It’s your favourite post of year readers! That’s right, it’s my roundup of the best gift ideas for women in Canada. There’s a LOT to read, so let’s jump in shall we?
Ignite the Light + Conferring With The Flowers Dresses – $80 each @ Ever Rose
These twofer dresses are totally awesome! Designed with a flattering hip-skimming skirt in a fun pattern and a contrasting cozy stretch knit top, these are the perfect dresses for dressing up or dressing down – all year round. They can easily be layered with tights, boots, and cardigans for the cooler months, but they also look super cool with a pair of sandals and sunnies when heading out to a music festival or out for a patio lunch in the summer. That pretty grosgrain ribbon at the waist is the ideal finishing touch – plus it helps define your curves to give you an ultra flattering silhouette. Of course, these are just two of dozens of gorgeous styles at Ever Rose, Canada’s new favourite online indie shopping destination!
B. Kamins Winter Defense Kit – $50 ($80 Value)
It wouldn’t be much of a Canadian Gift Guide if I didn’t include something to help us brave the cold stretch in front of us. Enter B. Kamins, a Canadian brand that specializes in creating luxurious, spa-quality products to deliver the results of spending a day getting pampered. The brand’s origins are in pharmaceuticals and they take a similar approach to tackling your skincare woes. The Winter Defense Kit, which includes a full-sized Lactic-10 Peel to exfoliate the skin and encourage cell turnover, alongside a Nia-Stem Moisturizer Kx to repair past damage, minimize the appearance of aging and provide hydration during the chilly months with their signature Bio-Maple Compound.
Zing54 – $39.99 @ Zing Anything
Get the juices flowing and serve up a tasty drink at your next gathering with this innovative pitcher from Zing Anything. With a built-in muddler, now you can add the fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices of your choice to the bottom of a pitcher of water to infuse them with fresh, tangy taste. The top of the pitcher keeps your muddled bits from seeping into your poured drink, and it also comes with a handy citrus reamer attachment if you want to add some fresh orange, lime, lemon or grapefruit juice to the mix. Made from BPA-free plastic, this is an awesome item to break out for family meals and social events alike. It’s way healthier than drinking soda (and tastier too) and allows you to unleash your creativity on your water. Admittedly, it’s also a mighty fine pick for those who love to imbibe some sangria!
We Are Knitters Downtown Snood + Sienna Beanie Kits – $51 USD each
Have a crafty gal to shop for? She’ll love these amazingly easy knitting kits that contain all the materials, tools, and instructions you need to craft handmade, functional fashion accessories. Designed for beginners, both of these kits are wonderful guides to those who are new to knitting, but We Are Knitters also offers plenty of kits for those with a bit more experience under their belt. First, choose the style you want to craft. Next, pick your colour of wool (with 25+ colours to pick from). Wait for your kit to arrive and get set for a stitch night of hanging out and clacking those needles. Best of all, We Are Knitters is totally committed to helping newbie knitters and enthusiasts alike by showing off successfully completed projects from other knitters and great resources like online videos to help you nail the basics.
Palais des Thes Winter Garden Teas – $27 USD each
It’s rare I’d call a tea ‘imaginative’, but that’s exactly what these three scrumptious caffeine-free blends of tea are. The latest addition to Palais des Thes’ Garden series, each of these festive teas are designed were crafted with an imaginary garden in mind that influenced the bounty of fruits, flowers, and aromatic plants in each infusion. First, there is Forest Garden, which is punctuated with plenty of woodsy berries, like the elderberry. Next, you’ve got Festive Garden, which is laden with cocoa and orange and brings to mind unwrapping a Christmas orange. Finally, there is Queen’s Garden, with sweet notes of carmelized almonds and cinnamon. Each tin makes a lovely gift or stocking stuffer, but the trio of them is a luxurious pick for any tea aficionado in your family.
Harman Kardon Esquire Mini Wireless Portable Speaker and Conferencing System – $189.95 @ Indigo
If you’re shopping for a professional woman, then you’ll definitely want to keep this sleek little gift idea in the back of your mind. It’s a portable speaker that packs plenty of style with its gold hue, kickstand, and detachable strap. But more importantly, it delivers amazing sound, thanks to its high-performing drivers and enhanced bass port. While it’s a great tool to turn on the tunes when grinding through a pile of paperwork, it’s also Bluetooth enabled, so you can use it as a teleconferencing speaker no matter where you are – the built-in microphone and noise / echo cancelling technology definitely help in that regard! Plus it’s got 8 hours of battery time and is a snap to recharge when you’re on the road.
