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Gift Experiences
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Give The Hottest Gift This Season – The Gift of Experience

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In our modern world, giving material gifts has become the norm. Many of these items, unfortunately, end up forgotten, unused, or returned. The best way to impress that hard-to-buy-for-person on your list? Treat them to an experience, rather than something tangible! There are so many options to choose from, just think of the recipient’s interests and bucket list and you’re set!

Some of our favourite ideas for experiential gifts  in the Oakville and Burlington areas are:

eFresh Meals is the ideal option for an on-the-go gift recipient. Serving communities all across Ontario – not just the Oakville and Burlington area – eFresh Meals takes the difficulty out of healthy eating. They will cook and deliver your meals for the week, either in personal size or family size depending on who you are giving it to. All you have to do is choose your plan size and choose your menu options. A quick order online and you’ve just taken the guesswork out of your friends’ food week.

If your friend is more of an adventure type, try an Archery Lesson at Silver Swords Armouries in Oakville. They offer Axe and Knife Throwing, Sword Combat, Pistol Shooting and more. There are plenty of options for adventure seekers.

For gift recipients who are looking to get active and have fun, dance classes are a great option! Lucille’s Ball Dance Club in Burlington offers dance lessons for everything from tango and salsa to swing, foxtrot and waltz. Drop-in classes are also available for those looking to try out a class before they commit to a full season. Don’t worry about stepping on any toes!

Gift Experiences

Know someone who wants to be the next Iron Chef? Paradiso not only serves up amazing food in their beautiful restaurants, they also offer cooking classes to the public seasonally. Classes are listed on their website and each has a specific theme. Plan ahead and decide what you think your foodie friend would like best.

For friends or family who love nature, a membership to one of our local wonders and parks is the ideal option. Depending on their location, or preference, choose from a Conservation Halton membership (which will get them entrance into 7 parks around the area) or a Royal Botanical Gardens membership (which includes year-round admission to the RBG’s cultivated gardens and nature sanctuaries). Both come with many extra membership benefits; take a look at their website for more details!

If your recipient is all about the visual arts; a membership to the Art Gallery of Burlington should be on your radar. Not only will members receive free admission to all of the AGB’s exhibits, they will also get many extra additions, like 10% discounts at Curry’s Art Supplies, discount rates on art classes, and much more! Gifting an ABG membership is simple, just follow the step-by-step process on their website.

At Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, there are gift certificate options or membership options. This gift is perfect for the recipient who loves arts and culture and live entertainment. The Burlington Performing Arts Centre also offers similar options, so choose the closest one OR – if they’re a real theatre lover…give them the gift of both!

Gift Experiences

It was only a few years ago when escape rooms were difficult to come by and not so well-known. Now they have grown in such popularity, there’s a different theme for every interest! Some of our favourite escape rooms in the area include Narrow Escape, Confundrum Escape Rooms, Mission Possible Escape Rooms and Key Quest Escape Room, but if you’re looking for a family-friendly easier option, Captive Kids Family Escape Rooms is a real winner. And don’t forget your thinking cap because you might need it.

by Heather Peter

Local Links

eFresh Meals
efreshmeals.ca

Silver Swords Armouries
Freedomreport.ca/silverswords

Lucille’s Ball Dance Club
Lucillesball.dance

Paradiso
Paradisorestuarant.com

Conservation Halton
ConservationHalton.com

Royal Botanical Gardens
Rbg.ca

Art Gallery of Burlington 
agb.life

Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts
Oakvillecentre.ca

Burlington Performing Arts Centre
Burlingtonpac.ca

Narrow Escape
Narrowescape.ca

Confundrum Escape Rooms
Confundrumescaperooms.com

Mission Possible Escape Rooms
missonpossibleescaperooms.com

Key Quest Escape Room
keyquest-escaperoom.com

Captive Kids Family Escape Rooms
captivekids.com

 

Gift Experience

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Local Light Displays
In Articles

Light Displays That Really Shine

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Hot chocolate in a mitted hand, rosy cheeks beneath scarves and puffy coats, maybe a flake or two drifting slowly from the sky – they all pair beautifully with twinkling lights on a cold winters’ night. Seeing homes that dazzle in greens and reds are a holiday tradition for many, and whether you’re touring from the car or sight-seeing on foot, there isn’t a shortage of holiday light displays.

