Holiday Gift Guide: Your Best Girlfriend

Gift ideas for your best friend.

She's super easy to shop for,

because she likes what you like.

You share your closet,

shoes, you love all the same things-

that's why you're best friends!

In case you still need some ideas 

we have put together this gift guide! 

If you buy them for her, 

you know you'll get to use them too.

It's really a win-win.

1. the classic Elle Est Forte tee from SHE IS Clothing. Dress it up, work out in it, it is about as versatile as a tee shirt can get. Plus, you're stating a great message at the same time.

(Photo by Frances Eden Creative. Do not copy.)

2. A hands-on cooking class at the Dirty Apron cooking school in Vancouver. So much to learn, so much fun, so much delicious food! 

3. Earrings from Olive + Piper ,a Vancouver based company. Is she classy and elegant? Simple and understated? Trendy and fun? They have the perfect piece for every type of girl. 

4. Turn your Instagram selfies into magnets for her fridge. Then you'll always have a little #throwbackthursday! 

5. Everyone loves to get some fun, new make up! My bestie got me this Too Faced Melted lipstick. It goes on smoothly and really stays put.

6. Keep wawrm, keep cozy, represent our home and native land with these Canada mitts from Hudsons Bay Co. Check all of the items in their Canadian Olympic Team Collection! 

Holiday Gift Guide - For the Little Ones and Giveaway

We are now a week into December,

and I am sure that your Christmas shopping is well

on its way.

If not, there's a special gift guide 

coming up just for you in a couple weeks.

This weeks gift guide

is for all the little people in your life,

and my favourite to shop for! 

Whoever they are,

chances are they will love 

at least one or two items

on this list! 

Read on below,

and don't forget to enter the give away!

1. Bath toys are always a hit and a great gift. Because these toys sit in water all the time, the turn over rate is higher than other toys. To help solve that problem, I would recommend one of these for storage. We have one and we love it. I am a big fan of Boon, and these Boon pipes for the bath look like so much fun! They suction right onto the tile and will make for lots of fun. There's one under our tree this year! 

Amazon.ca also sells Boon, so if you're a Prime member, you can ship it right to the recipient complete with gift wrap and a note! 

(image via booninc.com) 

2. Next on the list is the book of names and faces, customized to your own family and friends. For bigger kids, they have fun memory games with familiar faces as well. 

(image from pinholepress.com)

3. I have featured them here before, so my love for them is no secret! How about a bib that grows along with them? Maybe a cute scarf to protect them from the cold? Acorn and Leaf has some adorable prints for both of those. Their products are lovely, quality and Canadian!

4. Always a hit - you can never go wrong with a book or two! My kids love reading books and will request their favourites over and over. Chapters made a list of their top sellers for 2015 divided into age categories, in case you're stumped on what to buy. I can also tell you that Jane, our 1 year old, loves the touch and feel books. Especially the That's Not My... series. Claire loves imaginative books and thinks Robert Munsch is hilarious. We got here some of these mini Munsch books for her stocking this year. 

Of course I always encourage my readers to shop local when they can, but again, for convenience sake Amazon does carry several (and by several I mean thousands) of kids books that can be gift wrapped and sent directly to your recipient. 

5. For the teething littles on your list, I highly recommend the 'chewelry' from Glitter & Spice! The founder and owner is a local mama who is absolutely sweet. She runs the business out of her home and was one of the first teething jewelry businesses on the block. Since then she has been featured in magazines (like Vogue and Glamour), was at the giving suite at the Emmy's and word is spreading widely about how awesome her product is. We have the teething necklaces for mama and baby, and also a teething bracelet for baby. I love that the pieces are safe for baby to chew on and play with, no yucky material used and it is also cute enough to wear without looking like you are wearing something baby-ish.

6. Another big hitter in the local business game is bébé de luxe! Based out of Coquitlam, BC, this mama decided she wanted something organic, natural and free of yuckies for her baby. This is how her company was created. Bébé de luxe, along with Glitter and Spice, were part of the celebrity gift bags at the Emmy's this past year. Bébé de luxe specializes in milk bath and baby bath bar. Perfect for gifting and come highly recommended by moi.  

As a gift to our readers,

Bébé de luxe would like 

to gift one of our lucky readers

a package of Coconut and Oat bath milk! 

To top it off, 

I'm going to add another one to 

one of your friends!

The contest is open 

on Blogger and Instagram,

but is in no way endorsed by either of them.

