A clarifying shampoo that's perfect for us hairspray addicts

By Giselle Wedemire

January is all about new beginnings and clean slates, and lately I've been taking that to the literal extreme with my haircare routine. One day not too long ago I came home to find a lovely package sticking out of my mailbox.* The return address indicated that the package was from Live Clean -- one of my absolute favourite vegan personal care brands -- and I was immediately as giddy as a schoolgirl. 

I ran inside and ripped open the package to find a single bottle of Live Clean Apple Cider Clarifying shampoo which, I learned, is a deep cleansing shampoo packed with Bragg's Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, making it ideal for daily use on oily/greasy hair and perfect for weekly purges of product buildup. 

Once I read that last bit, I accepted the challenge that 350 mL bottle of shampoo had set before me: I was going to test this bad boy out after getting my hair as filthy as possible.

Day 12: For the animal lover and the philanthropist

By Giselle Wedemire

Today is the last day of our 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping) Gift Guide. We hope we've helped to inspire you to shop locally, and we hope we've alleviated at least a little bit of the stress that comes with Christmas shopping. For our last day, we'd like to talk about gifts that give back.

If the overt commercialization of the holiday season has gotten you down, but you've still got an animal lover to shop for, supporting an animal shelter is a great way to do some good while giving a really thoughtful gift. 

Donating to any charity is always a fantastic way to spread joy and, unlike traditional gifts, that joy has a ripple effect that spreads to improve the life of more than just the recipient of your gift. And, since these gifts can all be purchased online -- and they require no shipping time like most other gifts you buy online -- they make for great last-minute gift ideas. (You know, just in case the sad state of mall parking lots have scared you away from the idea of going out to shop this close to Christmas.)

For the animal lovers and philanthropists in your life, we suggest gifting a donation to any one of these great local animal rescues/shelters with these gift ideas:

• ARF's Dog Secret Santa ($75)

Screenshot via ARF

Day 11: For the home cooks and the couples who need a date night

By Giselle Wedemire

With just one day to go, we are in the homestretch of our 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping) gift guide. While we've been pinpointing and spotlighting local stores we at Picky Bitchez love, we figured we'd shed some light on one of our favourite eateries in town.

The Coup has made a name for itself as an outstanding organic vegetarian restaurant. And it's only gotten better since its renovations this past spring. With a number of vegan and gluten-free options on the menu, we think The Coup is the kind of place you need to go at least once in your lives (though going more often than that is certainly advisable).

But one of the coolest things about The Coup is that the next time you sit down to a nice meal there, you can also get some of your Christmas shopping done! Here are some quick gift ideas that you can score the next time you pop in for a bite:

For the couple who is in desperate need of a date night: The Coup gift certificates (available in increments of $25, $50, or $100)

Photo via The Coup

Scrumptious Shortbread

By Casey Knoll

I absolutely love Christmas baking -- it's a great way to have fun, and to create 
affordable gifts for your friends and family.

This year, my mom's friend introduced me to gluten-free shortbread. I was never a huge fan of shortbread, but this recipe changed my mind. It's quick, easy, and absolutely delicious.

My mom's friend found this recipe on a blog by Amanda Farquharson. If you give these a try, let us know! 

What you'll need:

3 cups white rice flour

1 cup corn starch

1 cup icing sugar

1 pound of salted butter, softened

Cherries or sparkles (optional)

What you'll need to do:

• Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
• Sift the dry ingredients together.
• Cut the butter into quarters then halve again. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry mixture until you are able to form a ball of dough.
• Dust a cool surface with rice flour and place the ball of dough on the flour. Knead until the edges crack.
• Form golf ball sized balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. (I use a Silpat mat or parchment paper)
• Press down with a fork and decorate with sparkles or candied cherries.Bake approx. 20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Let sit for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. 

Day 10: For the bohemian

By Giselle Wedemire

Filled with incense, vegan leather handbags, and books on yoga, Wanderlust Trading Company is a bohemian's wonderland. And that's why we've chosen it as our Day 10 pick in our 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping) gift guide. 

With three locations in town, Wanderlust stands out as a beacon of light for the urban hippies of Calgary, which is exactly why we love this business. If you've got a bohemian to shop for this holiday season, forget buying them patchouli oil and scope out these Picky Bitchez-approved gift ideas instead: 

• Yoga: The Poetry of the Body: A 50-Card Practice Deck ($29.99) 

Photo via ALibris.com (because of all the pictures I took at Wanderlust, this one never turned out :(

Day 9: For the bookworm

By Giselle Wedemire

In an effort to avoid big-box stores and malls this Christmas season, we've been highlighting local businesses you might want to patronize while doing your holiday shopping. Today is Day 9 of our twelve-day gift guide, and we've chosen Shelf Life as our pick for the perfect place to shop for the book lover in your life.

As a bookworm, I can wholeheartedly say that one of the best gifts you can ever give a book lover is -- you guessed it -- a good book. The key to pulling this off is to know the person you're shopping for and to shop for their books accordingly. If they're a diehard romantic and you give them a copy of Everyone Poops, chances are your gift won't go over well. The same goes for if they're a devout Catholic and you present them with a copy of Christopher Hitchens' The Portable Atheist.

However, if you put in the time and effort to pick out a fantastic book for the bibliophile on your list, they will love and cherish you (and that gift) for a loooong time. Trust me. 

Now, you probably know the tastes of your book lover better than I ever could, so I'll leave you to it. But if you've got a bookworm to shop for who's also a Picky Bitch, then I think I've got you covered with these suggestions.

For the book worm: Bunner's - Simple & Delicious Gluten-free Vegan Treats by Ashley Wittig and Kevin MacAllister ($24.99)

Photo via HarperCollins.ca

Day 8: For the daredevils and adrenaline junkies

By Giselle Wedemire

We're on Day 8 of our 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping), and today is all about the daredevils. You know the type: they're the ones who are always up for anything, and are always looking for new and exciting things to try.

Bearing these traits in mind, aside from getting them a motorcycle or a bungee jumping class, what could be a better gift idea for a daredevil than a new tattoo?

For the daredevil: Aeonian Tattoo Inc. gift certificate (available for purchase in any dollar amount you'd like)

Photo via The Spokesman. Photo credit: Creative Commons