While most people decorate their homes with a few simple strands of twinkling lights, there are a select few who put Clark Griswold to shame. If you’re looking for a house that stands out from the rest, we have your guide to the most remarkable holiday displays in Oakville and Burlington.

Local Light Displays

Musson Christmas Light Display

3360 Spruce Avenue, Burlington
Christmasdisplay.ca

The Musson Christmas Light Display has been a famous family favourite for the last 30 years. Families travel from as far away as the Niagara Region to catch a glimpse of this beautifully decorated home. Doug Musson was the mastermind behind this display and sadly passed away last December. His family will be keeping his memory alive and will be lighting up their home once again this year. Donations are welcome.

Jackson Family Lights

133 McCraney Street West, Oakville
Jacksonlights.ca

Don Jackson, a Christmas light enthusiast, has been decorating his home with Christmas lights since he was a kid. From helping his Dad to now lighting his own home, Don’s passion has grown. His home features approximately 100,000 lights which are all programed to music. You can “Listen to the Lights” by tuning your car radio to 90.5 FM. Each year, the Jackson’s collect food donations for Kerr Street Mission but this year they will also be accepting donations for The Kelly Shires Foundation (kellyshiresfoundation.org), a foundation that aids patients fighting cancer.  Don’t miss a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve (and rumour has it, his sleigh may be there too this year).

Local Light Displays

Bonenfant Christmas Spectacular

306 Leacock Avenue, Oakville
Sites.google.com/view/b-christmas-spectacular

This light display is located in Oakville’s River Oaks neighbourhood, just off Towne Boulevard. The Bonenfant’s decorate their home from tip-to-toe, setting their strands to favourite holiday carols. To listen, just tune your car radio to 92.3 FM. The lights turn on December 1st and run through to January 5th. Donations will be accepted for Kerry’s Place Autism (kerrysplace.org).

Santa’s Village

2266 Munns Avenue, Oakville

You don’t have to go to the North Pole to find Santa’s Village, Oakville has their very own located at the corner of Munns and Sixth Line. Jason Edwards is the mastermind behind this marvelous display. With lights, reindeer, snowmen, Santa’s Workshop, a Christmas train, and classic holiday movies playing on an outdoor screen – this Santa’s Village is the real deal.

by  Anneliese Lawton

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Natural Holiday Decor
In Articles

No-Fuss Festivity – Decorate Green and Make “Scents” of the Holiday

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Nothing smells more like the holiday season than the fresh, invigorating aromas of pine, evergreen, cranberry, and apple cinnamon. Smell is something that ties us strongly to happy memories, so it makes “scents” to bring our favourite natural greens into our home and make those memories come alive. There are plenty of ways to “spruce” up our interiors while also adding a festive spirit.

Whether it’s indoors or out, there are beautiful possibilities to make your home look and smell ready for the holidays. You can create a table runner for your dinner table from live fir or pine garland, or use a garland that is made from several small branches woven together. Just remember to mist it with water every two days to keep it fresh for as long as possible. To make it even more festive, wrap the garland with battery-operated LED lights and ornaments.

Look for greenery stems at a nursery or a tree lot, where they might give away tree cuttings if you ask. Your own backyard is a great — free — option as well, especially since winter is a good time to prune evergreens. Clip the ends of the stems as you would fresh flowers and place them in water overnight before adding them to a vase. Instant décor!

“Living and natural decorations are always a popular option during the holiday season,” says Jennifer Klassen of Centro Garden in Burlington. She says if you’re going to decorate outside, you can start mid-November. Interior decorations will need to wait until about a week before Christmas if you want them looking their best.

If you want to add a little light, you can try candles and twinkle lights with the greenery, or place small bunches of holly or sprigs of pine with baby pine cones in glass vases for the centre of a beautiful dining table. However, keep a close eye on any open flames: greens tend to dry out and can pose a real fire hazard.