La Vie En Rose Flannel PJs – $34.95 each + 3D Socks – $14.95
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I have so many new readers again, so I’ll share it again – one sweet tradition my family has kept over the years is my mom picks out a pair of cuddly PJs and a book for my sister and I to each unwrap on Christmas Eve. There’s something so special about waking up in a fresh pair of PJs on Christmas morning, and there are few cuddlier pairs than the ones on offer at La Vie En Rose. This year they’ve got more adorable sleep sets than ever, drawing inspiration from classic holiday motifs like reindeer and gingerbread men, as well as wintery styles that channel classic Nordic prints. There’s also tons of cute matching accessories – from sleep masks to slippers to these stocking stuffer-worthy 3D socks!
The Body Shop Spa of the World Collection – $10 – $35
Everyone’s favourite bath and body care destination has gone global – literally! Their latest line of skin soothing treatments draws inspiration and ingredients from the far corners of the world. Take for example, their Dead Sea Salt Scrub, which uses actual Dead Sea salt, prized for its mineral content, to slough off dead skin and leave you feeling revitalized. Or how about their Hawaiian Kukui Cream, which uses kukui oil – a prized ingredient for generations of Hawaiian women exposed to the sun – to nurture your skin after exposure to the elements. There’s a whole range of amazing products to choose from and they can be mixed and matched to create the perfect skincare concoction for your favourite gal.
Epicure The Baker Collection – $181
Drool alert! Epicure has packaged up some of their bestselling foodie items and kitchen gear into a bunch of delectable packages. My personal favourite? The Baker Collection, which is perfect for the sweet tooth sister in your life. The set includes tons of gadgets and tools to make your baking experience a snap – like the Bake & Roll nonstick silicon mat that’s custom-fit to their baking sheet, or the Cakes for One miniature baking dish for when you want a sweet treat all to yourself. There are of course, tons of Epicure’s signature goodies in there too. Whip up mouthwatering desserts like Pumpkin Cheesecake or Eggnog Cheesecake with the included mixes, or add a little flavour to your favourite yogurts or hot drinks with their Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Mint Sugar Grinders. No matter what, she’ll love every aspect of this sugary sweet gift idea!
Beachwaver Pro by Sarah Potempa – $225 CDN
I’ve mentioned before how I regularly curl my hair, so I was quite curious to try out the Beachwaver Pro for a few reasons. Namely, it promises beachy waves – a style that can be challenging to replicate – but it also promises easy use and the ability to create three different looks (classic curls and vintage waves being the others). The cool news? I can say it delivers on all fronts. The way it creates each style is largely dependent on how you hold the iron, but even holding it vertically for the promised beachy waves – which is the same way I hold my other irons – delivered a looser, more relaxed wave. In other words? Exactly what I was looking for! But rest assured, whether you’re a mane maven like myself or a total newbie at curling your locks, this is probably the easiest curling iron I’ve ever used. It doesn’t have a large clamp, so you don’t really have to worry about that unattractive crimp in your hair, but it has enough of a clamp that you won’t worry about burning yourself trying to get your hair in place. Plus it has a dial to automatically rotate hair left or right for a more loose, relaxed look, and you can custom set the temperature by small, incremental degrees. A gold star review from myself! PS – it’s available in Canada at Urban Outfitters and Canada Beauty Supply.
Arborist Getaway Blanket – $29
Shopping for a traveler? This blanket is a must-have item on her wish list, even if she doesn’t know about it. Made from a cozy knit fabric, it’s actually super lightweight and compact, so you can easily stash it in your carry-on luggage and pull it out for when the plane’s air conditioning is a little too frosty for your liking. It easily stashes away in it’s own pouch too, so you can tuck it away without worry about it getting stained or wrecked by an errant tube of lipstick. I particularly enjoy this idea for those who are looking to bring a little bit of home on the road with them. If you’re seeing hotel walls more than your own bedroom walls, nothing makes a space feel quite as warm and cozy as a nice blanket that reminds you of home. For the record, Arborist is one of Drake General Store’s house brands and has tons of comfy cozy gift ideas – check ’em out to add onto this sweet blanket!
