Ellen Degeneres likes to give away swag. We get that! This year, for her annual 12 Days of Giveaways promotion, she included a product that we know and love, too. As you can see in this clip from Day 5 of her 12 Days of Giveaways, she gave away some true winter classics.
We’re taking about… Heat Holders!
Heat Holders, the oh-so-cozy winter gear that provides warmth on the chilliest of Canadian winter days. London Drugs offers a wide selection of Heat Holders, and we’re partial to these soft grey crew socks. In need of a few final stocking stuffers? These toasty warm socks are a great way to go!
With families spread out across the country (and sometimes across an ocean), it’s unfortunate that some loved ones can’t make it home for the holidays. The next best thing is to send a little piece of home to them with a thoughtful care package. Here are some tips to make it the best care package possible.
First, do your homework. Check rates and timelines at Canada Post before you pack your box, and make sure you know what can and can’t be sent through the mail. If time is of the essence, you’ll have to use a more expensive shipping option like Priority service, or a private company like FedEx or UPS. Money-saving tip: use the shipping company’s flat-rate boxes instead of your own to ensure you’re getting the best rate and not shipping something that’s an unusual weight or size.
If you’re shipping baked goods, sturdy treats like small cookies, brownies, quick breads, and non-fragile candies are better for shipping than delicate sweets that can easily fall apart. To ensure that everything arrives in one piece, stuff the boxes with plenty of soft packaging. Keep it green by reusing newspapers or use clothing that you’d be sending anyway. Pack at least 2 inches of cushioning around each item. And it might sound fun, but avoid using real popcorn, as it can attract unwanted pests.
Every care package is different depending on the recipient, so here are some ideas for a custom-made package from the heart.
University Student – If the hard working student in your life can’t put down the books for the holidays or just can’t afford the trip, he’ll need some love from home.
Military – If your loved one is serving overseas, you already know that care packages are essential for surviving lonely days and nights away from home. First, consider where she is. If she’s somewhere cold, send warm socks, long underwear, hand and foot warmers, and hot chocolate packs. If she is somewhere hot, items like lip balm, sunscreen, personal fans, deodorant and clean t-shirts are always appreciated.
Definitely include something that reminds them of home, like treats made from an old family recipe, prints of photos you know she hasn’t seen in a while, or merchandise from a favourite home team. Boredom is often a factor for service members, so consider including some fun, like card games, puzzle books, Mad Libs, magic tricks, books, or magazines. Military shipping tips: If you’re sending edible gifts, make sure to secure and tape your package really well, as little critters often make their home on ships and aren’t shy about chewing through boxes to get to the goodies.
Ex-pat Friend – Most ex-pats say that the thing they miss the most about home (after friends and family of course) is the snack food – so why not send exactly that!
Working Away From Home – Yes, a quiet hotel suite and room service can sound pretty glamorous, but family members who travel a lot for work get tired of those perks pretty quickly, and really they just miss home. To help bridge the gap, send some of your child’s newest artwork or a hand-written story, a customized photo desk calendar, or a pillowcase that smells like home. Stress is also a hardship while working away from home, so send easily-pack-able items to de-stress the space wherever they are staying: candles, aromatherapy diffuser with lavender, rose or sandalwood essential oil, noise-cancelling headphones, a sleep mask, a yoga dvd, and some healthy snacks. For an extra thoughtful touch, have some fresh flowers delivered to his room.
Hopefully, the separation from your loved one over the holidays is just temporary, but the memories of a perfect care package will last a lifetime.
We get it. The holidays aren’t everyone’s cup of egg nog. They can be stressful, expensive, wasteful, and the music…sigh. Heck, you may not even celebrate any holidays at all! If you’re feeling grinchy-er than normal this holiday season, we’ve got some tips to help you stay jolly.
Avoid Stress
If the thought of cooking all day is enough to jingle your bells right off their bobtails (what the heck are bobtails, anyway?), look into having someone else do all the cooking. Many restaurants and caterers offer Christmas dinner service for not much more than you would spend buying all the supplies yourself. Some even have same-day pick up, so all you’ll have to do with the delicious food is eat it. Someone will still have to do the dishes, though. Sorry.
It’s not always easy at this busy time of year, but try to make sleep a priority. The more rested you are, the better you can deal with outside stresses. If you have trouble sleeping, try a natural sleep aid like white noise, a sleep mask or aromatherapy.
Everyone knows that exercise reduces stress, so between office parties and gift wrapping, sneaking in a workout can really help ease the pressure. Bonus – the gym is almost empty around the holidays. Not a fan of the gym? Most home workouts only require a yoga mat and hand weights to start.
Some people would rather eat tinsel than go to the mall around the holidays, but there’s really no reason to step into retail hell when you can you now get gifts online for everyone on your list. LondonDrugs.com has a huge selection of everything you’ll need for the holidays, and you won’t even need to change out of your jammies to get it.
Don’t Overspend
Give homemade gifts – if you’re a motivated home cook, make a big batch of cookies or preserves and wrap them up in cute gift packages, for much, much less than buying gifts.