“Natural Christmas décor is very popular,” says Jennifer. “I suggest putting garlands on stairs and the mantel, perhaps on doorframes and pillars, and even on your fence. Pots filled with greens are also great but don’t forget to water them once or twice a week.” Jennifer also suggests incorporating colourful berries for an added festive splash.

“Red berries are all about Christmas, such as holly or Ilex, but you can also use white berries, or birch poles, and pine cones are also great,” she says. “We used to sell a lot of pomegranates as décor, but they all got eaten by squirrels!”

Natural Holiday Decor

The foundation for your Christmas décor should start with decorating the entire dinner table using rich Christmas colours of red, green, silver and gold to create a festive base with tablecloths, place mats,  and matching linen napkins. Replace napkin rings with ribbons or small sprigs of greenery, and add miniature ornaments to tie it all together. Sashes tied around dinner chairs with sprigs tucked in to match the ones tied around your napkins will keep the décor co-ordinated. Gold, silver or glass bowls filled with ornaments and greenery to match the rest of the table decorations will pull the entire setting together.

One caution to remember: some live greenery can cause serious problems for small children and pets in the home. Berries on holly, yew, ivy, bittersweet and, particularly, mistletoe can be highly poisonous. Also, if anyone in the family has allergies, cedar cones can release pollen at room temperature. Remove the cones or spray them with clear lacquer before using them in your arrangement.

If you don’t feel up to handling the decorating duties yourself, or you just don’t have the time or the creative inclination, there are plenty of professionals who can handle it for you and turn your home into a winter wonderland.

Living and natural décor can be used as decorations all year long, but there’s something special about the look and smell of greens during the holidays. Stretch your creative wings and make your home fresh and festive this season!

by Allison Dempsey

Local Links

Centro Garden
centrogarden.com

Fiori Oakville
fiorioakville.com

Glen Abbey Flowers
glenabbeyflowers.ca

Holland Park
hollandpark.com

Jade Gardens and Greenhouses
jadegardens.com

Cudmore’s Garden Centre Inc.
cudmores.ca

The Garden Girls
thegardengirls.ca

 

 

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Remembrance Day
In Articles

Lest We Forget – On The Day We Remember

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We all know someone who, in some way, has served our country. It could be a great-parent, it could be a friend, it could even be yourself. Being a veteran does not stop at the World Wars. Today, there are members of our community volunteering their lives, both locally and overseas, to protect our country, our people, and ensure a future.

There was a brief period of time in World War I and World War II when members of our military were called up to serve our country.However, Canada has a long history of apprehension when it comes to compulsory military service. 

Drafting of our military ended after the Second World War. Beyond that, all men and women who have served and continue to serve our country, choose to enter the Canadian Armed Forces.

Fred Kendall of Oakville is one of those who chose to enroll in our nation’s military. In 1943 at age 16, Fred volunteered himself for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Graduating near the end of World War II, Fred received his wings but was unable to use them. It was at this time President Truman dropped the atom bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, resulting in nearly 80,000 deaths and ending World War II.

At 91, Fred continues to serve Canada and marches each and every year in the November 11th Bronte Legion Remembrance Day ceremonies. 

Armistice Day, which was inaugurated in 1919, did not reflect the November 11th we know today. Held in correlation with Thanksgiving, Canadians observed the date with little public demonstration for our veterans. In 1928, some prominent citizens, many of them veterans, pushed for greater recognition and to separate the remembrance of wartime sacrifice from the Thanksgiving holiday.

 In 1931, the Federal government decreed that the newly named Remembrance Day would be held on November 11th, and Thanksgiving would be moved to another day in October.

Every year around our nation, veterans, dignitaries and members of the Canadian public gather to emphasize the memory of fallen soldiers and recall those who served in our nation’s defence.

This year, Remembrance Day takes place on a Sunday, with 2018 marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The events are expected to be memorable this year, and there are many opportunities to honour our veterans at ceremonies across Oakville and Burlington.  

 Fred says, “this is a piece of history we should never forget. Many men and women gave their lives so we could live our lives today. Attending a ceremony is a small sacrifice to make over their ultimate sacrifice.” 