By entering you confirm you are

at least 18 years or older,

and live within Canada or the U.S.A. 

Contest rules below-

If you are entering on the blog,

all you have to do is leave a comment below

with your email address,

and the name of your friend that you would like to win too.

Please make sure you have your friends mailing address,

 so that we can send them their prize as well.

If you are entering on Instagram,

all you have to do is follow both

Just An Ordinary Family 

and 

Bébé de luxe,

tag your friends in the comments,

one tag per comment.

Good luck everyone!

Winner will be announced on Friday December 11th.

*The winner will have 73 hours to make contact,

after that a new winner will be chosen.*

Two Tall Trees

(All photos belong to Two Tall Trees. Painting by Alicia's Infinity. Do not copy.)

Two Tall Trees is a company based out of Ontario

that specializes in scented soy candles and handmade cards.

Today we are going to feature Meghan and her wonderful candles.

It is hard to find a candle that truly smells amazing,

is good for the envirnmonent and looks good on display.

My life changed when Meghan began making these candles

and met all three of my requirements.

Meghan makes these candles out of her home

-and like every mompreneur-

she finds the time to work outside of her

job, taking care of her kids and demands of home.

Meghan, mom of two, is a personal friend of mine.

Bias aside,

I can confidentially say that her candles are the best 

from East coast to West coast.

One by one I am winning my friends over

with her candles.

Any time I have one burning,

which is pretty much anytime I am home, 

I am told that the house smells amazing.

Smiling, I point at my adorable mason jar

sitting on a counter, table or shelf and 

declare the amazing Two Tall Trees candles

are to thank. 

My favourite scents are always the warm and comforting scents 

of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, apple and pumpkin.

This leads me to purchase Meghan's candles

called Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie
and Grandma's Kitchen.

They never disappoint, any time of the year.

However, I went outside my comfort zone this year

and also added Spiced Orange to my fall collection of candles.

This one has the warm scents of this season with a citrus twist,

brightening up the aroma.

Ginger Fig is another favourite of mine.

Its scent is not overpowering,

its warm and perfect for any season.

The colour is perfect as well.

For spring and summer I absolutely love

Lemon Chiffon.

It smells like a pie!

It has made me consider a few times

how to turn it into something edible.

Coconut Lime is another great scent for summer,

taking you to a tropical destination.

No matter what scent you choose,

I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.

Check out all her choices,

as well as prices, 

on her website. 

Their small size, 125mL jar, are the perfect stocking stuffer!

I often keep a few candles on hand to give as hostess gifts, birthday gifts or

just because gifts.

Everyone loves a great candle!

Meghan of Two Tall Trees was kind enough to chat with Just An Ordinary Family

about her business, and what its like to be a working mom! 

JAOF: Hey Meghan! Can you tell me a bit about Two Tall Trees? Where did it start?  

TTT: Two Tall Trees is an artisan craft company, broadly speaking.  It began as a landscape photography greeting card company, I dabble a bit in portrait photography, but it's been my soy mason jar candles that have put Two Tall Trees on the map - everybody loves a good candle.

JAOF: I am a big fan of your candles. The scents are so lovely. How did you choose which scents to offer? 

TTT: I choose scents that work well with soy wax, a whole different "ball of wax" - pardon the pun - than paraffin.  I also aim to offer a quality selection of fragrances ranging from rich and cozy scents like Grandma's Kitchen and Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie, to sweet and fruity like Coconut Lime. Fresh and natural like Seaspray, warm and sensual like Cedarwood Amber to seasonal scents like Jack Frost and Christmas Tree.  Something for every type of taste and season!  I am purposeful in not offering an overabundance of scents, so as to ensure my stock is fresh and fabulous.

JAOF: Part of the reason why I love your candles so much are because they are made from soy. They smell great, last a long time and are good for the environment. Can you tell us why you chose to use a soy base for your candles?

TTT: Once you go 100% soy, you never go back.  Soy wax is made from a natural, renewable resource - supporting local farmers.  The primary ingredient in paraffin wax candles is petroleum.  Soy candles can last up to twice as long as paraffin candles - my 500mL size candle burns approximately 150 hours.  The burn on a soy candle is cleaner, producing 90% less soot than paraffin candles, and spills are easily cleaned up with hot soapy water.  Soy wax candles have a greater fragrance throw - meaning they burn at a cooler temperature than paraffin wax, which leads to burning outwards rather than tunneling down the middle of the candle.  This generates a larger liquid pool, in which scent disperses from.  Soy wax releases naturally, while paraffin wax must be blended with chemicals to release fragrances.  

