Glee Inducing Holiday Gifts and Gets
Compiled by Merilee Kern
If you’re anything like me – a savvy shopper on the hunt for great gifts and gets that can be bought online with all the comfort and convenience that e-tail affords – you will probably agree that finding unique, worthy and especially ‘Ah!-inducing’ gifts can take a tremendous amount of time and effort.
So in the spirit of easing and expediting your shopping escapades, here’s a cross section of holiday gift picks across a multitude of categories that can all be purchased lickety split with a few keystrokes.
TECH GADGETS
LectroFan Micro2 (https://www.soundofsleep.com/)
Restless sleeper? Adaptive Sound Technologies has got your number. Its LectroFan Micro2 is a portable Bluetooth speaker and an all in one sleep sound machine with 11 built-in noises to help users catch quality sleep.
The Silicon Valley-based company has redefined the science of sleep with its breakthrough in ambient noise analysis and dynamic adaptive audio. Now, Adaptive Sound Technologies is developing the next generation of innovative sleep products to help customers relax, fall asleep more quickly and enjoy a better night’s rest. Enter the LectroFan Micro2. For people on the go, this speaker easily pairs with your smartphone for streaming audio and making calls with the built-in microphone.
Users can also select the device’s sleep sound mode and enjoy their choice of five digital fan sounds; four variations of white, pink and brown noises; and two ocean surf sounds.
Research has shown that white noise is beneficial for sleeping because it creates a calming ambiance; blocks out other noises; and produces an even toned, consistent amplitude that helps soothe the brain, and prepares it to enter homeostasis.
The LectroFan Micro2 is powered by a built-in battery that lasts up to 40 hours playing sleep sounds or 20 hours of Bluetooth audio between charges. You can even rotate the speaker to customise your sound.
An update of the original Micro, the LectroFan Micro2 offers easy portability with its new shape, improved ergonomics and a larger power unit for longer battery life. This makes it the perfect addition to your – or a loved one’s – travel bag.
HOME SUPPLIES
Park Seed’s Gardening Supplies (https://parkseed.com/)
Grow your favourite food and flowers effortlessly, every day of the year with the fully automated Click & Grow Smart Garden 9. This is Park Seed’s self-sustaining indoor garden that makes sure your plants get the perfect amount of water, light, oxygen and nutrients so they flourish with the freshest taste and most nutritious value.
Established in 1868 by 15-year-old George Park, Park Seed is one of the oldest and largest mail order seed and plant businesses, which prides itself on offering the highest standards in products and services to home gardeners.
Its Click & Grow Smart Garden 9 does all the work for you with its self-watering system, energy efficient LED lights and smart soil technology. Simply plant your favourite Park Seed brand seeds in the biodegradable Grow Anything Plant Pod and pop it into the Click & Grow Smart Garden 9.
Its stylish, minimalist design blends beautifully with home decor. And it also brings a contemporary solution to modern living – because greater self-sufficiency means fewer trips to the grocery store.
Another convenient Park Seed product is the Kangaroo Collapsible Garden Container; or as the enterprise calls it, the “garden bag of the future.” It stays upright and open while you work, freeing gardeners’ hands for raking leaves, pruning plants, spreading mulch and so on. And when it’s empty, the bag swirls flat and forms a three inch circle, which you can hang or stack anywhere.
The Kangaroo Collapsible Garden Container, which is constructed out of durable, lightweight polyvinyl, is as tall as it’s wide and perfect for anytime you encounter a chore that needs doing. Mildew resistant and strong enough to withstand punctures and tears, it will last for many seasons of tough garden chores. In fact, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with anything else.
STYLE ACCESSORIES
Accessories from Deux Mains (https://deuxmains.com/)
Deux Mains is on a mission to create free-thinking fashion for a fairer world. It believes that when customers choose the brand, they aren’t simply choosing to wear a piece of handcrafted art but a liveable wage, health insurance and access to education for Haitian people. In essence, they are choosing fashion that’s designed to do good…
The business’ premium jewellery collection’s most unique and stunning piece is the Marcilia 18K Gold Long Lariat necklace. Made of solid gold wire that’s pounded into a perfect circle, the hand-crafted piece features an eye-catching horn pendant and a pyrite teardrop that are suspended from an adjustable chain.