Remembrance Day

You can take part in a Remembrance Ceremony at one of these locations: 

Oakville

Bronte Village
November 4, 2018, 10 a.m.
The Royal Canadian Legion parade will proceed west along Lakeshore Road from 79 Jones St. to the Cenotaph for the Ceremony of Remembrance, hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion.

George’s Square Ceremony
November 11, 2018, 11 a.m.
The Veterans Parade will proceed east along Lakeshore Road to Trafalgar Road and north on Trafalgar Road into George’s Square for the Ceremony of Remembrance, hosted by Oakville Legion Branch 114.

Trafalgar Memorial
A Ceremony of Remembrance will take place on November 11, 2018, 11 a.m.

 

Burlington

Sunrise Remembrance Day Service
November 11, 2018, 9 a.m.
(Spencer Smith Park)
This 30-minute ceremony takes place at the Naval Ships Memorial Monument in Spencer Smith Park.
For more information, contact the
Burl-Oak Veterans at 905-632-3118.

Remembrance Day Parade
November 11, 2019, 10:30 a.m.
The parade starts at Central Public School. Brant to Elgin Street, Elgin to Locust Street, Locust to Ontario Street.

Remembrance Day Service
November 11, 2018, 11 a.m.
(Cenotaph, City Hall (426 Brant St.)) This 45 to 60-minute ceremony is held at the Cenotaph, on the north side of
City Hall. For more information, contact the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60 at 905-639-6400

 

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we remember.

by Anneliese Lawton

Remembrance Day

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Fall Into Nature
In Articles

Fall Into Nature – In All It’s Autumn Glory

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In Halton, we’re lucky to be surrounded by some spectacular scenery, with a gorgeous lake to the south and acres of parkland to the north. Never is that scenery more beautiful than in the fall when the autumn colours become an artist’s inspiration.

Conservation Halton has found a creative and fun way to help people celebrate the full beauty of autumn with a program called Fall into Nature. Throughout the entire month of October, Conservation Halton is offering passports to all seven parks where, in addition to hiking, the public can participate in an array of activities and festivities.

Admission for a one-day entry will be valid for all seven parks. Here’s what you’ll see:

Kelso

The Kelso Conservation Area is best known for its ski hills, but it turns out it’s also a great place to visit in the fall. The chairlift takes you up the hills and over farm fields and acres of trees, giving you the best seats in the house to view the autumn colours. October offers the best hiking weather, and Kelso’s many trails are excellent, whether you’re a novice or a pro.

Kelso boat rentals will still be open, including paddle boats, stand-up paddle boards, and kayaks. This will be the first year for a new event at Kelso called the Hops and Harvest Festival, which runs through October 13 and 14 and will feature breweries, food vendors and artisans.

Mountsberg

Mountsberg is probably best known for its feathered friends, like Jazz and the Barn Owl, who are on display at the Raptors Centre. It is also a great spot for autumn leaf viewing and a prime area for mountain bike novices to test their skills on the trails. You can take a walk down the Sugar Bush or along the Wildlife Walkway trail and see the wetlands or visit the Discovery Centre. The Mountsberg Reservoir also allows you to bring your non-motorized boat to enjoy a view of the park from the water.

Crawford Lake

Crawford Lake is an amazing place to explore year-round with its Iroquoian village where you can learn about local First Nations history. You can also get a great work-out on cross-country ski trails. Surrounding the meromictic lake is a wooden boardwalk where you can walk around the entire lake and learn about the history of Crawford Lake 600 years ago.

Rattlesnake Point

People come from far and wide to visit Rattlesnake Point in the fall because of the park’s great look-out points. Spots like the Buffalo Crag Lookout offer spectacular views of autumn’s blaze of colours that will take your breath away.

There are also some great trails and interesting plants to see along the trail, from the Hackberry Tree to the thousand-year-old cedars along the escarpment. Rattlesnake Point is also a good spot to try out your skills in rock climbing.

Hilton Falls

With more than 30 kilometres of trails, it’s little wonder that Hilton Falls has become a favourite place for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing. It also has some wonderful water features like a 10-metre waterfall that cascades over the Niagara Escarpment and mill ruins.

Mount Nemo

Mount Nemo has fewer trails, only five kilometres, but the sites are just as spectacular, especially in the fall. Some of the trails are challenging due to the many roots and rocks, although the upside is that Mount Nemo is also a little quieter than parks like Rattlesnake. Many people who come from out of town appreciate the park for its close location to the highway.

Robert Edmondson

Robert Edmondson Park is referred to by Halton Conservation as their best kept secret. That’s because while there’s nothing fancy about it, it’s still a spectacular park where you can pack a picnic and have a quiet family day in nature. Be sure to bring your camera as you can walk around the boardwalk where the season’s fall colours will be reflected in the reservoir.

Now that’s something to celebrate.

by Denise Davy

Local Link

Conservation Halton
conservationhalton.ca/fallintonature

 

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In Articles

Meet the Restaurateurs – La Parisienne Crêperie – Mikael & Courtney Colas

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…

In 10 words or less, what’s your restaurant all about?

Fresh, local, unique, delicious, experimental French Crêperie bistro.

Where do you source your ingredients?

We are very proud to be officially certified local by the Culinary Tourism Alliance, which is not easily achieved but we have made it our priority to source as much of our produce and ingredients from local suppliers, including 100km foods (an Ontario only distributer), Boyle Bros Greens and Creekside Winery. 

What do you love about cooking?

Cooking is a strong passion of ours, and a means to just relax and be creative. A guest’s expression of pleasure when they are enjoying something that you have put a lot of love into creating for them is incredibly gratifying.

Where do you get inspiration for your recipes?

Some of our recipes are family secrets passed down from previous generations. Others are inspired by the seasons, and what nature has available to us. We focus on a balance between traditional French cuisine and unique, experimental flavours.

What’s your favourite dish on the menu right now?

There are lots of great choices although if we had to pick our favourite of the moment, it would be Crêpe La Poule.

Seasoned chicken breast, fresh arugula, creamy avocado & aged cheddar finished with a herb
& shallot Aioli.

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Robotics
In Articles

The Future Is Stem – Innovative Ways Of Learning

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STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Perhaps you’ve seen the term before or maybe STEM is completely new to you. Whichever the case, STEM education has been gaining a lot of attention in recent years.

While these subjects are not new to the curriculum, educators have been looking for more meaningful and effective ways to connect with and engage students in this content. Both the Halton District and Halton Catholic School Boards have been working with innovators, educators, industry leaders, and community members to foster innovation and incorporate STEM education into our schools. This includes working with organizations such as First Robotics, a non-profit STEM engagement program, and implementing new pilots such as I-STEM, a program which will equip students at Aldershot High School with transferable skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, and collaboration.

Our schools aren’t the only institutions providing these learning experiences, though. There are community-based programs and businesses, such as E-Bots Robotics, dedicated to engaging children in STEM learning through the world of programming, designing, and building robots through active, creative, and meaningful learning. They take it beyond what may be learned in a classroom.

E-Bots teaches computer programming through the medium of Lego robotics. Founded in Oakville in 2008, this organization and its students have already had tremendous success. They are nine times Provincial Champions and eight times second-place champions. Students have traveled to nine International Championships and were winners of the 2011/12 First Lego League (FLL) World Festival. Most recently they placed second at the 2017/18 World Festival.

Robotics

E-Bot Robotics engages students through two levels of classes: WeeBots and E-Bots. WeeBots is for grades 2-3, while E-Bots is for Grades 4+. Students investigate concepts and mechanizations of simple machines, compound simple machines, and an introduction to programming, using LEGO models and WeDo programming (WeDo Software allows students to program the robots, controlling their actions, sounds and responses).

Many of their alumnae have gone off to robotics, engineering, and mechatronics programs. Two of their students won the $80,000 Schulich Scholarships and both are in mechatronics programs at the University of Waterloo. Additionally, some of their graduates have held jobs at Apple, Nvidia, and HexBugs. 

 If you’re interested in exploring what E-Bot Robotics has to offer your child, you can enroll in one of their seasonal programs. Their programs run Fall (September – November), Winter (January – March) and Spring (April – June). E-Bots programs are 10 weeks, one day a week for two hours while Wee-Bots programs are generally five weeks, one day a week for two hours.

