Here is a sobering fact to start the work week: Home Alone 2 was created 20 years ago. Twenty.
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I know some of you reading weren’t born before 1992, but for the rest of us…..ahhh, indeed!
That means, Home alone 1 was created 22 years ago.
Ummm….stop that. Stop it right now.
Eric and I were innocently watching our beloved Home Alone 2 last night when some kid came on and ruined the whole thing by telling us how far away we are from 10 years old now. lalala la la la lalala la la. I probably would’ve guessed the movie was 10 years old. I’m in time warp, clearly. Eric is also in denial. Live on, VHS, live on.
Sobering fact number two: It’s December 3rd!
Did you wake up Saturday morning in a bit of a shock? December always sneaks up on us, much like the twenty year anniversary of Home Alone 2. What can ya do. It’s time to get down to business!
I’ve put together my annual holiday gift ideas post highlighting some of my favourite gifts all in one cozy spot. It’s always worth repeating that I do not have an affiliation with any of the brands listed below nor are any of the links affiliates. I simply enjoy these products/services and think you might too!
Let’s begin, shall we?
1. Weck Canning Jars {Crate & Barrel, $3-5}
These jars are my go-to for gift-giving my homemade nut butters. They are just so darn cute and come in mini 4.5oz all the way up to 26oz.
2. Oven Thermometre {try Kitchen Stuff Plus or Canadian Tire, $5}
Do you reeeeally know the true temperature of your oven? And do you reeeeally think it’s preheated correctly when it beeps to tell you it is? Odds are it’s not. My oven temp is way off so I keep this handy guy hanging in there at all times. Once you know, you can’t un-know, if you know what I mean. Find them at Canadian Tire, Kitchen Stuff Plus, or other home good stores. This would make a great stocking stuffer for the home cook!
3. Glass Storage Containers – oven and freezer safe {Crate & Barrel, $12-21}
These glass containers are 3 in 1 – as the website says, they go from “oven to table to freezer”!
4. Subscription to VegNews Magazine {via mail delivery or tree-free online magazine, $20 in US, $40 Canada}
My thoughtful father-in-law subscribed me to this magazine last year and I must say I have enjoyed every single issue. It’s a great gift for vegetarians, vegans, or those just looking to live a healthy, compassionate lifestyle.
5. Vanilla Bean Paste {Williams Sonoma, $19}
A lovely hybrid of vanilla extract and vanilla beans. This is a special occasion vanilla perfect to whip out for your holiday baking or stir into that special bowl of oatmeal…
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6. Zester/Grater {Microplane, $22}
Any time I need to grate fresh nutmeg, chocolate, limes, or lemons…I’m using this bad boy!
Please note: I am not responsible for your lost fingernail tips. Eek.
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7) 10-piece Glass Nesting Bowl Set {Crate & Barrel, $37}
Is there anything better than a nesting bowl set? I had no idea that’s what they are called, but it’s good to know. It’s perfect for the neat freak who is short on storage. That’s me, minus the neat freak part. Truth be told, I have some nesting bowls and I somehow manage to un-nest them in my cabinet. It drives Eric craaazy.
8. Anthropologie – various {Shown: Pitcher, $28; earrings, $32; Umbrella, $30}
Doesn’t Anthro have the coolest gifts? It’s always one of the first places I look when I need a unique gift for a friend. Whatever you do, check out Anthro’s sale room before you buy anything full price! You can score some amazing deals up to 70% off.
9. Give back and gift a Tree! {Ontario residents try Trees Ontario, $25 and up)
Why not give back to our wonderful earth during the holidays? Trees Ontario will plant 10 trees for a $25 donation. You can donate them in someone’s honour too. We are doing this this year since we are purchasing a real tree and thought it would be a good tradition to start. If you are outside of Ontario, simply google a similar organization in your own area. There are lots!
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10. Soy Candles {Pacifica, $22}
I spotted these at Whole Foods and promptly fell in love with the Thai Lemongrass scent (among others). I hear the Mediterranean Fig is a great winter scent, but I haven’t tried it yet. You can read about how Brook and Billy started the Pacifica business here…it’s pretty inspiring how committed they are to the environment!
11. Sponsor a Farm Animal {various locations, see here for a huge listing}
Farm sanctuaries rescue, rehabilitate, nourish, and provide love and shelter to farm animals who had a rough start in life. Your sponsorship will help them care for and feed the animal giving it the life and respect it so deserves.
12. Green Pans
I own a few Green pots and I love that they are an eco-friendly alternative to common chemicals found on traditional non-stick bakeware. I have the casserole, covered saucepan, and a skillet. I believe Costco sells the skillets in packs of two, if I’m not mistaken.
13. Vegan shop owners on Etsy – choose from over 77,000 items!
If you are stuck on what to buy the vegan in your life (or anyone for that matter!) just head on over to Etsy. Bonus points for being able to search for local shop owners and support small business owners.
14. Glass D’harma Glass Straws, $10
Want to know the product question I am asked the most on Oh She Glows?
—> Where did you get your glass straws?
Yes, that’s the one. I’ve been asked it so much I added it to my FAQ page. I was sent the product to review a few years ago and have been using them in my daily smoothies ever since. Can we please ditch the plastic straws once and for all?
15. Vegan food gifts
Why not give the gift of food to your loved ones this year by making food gifts yourself or by supporting local vegan bakeries? I gave a jar of my homemade Nutella as a hostess gift this weekend and it was a fun gift to give a chocolate lover.
Well, that’s a wrap. I hope you’ve enjoyed this gift guide! Until next year…
Don’t forget to let me know below what’s on your gift list!
Man that’s crazy! I had no idea I was only 5ish when I first watched those movies. I’m not sure if I should be thanking you for pointing it out, ha ha! And I haven’t really thought about Christmas much yet (though I really should), but a lot of these look like presents I’d like to have!
Can you recommend a cookbook for some new to vegan/vegetarian cooking?
LOVE LOVE LOVE all of your gift ideas. I was thinking as I was reading them, Yes I want those, yes I want that, yes this is all really great. I think you’re in my head :) Plus I really enjoyed that you put Etsy on here too. There are so many wonderful artists that have amazing ideas and have made some really great stuff! I am slightly biased as I have an etsy page too…shameless plug here www.etsy.com/stephaniehandmade I only have a few things, but there are so MANY more artists that have taken the time to create some really nice items too! Loving your blog like always and wondering when that book of yours is coming out and how the process is going so far!
Hey Stephanie, I don’t think your link worked…can you send it again?
Thanks for asking about the book! It’s coming along slowly but surely. The hardest part has been the photography!! Im probably going to have to reshoot so many photos at the last minute because I am not happy with a lot of them from earlier on. Im excited to have the book in my hands in 2014 though! It will all be worth it im sure.
Ha! I watched that movie too, and thought the same thing! That kid was super annoying, lol… hard to believe that was so long ago! What a classic.
I think many of us were watching hah. Did you also watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas after (with Jim Carrey)??
I recorded it to watch closer to Christmas :)
Another great vegan candle company is A Scent of Scandal. I love these! http://www.ascentofscandal.com/
I love all these gadgets! So much for gifts, I just want them all myself :)
Wow- I definitely want one of those glass straws for myself! I hate throwing away my plastic straw every day.
Definitely going to be buying a few of these things. Thanks for the ideas!
I LOVE kitchen stuff plus!! Miss that store so much (almost as much as tim hortons).
I also love your idea about sponsoring an animal at the sanctuary. We do that as a part of our annual donations. It’s an awesome place….
Hey Caren,
We miss you more! We are available online for all your kitchen stuff needs and ship all over North America at very reasonable rates! And, thanks to Angela for the mention, great gift guide! Especially love the animal sponsoring idea, too.
Happy holidays everyone!
I love the great ideas. Here in the UK nielsen massey vanilla paste is about half the price so I’m lucky enough to be able to use it regularly, but real Canadian maple syrup is super expensive! I think top of my foody Christmas list would be a nice fancy bottle of good quality maple syrup.
I think you should also add that you are not responsible for grated knuckles when cleaning the zester as well! Haha :) the things we do for food! & I have the glass bowls from C&B – absolutely love them!
My family spent Saturday night watching Home Alone 1&2! I have 2 girls that love those movies, but I had the same realization when I saw the date of 1990 on the 1st one! It’s crazy to think it’s been over 20 years….it makes me feel old to be able to say that! :)
OMG, those Home Alone facts make me feel quite old indeed! I love the vegan etsy shop ideas!! I will have to check some of those out. This year I’m making some gifts for my girlfriends. I’ve been very inspired by pinterest! hahah there are great diy bracelet ideas :)
awesome ideas, thanks! (and just an fyi …. i had my oven serviced recently, and i talked to the technician about the temp and how its off from my portable oven thermometer. he checked the temp with his fancy schmancy gadget, and the portable thermometer was WRONG yet my oven’s internal thermometer was RIGHT! he said those little portable thingys are almost always wrong. and yes, my oven WAS preheating correctly when it beeped at me, i just didnt believe it!)
that is a scary thought! When I tested my oven initially I bought two different brands of oven thermometres just to be sure, but yes I guess they could technically both be wrong…lol
Quick questions for fellow UK readers…..anyone know where I can purchase good glass straws in the UK? I’ve wanted some for ages!
I would love those mixing bowls. A great gift in terms of healthy eating would be to make up prepackaged mixes for soups or spices! I also love the idea of supporting locally. I love going to ETSY as well. It feel so good to support others. I enjoy a cookie exchange with friends and family too!
Blast! I just bought a bunch of stuff from Crate and Barrel, but I wish I’d seen those canning jars first! They had porcelain spoons on sale for 95 cents, which I thought was a super deal. I may have to place another order just for the jars though… Thanks for a great list.
I have several of those items on my list; the Weck Jars, VegNews magazine, and the glass straws! Also, anything from Crate & Barrel is awesome, in my opinion.
What great suggestions! I definitely want to get some new casserole dishes and those glass straws are pretty cool! Also, I love the idea of sponsoring a farm animal. So sweet :)
I bought some Dharma straws back in the spring and I absolutely love them. The set I bought came with a cleaning brush, which was immensely useful especially if you are drinking a smoothie and your thesis writing prevents you from rinsing it immediately :)
One of my other favorite things is the Lululemon vinyasa infinity scarf. It’s so soft and comfortable. I like wearing it when I travel on planes because it’s so big that I can use it as a shawl and it keeps me warm. Here’s the link: http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-seasonal-accessories/Vinyasa-Scarf-Luon-Light?cc=4528&sli=1
That is so pretty, I love scarfs
I have that Vanilla Bean Paste! The exact one…so random that they stock it in the supermarkets here! I have the extract version too! :) I watch home alone 1 and 2 EVERY Christmas without fail…3 and 4 just don’t live up to the originals!