Happy Holidays!!

From my family to yours, The Little Honey Bee would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Let the holiday sugar high begin!

Holiday baking is the best. Best. BEST! It seems everyone has their family specialty. Usually some sort of cookie. Recipes that have been passed down over the years. Perfected over time. Only made at Christmas time. Loved by all. My favourite Christmas cookie recipes come courtesy of my aunt and Mom. Growing up my Auntie Sue would make shortbread cookies. I'm not entirely sure where the recipe came from but I LOVE them. At some point, I became the one who makes them for our family Christmas dinners. Now each year, I bake them on Christmas eve. My Dad acts as official taste tester. They are his favourite. Every year he insists I make a double batch. Telling me that if I don't, then he'll make them himself. This has yet to happen...

My other favourite Christmas cookie is this mint chocolate sugar drop thing (I don't know their official name) my Mom makes. They have mint chocolate chips and are rolled in sugar before baking them. Little bites of heaven! My sister is now the one in charge of making these. (the kid does a fine job!)

Whatever your cookie or dessert of choice, now is the time to start baking! Let the sugar high begin!!

Design friendly finds

I love the Distillery District. Shops, restaurants, galleries - what's not to love?! One of my favourite stores is Bergo (my absolute favourite is Leif Benner Designs). Bergo is a beautiful industrial looking shop filled with equally beautiful and unique items. They seem to have it all - watches, jewellery, furniture, home decor and kitchen stuff. I LOVE it all! Everything is super cool and contemporary. Great place for the design conscious person on your list.

An after you're done shopping, you should walk out the door and right into the Mill Street Brew Pub. As all the places in the Distillery its kept its old industrial charm. Lots of tasty beers on tap and delicious menu items. I recommend the chicken club sandwich or grilled steak and smoked gouda wrap. Perfect post Christmas shopping reward!

Give the gift of pretty

My love of Sephora is well documented. They carry all my favourite lines: Stila, Benefit, Smashbox etc. All these brands have products that would make fantastic gifts! But Sephora also has great gift sets available. Bliss has several yummy smelling gift sets (anyone would be delighted to get Lemon Sage Body Butter!) You also can't go wrong with the Bliss Glamour Gloves or Softening Socks. Perfect gift for a Mom that needs some pampering.

If you're looking for festive smelling products, you must get something from Philosophy. The Gingerbread Man lotions will have you smelling like a cookie. I also love the Cinnamon scented products - like a pack of cinnamon hearts in lotion form!

If it's cute stocking stuffers you're after, Opi by Sephora nail polishes are perfect. Tons of great colours, and the very trendy new matte formulas!

Bubbly fun!

The holidays are a time to have fun and celebrate! And what's more fun then champagne?! Every time my family gets together, my cousins mother in law Mary brings a couple bottles of bubbly. GOOD bubbly! And only the girls are allowed to drink it. It's a rule. And I'm a stickler for rules...

A couple years ago, my cousin Holly and her husband Jason threw a family holiday party and introduced us all to Fresita. It's a sparkling wine infused with strawberries. It's delicious and pink and fun! (It's also a GREAT price!) And while it's not technically champagnge, you do get to pop a cork - very festive! CHEERS!!

Sale sale sale!

I've mentioned before that I LOVE Anthropologie. But I discovered today even more reasons to love it. The pre-Christmas sale is amazing! On the second floor there are racks and racks and racks of clothes on sale. Major discounts! Dresses, jackets, sweaters, shirts, lounge wear - you name it, it's on sale.

But it's not just gorgeous clothes. You'll also find great deals on kitchen items, bath items, books, and holiday decor (cutest Christmas ornaments EVER!)

Any girly girl would LOVE a gift from Anthropologie - and you're wallet will LOVE the savings!

Great gifts at great prices!

I'm a BIG Club Monaco fan. BIG. One of my friends at work constantly makes fun of me about it. I go to the store at least once a week. I don't buy something each visit, but I scope out what I want to buy. And look for sales. I try to make it a rule to only buy things on sale there, as the sale prices are always SO much lower then the regular prices. It used to be that end of year sales at Club Monaco hit on Boxing Day, but in the last couple of years, they've started earlier and earlier. Right now there are TONS of great items on sales. Blazers, shirts, accessories. But the thing I love best are Club Monaco sweaters. They make great cashmere sweaters - for men and women. And right now, there are plenty on sale! I'm particularly loving the jewel tone cashmere cardigans.

But if sweaters aren't your thing, there are also scarves, hats, gloves, bags, small leather goods and jewellery. All on sale! Great gifts at great prices!

Shop from the comfort of your home

Home television shopping gets a bad wrap. You hear home shopping network and start thinking lame exercise equipment, Snuggies and Joan Rivers jewellery.

But this isn't the case. My Mom has been a huge fan of The Shopping Channel for years. You name it, she's likely bought it. Clothes, make-up, skin and hair care, handbags, jewellery, kitchen stuff. They have EVERYTHING! So, what's not to like? You can call or order online. They always have fantastic deals. And they sell name brand stuff - Ojon, Smashbox, Stila, Kitchen Aid, Keurig, Dyson etc. (And yes, you can also find things like that ridiculous Snuggie. Although their version is called the Hot Headz Plush Slumber Wrap...)

One of my favourite bags was actually purchased from The Shopping Channel. It's a beautiful soft leather shoulder bag from The Sak. I got it at a great price, and on Easy-Pay (you can opt to have them charge you in smaller installments).

Great source for easy and stress free holiday shopping!

iQ Living

In keeping with the theme of great stores for cooking/kitchen stuff, you must check out iQ Living on the Danforth. Row upon row of very affordable kitchen items and gadgets. What I love about this store is that they sell kitchen items that you don't see everywhere else. Last year I picked up a plastic tomato keeper for my Mom's stocking. Friends Sibylle and Steve bought me an awesome Martha Stewart Cupcake cookbook for my birthday from here. (I can't wait to try it out!) If you have a little one that's interested in food and cooking, they've got a fantastic children's section!

They also sell things to help you organize your kitchen, and many other rooms. Great bathroom organizers and closet storage. When I move to the Danforth in the new year, I'll be making many trips to iQ Living!

William Ashley

As someone who loves cooking, I love cooking stores. Kitchen gadgets are the BEST! William Ashley's at Bay and Bloor has a great selection of kitchen stuff. Everything is bright, colourful and cheerful! They have a wide variety of beautiful Le Creuset cookware. Gorgeous Kitchen Aid appliances. Super cute Alessi products. But they've also got more wallet friendly items. Colourful plastic mixing bowls. Charming kitchen timers. Peelers, and knives and spatulas - oh my!

Everything you need for that gourmet (or wanna be gourmet) chef on your list!

Not the your Grandma's General Store

This is not your average hotel gift shop. The Drake Hotel General Store is uber cool. I'm a fan of all things vintage/retro/kitsch - and the Drake General Store does this fantastically! They've got something for everyone. Cute and cool little nick nacks - Lucky Cat candles and Elf and Santa nodders. All things Canadiana - vintage Toronto postcards, and chunky wool sweater vests (I really want one!) If you know someone who travels frequently, they might like the Inflight Comfort Kit (it includes and inflatiable jersey neck pillow, wet wipes, eye mask, and ear plugs). I LOVED their Rubix cube pepper mill. They've also got tasty treats prepared by the chefs at the Drake Hotel.

Just in time for Christmas, they've opened a second store. Now you can shop at the original Queen West location and at the new Rosedale location.

They've done it again!

Yesterday was my birthday(!). And while the age was not a milestone (28), I still decided to mark the occasion with a little something special. And what is more special then custom jewellery?! Back in the fall my parents had gone on a cruise and brought me back the most gorgeous citrine stone. Right away I took it to down to the Distillery District to see Leif at Leif Benner Design. He and his brother (my friend) Traven had done some amazing pieces for me in the past. So I knew I could trust them to do something beautiful this time around. The brothers Benner did not disappoint! My new ring is exactly what I had invisioned!

And while it may be too late to get something custom done in time for Christmas, they have cases of stunning ready to purchase pieces for that person on your list you want to spoil!

Kick up your heels!

I love high heels. I blame Sex and the City. Years watching Carrie Bradshaw strut around New York in beautiful shoes. I dream of owning a pair of Louboutins. Gorgeous sky high heels. They look great, and make your legs look great. But.... they can be murder on your feet. It often seems that the more gorgeous the shoes, then more painful. Some shoes seem as though they've been designed just for standing. (Because walking in them is impossible!). So the idea of a pair of heels that you could wear all day AND be comfortable did not seem possible.

Well I saw a feature on TV about heels from Cole Haan. They had partnered with Nike to bring the cushioning technology of Nike sneakers into high heels. The claim was that you could wear these heels all day and not have any foot pain. I was skeptical but intrigued. So I went down to the Cole Haan store on Bloor after work one day. I had been wearing heels all day. My feet were sore. And these were not even very high heels. Maybe one inch. Small. I saw a pair of gorgeous black patent leather peep toe pumps. 3 1/4 inches. I had never been able to wear heels this high. I had always found them super uncomfortable and looked like a new born giraffe stumbling around (very graceful and elegant!). So I decided to test this comfort theory and try them on. Oh. My. God! They were BEYOND comfortable! It was like they had been made for my foot. I was in love. But like most love stories, there was a tragic plot twist. These perfect shoes were a little pricey. Not Louboutin pricey, but not cheap. So I sadly left the store empty handed, but with a goal in mind. I would own these shoes!