Teacher and Coach Stephanie Sutherland says, “These types of programs allow kids to experience an education they may not necessarily get in school. We started our journey in 2008 and have registered thousands of children who have joined us in Oakville from locations far and wide.
Using different programming platforms, we enable students to explore science, technology, engineering and math in a fun, hands–on way while allowing them to work with others and excel in their ability to problem solve, stimulating critical thinking, and communication.”

STEM learning isn’t the same old science and math from back in the day. Today, it goes beyond the textbook, giving children the opportunity to apply themselves and test the limits of learning in a way never granted before.

If you’re looking for a new way for your son or daughter to experience the world of STEM outside of the classroom, E-Bots Robotics is the place to start. Check them out today!

by Anneliese Lawton

Local Link

E-Bots Robotics, Oakville
ebots.ca

 

Robotics

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Sewing with Kay
In Articles

Sewing For a Cause – With Kay

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A needle, some thread, and a little bit of fabric – that’s all it takes. Well, that and some skill. For newer generations, sewing seems to be a bit of a lost art but here in Oakville, Kay Percival is changing that.  Kay is the Founder of Sewing with Kay, an adorable sewing studio located on Speers Road. Kay’s studio, which is colourful and fun, was designed to introduce children to the amazing world of sewing.

The studio offers a fun, relaxed atmosphere, where a child can truly explore their creative side. However, that’s not all. Kay is also teaching philanthropy. Last spring Kay suggested that her students take part in a charity project called Dolls for Africa. The project, which was founded in 2006, takes handmade dolls and distributes them to orphanages across Africa.

When Kay explained the project to her students, there were no hesitations. They couldn’t wait to get started. The children in Kay’s class designed their doll from top to bottom which included painting her face, choosing hair, sewing it on and styling it, stuffing the doll, and stitching them closed.

The completion of the doll would mark the completion of the project – however, Kay’s students decided they needed to do more. They made the dolls blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, and teddy bears, all to be sent to Africa, along with hand-written letters to the children who would receive the dolls.

The dolls were then wrapped with a picture of the student who made them along with the letter they wrote. Bringing friendship and passing love and affection between children worldwide.

Kay teaches 60 to 70 students a week through her classes. Each session runs for eight weeks and each student will complete 3 to 5 projects.

For more information visit  sewingwithkay.com and for information on Dolls for Africa you can visit dollsforafrica.org

by Anneliese Lawton

 

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Handmade Gift
In Community

Great Gifts From The Heart – And Hands

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“The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.”

 – Charles Dudley Warner.

Nothing says “I care” like creating a handmade gift for friends and family, whether it’s for holidays, birthdays, or any other special occasion. Even though the holiday season is quickly approaching, there’s plenty of time to try your hand at a new hobby or craft, and make a special gift in the process. Whether you want to create something at home or join a group at an established location, consider these opportunities when it comes to creating something truly memorable during gift-giving season.

Feel like fashioning jewelry? How about crafting some handy soap or potent perfume? Maybe some elegant and functional pottery. Whatever you’d like to attempt, you can be sure there’s a workshop or class available to help you do just that. For instance, check out Creative Insight Pottery in Waterdown, which was founded in 2010 by Katia Liberato, a graduate of the Sheridan College Ceramics program and winner of a scholarship to the Intensive Glazing course at Metchosin Summer School for the Arts.

At Creative Insight, you can exercise your personal creativity, learn some new skills or pick up where you left off years ago. Creative Insight is a studio that offers anyone the opportunity to learn the skills to create, but is also a space to feel free and comfortable exploring your creative selves. No matter your age, there’s an inexplicable joy that comes with building something new and unique with your own two hands and your own vision. Some of Creative Insight’s many fascinating and age-appropriate workshops include Fused Glass, Clay Handbuilding, Stop motion/Claymation, Clay and Surface, and DIY Room Explore. No matter what you’re looking to create, there are plenty of awesome chances to gift something unique this year.

