Today’s gift guide is in theory, on gifts for the in-laws. But as I described it to a few people – it’s really about buying gifts for people who can be tricky to please. This assortment of presents are extremely versatile because they generally don’t veer too much into any niches, nor do they really require a certain sense of humour or lifestyle to enjoy them. They’re what I like to call universal gifts – things you can buy for your kid’s teacher, your “I don’t need anything, really” best friend, and yes, the in-laws, the people you are trying to impress but don’t necessarily intimately know. They’ll love these gifts – and so will everyone else on your list, trust me!
Pure Infused Maple Syrup – $25 each (or $25 for a sampler pack)
I couldn’t be the founder of the Canadian Gift Guide and not include at least one maple syrup gift per holiday season – right? Pure Infused Maple Syrup is an offshoot of Hutchinson Acres, an Annapolis Valley-based maple farm in Nova Scotia. Hutchinson Acres produces their own syrup, but when they wanted to expand their lineup, they turned to a local chef and culinary instructor, Peter Dewar, to create a collection of five flavour-infused syrups – three of which are sweet and designed for desserts, two of which work well in cooking. Those flavours include exotic choices such as Lavender & Chai – perfect for sweetening your hot beverage – or Chipotle & Lemongrass – which makes a tasty glaze on your fish or chicken. All of the ingredients used to flavour these syrups are 100% whole and natural, with many ingredients sourced naturally. That means when you’re drizzling the brand’s Vanilla, Cinnamon & Star Anise syrup onto your waffles, whole star anise and whole cinnamon sticks were used to give it that spicy, dreamy flavour. You can buy each bottle on their own, or opt for the ready-for-gifting sampler pack that includes five mini-bottles in a uniquely designed package.
Sunrise, Sunset: 52 Weeks of Awe and Gratitude by Kim Weiss – $13.95 @ Amazon.ca
If you know someone that needs to bring a little peace and joy into their lives, look no further than this beautiful new coffee table book. With stunning photographs of the sun soaring high or sinking low into the sky, each photo is accompanied by inspirational sayings, poems, and musings from friends and mentors of photographer / author Kim Weiss, as well as dozens of other notable philosophers and celebrities. The photos are all taken from the same vista, but it’s astonishing how different Weiss’ subject looks each day she snaps it. Each page also includes weekly reading recommendations, making this reflective book something of a calendar that your loved one can pull out all year round to spend a few minutes thinking and being grateful before getting started on their day. It’s also perfectly priced to work as a stocking stuffer!
Hand-Dipped Cherries – $33 for 9 or $64 for 18 @ Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut
When in doubt, ply ‘em with liquor and sugar. I’m kidding, but for reals – there aren’t too many people that would turn down one of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut’s delicious seasonal boozy cherries. These festive favourites go through an expansive, eight-step process to make their way from the cherry trees of B.C. into your home, kicking off with a five-month Kirsch ‘bath’ to give them that strong liquor-infused flavour. Each cherry is lovingly hand-dipped into the brand’s signature semi-sweet chocolate infused with fondant sugar and maraschino flavouring, and wrapped in a beautiful gift box. It’s a perfect seasonal indulgence that won’t stay on the shelves for long, so get yours while they last!
Kitigan Moccasins – ~$129+ for Adult Moccasins
Growing up, one of my favourite gifts to receive was moccasins – it was a regular tradition in our household. Today, these snuggly slippers have been lauded for both their function AND their fashion, making them a perfect choice for any tough-to-buy-for folks that you actually want to spend a little money on. Kitigan, which is the Ojibway word for ‘garden’, sells the real deal. They function as a marketplace for up-and-coming Aboriginal artisans – from painters to sculptors to jewelry designers to yes, moccasin makers – to showcase their wares and create a solid revenue stream borne out of creativity, talent and skill. It’s worth giving their entire site a look for some authentic pieces from some incredibly gifted designers and creators, although their moccasins are one of the site’s bestsellers – and for good reason. Rendered in sturdy hide, these cozy moccasins have a plush sherpa lining and are trimmed with fluffy fur. The intricate beading of course, is the showstopper – and Kitigan carries a pretty vast range of designs for infants, children, women, men, and even unisex styles. In our climate you really can’t go wrong with a comfortable pair of slippers – especially ones this well-crafted!
Slate Cheese Board – $32.50 @ SPARQ Home
If the folks you’re shopping for are into their wines and cheese, don’t try out outcheese or outwine them. They will beat you every time. Instead, opt for something they can use at their next gathering, like this stylish slate cheese board. With a rustic live edge and a dark background, it’s a showstopping piece that still manages to let the plat du jour – that would be cheese – shine. And this handy board also comes with with soapstone chalk that is easy to use for identifying what cheeses are being served up, but it’s also super easy to clean. As a handy pro tip, try refrigerating your slate for a few hours before your party – it’ll keep those cheese from getting ‘sweaty’ as the night wares on. On a final note, SPARQ Home’s products are available at a number of retailers in Canada, including The Room Collection, Premiere Gift Company, and Osoyoos Duty Free Shop. Contact them to find the nearest location by you!
myCharge AmpMax 6000 mAh Battery – $49.99 @ Amazon.ca
I don’t know about your in-laws, but mine are pretty device-savvy. However like most people with a million apps and constant use of their phones and tablets, staying powered up is always a challenge. The myCharge AmpMax is a pretty ingenious solution. It’s roughly the size of a deck of cards and can power up virtually any device you’ve got that has a USB charger. What’s particularly cool is the myCharge AmpMax detects what’s been plugged into it and automatically delivers the maximum charging power that device will allow, meaning your phone, ereader, tablet, MP3 player, or GPS will get fired up that much quicker (in fact, up to 25% quicker). And of course, this battery is rechargeable – four handy lights help you keep tabs on when your alternate power source needs some more juice itself. As an extra Macgyver-type bonus, it even comes with a built-in LED light so you can see what you’re doing, if say, you’re road tripping down a dark highway and need to plug in that GPS.
Spice Post Subscription – From $8.33 / month
Today’s subscription market is cooler than ever – with everything from artisan coffees to beauty products delivered to your door on a monthly basis. This subscription service is pretty unique and extremely practical, particularly if you’re shopping for a chef. As any experienced home cook will tell you, good, fresh spices are key to making a dish sing. A simple replacement of your spices can liven up your cooking in no time – but what if you received them in the mail instead? That’s the concept behind Spice Post, a Canadian subscription service that sends two, high end spice packets to your home on a monthly basis on a specific theme, alongside some handy recipe cards to give you literally a dozen ways to use your spices and give your kitchen routine a kick in the pants. It’s awesome for novice cooks and master chefs alike, and pretty affordable too – a six-month subscription is just $55 including tax and shipping (and if you go for a full year upfront, it’s just $100 – saving you $20 than if you just did a month-to-month subscription).
Foreword Shelf – $40 each @ Said The King
If you’re like me, then you’ll agree that books can make wonderful works of art. These innovative, handcrafted shelves from Toronto brand Said The King can help you display your books in a sleek and stylish way. Whether it’s a title you’re reading or one with a fabulous cover, simply tuck the book into the hollowed-out niche for a striking piece of wall decoration. The shelves can be hung vertically, horizontally or at a 45 degree angle allow you to create an endless arrangement of displays. Plus, it comes in four different shades of wood, so you can pick the one that best matches your in-laws decor. While you’re at it, nab them a gift card to their favourite bookstore so they can buy some display-worthy titles for their new shelves.
Wine Cooler Magisso – $89.95 @ Opuszone
I raved about Opuszone’s lineup of perfect-for-gifting items a few months ago and I’m psyched to see all the latest and greatest additions they’ve got just in time for the holidays. One such gift ideas is the sleek wine chiller you see above. Say buh-bye to ice buckets and lukewarm wine. All you’ve got to do is soak it in water for a minute or two and the ceramic container will start chilling, keeping your in-laws fave beverage of choice cool for up to four hours. And you can also write on it with a piece of chalk – allowing them to leave a sweet love note for one another or to highlight various bottles at a fete they’re hosting for New Year’s Eve.
TEC Accessories PicoPen – $18.99
Finally, we’re wrapping things up with a gift that works for any member of your family. All too often in our tech-savvy world we still require and scramble for pens. Whether signing a release form or jotting down details, many a lady has suffered through rifling through her purse looking for a writing utensil, and most guys don’t have a pen on them, period. The PicoPen is designed to latch onto your keychain and put your pen at your literal fingertips so you can write things down, whenever you need to. Despite the premise of being a pen, it’s actually super tiny, at just 3″ long it’s barely bigger than two loonies stacked beside one another. And made from a durable, stainless steel case, you never have to worry about the dreaded ‘burst pen’ effect ruining your family members’ bags or pockets. Bonus points for a magnetic lid that’ll keep this thing safe, secure, and easy to access.
And I LOVE when I get to do this (fair warning – this won’t be the first time it happens this holiday season), but I’m actually giving away something from every brand featured in today’s gift guide! You could score an incredible Gifts for the In-Laws prize package valued at over $430, including the following:
A Pure Infused Maple Syrup Sampler Pack
A Copy of Sunrise, Sunset
A 9-piece Box of Hand-Dipped Cherries
A Pair of Kitigan Moccasins
A SPARQ Home Cheese Board
A myCharge AmpMax Battery
A 6-month Spice Post Subscription
A Said The King Foreword Shelf
A $25 Opuszone gift card
A TEC Accessories PicoPen
1) Leave a comment on this post before midnight on December 6, 2014 and tell me which of these gift ideas you love the best (you can pick more than one!)
2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 7, 2014 to select the winner(s), who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.
3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.
4) Bonus Entry: 10 prizes, 10 ways to nab some extra entries into the draw. For each one you do, be sure to leave your ‘proof’ in a separate comment or else your efforts won’t be tracked.
Like Pure Infused Maple on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall about which flavour you’re most interested in trying. Link back to your wall post in a separate comment below.
Like the Sunrise, Sunset Facebook Page and leave a comment on why you’re interested in checking out this brilliant book. Then link back to your wall post in a separate comment below.
Follow Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut on Twitter. Follow them, tag them and me (@cdngiftguide) in a delicious Tweet that links back to this very post. Provide a link to your Tweet in a separate comment below.
Follow Kitigan on Instagram. Visit their site and find a product you love, share it on your Instagram, tagging @kitiganart. Link back to your image below.
Follow SPARQ on Twitter. Send out a Tweet tagging them and me (@cdngiftguide) in a tweet that includes this post’s link. Post a separate comment below with a link back to your Tweet.
Follow Erikson Consumer (the distributors of myCharge) on Twitter. Send out a Tweet that tags them and me (@cdngiftguide) and link back to this post. Be sure to post a separate comment below with a link to your Tweet.
Pin the Spice Post image above onto Pinterest. Then link back to your Pin in a separate comment below.
Follow Said The King on Instagram. Like and comment on one of their photos and link back to that photo in a separate comment below, with your Instagram username.
Like Opuszone on Facebook. Leave a comment on their wall about what product you think would make the perfect gift for your in-laws (or whoever) and then link back to that wall post in a separate comment below.
Like TEC Accessories on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall. Leave a link back to your wall post in a separate comment below.
