Canadian Gift Guide

Today’s gifts are all about making memories – something we all tend to do plenty of in the summertime. Whether you’re getting hitched, want to gift a special someone, or are celebrating some other major milestone, pick up one of these memory keeper gifts and you’ll be set.

Memory Box – $58 @ Romp
This pretty little box is perfect for any little girl’s room. Maybe your niece is celebrating a birthday, or she’s moving into a big girl bedroom of her own for the first time. Whatever the case, she can start to keep secrets and memories in one of seven little drawers or boxes (labelled in French, as this is from France – bonus educational points!) for everything from ‘wonders’ to lost baby teeth, or she can start to jot down her thoughts and dreams in the included drawer. What I love about this gift in particular is the box is simply a storage unit, but, when enhanced with imagination triggers, it actually becomes an avenue for endless self-guided playtime and discovery.

The Bride-To-Be Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal – $18.99 @ Indigo
Is your best friend or sister on her way to the alter? Let her capture all those special memories – from the proposal to saying yes to the dress to the big day down the road – in this pretty keepsake journal that makes an easy heirloom for her to pass onto her kids one day. Featuring both journal prompts and envelopes to store special tokens of your journey, this makes scrapbooking a total no-brainer, even when she’s up to her ears in tulle and jordan almonds.

Baby Boy Pre-Made Scrapbook – $30 @ The Leaf Studio (via luulla)
Maybe you want the look and feel of a scrapbook, but you aren’t the crafty type. In that case, let me point you in the direction of The Leaf Studio’s pre-made scrapbooks that are truly one-of-a-kind, and just waiting to be customized with your own personal photos and memories! This super cute 6 x 6′ booklet features all the hallmarks of a lovingly crafted book, including stamps, embellishments, tags, etc., all themed to the arrival of a new baby boy. If you’re a proud auntie-to-be (or pseudo-auntie, as I am to some of my friends & cousins’ kids), this is definitely a baby shower gift that’ll stand out in a sea of pastels and onesies.  

The Senior Moments Memory Workout by Tom Friedman – $11.95 @ Indigo
Forget making memories, how about just keeping them? This workbook is filled with quizzes, brainteasers, and memory challenges to keep your synapses firing and your mind as sharp as an arrow. And for fun, the author has also gathered some notable ‘senior moments’ to inspire you to do keep on top of your mind, and in control of those precious memories. Makes a cheeky birthday gift for a favourite aunt, or your own parents…just as long as they can take the ‘senior’ label in stride mind you.

Custom T-Shirt Quilt – $130 @ Out On A Limb Design
Does he (or she) have a drawer full of tees that just aren’t being worn, but are too precious to throw away? Consider surreptitiously boxing them up and shipping them off to be made up cycled into something new and ultra cosy – a handmade, custom quilt. Whether you’re going for an all-out theme (does he own a dozen tees from his favourite sports team?) or maybe just marking her favourite tee-shirt from each year of school through to graduation, this is a keepsake that has tons of memories in every stitch, and a practical, drawer-freeing use as well.