At Oakville’s Dove + Arrow, not only will you find a great selection of beautiful gifts to peruse and buy, but also numerous exciting workshops to inspire your creativity. Make a Mala bracelet or a decorative pillow, construct a beautiful blanket ladder, or a hand-stamped cuff bracelet or even paint your own personal piece of furniture. They’ll teach you the ropes, just add your own creative touch.

Centro Garden in Burlington is a living design and style store that brings people together who share the same excitement about design, art, style, gardens, and all things green. Centro’s everyday passion enriches others’ experiences by what they’ve learned, made, or found both around the corner and around the globe. Centro also invites collaboration with local designers and artists to partner and form fresh ideas, create exciting new products, and present their work for others to enjoy.

Managed by Jennifer Klassen, Centro also boasts an impressive array of workshops for the busy and inventive gift-givers, including a fall-inspired arrangement perfect for any yard. Mums, kale, ornamental peppers, and grasses add to the beauty in fall planters. Upcoming workshop opportunities include tips on creating your own succulent garden. Join Centro experts as they teach you about easy-to-care-for plants in the succulent family and the crafting of your own succulent log. This workshop includes arranging a medley of colourful succulents, moss, and rocks in a mini ceramic log.

It could be that skincare gifts are more your style. If so, visit Nuworld Botanicals in Oakville. DIY Aromatherapy is a perfect way to get into someone’s heart and on their good side this holiday season.

Do you know someone who battles flare-ups of eczema and dermatitis? Suffers from red, itchy, irritated or fragile skin, acne or breakouts? At this DIY the experts will zero-in on the ultimate skin-soothing, inflammation-taming ingredients to keep everything calm, cool, and collected. You’ll craft five Nuworld Botanicals DIY skincare products perfectly tailored to suit any skin type and scent preference. Who wouldn’t appreciate that thoughtful gift?

Finally, Anise Apothecary in Burlington offers a wide variety of events including Detoxing Your Body and Hair Care, a Sappho New Paradigm Makeover, and a Province Apothecary Mini Facial Massage. Treat the special someone in your life to one of these awesome makeovers and you’ll be sure to give the best gift of the season.

If you’re looking to explore your creativity and gift something from the heart (and hands) think outside the gift box this year, and you’ll be sure to find the best presents ever: ones that are unique, made with love, and totally personalized.

Local Links

Creative Insight Pottery, Waterdown
creativeinsightpottery.com

Dove + Arrow, Oakville
doveandarrowshop.com

Centro Garden, Burlington
centrogarden.com

Anise Apothecary, Burlington
aniseapothecary.com

Nuworld Botanicals, Oakville
nuworldbotanicals.com

 

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Coffee
In Articles

Shop Local – Gourmet Coffee At Home

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ECS Coffee, Burlington

Elektra coffee machines for home use are designed for the true aficionado. Their delicate retro style will be sure to garner compliments as it bestows elegance on your kitchen counter. Get yours at ECS Coffee in Burlington.

ecscoffee.com

 

Fairhome interiors, Burlington

Witty words, beautiful illustrations, colourful patterns – Emma Bridgewater Mugs bring personality to your morning brew. Available at Fairhome Interiors.

fairhome.ca

 

Centro Garden, Burlington

The Kinto Pour-over was born to bring you the taste of coffee brewed by the pour-over method with the relaxed passage of time. Visit Centro Garden in Burlington to pick up yours.

centrogarden.com

 

Tribeca, Oakville

Made from borosilicate glass and fastened with a wood collar and tie, the Chemex Coffeemaker brews without imparting any flavours of its own, available at Tribeca Coffee Co. in Oakville.

tribecacoffeeco.com

 

Carol’s Nicetys, Oakville

A quick, simple solution that is another variation of the pour-over method. Insert a filter, add your ground beans and pour hot water over top.

nicetys.com

 

idrinkcoffee.com, Milton

Bring your inner Barista to life with help from IDrinkCoffee. This beautiful espresso tamper compresses ground espresso coffee into a puck that’s level and dense for richer, more flavourful coffee.

idrinkcoffee.com

 

Cloud 9 Coffee Roastery, Oakville

Add a pop of colour to your kitchen with this beautiful stove stop espresso maker. Classic and original. Visit Cloud 9 Coffee to get yours.

cloud9coffeeroaster.ca

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