Made in Canada: 4 Affordable Stocking Stuffers and Gift Ideas

With the holidays around the corner and names being added to your shopping list, here are a few affordable, Canadian gift ideas to keep on hand for a unique host or hostess gift, as a memorable stocking stuffer or thank-you gift for your hair stylist, babysitter, dog walker, teacher, school bus driver … just about anyone!

 

Sealuxe Candy Cane Beach Glass Soap

 

 

 

A hostess gift that is useful and practical for entertaining. This British Columbia company is known for their ethically sourced bath and skin care products infused with ingredients like seaweed, salt and Canadian glacial marine clay. The Candy Cane Beach Glass is a holiday version of their popular single-serve soap (perfect for travel and for visiting guests). Peppermint-scented and coloured in festive red, white and green, these little slivers of soap are reminiscent of beach glass washed up on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. 

Feel good giving a gift from Sealuxe, the company created the Ripple Effect initiative where they host monthly beach clean-ups in B.C. Created to bring attention to the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans, Sealuxe also created a special edition soap earlier this year and donated all proceeds during the month of June to Sea Legacy.

 

LODGE Soy Candles: Winter Solstice Maskwa Candle

 

With a sacred blend of frankincense, balsam fir and cedarwood essential oils, this candle creates a warm and woodsy scent meant to inspire peace, grounding, protection and well-being. Founded by Angela DeMontigny — an internationally renowned Indigenous Canadian fashion designer and artist — LODGE soy candles were created to ᒥᔨᑯᓯᐃᐧᐣ miyikosiwin (gift) ceremony and light into people’s lives. Each collection item (there’s also a travel tin candle and wellness mist) embraces the spirit of Indigenous wellness and are ethically made and infused with essential oils derived from plants, trees and spices. Always looking for ways to give back to the community, 25 per cent of proceeds during the month of November from the Winter Solstice Maskwa collection will be donated to the Native Women’s Centre in Hamilton, Ont.

 

Sacha-ish by Zing

 

I’m not going to lie, this is a savoury chili condiment I collaborated on with the young, women-led and immigrant-owned Toronto company known for partnering with chefs and food creators to bring a boost of flavour to meals. Sacha-ish is inspired by my childhood memories of hot pot, where dipping sauces like a can of shāchá jiàng (or sacha sauce) were always included. Mix in some ingredients and techniques popular across other regions of South/Southeast Asia, like India and Japan, and we created something familiar but new. It’s earthy, tangy, a little spicy, salty and packed with umami. Just launched at the end of November, it’s a versatile flavour-booster that can instantly elevate whatever you’re making to restaurant quality. Sacha-ish is perfect with meat, seafood or tofu, a flavourful addition to eggs, roast veggies, stir-fries, noodles, mixed into soup, a sauce or as a sandwich spread. 

 

Blume Holiday Bundle

 

Give the warm flavours of the holidays with these festive superfood blends by Blume. Gingerbread Latte, Mint Cocoa and Nut Nog (for the dairy-free drinkers) join the classic Blume blends by combining natural and organic ingredients known for their wellness benefits with the experience of a luxurious café drink. Founded by Karen Danudjaja in 2017, Blume makes a variety of ethically sourced beverage blends to make wellness accessible at home with products that take little effort to prepare and, most importantly, taste great. 

 

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