Somehow, every year, our Holiday shopping list grows. Before you have kids you buy for family and maybe for friends. Once you have kids, you quickly axe the friends but then add on more family and then throw teachers and caregivers in the mix. Then, if someone is doing the legwork for you, i.e. taking over hosting duties, you need to consider a hostess gift. You’ve also got to stuff the stockings if you do that kind of thing. Basically it never ends. Here are some ideas to get you started on the tough road ahead.
FOR THE HOSTESS & THE TEACHERS
A really nice bottle of wine or flowers are a great starting point for the person that will be cooking for you and your family (probably for many many hours). And for the persons taking care of your children all day, well really nothing is good enough. Still, there are more options out there, options that are not dependent on wine knowledge and options that won’t be dead or wilted by the end of the evening. Hopefully.
I am a big fan of offering quality food gifts. Not only because I can shop at our great butcher shop, but also because these are gifts that keep on giving and you are supporting locally made products. My go-to faves are the delicious treats made by Camilla Wynne and Preservation Society. Always a clear winner.
Love this balsam fir incense which you can find at Annex Vintage in Montreal. Instead of flowers, why not offer edible ones? Such a sweet hostess gift! Or this beautiful hypericum from Terrain. Or get a beautiful vase and fill it with flowers. I think I really like hypericum.
Love these small kitchenware gifts. Sweet but with personality. The first three would make for lovely teacher gifts. As for the maple board with the neon handle: maybe you could buy some nice cheese for your party and deliver it to the host on the cutting board that they then get to keep? Now that’s a nice hostess gift!
STOCKING STUFFERS
We go pretty basic over here with the stocking stuffers: nicely packaged soap, tiny toys, moleskines, sweets. But here are some stuffers with a little kick to them:
Cute, affordable, thoughtful- all the things you’d want from a stocking stuffer. The temporary tattoos and the cubebots are available here in Montreal from Galerie Co. The bowls and earrings are Etsy finds. The playing cards and the washi tape (my dream stocking stuffer is basically tape) are from Anthropologie. The penguin stacking game is from Muji. And the men’s beauty care line is from Annex Vintage.
Giving the people you love special, thoughtful treats is gravy, a bonus really. But truly, spending time with loved ones is the best part of the Holiday season. And if you have it in your families’ budget to give a little extra this year, think about the charitable organizations in your community or international ones that you can donate money or time to. We will be donating to The Mile End Community Mission and a great charity I like to support is Heifer International.
I wish you all happy, healthy, and safe Holidays.
xa
Hey! Looking to get in touch re a reno project for our home. The info@annika email bounced back. Have another one where I can send you a note? Thanks!