Five sure-fire holiday gift ideas for the last minute shopper

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Perhaps you’re one of those clever shoppers who starts ticking off friends and family from the gift list in November. But if you’re like me, you’re scrambling the last weekend before Christmas and congratulating yourself because it’s not like you waited until Dec. 23. Kitsilano happens to have one of the finest boutique line-ups in town, whether you’re a yoga mum/dad, a tech geek or a UBC student with a Destroyer fetish.

Here’s my list of five ways to make someone happy when shopping in Kits:

1) Skoah Holiday Travel Kit, $25

Skoah’s been skooling Vancouverites on skin workouts since 2001. Now this locally-based line of spatiques is a North American favourite. Their basic philosophy is: Skin, like your booty, needs regular training to be healthy and look great. They assure you this is not an indulgence, but a duty, and both genders seem to appreciate the results. Scoop up a Skoah Holiday Travel Kit (they’ve got one for each skin type) which comes with five travel-sized skin savers: kleasning lotion, tonik, face skrub, hydradew mask and face skotion. Then glow your way through the holiday season. 2258 W. 4th Ave., 604-609-0200, Skoah.com

2) Classic dvds/blu-rays, Videomatica in Zulu Records, from $20

We recently blogged about Videomatica joining forces with Zulu Records, and media-addicts could not be happier about the union of two of Kits’ oldest businesses. Swing by Videomatica in Zulu where, besides the basic stash of new releases, you’ll find rare classics like Citizen Kane, Metropolis, A Christmas Carol and more. 1972 West 4th Ave., 604-734-5752, Videomatica.ca

3) 10-class-card, Semperviva Yoga, $139

It’s almost impossible to find a Kits resident who doesn’t dig yoga, or wish they went to more classes. Go for an easy crowd pleaser with a 10-class-gift-card to Semperviva Yoga. This pass is valid for 90 days from the date of purchase. 2201 West 4th Ave. or 2608 West Broadway, 604.739.2009, Semperviva.com

4) Mushroom growing kit, Whole Foods, $26

This one is for the foodie in your family, but once you the kit going everyone will get involved. Whole Foods/Capers mushroom cultivation kits are an great way to move locavore eating indoors for the winter. Part science experiment, part culinary coup, a mushroom kit takes two weeks to grow and results in several meals worth of food. 2285 West 4th Ave., 604-739-6676, Wholefoodsmarket.com

5) Melissa and Doug retro wooden toys, Cowboys & Angels, from $20

It’s always pleasant to find something durable and attractive when shopping for toys for kids, and no one does this better than Melissa and Doug, whose line of classic, hand-made wooden toys is available at Cowboys and Angels. From trains to tool boxes and pounding benches, these toy designs have worked for kids for the last 100+ years. Yes, the blocks are designed to promote motor skills for little ones, but I’d bet they’d make a hipster think home decor. 2003 West 4th Ave., 604-568-1191, Cowboysandangels.ca

 

Last modified: December 17, 2011

2 Responses to " Five sure-fire holiday gift ideas for the last minute shopper "

  1. Janelle says:

    Great ideas. As an FYI – Melissa & Doug toys are 30% off this weekend at Capers/Whole Foods.

  2. Taraneh says:

    Great tip, thanks!!