Archive for the 'Gift Ideas' Category

The Toronto Christmas Market opened up in the Distillery District last weekend, and I took my entire family with me for some holiday inspiration.

This is the 2nd annual run of this German-style Christmas Market, and I couldn’t be happier about this new tradition or the decision to situate it in the Distillery District, a stunning and beautifully preserved pedestrian village that features the largest collection of Victorian industrial architecture (all restored with a modern flair) in North America. I love heading down to the Distillery at any time, but this historic section of Toronto really outdoes itself at Christmastime. Just look at that tree! A 45-foot beauty wrapped with translucent green organza, studded with hundreds of shiny red ornaments and illuminated with over 12,000 Christmas lights like a solar tracker. Of course, the kids didn’t notice a tree at all because yes, that’s a ferris wheel in the background.

The opening ceremonies featured Frankie Ferragine (Frankie Flowers from Citytv!) as host, with speeches from Bob Rae and a musical performance from Steven Page, formerly of the Barenaked Ladies. Brian was pretty thrilled about that, and chose to stand by the stage during the performance while yours truly took a turn on the freezing but fun ferris wheel which offers riders a spectacular view of the district and the city. We saw screaming elves (they reminded me a little of groupies, actually), tasted giant pretzels and fudge, and got some hot chocolate for the kids while Brian and I enjoyed delicious mulled wine beverages (the Distillery has obtained a liquor license for the duration of the Market). Needless to say, the Toronto Christmas Market has grown since last year and I think we can expect continuous improvement in years to come. Despite the extensive crowds, we all had a great time. So great, in fact, that I’m planning on returning with Sam and April on Sunday, and even trying to devise a plan to sneak over there again–flying solo this time.

The cobblestone streets of the Distillery are lined with miniature cabins selling seasonal, exotic, traditional and novelty gifts, like the ‘leg lamp’ from the movie A Christmas Story. I unabashedly admit that I have been hit hard with shoppers’ fever. Perhaps it’s the atmosphere–milling around Mill St. in the crisp December air while carollers sing ‘Silver Bells’ beats worming your way through an overcrowded Eaton Centre–but the items for sale are truly memorable, and that’s why I need to go back on my own. I just love crossing off my Christmas list!

Saturday and Sunday are especially great times to bring kids down to the Christmas Market, because Father Christmas and a reindeer petting zoo are on the scene from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Also for children is Santa’s Workshop, a hands-on activity room (indoors) where kids can make crafts, write letters to Santa and play traditional Christmas games with other children. There’s a hedge maze made of Christmas trees that leads directly into Santa’s house, and of course there’s sitting on Santa’s knee. Sam is six now and I don’t know if he’ll, you know, believe next year, so I don’t want to miss a moment of the Christmas magic as experienced by my kids. It’s contagious, you know. The finishing touch that would make it perfect would be just a little fall of snow!

Footnote: a very exciting realization I’ve made this week is that Lenzr.com, the photo contest website you’ve seen me blog about numerous times is running a photo contest for the Christmas Market! The best photo of the market wins $250.00, with 2nd place taking a $250.00 restaurant gift certificate and 3rd place grabbing a $100.00 restaurant gift certificate. FYI- Lenzr’s also running  a new contest called Bad Weather Hair, for which the winner will receive $500 of Aveda hair product courtesy of Aveda’s Vancouver hair school.

Toronto Terrific Tea Lights

I was so impressed with my friend, Toronto Arts Girl, when she gave me some sweet smelling beeswax tea light candles for a christmas gift.  “How lovely” I thought.  I was even more delighted when she told me she had made them herself.   I was used to buying the paraffin tea lights for next to nothing and then I found out that lighting them is equivalent to inhaling the exhaust fumes from your car.   Oh oh!!    However, she proceeded to tell me of the natural benefits to beeswax candles and how they actually benefit the air quality of your home rather than make it worse.   T Arts Girl claims since she began this, relaxing and sweet, hobby at home she has had less sinus problems.  “I just love taking the time to make them, the whole place becomes filled with the incredible aroma.   My friends sure like them too.  Especially if they have severe allergies.”

A Holistic Hobby at Home

“The tea light candles are so simple to make” she said.   “I found a place to buy the tea cups and wicks for next to nothing, in bulk of course, and my biggest expense is the bees wax.”   Fortunately Toronto Arts Girl has a generous friend, referred to as Son of a Bee Keeper.  ” After receiving the wax I spent a lot of time trying to make candles from my recycled items.  I used yogurt, applesauce, tea and Pringle containers.”   She laughed as she explained that she started to look at all recycled containers in a different light.   Apparently grocery shopping had a different purpose and it turned into an examination of containers.   If you don’t have a generous friend to supply you with bees wax it can be a little pricey purchase but well worth it due to their natural health benefits.

Easy Craft and Fun

My crafty friend invited me to make the tea lights with her one evening in her home.   It was fun and easy.   We slowly melting the pot of wax on her stove.   She was right, it was a sweet scent.  The process was time consuming but relaxing to watch the butter like substance turn into a creamy liquid.   Eventually it was liquid and we placed the tin cups on some aluminum foil, for easy clean up of spills.   The next step was to carefully pour the wax into the tea light cups and stick the wicks in the middle.   She used a small strainer to catch anything not worthy to be in the candles.  We let the wax candles cool down, trimmed the wicks and voila.   We had some healthy and sweet smelling tea light candles.  We cleaned up the wax drippings from our candles, and we were ready for some light.  T Arts Girl also mentioned that she heard a rumor that the bees wax burns longer than the other waxes.    I will have to find some time to test this theory.   She was right, it was easy, clean and fun!

With only a few days left in November, I’m switching into Christmas shopping mode. Usually I would have at least some of it done by now, but since I’ve been working part-time on the weekends, I haven’t put a dent in it yet. I saw this article in the Toronto Star yesterday with tips on Christmas shopping and it inspired me to get down to business. I plan to draw up a list of everyone I need to buy for, set my final budget and get the wheels turning. Some of the stores/items listed in the article include:

- Leather gloves from Danier Leather for around $45

- West Elm for stationary and Christmas-themed plates and decorations

- Kitchen Stuff Plus for cooking supplies and dinnerware

- The LCBO for special bottles and wine for parties

I loved all these suggestions, especially the idea to shop at both well-known and more hidden stores to get something for everyone. For example,  I just learned about a natural skin care company called Soya Boutique and I know my best friend would love some luxurious, locally made products from them, especially because she’s obsessed with all things skin-related and is looking into attending beauty school next year. I also went to a great local shop in Toronto a little while ago called Adornments on Queen that carried some really unique items like vintage-inspired toys and romantic home decor stuff.

Then again, as is referenced in the article, I almost always end up hitting Chapters and Old Navy for gifts because they have something for (almost) everyone. And they have great stocking stuffers like drink mixes! And, as much as I try to avoid it, Wal-Mart inevitably has a lot of the things on my kids’ wish list.

Where do you shop for great Christmas gifts? Have you started yet?

I was happy to meet up with my brother in Toronto earlier today for an escape from the suburbs. I met him near his house in the east end and, lucky for me, it was very close to a lovely gift shop called Adornments on Queen (338 Queen Street East). Isn’t it a beautiful space?

Great ideas for frugal moms

The owner was a lovely woman named Barbara and when I asked her to recommend some items for frugal moms, she went straight to a table with kids’ stuff. The first item she showed me was a vintage top toy, the kind where you pull the top and the inside spins when you let go. It’s a bit of a splurge item at around $40, but I love it’s simplicity and nostalgic charm. And I think my three-year-old would be fascinated by it for hours.

The second thing Barbara pointed out to us was a baby blanket that is a hybrid of blankie and stuffed animal (pictured on the left). I fell in love with the elephant one — isn’t it adorable?

Home furnishings

I LOVE home decor magazines, so I was definitely drooling over many of Adornment on Queen’s housewares. They had everything from covered dining room chairs and throw pillows to floral-themed hanging lights and interesting picture frames. Sadly, new furniture isn’t in the budget right now, but I will definitely be back here when I have some income to dispose of. I’ll also be back if I need a gift, as they have a lot of small items like candles and desk ornaments.

I also want to note that with all the construction at Queen and Parliament, it’s important to support local businesses who may be losing some foot traffic. The construction did mean fewer parking spots on the street and a bit of a mess, but other than that it’s not too much of an inconvenience.

After our time at Adornments on Queen, my brother had the exciting chance to go bargain-hunting at Shopper’s Drug Mart with me. My find? A 10-pack of Ivory aloe soap for $3.99! Then we had lattes at an espresso bar in the area I forget the name of. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!