JAOF: What is your vision for Two Tall Trees? Where do you want to see it go in the next few years?

TTT: On top of my small business, I am a wife, mom to 2, and work as an Autism Consultant part time.  I love the balance in my life and am content with where my business is at, but I would be lying if I said it didn't thrill me to hear of my candles traveling far and wide and people recognizing the brand more broadly.  My humble mission is to help homes smell pretty from coast to coast.  

JAOF: What would you tell someone who is wanting to launch into making their craft or hobby a business?

TTT: I would say go for it!  Making a buck while doing what you love is truly the life.  There is a shift back towards the artisan with people becoming disenfranchised with mass produced, made-in-China products.  

JAOF: Where can we purchase Two Tall Trees products?

TTT: Most orders come through my website and Facebook as I make my candles fresh to order.  However, my candles are also available at local shops in Southwestern Ontario.

Thanks for sharing 

that with our readers Meghan.

We hope that some of you who 

are considering turning your passion

or hobby into a job felt encouraged 

by what Meghan had to share about her

journey as an entrepreneur.

Meghan wants to give two lucky 

Instagram followers a candle!

To enter, 

please follow these instructions:

1) Follow Just An Ordinary Family

and

Two Tall Trees
on Instagram.

2) Visit the Two Tall Trees website

and browse their products.

3) Leave a comment on the contest photo with

your favourite product/scent. Tag your friend you'd like to win

along with you! 

Winner will receive a 500 mL Ginger Fig candle

and their friend will win a 250 mL Lemon Chiffon. 

Don't forget to LIKE Two Tall Trees on Facebook.

Just a reminder,

I will be working at the Two Tall Trees table

at the Shop Sweet Christmas Market

THIS Saturday!

I would love for you to stop by

so that I can meet you and

show you these candles in person!

There will be special pricing for the market as well!

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Sister

Gift ideas for your darling sister

who is strong and empowering,

classy yet hilarious,

a home body and a dreamer.

She cares about the environment,

loves to give back

and wants to shop small and local this Christmas.

We can help with that! 

1. For a strong woman, how about helping to create more of them? Empower, inspire, encourage and give opportunity to girls across the globe through Plan Canada.There are several options from sponsoring a child monthly, funding for a baby delivery and paying for education. My personal favourite is called Girl Power for just $100.00.

Read the description below -

Girls have a unique ability to change the world and the lives of those around them. This gift is about unleashing that power in every girl. It’s about offering girls nourishment, education and protection. It’s about creating schools that are safe, and ensuring that girls are not forced into early and unsafe marriages. It’s about engaging boys and men to help achieve gender equality, and opening up economic opportunities to women so they can lead themselves and their families out of poverty. It’s about creating a world where every girl has the chance to harness her unique power to shape her own future and change the world.

This gift will not disappoint.

2.These were all the rage last Christmas. If she doesn't have one already, a selfie-stick will be a great way for the two of you to capture your adventures together. 

3. Print her favourite Instagram photos onto a canvas to hang in her home. A fun way to preserve some of your favourite memories together. 

4.  A few throw pillows for her couch or bed to encourage her! This one, this one and this one are my favourites.

(Dayna Lee Collection)

5. Since she's a dreamer and a planner, she needs a solid journal to record those dreams and plans. How about this one from SHPplanners out of Vancouver, BC?

6. Who doesn't love an amazing smelling candle? These are made with soy wax which makes them burn longer, more evenly and they aren't bad for the environment. That's a win-win-win to me. Add the fact that they smell divine and that's an easy sell. Two Tall Trees candles are made my a hard working mama of 2, right in her own kitchen. 

7. Finally, how about one of these toques (or beanie for my American friends) with a removable pom-pom by S H E  I S Clothing? 

photo cred: Frances Eden Creative

Holiday Gift Guide: For Your Brother

Gifts for your brother 

that has a great sense of humour

and amazing taste in women. 

(I have 3 of these!)

1. A hot shave from a near-to-him barber. Like a spa-day for men! This shop in Yaletown offers a Deluxe Hot Shave, or step it up and give him the Royal Treatment! 

