A&K’s 12 Gifts of Christmas 2010

'Tis the season! We've been making our lists and checking out prices, roaming store aisles and clicking our mice. When Santa Claus comes to town, here's what he's putting under the tree for the people on our Nice List!

1.	The iPad $500+ Our favourite electronic gizmo of the year! With apps galore (including plenty of free ones), the iPad is great for him, her, or the kids. Related links: Anna’s Bag Blog: Bon app-étite, iPad Kristina’s Bag Blog: My new favourite pal Available at The Apple Store, Best Buy, Future Shop, and London Drugs.


2.	Nars Limited Edition Vintage Nail Shades $16 each On-trend colours include Full Metal Jacket (gunmetal grey with shimmer), King Kong (copper infused with gold), and Mash (army green with shimmer). Available at Holt Renfrew, The Bay, Nars.com, andSephora.com.




3.	Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Collection For the home chef in your life, a box set of three cookbooks by one of our favourite chefs and cookbook authors, Ina Garten. $79 Includes her first three cookbooks: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Barefoot Contessa Parties Barefoot Contessa Family Style Available at Chapters-Indigo, Amazon.ca, andAmazon.com.
		Amazon.ca Chapters-Indigo	Amazon.com



4.	Golden Goose Super Star Sneakers $500 A deluxe alternative to those ubiquitous Converse runners. Available in high top or low top in a variety of colours and patterns. For him or her. Look for these kicks at TheCorner.com, and Ssense.com.



5.	Alexander McQueen’s Hummingbird Cushion $985 Part of a rug and pillow collection designed by the late Alexander McQueen, the Hummingbird Cushion is entirely handmade in Nepal using traditional tapestry and needlepoint techniques. For more information, visit Avenue-Road.com, or contact the sales team at 416 548 7788 or sales@avenue-road.com. (Delivery available around the world.)



6.	SunFX White Out Self Tanner $36 Add some colour to your winter white skin with White Out self-tanner, a great, non-greasy formula that goes on smoothly. Spotted at Beautymark in Vancouver, and available at spas and beauty boutiques. Check the SunFX website forlocations.



7.	UGG Australia’s Dakota Moccasin Slippers $100 Warm up those toes with these genuine, sheep-skin lined, leather-upper slippers with non-slip rubber soles. For her or the kids, in a variety of colours. Available at Shoes.com, Zappos.com, Amazon.com, and a variety of stores across North America. (Check the UGG Australia website for locations.)




8.	Love Heals Jewelry $150-450 This is one of our favourite jewelry lines. We both have a few of these pieces, and are always looking to expand our collections! Plus, this is a gift that gives back. For every piece sold, Love Heals commits to planting 10 trees through Greener Ethiopia, and protecting one child from blindness through Vitamin Angels. (More info…) Available directly from LoveHeals.com, and also atselect stores in Canada and the US.



9.	Thermomix TM31 $1600 The new “do-everything” kitchen appliance! About the size of a coffee maker, it weighs, cuts, kneads, stirs, emulsifies, grates, and heats, all in one pot. Popular with both home chefs, who appreciate its convenience, and Michelin-starred chefs, who appreciate its precision. Available from easycooking.ca (call toll-free 1-866-267-6831) with free shipping, and there’s a special gift, a Thermo Server, with holiday 2010 orders. (And ask about the easy payment plans for Canadian residents.)



10.	The Complete National Geographic since 1888! $80 Over 121 years of National Geographic magazine on DVD-rom in full colour. Maps, photos, articles, everything an NG-addict could hope for!Plus, each year there’s another DVD added to the collection that covers the recent issues. Great future stocking stuffers! Available at the National Geographic Store and booksellers across the country.




11.	Xbox 360 with Kinect $300+ Xbox jumps into the realm of motion-gaming and takes it one step beyond the Nintendo Wii by turning YOU into the controller! If you haven’t yet jumped on the Wii bandwagon, this new Xbox system brings some competition! The Xbox 360 bundled with the Kinect sensor and start-up game is available at a variety of stores, including The Source, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Future Shop, London Drugs, and more.




12.	Tequila Don Julio $80-150 / 750 ml bottle Smooth as silk, this is definitely a sipping tequila that could be savoured neat in a snifter. There are a range of varieties by Don Julio. Our favourite is the Don JulioAñejo (“aged”), which has a golden hue and a robust, smoky flavour with overtones of citrus and honey. Available at liquor stores across the country.



	(Note: all prices above are approximate and in Canadian dollars.)