Winners is the best for us Picky Bitchez, and here's why

By Giselle Wedemire

I have a long and storied obsession with Winners (and Marhsalls, and TJ Maxx, if I’m in the US). If I’m having a rough day, or if I’ve got a bit of walking money burning a hole in my pockets, I almost always seek out the fluorescent lit aisles of my neighbourhood Winners in hopes of scoring a deal. Even if I don’t buy anything on a given trip, there’s just something about those stores and the requisite digging and scavenging for a deal that calms me.

This obsession predates my veganism by a number of years, but my commitment to a meat- and cruelty-free life has only bolstered my love for Winners stores everywhere. And for good reason, too: with their well-stocked, vegan-friendly options in their beauty, food, clothing, and accessories sections, stores like Winners et. al. are veritable vegan havens, if you know how to shop with a keen eye.

Photo via Wikipedia

Here are some things to keep an eye out for during your next trip to Winners:

New NYR store means Calgary just got a little more beautiful

By Giselle Wedemire

Neal’s Yard Remedies, the British purveyor of all-natural, organic beauty products, is expanding its reach in Calgary. 

On Oct. 28, it was announced via press release that the chain will branch out of the trendy Mission neighbourhood (where its first Canadian store is located) by opening its second shop in Calgary in Southcentre Mall, thus marking the second phase of CEO Lisa Costello’s plan to expand the brand and open 10 new locations of NYR across Canada over the next five years.

Screen shot via Neal's Yard Remedies' Instagram account

 

The new store will open its doors on Oct. 30 and, while it won’t have spa treatment rooms like its sister store in Mission, it will be stocked with its usual, full selection of natural and organic essential oils, skincare, cosmetics, etc. (much of which is vegan and gluten-free, HOLLA!). 

Tea-infused hand creams are your dry hands' BFFs this season

By Giselle Wedemire

My hands are almost reptilian in nature: unnaturally cold, sometimes scaly (depending on the outside temperature), and impressively dry. This only gets worse as temperatures drop and the cool fall air starts demanding that I dig my mittens out of storage. 

I have no idea why my hands are that way since the rest of my body doesn't resemble a dinosaur's hide at all, but such is my lot in life. The best I can do is moisturize them as often as I can to curb the problem before my hands go all Jurassic Park on me.

On June 13, Bare English & Co. announced on their Facebook page that their brand new hand cream had just hit their online store. I am a huge Bare English & Co. convert ever since I reviewed their lip balms last winter, so I immediately got in touch with them to see how and where I could get my (dry) hands on this new product.

Each Green Tea Infused Hand Cream retails for $8.99 on their website, and they are currently available in three scents: lavender, vanilla coconut, and juicy peach. While you might guess from the name that it contains green tea (which acts as an antioxidant), the ingredient list also boasts a slew of fantastic moisturizers like oat protein, aloe juice, coconut oil, almond oil, and shea butter. 

Bare English & Co.'s Lavender Green Tea Infused Hand Cream. The only thing better than the hand cream itself is the packaging. I love that the cruelty-free bunny is right on the front of the tube!

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

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 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

Day 7: For the sweet tooth

By Giselle Wedemire

We are now on Day 7 of our 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping) gift guide, meaning we are more than halfway done! In case you didn't get a chance to score any gift-worthy gluten-free goodies at last week's vegan holiday bake sale, we've got you covered.

If you've got a Picky Bitch with a sweet tooth to shop for this Christmas, you might want to hit up Bliss & Co. Cupcakes and Desserts for a dozen (or two) cupcakes that can be stored in the fridge until Christmas Day.

For the picky sweet tooth: a JOY pack (a half-dozen regular-sized gluten-free cupcakes, $24.95) or HOHO mini-pack (one dozen mini gluten-free cupcakes ($24.95)

Photo courtesy of Alex Staines/Bliss & Co.

Day 1: For the foodie with a big heart

By Giselle Wedemire

Our first pick for the Picky Bitchez's 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping) is a destination -- or an event -- rather than an actual store. We know we're breaking our own rules here, but with an all-vegan holiday bake sale in town, we really couldn't resist.

On Dec. 13, Calgary will be hosting its very first vegan holiday bake sale, and it promises to be just as amazing as the annual vegan bake sale held in the city every May. We are so excited about this event, and we think that with all the sweet (and savoury) vegan treats up for grabs, they'd make for a fantastic gift.*

Photo via Calgary Vegan Bake Sale Team/Facebook

The 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping): A Picky Gift Guide

By Giselle Wedemire

Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas (Shopping)! As of today, there are just 12 shopping days separating us from the gift giving bonanza that is Christmas Day. (We're not even thinking of including Dec. 24 in this count because in our minds, Christmas Eve is a day for lounging in your PJs while drinking hot chocolate and watching holiday movies.)

If you haven't completed (or even started) your Christmas shopping, then I'd say that that tight feeling you're currently experiencing in your chest is probably the beginning of an anxiety attack. But fear not!

Photo via ChristmasStockImages.com