2. A magnetic dart board, so he doesn't ruin his walls.

3. A hat with a beard, yup.Keep his face cozy and warm without the hassle and upkeep of a beard. 

4. Does he drink whiskey like the guys in my life do? How about a collection of glasses and some ice balls for at home whiskey drinking like a gentleman. 

5. A customized gift box, shipped anywhere! These are my two personal favourites, both local companies; Old Joy Gift Boxes and Barn Curated Gifts. 

6.If he is feeling rather fancy pants, you could get him these cashmere lined leather smart phone gloves. 

7. Is your brother goofy and childish? He'd love these emoji pillows to throw around his dorm room or apartment! 

Holiday Gift Guide:

You asked,

we got it!

Introducing to you

a Holiday Gift Guide

from Just An Ordinary Family!

Is your family funny, quirky,

sentimental and hard to shop for like mine?

Then this should help you out.

We will be helping you shop for

your parents,

your brother,

your sister,

your best girlfriend

and then a special list for all the last minute shoppers out there!

Parents can be tough to shop for.

They are at an age

where they can buy whatever they want,

and all they really want is to be with you during the 

holidays anyways.

Here are some ideas to gift to mom and dad this year:

1. How about a charitable donation in their name? Compassion has a fantastic catalogue of items from water and sanitation for $23 to a bigger ticket item like a playground for $116. There are many places to give, all you have to do is choose. What I like about Compassion, is that you can print or send a card that lets the person know what you have gifted in their honour.

2. A personalized crib board, for road trips and tea dates together at home. 

3. Are they grandparents? How about a personalized calendar filled with images of their grand kids?

4. A framed photo from the past. Their wedding photo, or one from when they were dating or a family photo from when you were all much younger. 

5. The gift of your time. Plan a day together to go do something together. You could do a cooking class together, go for dinner and a movie, find something fun going on in your city like a Christmas market. Have you been to Vancouver's Christmas Market, made to resemble the German Christmas markets? 

6. A basket of goodies. Their favourite magazines, books by their favourite author, coffee, tea, mugs and a cozy blanket. 

Try this blanket, these mugs for mom and dad,

 perhaps some of this small-batch local coffee and these chocolates to go with.

Women In Business: Acorn & Leaf {Give Away!}

Today on the blog I am interviewing Linda

of Acorn and Leaf! 

I first heard about Acorn and Leaf when I 

was browsing the local children's boutique

and saw her bibs on display.

The first thing I noticed was the adorable fabrics,

and that they were smaller than the average gigantic bibs I've often seen.

When I picked one up, I felt the soft fabric on the underside 

and noticed the two snaps on the back.

I loved that it was 'one size fits all'

and that she used snaps instead of Velcro.

Babies just rip Velcro bibs off! 

(Photo belongs to Modern Nest. Do not copy.) 

My second experience with Acorn and Leaf

was with Ali of Bella Photo.

She used my then 6 month old daughter

for a photo shoot for some product;

One of the products being Acorn and Leaf! 

The bright, vibrant bib looked amazing.

I now have Acorn and Leaf bibs for my girls, 

and I don't hesitate to tell people about how awesome they are.

When Jane wears them, people notice.

(Photos belong to Bellaphoto. Do not copy.)

You can buy Acorn and Leaf bibs at a number of retailers.

Click here to find a list of their stockists.

You can also shop online! 

Just An Ordinary Family: Acorn and Leaf, love that name. How did you come up with the name for your company?
Acorn & Leaf: Acorn & Leaf came to me very organically. Living in Calgary, Alberta and always having a love for the outdoors and anything nature, I wanted that to be my inspiration. I loved how it sounded and went with it. 

JAOF: How did Acorn and Leaf come to be? 

A&L: When my first wee man began to drool I was in need of bibs. At the time there was nothing on the market that I liked. We were given so many gorgeous outfits and every bib that we had over powered it or took over. I wanted something simple, functional and trendy. So I began to sew my own. Soon I had so many mums asking me to make their wee babes bibs and it took off from there. 

JAOF: Do you make the product yourself? 

A&L: I started off making our bibs all by myself. I became so busy I was literally buying fabric, washing it, cutting, sewing, packaging and shipping at every spare moment I had. This began to impact my time with my family (with a toddler and a baby on the way) I knew something had to change. I didn't want to give up a business that I loved, and didn't want to sacrifice anymore family time. At this time we were also selling our bibs in retail stores across Canada, as well as online. This had me sewing the majority of my day. My mom would come down on occasion to help me out, but it wasn't enough. 

