We know you have been busy with work (and navigating this never-ending pandemic). We know that once again the holidays have snuck on you and you haven’t checked off everyone on your gift giving list. And to be honest, neither have we. But not to worry, we’ve got your back with our annual Holiday Gift Guide. We are here to fill your holiday gift giving shopping list with the perfect gifts for everyone and anyone on your list (no matter how hard they are to shop for).
Our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide covers everything from great gifts for foodies, fashionistas, gym fanatics, DIYers, book lovers and much more…
Gifts for the home chef
Many of us discovered, or rediscovered, the love of cooking and backing this past year. But many of us were ill equipped to cook up the dishes we really wanted to cook. So why not gift the home chefs and bakers some great cooking and food related gifts. And we have some great foodie gifting ideas in this Holiday Gift Guide. First up, any at home chef needs a great set of knives. And no brand offers better quality chef knives at a great price than Victorinox. We suggest gifting the Swiss Modern Knife Block set ($740), it comes complete with every knife a home chef could ever need. Or you could gift them the cult-favourite best selling Always Pan ($195). This do-it-all wonder is designed to replace eight traditional pieces of cookware. It comes 10 colour options. And it looks pretty good too. If you have a foodie on your list that wants to up their game in the kitchen, may we suggest the Ninja Creami. The Creami can transform everyday ingredients into ice cream, gelato, smoothie bowls, milkshakes, and more. A delicious gift for all. Now if you have a baker on your list, opt for a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer. The KitchenAid Stand Mixer ($629.99) features 10 speeds to gently knead, thoroughly mix and whip ingredients for a wide variety of recipes. It also comes in over 20 gorgeous colours to perfectly match their kitchen design or personality.
Gifts of self care
We believe that everyone could use a little extra self care in 2021, so why not give the gift of self care?
We think everyone loves a good soak in a hot tub and those who don’t just haven’t discovered the perfect at home bath experience. So give the gift of a great bath soak from Bathorium; their signature Crush Bath Soak will help with relaxation and stiff muscles (from $9). And it’s a local Canadian brand to support. But a beautiful bath experiences also needs a bottle of bubbles (to drink) to go along with the experience. We are loving Silver Swallow Luxury Kombucha; it’s bubbly not boozey. If you want to up that at home spa experience, toss in an all natural face and neck mask from The Cure Apothecary ($40). For the ultimate at home relaxation, many have turned to bath and products infused with CBD. We recommend the CBD Muscle Relief bath Bombs from Duo Senses (from $30). These bath bombs are packed with 150mg of hemp-derived CBD that will provide the ultimate self care relaxation moment. And for the gift of ultimate in self care in our Holiday Gift Guide, we recommend a spa gift certificate. We love the services and experiences at BOTA BOTA in Montreal. It’s the only on the water spa of its kind. It chic and relaxing.
Gifts for the home bartender
For the ultimate at home bar experience, why not gift the Bartesian Premium Cocktail Machine $499. With just a push of a button, you can create professional mixologist-style drinks using Bartesian capsules and the spirit of your choice. This machine dispenses drinks into your glass in seconds, so you don’t have to stock up syrups, juices, and bitters to enjoy cocktails. If the home bartender on your list is more old school, why not upgrade their glassware with some colour. The trendiest new glassware coms from Estelle Coloured Glass (available in Canada via Holt Renfrew). Their beautiful coloured stemware and glasses will brighten any holiday spirits. When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to help restock their bar with some premium spirits. For the tequila lover gift them some Dobel or give the gift of an aged rum like Diplomatico. If you have an adventurous mixologist on your list, why not give the gift of Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey ($54.95). Or for a more traditionalist, gift them some Glenlivet French Oak Reserve 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch ($97.95). When in doubt, gift them a great cocktail kit that will include all the ingredients they need to make some great new cocktails – we love Bar from Afar and Bar Chef.
Gifts of grooming
Everyone could use a little upgrade (or even just a great restock) in the grooming department for the holidays. Bring the hot shave experience home with the gift of a Heated Razor by Gilette ($149). This cutting edge razor heats up for the closest, most comfortable, shave ever. Or why not help your bro with a little manscaping gift, every man deserves body shaver like the LawnMower 4.0 by Manscaped ( $129). Toss in some skincare from Bulldog Skincare for Men to help them with their grooming game – a great scrub, face wash and moisturizer can go a long way to perfect skin. And any man on your list will love a little Kiehls Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer ($36) in their stocking. Further, a new signature scent is always a great gift during the holiday season; opt for some Terre d’Hermès ($136 via Sephora) for the fashionista on your list with classic style or any of the MM Margiela Replica scents for the edgier dressers on your list ($166 via Nordstrom).
Gifts for the W.F.H. worker
Working from home (either full time or part time) has become the new norm for many of us. So why not gift your hard working home office working the best gifts to make their days and work more product. We can’t start our day without a great cup of coffee. But if they don’t have a great coffee shop nearby, why not bring the art of the coffeeshop home to them with a new Nespresso Virtuo Next Deluxe machine (on promotion for $159). 2020 is the year of video calls, so pick them up a pair of Apple Airpods Pro ($329.99 from Staples) to make their lives easier. Give their eyes a rest by upgrading their work station with a 34″ UltraWide monitor from LG (they can even sync their laptop to it). And finally every home office needs a slick (yet supportive) office chair, gift them the classic Aeron Chair from Herman Miller ($2055 via DWR).
