic and interesting; it may be relaxed and casual but it is still creative. Maybe you will carry a boho bag, or wear a sun hat or tie dye dress; just make sure not to overdo it with too much crazy color. Pair it with something natural, like an embroidered leather belt or wooden earrings to keep your look down-to-earth.

Bohemian style clothing should be loose and flowing, or at least have some flowy element to the outfit. A ruffled skirt or a long dress adds a sense of movement to your outfit that keeps with your nomadic gypsy attitude. Layers are an integral part of the boho style that is particularly welcome in cooler weather; don't be afraid to wear leggings under your dress, and scarves are a must! Wear one or put several together to mix up your look.

Accessorize! Jewelry is a must for creating a boho outfit: layered chunky bangle bracelets and gemstone earrings add to your unconventional earthy appeal. Hammered metal bracelets are another great look, as well as bold wooden chokers or leather necklaces.

Most important to the rules of boho style is that there are no set rules! The whole point of bohemian dressing is to show off your own unconventional and free-spirited ways, so get out there and do it!