     My husband suggested that we get the sewing outsourced as I could no longer keep up with the demand. We found a company here in North America to do this for us and built a wonderful working relationship with the sewers directly. This was the answer as I could now focus on my family, run a business and maintain our quality, customer service, and of course shop for more amazing prints and design new products!

JAOF: Do you work from home, or have a studio/office space? How does this work for you?

A&L: I do all of my work from home. We built a home office where everything is run out of. It is great as I can work from our home office packaging, emailing and even ship directly from during nap time and at my kids bedtime.

JAOF: At what point did Acorn and Leaf become your full time job?

A&L:  Acorn & Leaf became a full time job pretty much from the get go. I never would have thought that our little bib business would do so well. We are so grateful for all of the support our customers and independent retailers have shown us. It is amazing! We are truly blessed by the support and I am always overcome with emotion when I think about it. It was always a dream of mine to be a stay at home mom and yet use my creative side to do so. Without my husbands support and push I would have given up when it became too much. However he was the one to think outside the box and navigate the change for us. 

JAOF: Tell me about Changing the Face of Beauty campaign and how you got involved. 

A&L: It is a unique story actually. One day I had a random Facebook message from a wonderful woman named Krista. She simply asked, "Is Acorn & Leaf ready to change the face of beauty and be one of 15 companies to do so?" I asked to her to call me so we could chat. During that phone conversation I met a beautiful mom who's daughter Adele has down syndrome. I was so excited when she told me about the campaign and their drive to support inclusion. 

    Previous to becoming a mom I worked with individuals with varying abilities as a Residential Coordinator here in Calgary. I worked in the field for almost 8 years in various positions. The best part of my role was to advocate for inclusion. When I left my position there to stay at home with our first born, I knew I wanted to stay involved. When I started Acorn & Leaf, I knew there would be an avenue here to pursue.So it was simply magical when Krista emailed me. I was so excited that the opportunity found me.

JAOF: Tell us about the creative process of making bibs, choosing the best fabrics for absorbency and fabric pattern choices. 

A&L: This is my favorite part! Picking prints, and choosing styles is all done in my dreams. I long for nothing more then finding great prints and touching fabrics. I know this must sound silly, but it is true. When new prints come out I am like a kid in the candy store. I pick prints that I love really. And prints that are trendy and would look delightful on wee babes.

JAOF: What are some pros and cons of owning your own business? 

A&L: I love having our own business. I am constantly meeting people, building relationships and getting to work with the most inspiring people I know. I have built lasting relationships with the best independent retailers across Canada and couldn't be happier. Honestly, they're the reason why we are here today. We have learned so much from these relationships and are amazed at their willingness to support and teach other. I really can't think of any cons. It is great getting to stay at home with the wee ones and run our little company from home as well. 

JAOF: What advice would you give to someone who has a product they would like to make and sell? Then ultimately hoping to make the leap of creating a business from it? 

A&L: My advice is to give it a 110%. It will be tough at times, and it will not be a smooth ride. However, focus and surround yourself with positive people who believe in you. I couldn't have done it without my husband,family and friends.

(The above two photos belong to Modern Nest. Do not copy.)

Thanks, Linda, for sharing all about your business.

It is so great to hear about women who are 

able to take their passions and turn them into a career.

I especially love how you are able to incorporate

your past career and mold it together with your new business

through Changing the Face of Beauty. 

Trust me,

you're going to want to keep in touch with

Acorn & Leaf and keep updated on all their 

newest styles and patterns! 

To do so,

check out their website, 

like their Facebook page

 and follow them on Instagram.

Linda would like to gift one lucky reader 

a pack of 3 bibs! 

All you have to do is comment on this 

blog post or the Instagram photo,

telling us which bib is your favourite!

One comment per person.

If you leave a comment on the blog post,

please be sure to include 

the email address you wish to be contacted through.

Contest closes on Friday, September 18th at 9:00 AM PST.

Contest is open to anyone who is 18 and older,

and open to all residents of Canada and the United States.

This is in no way sponsored or affiliated with
Blogger, Facebook or Instagram. 

Also, 

please check out Changing the Face of Beauty 

and read what they're all about. 

Their are plenty of ways to be involved! 

website: changingthefaceofbeauty.org

Instagram: @5boysand1girlmake6

Twitter: @5boysand1girl6