This is your wake up call – we have less than two weeks left to shop before Christmas. We know that once again the holidays have snuck up 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 2023 Holiday Gift Guide covers everything from great gifts for foodies, fashionistas, gym fanatics, DIYers, book lovers and much, much more…
Holiday gifts for the home chef
The Swiss Modern Santoku knife from Victorinox tops our list for the foodie or home chef on your list. Known as the ‘knife of the three virtues’ for its ability to effortlessly handle and slice through meat, fruit and vegetables. Plus we love the walnut handle. If you have a pizza maker on your list, may we suggest the all new Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven. You’ll thank us when they cook you the best woodfired pizza at home for New Year’s Eve. With the rising cost of bread these days, more and more people are making their own. So why not give the gift of a bread maker from Hamilton Beach. Their Premium Dough & Bread Maker can not only make three different loaf size, it’s can also add in fruit and nuts into your bread as it bakes. 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.
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. And in a candle from VIGYL and you have the perfect evening in the tub. If you want to up that at home spa experience, toss in an all natural face and neck mask from Cure Skincare. To add to that at home spa experience, gift some premium organic Turkish towels from Linen Reform. And while you’re at it, throw in some organic cotton sheets as well. If they are looking for a great spa level treatment at home, gift them the new FAQ™ 101 Professional Radiofrequency & LED Facial Rejuvenation tool via Shoppers Drug Mart. This device delivers a pro-level anti-aging facial anytime, anywhere. FAQ™ 101 delivers the combined clinical power of radiofrequency (RF) and red LED light therapy to accelerate collagen production. Finally, we know that the self care for some of our friends is defined by Chocolate. And we aren’t mad about it. So gift them the best from Galerie au chocolat.
The perfect holiday gifts for the home bartender
The Bartesian Duet Cocktail Maker takes the guess work out of making the perfect at home cocktails. 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 for the perfect at home cocktail. Speaking of upping the at home cocktail game, why not gift your home mixologist a portable cocktail smoker? The Portable Handheld Smoker from Outset easily infuses cocktails with a smoker flavour without all the complications of larger home smokers. Further, the latest trend in bartending is all about dehydrated fruit garnishes, so why not gift your home bartender their own Hamilton Beach Digital Dehydrator. This way they will always have fruit garnishes for any impromptu cocktail parties. Of course, you can’t go wrong with gifting your mixologist some premium liquors. We love to gift some great Scotch Whisky (like Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky) or a premium tequila (like Flecha Azul Reposado). Or turn up the flavour with Cambridge Truffle Gin and Meukow Cognac VSOP. Both are solid gift choices for the liquor lover in your life.
Holiday gifts for the hipster
The life of a hipster is all about re-discovering a love for every classics, which actually makes gifting pretty easy. To start, we would gift a classic pair of Levis 501 jeans followed by a pair of the Club C 1985 from Reebok. And don’t forget to gift the perfect mini backpack from Fjallraven. The Kanken is the ultimate hipster style staple that come in an array of colours. Throw in a retro fragrance like CK EveryOne and you’ve got the perfect hipster holiday. Now that you’ve got their wardrobe covered, it’s all about keeping a hipster entertained. You could gift them the perfect turntable via Pro-Ject. Trust us, vinyl is cool again. Or how about throw in a little more fun with the gift of a Nintendo Switch. The latest giftable from Nintendo is the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Bundle which feature the OLED Nintendo Switch, the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate full game download and a 3 month subscription to Nintendo Switch online (individual membership).
Gifts of style
Shopping for the style savvy on you list can be tricky if you are not well versed in the world of fashion. But don’t worry, sticking to classic well made pieces from notable brands will always win over the fashion set. Gifts that sparkle are always sure to make someone smile. Head over to Pandora if you are looking to pop the question this year and need to shop for that special ring. The brand has been killing it in the lab grown diamond business. Their classic Era 1 carat diamond solitaire ring is the perfect ring for the occasion.But if you are looking for something a little more home grown, the latest collections from Dean Davidson. One of their signature cocktail rings is sure to bring a little extra glamour into the holidays. If stylish clothing feels like a better gift fit, you can never go wrong with a well made classic wool duffle coat. But you can up the style quotient by gifting one in a fashion forward colour. The folks over Ste Marg Scot coats have been killing the non gendered coat game lately with wool duffle coats in cobalt blues, hot pinks and even chartreuse. If your giftee leans more towards the luxe look of fur, we would opt for a long faux fur teddy coat from notable Canadian designer Hilary MacMillan.
The perfect holiday gifts for the maker
We are sure that we all have a maker (or at least a maker in the making) on our Christmas lists. And we know that it can be hard to shop for them. Luckily there are lots of great new options out there – no matter what they like to create. First up, the Cricut Joy Xtra. The latest smart cutting machine from the Cricut brand is designed for the newbie maker with easy to navigate controls and a design space that can help them create almost anything they could imagine. Of note, the Cricut Joy Xtra adds extra making power thanks to a wider cutting area, up to 8.5 inch wide, compared to 5.5 inch with Cricut Joy. That’s a lot more space to create. Next, if you have a budding photographer on your hands, we would recommend a mirrorless camera from Nikon as the perfect gift. We love that mirrorless cameras offer a lightweight camera body with an EVF and quick shutter speed. Lastly, we had to mention the storybook DIY kits that have taken the internet by storm. Once someone assembles all the pieces and put them in place, they will have an adorable mini home that doubles as a piece of art. Are they more of a furniture maker in the making? We would gift them the Danish Cord Stool MIY Kit from Lee Valley. It is part of their collection of perfectly designed MIY (make it yourself) kits that are sure to please anyone on your list.
Gifts of design
People who appreciate great design, appreciate a well designed watch. And no brand does design forward watches better than RADO. Their latest release, the Anatom Automatic, is a striking tribute to the original Anatom that was first released 40 years ago. The spare, elegant design presents rhodium hands with luminous white highlights and a discreet date window at six o’clock. And of course, is made from RADO’s high tech (and high fashion) ceramic. If the design aficionado on your list has a sense of humour, head over to Jonathan Adler to shop for their gift. The classic Kiki’s Derriere Vase is a safe bet or who doesn’t need a designer vice canister for their quaaludes? Speaking of design icons, the resurgence of the Louis Poulsen Lamp has reminded us what makes them a design classic. The sleek modernist lamp would look great under any design lovers tree (or on their credenza). SONOS has cornered the market on well designed speakers that not only produce amazing sound but are design forward while they do it. Their latest, the Era 300, hits you from every direction with sound; putting you inside the music.
Holiday gifts for the outdoor adventurer
Luckily, as Canadians we have ample of great gifting options for those who embraces winter outdoor adventures. The Kylo vest from Nobis is the perfect combination of retro ski style and high tech performance. Featuring premium white duck down, this vest will keep them warm and stylish on and chilly evenings. If the person on your list is more of an extreme outdoor adventure who embraces winter, they really should be a gifted a classic Canada Goose Expedition Parka. This is the original parka that put the brand on the map; it’s built to keep you warm and dry in extreme conditions and cold climates. If winter boots feel like the perfect gift his holiday season, head over to Baffin. The brand is known for creating the perfect boots that are style forward yet designed with performance in mind. They have great boots for everyone on your list: from the Chloe boot for her to the Snow Monster for him, and even some great boot options for the little ones on your list.