Gifts for the fitness fanatic
Many fitness fanatics often forget to update their shoes as often as they should – so why not gift them some brand new sneakers to make their workout easier. We would suggest the adidas Supernova ($120) for the cross trainers on your list or the Adidas Ultraboost 21xParley ($300) for the runners on your list. And yes while you at adidas, add in a piece from Ivy Park by Beyoncé. Many gym goers have resisted going back to the gym or are going more infrequently, so why not gift them something for their home gym. If cardio and strength training is their game, may we suggest the Peloton Bike +. The whole team at AmongMen is addicted to their Pelotons and can’t recommend the Bike+ enough ($3025). It combines high energy workouts with lots of fun, great music and the best instructors in the biz. And of course, any gym goers knows the importance or rest and recovery. So to ease and relax their muscles at home, may we suggest the Theragun Prime. The Theragun ($399) is known for deep muscle treatments; easing discomfort, soothing tightness and tension, and recovering faster in seconds. Trust us, their body will thank you.
Gifts for the fashion lover
The secret to impressing any fashion lover is to introduce them to new emerging ‘cool’ brands they have not yet discovered. First up, for the hat aficionados we would suggest a cool new fedora style hat from Montreal based Blackburn Et Raymond. Everything old is new again in fashion, and nothing is more classic than a pair of 501 Levi’s jeans. Gift them a pair of jeans they will love forever and never go out of style. Top it off with the 9 Camden St x Roots 5 Year Varsity Jacket ($900); the Legends League varsity just might be the only varsity jacket they ever need to own (or at least the dopest). When in doubt, gift them a RADO True Automatic Open Heat Watch ($2700). RADO is known for their design forward groundbreaking ceramic watches that are the epitome of minimalist luxury. We know it’s on our own personal list (hint, hint).
A fashion favourite, Hilary MacMillan offers an amazing collection of vegan friendly fashions that will please any woman on your list. Why not pick them up her signature vegan shirt dress ($190) or her classic varsity jacket ($165)? Or upgrade their winter weather topper with a gorgeous overcoat from Sentaler. This celeb fav brand is sure to keep them warm and stylist all winter long. If you want to opt for some Canadian designed bling, may we suggest the gift of jewellery from mejuri or Melanie Auld And if you have a lover of designer fashion or vintage designer pieces, we suggest you check out The Fashion Edit for a great gift.
Gifts for the outdoor adventurer
As Canadian we love the great outdoors. And as Canadians, we know that the best way to enjoy the outdoors is with the proper gear. So we suggest gifting some great gear for the outdoor lovers on your list. First up, the Expedition Parka from Fjlraven ($900). Canada Goose just dropped their Snow Mantra Boots and we couldn’t think of a better gift for anyone who enjoys a lot of subzero winter outdoor adventures (available for men and women from $1395). The fashion forward outdoor lover with appreciate the gift of the Nobis Tactical Vest ($595) – anything good enough for a super hero (Simu Liu) is good enough for us to gift. If there is one gift we think every outdoorsy person would love, it would be a YETI Tundra 35 Hard Cooler ($349). The perfect gift for someone who loves to fish or camp or just enjoy the outdoors. And if you want to really win over the heart of an outdoor enthusiast, why not gift Burton Custom Camber Snowboard ($719.99). Trust us, they will think of you every time they hit the slopes.
Gifts for the creator
A lot of people within our friends circles have become creative content creators in the past year and we love to help them along. So giving the gift of a new smartphone is much more than just a phone in their hands; a new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G or an Iphone 13 Pro will help them build out their content and career. If you have any DIYers on your list, they will love the gift of the latest Cricut Maker 3 ($499.99). This smart cutting machine is perfect for any and every project they can dream up. But if their DIY dreams are a bit bigger, may we suggest gifting them a new power tool or two.
Gifts for book lovers
Every book lover needs the gift of the perfect reading companion, the new KOBO Clara HD ($119.98). This smart reading device can store up to 6000 ebooks with an easy to read 300ppi 6″ touchscreen. Or gift them the gift of audio books with a membership to Audible where they can enjoy books, podcasts, and audible originals. We also love to throw in a great set of PJs that our reading loved ones can spend all day in like these chic striped ones from Love & Lore x Sasha Exeter ($99.50). And the perfect cup of Té (tea).
Gifts of Hi Fi and Hi Tech
Lo- Fi has been making a huge comeback the past couple of years, so why not give the gift of a great turntable and some classic old school records. We love the Audio-Technica Black AT-LPW50PB Belt-Drive Turntable ($500 from SSense) and you can find the best selection of vinyl records at the Tiny Record Shop. If you gifting leans more towards high tech, we would opt for the gift of great sound with the SONOS 5. This high tech speaker will allow the lucky recipient to stream music, radio, audiobooks, and more from all their favourite services, and enjoy easy control with the Sonos app ($699). Or why not gift the perfect at home cinema experience with the LG 4K Laser Smart Home Theater CineBeam Projector ($5,999).
