11 Holiday Gifts for the Women on Your List

Decadent jams and local recipes for foodies, cosmetic treats and dazzling pouches for glamour queens + more perfectly matched gift ideas

Credit: Rosemarie Gearhart

Find the perfect present for every special lady in your life, whoever she may be

Sure, ’tis the season to splurge, but thoughtful gifts still trump all. Want to score top marks with your mom, sis or partner? Match the present to her personality. It might mean breaking the bank with a shiny bauble, or filling her heart by bestowing a gift that shows you know her best.

Here are 10 of our favourite 2015 holiday finds for her.

Credit: Christopher Papan

Thierry Jam, $9

For the Gourmand

Sometimes there’s nothing more pleasing than a humble item that’s been given the haute treatment. Case in point: Thierry’s jam. Packaged in a heavy glass jar with a tied ribbon, it’s available in four fruity flavours: rasberry, blackberry, passion fruit and black currant. This is not Monday-morning-in-a-rush jam. It’s lazy-decadent-weekend jam that begs to be slathered on a buttery croissant. It’s a priceless stocking stuffer that won’t even set you back a tenner.

Available at Thierry, 1095 Alberni Street, Vancouver

Hard Candy Holiday Beauty Crackers, $10

For the Glamour Gal

Is she constantly painting her nails, trying out new shades of lipstick and layering on sparkly eye shadows? Then these crackers are sure to be a hit with your glamour girl. What will she get when she pulls open a cracker? A mini Hard Candy cosmetic, holiday crown and beauty tip that will help her look extra festive during the holidays. Perfect for tucking into her stocking this season!

Available online at Walmart 

Credit: Indigo

Indigo Embossed Metallic Pouch, $19

For the Traveller

A woman with wanderlust wants to be able to jet off at a moment’s notice. This handy zippered pouch will keep her organized, whether she’s winging away to the beaches of Barbados or the ski slopes of Chamonix. This medium-sized (8.25” x 5.25”) pouch is ideal for packing staples like makeup and TSA-friendly-sized toiletries. Bon voyage!

Available in store and online at Chapters Indigo

BCLiving’s Love Where You Live Neighbourhood T-shirt, $24.95

For the casually stylish

Let her show her love for her neighbourhood (literally) with BCLiving’s ‘Love Where You Live’ T-shirt. Whether she’s out shopping or meeting friends for coffee, this shimmery gold foil and heathered cream cotton tee will keep her casually stylish. Women’s designs are available in five ’hoods: Yaletown, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, The Drive and North Shore. Partial proceeds of every shirt benefit the YWCA Metro Vancouver.

Available for purchase online at bcliving.ca/shop

The Butcher, the Baker, the Wine and Cheese Maker by the Sea, $30

For the “Locavore”

Does she “heart” local food? She’ll certainly love the recipes and “fork lore” from B.C. chefs, farmers, foragers, wine makers and other purveyors represented in Jennifer Schell’s second book: The Butcher, the Baker, the Wine and Cheese Maker by the Sea. Schell’s tribute to our coastal food artisans—a follow-up to her first book, which focused on the Okanagan—is packed full of her favourite recipes, like Oysters Rockefeller by Joe Fortes’ Chef Wayne.

Available online at TouchWood Editions and in store at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, 1740 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver

Veuve Clicquot Rosé, $76

For the Celebrant

For her, there’s nothing quite like popping the cork on a wine bottle to celebrate the season. Bestow on her something ultra toast-worthy like this pink rosé, which harks back to the 1950s in styling—its metal case reminiscent of that era’s iconic refrigerators. Plus, it’s perfect for toting your bottles to parties: the case keeps chilled wine cold for up to two hours. We’ll drink to that!

Available at BC Liquor Stores

Alessi Pulcina Espresso Coffee Maker, $88

For the Coffee Connoisseur

Turn her quotidian coffee routine upside down with this curvaceous espresso coffee maker from Alessi. Don’t be fooled by its good looks; there’s substance behind all that style. After all, designer Michele de Lucchi, who studied architecture in Florence, had a simple goal for this top pot: great coffee. He tirelessly researched ways to bring out the coffee’s best qualities, paying attention to the all-important filtering phase, which can create a bitter-tasting brew. And its V-shaped spout? That’s not about appearances, either. Described as “reminiscent of a baby chick’s beak,” it eliminates those annoying drips when pouring.

Available online at Alessi and in store at Atkinson’s, 1501 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver

Credit: teNeues

Arctica: The Vanishing North, $125

For the Environmentalist

She’s not just a dreamer; she’s a doer. And while she might not believe in Santa or the trappings that come with the season, she’ll appreciate this important gift: Arctica: The Vanishing North. This striking (and carbon neutral) tome on the otherworldly North Pole was conceived by Sebastian Copeland—photographer, author, activist and explorer—and features more than 200 colour photos, a forward by fellow explorer, Sir Richard Branson, and texts that point to a region in peril. It’s a striking siren call to preserve this precarious landscape before it’s too late.

Available online on Amazon.ca

Credit: 18KARAT

18KARAT Selenite Bookends, $167

For the Bibliophile

Give her hefty volumes—we’re looking at you, Moby Dick and Infinite Jest—some support with these stunning bookends from Vancouver-based 18KARAT. They aren’t just eye-catching, the naturally energized stones promise to bring calm to a room and repel negative vibes. These one-of-a-kind objects are a great gift for a voracious reader who eschews electronic “books” and prefers to crack the spine on a print novel, or flip through oversized tomes on art and travel.

Available online at 18KARAT

Credit: Roger Ward

Alexis Hotel Impressionist Package, From $275

for The Art Aficionado

You know she’s been dreaming of visiting the Louvre in Paris, but if you can’t afford to whisk her away to the City of Light, cross-border hop to the Emerald City instead, where the Seattle Art Museum is hosting the works of French Impressionists. An indulgent weekend retreat is surprisingly affordable, thanks to this Canadian-dollar-stretching deal offered by Kimpton’s Alexis Hotel. The chic downtown hotel’s four-star accommodations include VIP passes to the limited-time exhibit: Intimate Impressionism from the National Gallery of Art. She can swoon over paintings by Monet, Degas, Van Gogh and Gaugin (among others), then retreat back to the hotel—conveniently located across the street—to sip a complimentary Bellwether cocktail at the hotel’s Bookstore Bar. If you want to bring her Parisian dreams a little closer, book the Alexis’ Seattle Art Museum Suite. The gallery-esque, one-bedroom suite is très jolie, indeed.

Available online at Alexis Hotel (use booking code MONET until January 11, 2016)

Tiffany T Smile Pendant, $1,250

For the Best Friend

Maybe she’s your wife who’s endured your smelly hockey gear, your mom who’s offered you sage advice (that you’ve always ignored), or your beloved sister who had to put up with your tireless childhood antics. This season make it up to her by surprising her with this adjustable, 18k-rose-gold pendant (also available in yellow gold). It’s a special item she can wear every day, with everything.

Available online at Tiffany & Co.