Yoga Tank Tops – $29.95 each @ Inner Fire
No matter what sport or physical activity she takes part in, a little yoga is good for virtually every athlete out there. And let’s face it…yoga clothes are also the most comfortable clothes, so that’s double the reason to check out Vancouver-based Inner Fire, which carries Made in the USA tanks and hand prints them in Canada. They’ve got dozens of cute styles to choose from, with clever yoga puns, inspirational messages, and cheeky mantras like ‘I’m Just Here For The Savasana’. The tanks are made from breathable cotton and look great paired with any of Inner Fire’s other yoga gear, which includes leggings, shorts, and long-sleeve tops for ladies, as well as a selection of items for men. Pick up one for your best girl friend, or gift your wife with a complete H2T outfit from this fiercely inspirational Canadian brand.
LuxyGrams – $70 – $250
There are some things that are pretty universally loved by women everywhere – and I’d say that jewelry and body care products are definitely on that list. Enter LuxyGram, a unique gift delivery service that makes gift-giving completely painless, but also personalized. LuxyGram offers a selection of beautifully wrapped gift boxes that contain all-natural, Canadian-made body care products and delicate layering jewelry, also handmade by Canadian artisans. Topped off with a sweet treat from Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut, these pretty gift boxes allow you to mix and match different products to suit your budget, and many of them also give you the option to tailor what’s inside in terms of sterling silver versus gold filled, or one piece of jewelry over another. The result is an effortless gift everyone from your mother-in-law to your little sister will love. Shopping for a younger gal? Luxygram also has Girlygrams, a similar service for girls between the ages of 5-16 that offers sweet jewelry pieces.
Culti Stile Room Diffuser 500 ml – $91 USD @ French Studio Imports
I am obsessed with diffusers. I find they give any room a beautiful, subtle scent that you may eventually get desensitized to, but your guests will always appreciate when they walk in. You also don’t have to worry about the dangers and hassles of candles. Plus you can intensify the scent by adding more reeds, or by flipping them over periodically. Culti makes some of the most intoxicating diffusers out there, with scents designed to last for months on end and an elegant glass bottle. Formulated in Italy, these luxurious diffusers are designed to inspire tranquility. The great part is, there are tons of scents to choose from depending on your mood or the atmosphere of the room – from soothing woody notes of Mountain (leaves, cedar and vetiver) to the spirited florals of Infuso (green tea, lemon and citron) to the exotic oriental aroma of Fuoco (amber and spices), there’s a diffuser for every woman on your list. I also particularly like that it’s something she’ll actually use – once it’s done, you can just gift her another one! You can also buy the diffusers in Canada from Manito Silk in Yorkville, Ontario.
Aquis Towels – $24.99 – $29.99
I’m not going to lie to you – of all the gift ideas on this list that I’ve had the privilege to try out for myself, this is probably the one I’ve used the most. Aquis has crafted a unique type of towel made from a special moisture-wicking material that helps speed up the hair drying process. Their rationale for creating such a product is multi-faceted. First, your hair is super vulnerable when it’s wet. Wrapping it in a towel protects it while also simultaneously drying it, meaning you can spend less (or no) time heat styling your hair with a blow dryer, minimizing damage on two fronts. It’s available in three different styles – their patented hair turban, which makes me feel like a Golden Age of Hollywood screen actress, as well as two lengths of regular towels. They’re easy to wash and stash when not in use, and surprisingly lightweight, so you don’t feel like your head weighs a ton and you aren’t ripping your hair out at the roots as a regular towel might when it topples off. Honestly, this is the gift idea every girl needs but doesn’t even know it yet – she’ll love it! In Canada, you can also pick up Aquis towels at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
BONUS: Enter the gift code GIFTSFORHER for 10% off your purchase on the Aquis website!
Columbia Women’s Barlow Pass 550 TurboDown Jacket – $349.99
Winterwear is always a practical gift – our winter jackets take a beating and when you have to throw one every day, you can get mighty tired of it mighty quickly. If you’re shopping for a new coat for your fave lady, I strongly suggest you pay a visit to Columbia, which carries stunningly stylish winter jackets that offer incredibly useful features. Take the Barlow Pass jacket above, which features the brand’s super lightweight TurboDown filling and space blanket-esque Omni-Heat reflective lining (which I won’t lie, makes me feel like I’m looking at a fun disco party every time I put on my coat!) Despite the light feeling of the coat, it’s incredibly warm – I’ve thrown it on during some of my coldest commutes this winter and it’s so toasty. I also love the little extras; the cuffs feature a knit wrist warmer (for lack of a better term) to bridge the gap between gloves and sleeves, and the neck has an incredibly warm Sherpa lining to keep the biting wind at bay. Paired with chic of the moment colours, faux fur lining, and plenty of handy little pockets to keep your valuables close, it’s a perfect winter jacket she’ll absolutely flip for.
