Valentine's Day Gift Guide
CANUS (STANDS FOR CANADA & US!)
We love the fragrance-free Canus Nature Creamy Body Lotion which smells like nothing and feels great on! If your honey's skin is less sensitive, they may prefer the products with lavender or another natural fragrance, instead. All are made with fresh, Canadian goat milk in Quebec by a family-owned Canadian company. Canada: www.canusgoatsmilk.com. US: www.naturebycanus.com and www.amazon.com
FANIEL ARTISTIC EYEWEAR
Imagine a singer designing eyeglasses, and, voila, you have Anne-Marie Faniel, who partnered with her optician husband Patrick Bolduc to create Faniel Artistic Eyewear. The company is based in Montreal, and the fantastic frames are made in Paris of recycled acetate. They are available for men, women and children. Be forewarned: you will have countless people asking you where you got your unique glasses! www.monturesfaniel.com
HEART + ARROW NECKLACE BY FORTUNE & FRAME
Impress your Valentine with a gorgeous gold vermeil or sterling silver heart that opens to reveal a fortune or secret message of your choice! Shipping is free in the US. The company is also generously offering Canadian readers a free shipping code: tasteandtravel. Check out the Web site for other cool styles, too! www.fortuneandframe.com
WI-FI PROJECTION ALARM CLOCK WITH ACCUWEATHER FORECAST
Is your honey a weather freak? LaCrosse Technology has the perfect gift! The Wi-Fi Projection Alarm Clock not only shows time and date, but AccuWeather provides the forecast data for indoors and outdoors — all of which can be projected on the ceiling! When away from home, conditions can be monitored using the LaCrosse View App. Available at Costco across Canada.
HADLEY POLLET ARTISAN JEWELRY
Want to give a pretty piece of jewelry and support artisans at the same time? Designer Hadley Pollet has created unique, striking
necklaces inspired by nature with a flower and a bird. The one-of-a-kind jewelry is made from hand-carved gourd and hand painted by mostly women artisans in the Andes mountains of Peru. The signature Hadley Pollet
zinnia symbolizes creation and that we are all made from the same blueprint. Sterling silver completes the look. www.hadleypollet.com
LOST + FOUND
Do you have a sweetheart who's a phone addict? The book “How to
Break Up with Your Phone: the 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life” is the perfect present! You can order it from the coolest new place — Lost + Found — which bills itself as “first aid for the modern soul” and “a retail and social hub dedicated to the pursuit of mental wellness.” Check it out in person when you're in Toronto! www.lostandfoundto.com
PHARMACOPIA
Surprise your significant other with a citrus body bar made in Canada! The aromatherapy formula contains essential oils of bergamot, orange and grapefruit and no synthetic dyes or fragrance. It is carried by Best Western Plus hotels, as well as at the Algonquin Resort (Marriott Autograph Collection) in St Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick. www.pharmacopia.net
Available at www.amazon.ca
RAAKA CHOCOLATE
Chocolate is the language of love, and Raaka does it right! Every bar is made from scratch with unroasted cacao beans. The end result is delicious. The Pink Sea Salt dark chocolate bar makes a great Valentine gift. Pick one up at Whole Foods, Nourish Market, Amaranth Stores and Deluca's. When you're in Brooklyn, New York, you must take the Raaka factory tour! www.raakachocolate.com