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Tag: Gifts

My Mothers

by Liz
Events + Fashion & Textiles + Psychology & Self-Help + Spirituality + Travel / May 04, 2011

Mother’s Day is this weekend!

 

And here is what I’m getting the mothers in my life.

My Mom: Just retired, feeling restless, emailing and calling her daughter incessantly.

A House Somewhere: Tales of Life Abroad

Hopefully this collection of stories by some of the finest names in contemporary travel writing (Isabel Allende, Pico Iyer, Mort Rosenblum…) will take my mother to a faraway place. And obviously by that, I mean nurture her love of adventure and travel and otherwise occupy at least a few hours of her day. (Love you! Kisses!)

 

 

My Mother-In-Law: Born-again hippie who secretly indulged in watching the entire Tudors series in one weekend.

Wholeliness: Embracing the Sacred Unity that Heals Our World

This book by internationally renowned clinical psychologist Carmen Harra explains that wholeliness; the unity of humanity, the Divine, and the universe, is the nourishment we require to transcend a challenging era and foster unconditional fulfillment in our lives. Maybe this book will make her stop yelling at me when I beat her in euchre?
 

And... (because you have to stay on the mother-in-laws good side right?)

Sins of the House of Borgia

In 1492, when Ferdinand and Isabella expel the Jews from Spain, six year old Esther Sarfati finds herself travelling to Rome to join her father who has helped his fellow Spaniard, Rodrigo Borgia, finance his bid for the Papacy. Nine years later, as Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigore pays the favour by offering Esther a place in the household of his daughter, Lucrezia. And so on... (with lots of lust, betrayal and greed this is sure to be a winner!)

My Sister: New mom who is trying not to let her exhaustion ruin her sense of self.

My Mom, Style Icon

Mothers should never feel guilty about taking those extra minutes in the morning for themselves. This collection of photos from style savvy moms over the past decades should encourage my sis to break out her headscarf and rock her baby-yoga class in style. (or match her Baby Jogger with her sombrero?)

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What to expect… When you are expecting at Raincoast

by Liz
Fashion & Textiles + Gift & Stationery + Health & Wellness + Humour + Kids + Parenting / April 28, 2011

When you are having a baby, and work in an office, you can expect a number of things:

- Doors will be held

- Food is always  being offered

- Co-workers will discuss upcoming business while simultaneously rubbing your belly

But when you are having a baby in an office that deals with the distribution of top publishers from every genre, you can expect the extra gift of 'how to' and 'how not to' manuals of pregnancy and parenting to pile up on your desk (it's like little stork-elves appear in the night and hide baby books around my work area)

This is what has been delivered so far:

Pregnancy Planner: Essential Advice for Moms-to-Be (Chronicle Books)

- This is a great weekly planner that gives you facts, tips and hints about what is going on every week of your pregnancy. This week's interesting tidbit: My baby's teeth are already growing!

I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper: Loving Your Marriage After the Baby Carriage (Chronicle Books)

- While I'm not ready to trade my husband in yet (thank goodness he cooks AND cleans!) this is an excellent book to keep on the bookshelf for after the babe is born and I need reminding of why I got into this whole mess in the first place.

After the Stork: The Couple's Guide to Preventing and Overcoming Postpartum Depression (New Harbinger)

- I can't really predict what will happen when our kid arrives but I can try to prepare in advance for what I can only imagine is an incredible emotional and physical upheaval. This book provides powerful tools for dealing with all the many changes that will come our way.

My Mom, Style Icon (Chronicle Books)

- Based on the awesome blog, Piper Weiss reminds us that our moms were people—young, hip, fashionable people—before we came along to monopolize their time. This book is an excellent reminder that having a baby doesn't mean I have to change who I am.

Mama's Big Book of Little Lifesavers: 398 Ways to Save Your Time, Money, and Sanity (Chronicle Books)

- As a first time parent any advice is appreciated. This book is full of hints and tips to help parents keep their sanity. Such as always carrying wipes, and if our child is messy eater don't let it stop us from eating out—just tip well! (as a former waitress I really like this one)

Fortune-Telling Book for Moms-to-Be (Chronicle Books)

- This is a fun little gift book full of ancient wisdom and old wives tales to decode everything from your baby's gender to their post-natal temperament. So far things I have learned are that tying knots during pregnancy can make labour difficult (note to self: give up macramé asap), and that I should eat avocados for a healthy and beautiful baby (but that a beautiful baby will make a homely adult... oh the dilemma...)

And I can't even get started on the baby name books we have. I'll save those for another post.

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Our Top 10 Picks for Father’s Day Gifts

by Siobhan
Art & Photography + Film + Food & Drink + Gift & Stationery + History + Humour + Music + Parenting / June 02, 2010

Sure, you could get him a tie.

But if you're looking for something a little more exciting, here are our top 10 picks for Father's Day gifts...

Handy Dad: 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids


The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Man Skills


Dear Dad


Memento: An Autobiography Journal


2048: Humanity's Agreement to Live Together


Bee


Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline

 

Moleskine Passions: Book Journal / Film Journal / Music Journal / Recipe Journal / Wellness Journal / Wine Journal

Old Man Drinks: Recipes, Advice, and Barstool Wisdom


Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings

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Anne Taintor, gotta love her quirky quotes

by Danielle
Craft + Gift & Stationery / March 02, 2010

If you were able to catch the article in the Globe and Mail on Anne Taintor's accessory line, please take a read. It's a pretty cool story on how it all came about.

After seeing a career counselor she came up with the plan of collaging, since she needed an income to help with the bills. While flipping through some old magazines at a garage sale she came up with the idea to cut and paste old magazine with captions of the the women were 'really saying', then glueing them onto wooden buttons. Then the Anne Taintor legacy begins. Anne has been producing such wonderful gift products for over 25 years; it's really inspiring to see her come up with such fun ideas!

Medicated and motivated.

Who says children need to eat every day?

Someone was going to have to set a bad example.

Now be a dear and fetch mommy her flask.

 

The phrases might ring a bell for any woman who has ever trolled her favourite gift shop for some private shopping therapy. They float atop Anne Taintor’s kitschy collaged accessories, the ones with beautiful women beaming dementedly from vintage
advertisements...Christened “the patron saint of female frustration,” Taintor has been churning out accessories for 25 years. The massive line of products – everything from postcards, luggage tags and pill boxes to mouse pads, air fresheners and flasks – now sells in 25 countries and earns Anne Taintor Inc. annual revenues into the seven figures.

 

This is my fave!! So totally true for me. I love it!

 

She has so many other quirky products which can be found at gift and book stores.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a couple more items you will find:

2010 Wall Calendar: Anne Taintor

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Engagement Calendar: Anne Taintor (June)

 

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Advent Books: Great Books Recommended by Great People

by Dan
News / December 17, 2009

Everyone knows that books make great gifts right? But with so many books out there, how do you decide which ones to buy?

Well, if you're having trouble (and there are only 8 days until Christmas!), I suggest you get yourself over The Advent Books Blog ASAP. 

Set up by pals Sean Cranbury of Books on the Radio (Vancouver) and Book Madam Julie Wilson (Toronto), Advent Books is posting short (v. short in some cases!) enthusiastic book recommendations by authors, publishing professionals, bloggers, and booksellers.

All the books recommended are from the past year, but so far they've covered just about every genre, format, shape, size and colour. And with 17 days worth of recommendations already posted, there is surely just the book you are looking for!

Go! Go Now!

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