Give gifts of service – This could include shovelling the sidewalk for elderly relatives, running an errand for a friend, or cooking dinner for a busy parent. Babysitting services are always appreciated, too!
Set a family spending limit of $10 or $20 per person to avoid overspending. It will challenge everyone to be creative with their gift giving, and avoid bad feelings. Or, if everyone is on board, do a Secret Santa gift exchange instead of gifts for everyone. That way, you can spend a little money on one really thoughtful gift instead of lots of money on many smaller, cheaper gifts.
Reduce Waste
Instead of disposable gift wrap, make the wrapping a useful part of the gift; put cookies in a flower pot or hide jewelry in a new pair of socks.
Be selective when deciding how many holiday cards to send. If you don’t want to send cards at all, choose a few people you’d like to connect with, grab some stationary paper and a great pen and write a letter instead for a touching surprise.
Plug your indoor and outdoor lights into timers for energy savings and peace of mind while you’re away.
I Don’t Celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah
If you don’t celebrate the holidays, you probably already do this – hit up your favourite Chinese restaurant! Most are open on Christmas holidays, and it’s a fun and delicious December tradition.
Start your own, brand new tradition! Take your cue from Seinfeld – George’s father Frank Costanza invented Festivus so he could reject all the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas but still maintain a family tradition. If you like the sound of it, you’ll need a Festivus pole, meatloaf on a bed of lettuce for dinner, and some space in the living room for the Feats of Strength. Don’t forget the Airing of Grievances!
Oh, and about that Christmas music…here’s a great Spotify playlist called “Christmas Songs (For People Who Hate Christmas Music)” to help ease the burden of hearing that Mariah Carey song for the 27,346th time.
Despite our habit of complaining about them, we Canadians actually love our winters. In fact, we’re proud of them. They’re wonderful for curling up at home, visiting family and friends, and playing in the snow.
But our winter has a dark side, with the risk of power outages, frostbite, vehicle mishaps, and more. As with any danger, the key to survival is good preparation. Here are some helpful checklists for winter safety indoors, outdoors, and on the road. They’ll help you survive a Canadian winter in style.
√ Fire Logs: When waiting out cold snaps and nasty colds alike, a roaring fire makes your home into a sanctuary. But maintaining a woodpile can be impractical. Luckily, artificial logs burn for hours. No fireplace? You can fake it with an electric version or a portable space heater instead.
√ A Generator: During prolonged blackouts, a generator can power all your survival essentials, like the heaters we mentioned before and so much more. Just keep it full of fuel and stored away. Even if you never need to use it, it’s great to know it’s there.
On The Road…
√ Large Flashlight: If your car is stuck or can’t be driven safely, you might need to flag down assistance or head for nearby help on foot. In those cases, you’ll be glad to have a large, very bright flashlight to ensure you’re easily seen.
√ Quality Scraper & Shovel: Don’t be forced to push snow around with your boot or use the old credit card window-cleaning trick this winter. Get a full-sized shovel and a quality scraper, instead. You’ll thank yourself later.
√ A GPS Tracker: Planning a long winter car trip? There’s a good chance you’ll leave cellular reception far behind. So it’s always smart to let someone know where you’re headed. Even better? Give them the ability to track you via satellite.
And Out In The Snow.
√ Warming Pads: Being outdoors is exhilarating in the wintertime. But before long, your fingers and toes will start to smart. Or worse, they’ll become numb. Keep the fun going with heating pads for your hands and feet.
√ Insulated Drink Container: Canadians know the only thing better than a warm drink at home is one outdoors. If you’re headed out beyond the coffee shops (difficult in Canada, we know), a quality insulated container, like this one from Thermos, will save the day.
√ Phone Charger: You’ve been out all day taking and sharing pictures of your winter fun when you suddenly realize your battery is getting low. Sound familiar? For safety and convenience, carry a pocket-sized phone charger wherever you go.
For more advice on winterizing your home, yourself, or your car, speak to an LD Expert today, or visit London Drugs in-store and online.
Eight Tasty Treats You Can Make In Your Waffle Iron (That Aren’t Waffles)
We know we don’t have to say it–waffle irons are great! Who doesn’t love a fresh, fluffy waffle hot off the iron for Sunday breakfast? A waffle iron makes a great gift, and if you’re married, chances are you received one as a wedding present. (Thanks, Aunt Linda!). But, let’s face it, they’re not exactly a frequently used item. That’s about to change, because we’ve got eight delicious recipes that will bring your waffle iron into regular kitchen rotation.
Margherita Pizza
Yes, it looks a bit funny, but your mouth will thank you for the wells of extra savoury sauce and gooey cheese. Plus, the waffle maker doubles as an oven for baking the crust to perfection, and a broiler for melting the cheese.
These mouth-watering morsels are relatively simple to make, and can be made in less time than it takes to make dinner. Bonus: your house will smell amazing afterwards.
Quesadillas are a satisfying, kid-friendly and easy dinner choice, but they’re never quite the same at home as the more authentic ones from a restaurant. The professional secret to perfect quesadillas is cooking them right on a griddle. Well, guess what a waffle iron is—a tiny, hatched griddle. A grid-dle!
Don’t have a campfire handy? You’re in luck, because these warm, sweet and decadent treats can be waffled! (Yes, we just used waffle as a verb. Sorry. Not sorry.)
Okay, okay these are technically waffles. But, they look so sensational, we had to include them on this list. Take the opportunity to experiment with the dips—maple syrup, Nutella, peanut butter, whipped cream…the possibilities are delicious.
Yes, it’s true—you can make healthy, vegetarian things in your waffle maker, too! These are super easy, even healthier than traditional, deep-fried falafels, and the best part is saying the name of this recipe out loud. Waffled falafels. Waffled falafels. We can’t stop.
This comfort food classic is perfect for a quick lunch, and the spicy dash of hot sauce gives it an extra kick. We love the sound of this particular recipe, but honestly, any sandwich that would go in a panini press works great in a waffle maker. Kitchen space saver!
What’s everyone’s favourite part of a pan of brownies? The edges, right? Well, waffle iron brownies, with their crispy outsides and soft insides, offers the promise of all edges, all the time. They also take a fraction of the time to make than baking in the oven. Top them with rich, vanilla ice cream, and you’ve basically won at life.
It’s less than a month until Christmas. Still working on your holiday shopping? We’ve got you covered!
Leading up to December 25, we’re posting holiday gift guides for everyone on your list. We have already shared guides for the home cook, kids (and parents), and techies. Today’s guide is all about the DIYer!
What do you get for someone who likes to make things? Buying a scarf for a knitter or a nice planter for someone who works with ceramics can seem a waste. Instead, give them what they love best—tools or supplies to make something themselves!
Here’s our guide to buying a cool crafty present for the DIYer on your list.
1. Build their Tool Box
DIYers love new tools. Not only will they expand their range of projects, but new tools are sometimes just inspiring in and of themselves—opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
Help the DIYers in your life build their ultimate tool box with a glue gun, an X-Acto knife, and a screwdriver with multiple bits. These long nose pliers are perfect for making jewelry, and a tape measure will be useful no matter the project. An adjustable wrench means they’ve always got the right size. Scissors are necessary for just about any DIY project. And a multitool means they can carry it all with them and be ready for anything.
2. Grow their Garden
It’s not really the right season for gardening, but don’t let that stop you. There are plenty of great presents for DIY plant lovers that you can still find at this time of year, like garden glovesand a gorgeous green watering can. They’ll be great in the spring for outdoor use, but they can be used with indoor plants as well.
We’ve got plenty of great planters that will look lovely on a beautiful plant stand. And this Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners hand soap and hand cream duo will remind your DIYer that you care about them and their well being. No cracked skin here!
3. Sew So Well
Sewing is such a handy skill. Sewers can make clothes, create curtains, upgrade their bed with a new duvet cover, mend fabric, fashion their own duffle bags and totes–the list is almost unending. It’s perfect for upgrading one’s home or wardrobe with big or small projects and is a life skill that everyone should have.
Who doesn’t love some delicious homemade jellies and jams? You can certainly make some yourself for excellent Christmas gifts (check out our guide to canning and preserving for tips and recipes!), but for the DIYer on your list, you’ll want to be giving them supplies.
A canning kit complete with a funnel, jar lifter and lid lifter, as well as glass canning jars and lids, is a great gift for someone who’s looking to expand their DIY ways into food preservation (it’s a special order item, so be sure to get this one early!). It’s not just for jam; canning is perfect for pickling too! Preserving food via canning is both a science and an art, which is just what crafty folks love.
For more gift-giving advice for the DIYer on your list, speak to an LD Expert today. To make a purchase, visit London Drugs in-store and online. We’ll be back in a few days with a gift guide for music lovers. See you then!
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood In 1843, Grace Marks was convicted for her involvement in the vicious murders of her employer, Thomas Kinnear, and Nancy Montgomery, his housekeeper and mistress. Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no memory of the murders. Was Grace a femme fatale – or a weak and unwilling victim of circumstances?
Reviews After watching the miniseries I was left wanting to know more about Grace marks and Dr. Simon Jordan. The book did not disappoint, although Margaret Atwood admits this is fiction based on fact, I found being able to read some of the letters and news articles written about Grace made it feel more real. – Review by Amy Lynne
Book of the Month Every month we will be featuring a new book to be showcased in our Book of the Month. Staff members and friends will be reading the book and posting their reviews. We’d love to hear what you thought of these books as well. Post your comments and let us know. Alias Grace is available at London Drugs along with many other great titles and is on sale for the month of December.
send some of your child’s newest artwork or a hand-written story, a customized 
It’s not always easy at this busy time of year, but try to make sleep a priority. The more rested you are, the better you can deal with outside stresses. If you have trouble sleeping, try a natural sleep aid like 
Give homemade gifts – if you’re a motivated home cook, make a big batch of 
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood