Holiday Gift Guide: Round out Your Christmas Shopping List with Present Ideas for Everyone

Need a little help with this year’s Christmas list? These gift ideas will make you a Santa superstar

Credit: Flickr/allerleirau

Don’t stress about Christmas shopping – our gift list has got you covered

Christmas gift ideas for everyone on your list (including a few you might want for yourself!)

If this time of year fills you with panic rather than joy, if your gifts have become predictable or you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options help is here!

We’ve scoured the shops for the best and the brightest holiday gifts so you don’t have to. Here what’s on our list:

For the Bag Lover


Canadian favourite MATT & NAT has teamed up with another homegrown icon, Holt Renfrew, to collaborate on a fabulous collection of holiday bags and purses for men and women. Not only edgy and stylish, these bags (like all other MATT & NAT products), are made with an average of 21 recycled plastic bottles.

The women’s collection includes the Hendrix ($155), a purse-turn-clutch that every woman should have in her wardrobe, and the crossbody messenger/laptop bag Ritual ($180). The men’s collection is all practical and utilitarian; the Phoenix ($265) laptop carrier has a double zip closure and enough room in its uber-organized interior for all your notes and peripherals. Available at Holt Renfrew.

For the Beauty Queen 


This time of year always features a treasure trove of holiday gift sets, but here’s one that won’t sit unopened in the back of the commode. Best known for its triple milled, exquisitely scented soaps, Fresh never fails to deliver sumptuous bundles of luxury beauty items. The Brown Sugar Escape set ($75) includes three items from the signature Brown Sugar line, which uses natural brown sugar crystals with nourishing precious oils.

This kit includes body polish, body cream and signature soap. For a little colour, the Sugar Plum Let it Glow kit ($32) includes the sugar plum tinted lip treatment (possibly the world’s best lip balm), Supernova mascara, Twilight face highlighter and Citron de Vigne EDP. Limited edition sets available at Sephora.

For the Book Worm


Give the gift of e-reading this holiday season. Amazon was the first to put e-readers on everyone’s radar and its Kindle still tops the popularity list.

The latest version has a 6” display along with free 3G and WiFi capabilities, plus you can store thousands of books, get free access to sample chapters before buying, and download free books from the Gutenberg Project. Prices range from US$139 – $379, available at Amazon.

 

For the Sweet Tooth


‘Tis the season for decadent confectionary delights. Skip the tired gingerbread and peppermint bark and make a beeline for the Thomas Haas macarons.

These delicate almond meringues come in 13 different flavours and are so pretty they’re almost jewel-like. They’re perfect for presenting as a gift and a nice change from the ubiquitous box of chocolates. Available in gift boxes of six ($9.95), 12 ($18.95) and 35 ($49) at Thomas Haas.

For the Homebody


For those cozy days and fireside nights, nothing beats curling up in a luxurious throw. Oleana blankets are made in Norway, crafted with a 100% merino wool weft and a 100% cotton warp to create the loftiest, fluffiest, warmest blanket you can imagine.

The craftsmanship behind these works of art produces a quality gift that will endure for generations. These come in two sizes and in an assortment of colours and patterns –  1m x 1.5m ($215), 1.5m x 2m ($375). Available at Urbanity.

 

For the Budding Chef 


Learning is a lifelong endeavour, especially when it involves the art of cooking. Dirty Apron, the brainchild of the geniuses who created Chambar restaurant and Medina Café, offers hands-on cooking classes that walk students through each step toward crafting a complete meal.

Nightly classes feature various themes and are approximately four hours long; daytime classes are offered in a week-long bootcamp style, running for approximately six hours daily and routinely include local celebrity chefs such as Vikram Vij of Vij’s restaurant.

For the Knitter


If the thought of knitting over the holidays gets you excited, you’ll be giddy over these uber-cool knitting kits from Wool and the Gang. They contain everything you need (needles, the softest Peruvian yarn, patterns and accessories) to create lovely pieces ranging from the simple to the sophisticated.

Designed for beginners, each kit yields an accessory designed by one of the Gang’s many muses, including fashion & jewellery designers, models, actresses, DJs, and writers. Prices range from $109.99 to $159.99. Available at Homewerx.

 

 

For the Coffee Addict


For the gift that will keep on giving, especially on Monday mornings, you’ll want to get your mitts on the Nespresso Citiz ($369). With this sleek little machine, you’ll be churning out frothy goodness like the best of the barristas – and that’s saying a lot in this province.

Even better, serve your drinks in a gorgeous Bodum Pavina double-wall glass ($49 for set of six). They’re made from super-strong Borosilicate glass, but look as delicate as the foam on your latte. Its insulated walls will make your drinks appear as if they’re floating. Both available at Cookworks.

For the Lingerie Lover


Whether you’re aiming for naughty or nice, every girl needs a frilly little something this time of year. You can’t go wrong with a gift from Mary Green, who Vogue Italia has declared “The queen of lingerie!” Try “The Week of Undies” set ($148.95), which includes a week’s worth of silk knit hip-hugger boy shorts with lace trim, in seven different colour combinations. Each pair of undies has a day of the week embroidered on it and the package comes ready for gifting, wrapped in a beautiful silk satin sachet.

For something with a little more coverage, leave it to Betsey Johnson to make flannel pyjamas ($69.95) outrageously fun and beautiful. Her iconic sense of whimsical femininity is seen easily in these PJs with lush, vibrant rose prints adorned with her signature use of black lace and bows. Both available at Scarlet lingerie boutique.

For the Hometown Tourist


Buy a membership to one of BC’s many attractions and let your friends and family enjoy playing tourist all year long. Instead of cramming a year’s worth of Art History or Science 101 into a single afternoon they can drop in and out at their leisure.

Some of our favourite places include the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops, the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park, Science World along False Creek, the Vancouver Police Museum and the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver.