Some Last-Minute Gift Ideas

It's the Monday before Christmas, and if you're anything like me, you've still got a few people on your to-buy-for list. And often those people left last are the ones whom you have no idea what to gift. It's past the point of online ordering. It's okay, guys. We can do this. Just take it easy, collect yourselves, and go in with a game plan.


– Have a list. Even if you're not sure what exactly to get someone, scribble down a few ideas of things you'd like to be on the lookout for. Try to think of the ways they enjoy spending their free time, and get something in line with that.

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– The best advice I have to offer is to skip the mall. If you thought Sunnydale was the hellmouth, you've obviously never been inside the Eaton Centre the week before Christmas. Just looking at that picture is giving me chest pains. If you can find a way to avoid your local shopping emporium, by all means, do it. It's just going to send your stress levels through the roof, and any time you think you'll save by going to stores in one location is going to be decimated by fighting the crowds.


– Go to "gift stores", even if your closest option is Indigo. That's what they're THERE for. You'll find bookends and blankets and tote bags and really, those are three really great ideas right there, and they'll probably be some of the first things you see. Don't give gifts that require work on the behalf of the recipient, like photo frames, unless you a) are willing to do the work of putting a photo in beforehand or b) know they're really into picture frames. Toronto has a few really great shops, but I consistently have great luck at Outer Layer and the Drake General Store.


– You'll find my absolute favourite last-minute gift at gift shops: candles. It's the kind of thing people never invest in for themselves (says the girl with a stockpile of those $4 vanilla tealights from IKEA) but everyone will need at some point, even if they just leave it in their bathroom. My top picks?

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This one from Eco-Culture smells like real maple syrup, and has been my favourite candle for about two years running. They're hand-poured soy wax, made in Canada, and feature the cutest syrup tin you can reuse to hold pencils or flowers afterward. You can find them in a plain cotton wick version, but you're really going to want to upgrade to the wooden wick, because then it CRACKLES like a FIRE. I've seen the wooden wick one selling for about $18, while the cotton is a few bucks less.

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This year, I discovered KOBO pure soy candles and I want to give them to eve.ry.body. My absolute favourite is the Opoponax Amber, which is this rich citrusy oriental with sandalwood, violet and patchouli. It basically smells like a grand old dame who is infinitely glamourous has just walked into your room. I like the travel size become it's reasonably priced and comes with a little set of all-black matches, which is every bit as glamourous as the grand old dame in my head (who is definitely Lauren Bacall). This size will run you about $15, but there are bigger versions which are around $40. (I'm just noticing they have a scent called Leather Mahogany, with notes of leather, armoise and cardamom. You maybe just want to sniff around their site and see what else interests you because they all sound so appealing.)


– It's no secret that I love DAVIDsTEA, but part of the reason why I do is how well-thought out everything is—their teas are tasty, their packaging is pretty, their accessories well-designed.

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And really, the pinnacle of this achievement is their Perfect Tea mug, which really is perfect. It's the perfect size, comes with the perfect tea infuser (which you can also use in a regular teapot), and even has a perfect little lid that becomes the perfect place to rest said infuser. It comes in a bunch of colours, costs around $20, and should be easy to find in Canada—those DAVIDs locations are popping up like wildflowers. Pair with a bag of tea (my crowd-pleaser pick is Forever Nuts, which tastes like apple pie and turns bright pink) for an easy, perfect gift.


– If you live in Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal, you can order from Amazon.ca until Wednesday and it'll make it by Friday. That is serious shipping voodoo. How do you do it, Amazon? Nevermind, just focus your energies on sending us poor hapless gifters our goods. My recommends, which are still in stock:

Books
For a gal you love/respect/admire: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
For your friend planning world domination: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
For the romantic in your life: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
For your friend who is always complaining: The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky

Movies/TV
For lovers of vintage/Breakfast at Tiffany's/fun times(/or let's be real, EVERYONE): Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant (DVD/BluRay)
For film buffs/horror fans: Night of the Hunter, starring Robert Mitchum and Shelly Winters (DVD/BluRay)
For your comedy-lovin' pal: Complete season one of Louie, directed/written by/edited by/starring Louis CK (DVD/BluRay) (alternately, support his way-cool Internet experiment for $5, Louis CK: Live at the Beacon Theatre)
For the holiday purist: It's a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart (DVD/BluRay)


– Anyone who is left on your list? You're already heading to the LCBO. You know what to do. Go with something that can be easily blended with/hidden in holiday favourites like eggnog or coffee, and choose your level of engagement: namely, this, this or this.


Happy holidays, and godspeed, fellow shoppers.