Drop Connected Kitchen Scale – $99.95 USD
On its most basic level, Drop is a pretty easy thing to wrap your head around – it’s a digital kitchen scale that syncs up with a handy recipe app. But if you actually experience Drop for yourself, it’s so. much. more. It’s almost like having a little Jetsons-esque robot in the kitchen with you, a handy personal assistant that guides even the most helpless of bakers to culinary perfection. Your first step is to browse the app and find a recipe you’re in love with. You then use the scale and app in tandem to assess when you have the right amounts of each ingredient (in a method reminiscent of British cooking). But lo! If you’re short of a particular ingredient, you can let the app know and it’ll automatically rescale all of the other ingredients so you can still make your recipe. After you’ve brought all the ingredients together and pop your item into the oven, the Drop app keeps tabs on your dish, giving you a warning when it’s time to drop your book (or whatever activity you’ve been doing) and head back into the kitchen. Presto! Amazing meals and desserts are yours at last. While Drop makes a fine pick for any beautiful baker in your life, keep in mind – this is certainly not just a gift for gals. Virtually anyone that enjoys spending time in the kitchen will dig this new age twist on an age old tradition. It’s also available at Amazon.com and Apple stores, as a heads up!
Scrub Inspired Body Scrubs and Salt Soaks – From $3.99
I’m excited to be featuring quite a few Canadian gift ideas in this post, and Scrub Inspired is another great brand to add to the mix. Based in Ottawa and Cape Breton, this cool company hand makes their skin-purifying scrubs using all natural ingredients, some of which they even grow themselves. Tapping into the body-nourishing benefits of ingredients like zesty grapefruit or exfoliating almonds, these awesome scrubs come in multiple sizes and scents, so you can tailor your gift buying to your giftee’s favourite scents and your own budget. They also carry salt soaks, which blend Epsom and coarse salts alongside essential oils for a totally soothing or revitalizing bath time experience. Again, with the variety of sizes available from Scrub Inspired, it’s easy to mix and match items to create a dreamy gift set, or you can stock up and gift them as fun stocking stuffers or hostess gifts.
Joe Fresh Lace Accent Blouse – $24 + Lace Mini Skirt – $34 + Lace Hem Tank – $19
It goes without saying, but Joe Fresh is a killer destination for gift ideas for everyone on your list. Their amazing price points, comfortable clothing and classic with a trendy edge approach to fashion means it’s easy to find a special piece for every lady (and lad and child) on your list. I was hard-pressed to handpick a few for this post, but I loved the way Joe Fresh decided to use lace this season, with a collection of mix-and-match black and white pieces that are anything but basic. They look lovely for work, but they can also be easily dressed up or down with pieces in your closet or other items in Joe Fresh’s holiday collection. That flirty lace mini skirt? It’d look beautifully classy with the brand’s tuxedo shirt. The lace hem tank? Looks great on its own, but can also be layered under their thick shaker knit sweater for an on-trend cuddly yet feminine look. Want to select a few of your own faves? Check out Joe Fresh’s handy gift guide and add them to your wish list!
JBL Flip Portable Speaker – $129.95 @ Indigo
Get the party started with this resilient portable speaker from respected audio brand JBL. Rendered in a host of cheery hues, this awesome speaker is made from a durable, splash-proof material, so it can easily be stashed in your bag but pulled out for anything from a pool party to a gym workout to a pleasant evening dining in with friends. It’s mighty powerful too. With 10 hours of continuous playtime (and an easily rechargeable battery), this ultra compact speaker can literally fill up the room with its rich, powerful sound. It’s also got some cool Bluetooth capabilities that allow it to sync wirelessly with other JBL Connect-enabled speakers or your phone, for conference calls (which are kept crystal clear thanks to a noise and echo-cancelling feature).