Fortunately, this love story has a happy ending. With a little saving, I was able to buy my shoes.They were worth every penny. I LOVE them. They are well made, comfortable and classic. Perfect for work and play. (especially if "play" includes dancing up a storm for several hours...) Great for a holiday party!

"Is it wrong that we ordered this much food?"

When it comes to sushi, I'm a little picky. I blame Japan. Living there for a year spoiled me. When you've had the best, it's hard to settle for anything less. So when someone tells me that they went to the "best" sushi restaurant, I'm always a little skeptical. Until recently. A friend at work recommended we go to Yuzu Sushi on Adelaide. We went. I ordered the Crunch Spicy Salmon roll. AMAZING! It's now my favourite sushi place in Toronto.

The other week my friend Sibylle and I went. We decided that we'd each get the Crunch Spicy Salmon roll, and share something else. So we looked over the menu. Several things caught our eye. I was in the mood for Tempura. Great, we'd share the shrimp and veggie tempura.

Oh... but wait... the Gyoza dumplings also sound good... "Is it wrong that I want both?", Sibs asked. "Ummm, noooooo!", was my reply. So we got it all. When the food arrived, our table looked rather full. "Is it wrong that we ordered this much food" we wondered? "Ummm, noooo!" was our answer. Everything was so GOOD! Upon finishing our feast Sibs asked me "Is it wrong that I could totally eat more?". "Ummm, nooooo!", was my reply.

We decided it would be inappropriate for us to order anymore food. When we went back there for lunch today, there wasn't any doubt or questioning. We ordered it all again! Mmmmm...

Get Cooking!

I love to cook. And bake. The Food Network is one of my favourite channels. I can watch show after show for hour after hour, filling my head with tasty meal ideas. I find my favourite chef, and then buy their cookbook. I've now got quite a nice little collection! Without a doubt, my all time favourite is Ina Garten - The Barefoot Contessa. She's amazing! My friend Lindsay and I like to fantastize about being on her show as her "dear friends". We'd come over to her house and help her make a fabulous dinner... She'd fuss over us... Sigh... Sorry, got side tracked there for a minute! Back to the matter at hand. Cookbooks. Ina's books are GREAT! Total comfort food. Not necessarily the most low fat, but you can modify were needed. The food always turns out perfect. (p.s. I met her once at a book signing. We talked about granola!)

You also can't go wrong with Everyday Food. They have a little reader's digest sized monthly magazine which I'm in love with. Loads of great recipes. Perfect size for stocking stuffers. They also have a full size cookbook. LOVE it. The recipes are divided into seasons - so you always cook what's in season!

If you fancy yourself a domestic goddess, then you have to get something by Nigella Lawson (I've met her too!). My Dad likes to refer to her as the "British babe". Her food is a little retro at times. Has an old school English charm. She also makes the most beautiful kitchen and cooking products. (I've got several items!) They've become hard to find in Canada, so grab them if you see them! The last (but not least) lady to mention is Laura Calder and her book French Food at Home. She makes french cooking easy and accessible. (Dad also likes her - known as "that other babe")

Now we've got to talk about the fellas! Jamie Oliver is the MAN! Attractive and he can cook - sign me up! His food is simple, a little rustic and always easy. My other favourite man is Tyler Florence. He used to be referred to as my Food Network boyfriend (he got married a few years back so we had to breakup...). He specializes in making ultimate comfort food. Delicious!

So, if you know someone who likes to cook (or who you'd like to cook better...) consider picking up one of these fabulous cookbooks for Christmas!

(note, if you order online from Chapters, it's usually cheaper then buying in stores!)

For the "Big Kid" on your list

My Dad is a very difficult man to shop for. Like, impossible. I've lost count of the number of times we think we've got him something perfect, only to have him come home with the same item. "Hey, look what I just bought!". Urgh. Great. Back to the drawing board. He's a hard guy to surprise gift wise. But the other thing to know about my Dad, is that he's also like a big kid at times. He loves toys and gadgets. Anything with a "cool factor" (his term). In fact, if something has a "cool factor" and is under $20, he'll buy it. That's why I'm so happy there are stores like Rolo. This tiny little shop on Bellair St. is packed full of things with "cool factor". Tons of cool watches, gadgets, and toys. And a wide variety of price points. As part of his birthday present in the summer I picked up a pair of wind-up racing grannies. He LOVED them. I definitely recommend checking out Rolo if you've got a hard to shop for "big kid" on your list!