16 Gift Ideas for the Women in Your Life

By gifting a stunning plastic-free Hemlock & Oak planner to that special someone this season, you’re not only giving them a beautifully designed daily diary,  you’re also helping to reduce post-consumer waste. Each planner (there are a variety of different layouts and accessories) is designed in-house by a small, innovative team and is sustainably made by family-owned manufacturers in Canada.

2025 Minimalist Planner in Charbon, Hemlock & Oak, $59.

A tea subscription is a gift that keeps on giving with every boiled kettle, long after the wrapping paper is packed away and the tree comes down.

Canada-based My Tea Box will send out a monthly package to your gift-subscription recipient, filled with 2-4 packets of delightful, hand-packed teas. Not sure what type of tea they like? They’ll get a link where they can make their own selections to try.

12-Month Subscription, My Tea Box, starting at $14/month.

We’ve seen fruit bowls in a variety of shapes and sizes but never one quite like this. If unique, fun and modern is what you’re after this holiday season, Maha Alavi’s Frooot Bowl is the perfect choice. Available in a variety of colours, including lilac, yellow, beige and green, this spectacular translucent bowl is more like a piece of art, especially when the light hits it!

Frooot Bowl by Maha Alavi, Casson, $1,530.

If your loved one is more of a tactile reader, Pamela Anderson’s new cookbook, I Love You: Recipes from the Heart, may win their heart. This special signed copy is stuffed full of homemaking anecdotes and insights, stunning photos of Pamela frolicking around her Vancouver Island estate and, of course, delicious vegan recipes.

I Love You: Recipes from the Heart by Pamela Anderson, Amazon, $34 (currently 25% off).

These adorable yet chic oven mitts are exactly what she needs if she’s a whiz in the kitchen or learning her way around. It’s heat resistant due to their thick quilted lining and has a hang loop for easy storage.

Kate Spade New York Botanical Stripe Oven Mitt, Amazon, $30. 

Crafted from 100 per cent pure European flax, Vancouver-based Sömn Home offers customers luxurious bedding that not only feels luxe but is also naturally hypoallergenic, temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking. They’re the perfect sleep solution for those who care about what goes on their body and into their homes, as Sömn is committed to ethically-sourced yarns that are grown and processed without harsh chemicals or synthetic fibers. Plus, linen offers a lived-in, tousled look that gets better with age, elevating your bedroom decor from basic to luxe.

Comfort Linen Bedding Set, Sömn Home Inc, starting at $436.

A woman’s auditory world can be a cacophony of commuter trains, chaotic kids and chattering communal worktables. Silence (or, at least sound that we choose to listen to) is golden.

A great pair of noise-cancelling, wireless Bluetooth headphones, such as these sweet Skullcandy “Preppy Blue” set, gives us control over what we do and don’t listen to.

Crusher ANC 2 Noise-Cancelling Headphones, Skullcandy, $300.

Audiobooks are better than ever, with new media companies developing full-cast productions.

Suggest that your gift recipient use their first membership credit (a new audiobook credit is included each month) to start Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City — adramatized series featuring sexy angels and steamy bedroom scenes — and get into their good books immediately.

Gift Membership, Audible, $15-$163.

Is it a vase or a sculpture? We think both. Featuring organic curves and a raw textured surface, the Aura Vase by Germany-based Schneid Studio is a timeless take on an everyday essential (for us at least!). Available in blush and apricot, we’re digging how expressive this abstract piece is.

Aura Vase, Casson, $318.

Pairing a cookbook with a new, high-end paring knife (or chef’s knife, depending on your budget) is one of those gift ideas that’s really cooking with gas.

A Shun knife is definitely a splurge, but the price matches its prowess in the knife-making game. Each Shun blade is handcrafted in Seki City, Japan’s ancient centre for samurai sword making, using a meticulous 100-step process and 68 layers of stainless steel.

Shun Classic Blonde Knives, Crate & Barrel, starting at $135.

The best gift ideas for women tend to combine two key elements — form and function. The beauty of an object draws the eye, while its utility pleases the mind.

IKEA’s designers understood the brief when they made this cute, dimmable LED lamp and iPhone charging station. The lamp charges on the dock too and can be picked up and placed anywhere that a little extra light is needed.

BETTORP LED Mobile Lamp Charging Station, IKEA, $70.

Storage is something we could always use more of. So why not give the gift that keeps on giving this holiday season? This handmade braided basket comes in two sizes (small and large) and can be used to store produce, kitchen utensils, a plant or even art supplies. The possibilities are endless!

Ferm Living Ceramic Woven Basket, Casson, $125-161.

This new-to-market, high-tech sleeping mask from Therabody (makers of the cult-favourite percussive massager Theragun) blocks out 100 per cent of light. It’s also loaded with three soothing vibration patterns that have been scientifically shown to improve sleep time and quality.

SleepMask Blackout Eye Mask, Therabody, $129.

Spread a little love this holiday season with a doormat that doubles as a piece of art. This one features artist Keith Haring’s signature figures holding up a bright red heart — an inspiring message we can all agree on. Best of all, this doormat is machine washable and made with a material resistant to mold and fading, so it’ll last for years to come.

Keith Haring Holding Heart Doormat, Ruggable, $246.

This sweet, limited-edition set of “Lip Sleeping Masks” are specifically designed to work their moisturizing magic overnight. With flavours such as Gummy Bear and Peached Iced Tea, each one of these five little lip-reviving pots deliver vitamin C and hyaluronic acid while you slumber.

Laneige Midnight Minis Lip Set, Sephora, $29.

Whether their veggie garden covers half an acre or their condo patio is stacked with flower pots, every plant lover covets the top tools. Felco #6 pruners are made in Switzerland, and are ergonomically designed for small hands to cut using minimum force.

There’s a whole range of pruners made to match hand size and task (the Felco #2 model even received the Swiss Grand Prix of Design in 2018).

Felco #6 Pruner, Lee Valley, $78.