This accessory can be worn to the office or on an evening out. The lariat necklace’s unique design doesn’t create a closed circle but a straight chain or beaded strand that is wrapped once around the neck. Deux Mains has a few favourite ways to wear the Marcilia 18K Gold Long Lariat necklace including the half knot, asymmetrical, choker or even ends.
A personal favourite of brand founder Julie Colombino-Billingham is where the wearer pulls both sides evenly to create a chic look.
The enterprise also carries a slate of other products including genuine leather goods. Its Slim Laptop Sleeve provides the protection your computer deserves and does it with an elevated style. It features repurposed inner tube additions and a sturdy YKK zipper, which makes sure that what is put inside stays inside. So the user can now show up at a meeting looking sharp.
And the Slim Laptop Sleeve is a one of a kind accessory that only gets better with age, and it’s the ideal gift for yourself or a loved one.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Bozal Mezcal (https://www.bozalmezcal.com/)
Bozal Mezcal is a wildly refined label made from indigenous Mexican agave with the Spanish term ‘bozal’ – translating to ‘wild’ or ‘untamed.’ Produced by 3 Badge Beverage, the product’s name is a nod to the wild species of Mexican agave that grows in the remote uncultivated lands of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Durango.
It also refers to the untamed traditions used by the enterprise’s family operated distilleries or mezcaleros to distil small batches in those same locations. The California-based business in Sonoma has a diverse collection of award-winning beverages, which range from a roster of wines to a variety of craft spirits under fourth generation vintner August Sebastiani.
When it comes to Bozal Mezcal, there are 19 featured unique mezcals made from 15 wild varieties of agave including its most recent vegetarian expression guías de calabaza. They help to shape a lineup of exotic, intense flavours that offer rich earth tones and savoury smokiness.
The profiles of each mezcal in the portfolio change drastically according to the type, maturity of the agave and the production method. But the tactile, earth tone ceramic bottles never fail to impress with their rustic, artisanal design.
Alluding to the traditional terra cotta copitas used for drinking mezcal, the brown or maroon ceramic bottle of guías de calabaza signifies the Sacrificio production style while the green strip label represents a vegetarian production. No matter who the recipient is, Bozal Mezcal makes a unique gift for any lover of unique spirits.
SELF-CARE
Premium Bamboo Weighted Sleep Eye Mask by Ocushield (https://www.ocushield.com/)
Ocushield’s manifesto is based on the belief that your eyes are everything and they need taking care of. With its Premium Bamboo Weighted Sleep Eye Mask, the optometrist developed product was created to do exactly that by aiding in your rest and recovery. This premium blackout mask blocks out all light, helps relieve dry eye symptoms and promotes a healthier night’s sleep.
Its expert design features small glass beads that distribute a calming, weighted sensation across key pressure points around the eye area. It’s even endorsed by the Sleep Foundation.
Choose between a heated or cooling feel as the beads can be chilled in the freezer or warmed in the microwave – depending on your choice of experience.
Heating the mask’s detachable inner compress for between one to two minutes promotes blood circulation and relaxation of the eye muscles while the cold treatment aids in relieving stress and eye pain.
The Bamboo Weighted Sleep Eye Mask is made of premium bamboo and satin, and touts naturally breathable and hypoallergenic materials. With a neutral design suitable for both men and women, and a lightweight and adjustable strap, this eye mask makes the perfect gift for a frequent traveller, a new parent or anyone looking to improve their quality of sleep.
Ocushield’s range of products aims to address its mission of protecting customers’ eyes from the bombardment of artificial light in the modern world. From phone and computer screen protectors, to supplements and lamps, this company has you and your eyes’ overall wellness covered.