Feeling a little giddy with anticipation? Have you added a bunch of things to your holiday wish list? Are you having a tough time deciding which items you love the best? Well my friends, I am quite pleased to announce I am giving away something from every brand featured in this post, with a prize package valued at over $2,000! If you win this incredible prize package, you’ll receive the following:
$50 Ever Rose Gift Code
B. Kamins Winter Defense Kit
Zing54 Pitcher
Your choice of a We Are Knitters Downtown Snood or Sienna Beanie kit
Palais des Thes Winter Garden Tea Canister + Mug
Harman Kardon Esquire Mini Wireless Portable Speaker
La Vie En Rose Flannel PJs + 3D socks
The Body Shop Dead Sea Salt Scrub, Polynesian Monoi Radiance Oil, and Japanese Camellia Cream
Epicure The Baker Collection
Beachwaver Pro by Sarah Potempa
Arborist Getaway Blanket
Inner Fire Yoga Tank Top
Luxygram Butter and Bling Box
Culti Stile Room Diffuser in Mountain
Aquis New Lisse Luxe Hair Towel and Hair Turban
Columbia Women’s Barlow Pass 550 TurboDown Jacket*
Drop Connected Kitchen Scale
Scrub Inspired Medium Scrub + Salt Soak
$100 Joe Fresh Gift Card
JBL Flip Portable Speaker in Pink
Interested? If not, I hereby banish you because you’re cray cray. For the rest of you, here’s how to enter for your shot at winning my biggest prize package of the year!
1) SUPER important note: You must be a subscriber to the Canadian Gift Guide to enter this giveaway. It’s as simple as finding ‘The Gift of Gab’ box in the righthand column and dropping in your email or clicking follow. Then leave me a comment below by December 20, 2015 telling me your top 3 (or more) gift ideas from this list that you’d love to gift or receive!
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 21, 2015 to select the winner, 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 Entries: Do as many or as few of the following as you’d like. For every bonus entry you rack up, be sure to leave a separate comment with proof (i.e. a link) or your bonus entries won’t count! For example, leave one comment to start, as per step 1 above. Then, if you decide to like one of the brands on Facebook and leave a wall post, leave a link back to your wall post in a separate comment below. And so on! Google is a helpful resource for learning how to link back to social posts online.
Ever Rose – Like the brand on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall regarding which Ever Rose item you’d most love to receive this holiday season. You have no obligation to mention the CGG.
B. Kamins – Like the brand on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall regarding what product you’d most like to try out on your skin. You have no obligation to mention the CGG.
Zing Anything – Follow the brand on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway, tagging them and me (@cdngiftguide) with a link back to this post.
We Are Knitters – Subscribe to their newsletter (scroll to their footer for the easiest access to their signup form). Leave me a comment below telling me you’ve signed up – if you win this giveaway on this bonus entry, your subscription will be verified based on the email you provide, so stay honest folks!
Palais des Thes – Follow the brand on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway, tagging them and me (@cdngiftguide) with a link back to this post.
Erikson Consumer – Are the ones who get Harman and JBL products into your hands. Follow their Twitter account and Tweet about the giveaway, tagging them and me (@cdngiftguide) with a link back to this post.
La Vie En Rose – Follow the brand on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway, tagging them and me (@cdngiftguide) with a link back to this post.
Epicure – Like the brand on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall regarding the product of theirs you’re most interested in trying this holiday season. You have no obligation to mention the CGG.
Beachwaver – Follow the brand on Instagram and either Regram one of their photos, or take a photo from their site and share it on your own feed (screenshots are helpful). Be sure to tag @thebeachwaver in your post.
Drake General Store – Follow the brand on Instagram and either Regram one of their photos, or take a photo from their site and share it on your own feed (screenshots are helpful). Be sure to tag @drakegeneralstore in your post.
Inner Fire – Follow the brand on Instagram and either Regram one of their photos, or take a photo from their site and share it on your own feed (screenshots are helpful). Be sure to tag @myinnerfire in your post.
LuxyGram – Like the brand on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall regarding the gift box of theirs you’d most love to receive or gift this season. You have no obligation to mention the CGG.
Culti – Follow French Studio Imports on Instagram and either regram one of their images or share an image from the Culti collection on their site onto your own feed. Be sure to tag French Studio Imports in your post!
Aquis – Follow the brand on Twitter and Tweet about the giveaway, tagging them and me (@cdngiftguide) with a link back to this post.
Columbia – Like the brand on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall telling them which product of theirs you’d most love to receive this holiday season. You have no obligation to mention the CGG.
Drop – Like the brand on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall telling them why you’d like to try Drop. You have no obligation to mention the CGG.
Scrub Inspired – Follow the brand on Instagram and either Regram one of their photos, or take a photo from their site and share it on your own feed (screenshots are helpful). Be sure to tag @scrubinspired in your post.
Joe Fresh – Follow @joefresh on Instagram and either Regram one of their photos or share a photo from their site onto your own feed (screenshots are handy). Be sure to tag them in your post!
*Depending on available inventory, Columbia cannot guarantee exact product shown to be awarded. If unavailable, Columbia will provide an item that is equal or greater value to product shown.