Steer clear of the conventional trinkets this Christmas season and surprise your loved ones with these gift ideas.
Contributed By Yong Yung Shin and Jeremy Chua
For: The Kitchen Goddess
Everyone of us has a personal Martha Stewart, the friend who loves to cook and host parties. At ToTT (896 Dunearn Road, #01-01A, Sime Darby Centre, +65 6219 7077), which stands for “tools of the trade”—a kitchen wonderland that stocks all kinds of culinary gizmos, you can get your friend a piece of The Naked Chef with the best-selling Jamie Oliver Tilt & Mix bowls, which are designed to make mixing ingredients and cleaning up after a breeze, and the new Jamie Oliver All Purpose 3-in-1 Peeler.
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF PETSBOUTIQUE |
For: Grams and Pops
Getting a gift for somebody who doesn’t necessarily dig the latest fashion or IT gadget fad can be a real challenge, but here’s something your grandparents would definitely appreciate. Help them do away with bulky, dusty photo albums, and give them a digital photo frame (one that’s loaded with pictures, of course)—after all, what could give Grandma and Grandpa more joy than flipping through countless baby pictures of your hairless, toothless mugshots. Available from all electronic stores like Best Denki and Harvey Norman.
For: The Mutt Lover
There’s no such thing as lavishing too much love on your friends’ puppy—it’s the same concept as buying toys for their kids. At PetsBoutique (look up PetsBoutique on Facebook or call +65 9169 2125), you can find cutesy shoes for the four-legged ones, such as the X’mas boots collection (S$15), made from high suede material and quality soles for active pooches.
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF CHILD”S OWN |
The Kids
Combining two of the things kids love most—drawing and soft toys, Child’s Own (www.childsown.com) takes the business of customization a notch higher. Send in your child’s drawing, and they will get a one-of-its-kind, handcrafted stuffed toy or doll, just the way they drew it. Your kids will love seeing their creative talents realized in the form of a plaything, and it also makes for a sentimental keepsake when the kids have grown up. Orders take from two to four weeks to be delivered, with a fixed price of CAN$100—contact Child’s Own for exact shipping charges.
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF WEWOOD |
GIFTS WITH A CAUSE
You don’t have to be a tree-hugger to champion environmental causes—just buy a watch made from one. Not only do WeWood watches (www.we-wood.us) look good, they make a fantastic conversation starter, and are made from toxic-free wood and materials. Most importantly, for every watch you buy, they will plant a tree. It’s a collaboration with American Forests, one of Amercia’s oldest non-profit conservation. Help them achieve their goal of planting 100 million trees by 2020—the count now stands at 35 million. Prices start from US$120.
Alternatively, hit up Actually Actually (16 Purvis Street, #02-01, +65 6336 7002) for their one-off Freitag bags and accessories, made from recycled truck tarpaulins, unravelled seat belts, and airbags. The prices, approximating S$90 for wallets, namecard holders and notebooks and S$210 for bags, aren’t cheap, but considering they’re fashioned from tough material made for the road, you can be sure they will suffer more than a little rough treatment—perfect for that outdoor-loving and green-minded friend.
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| PHOTO COURTESY OF TOMS |
Another retail-cum-philanthropy product, TOMS, has the simple but impactful vision of putting shoes on the feet of those who would otherwise go shoeless and be exposed to diseases and deprived of education. TOMS shoes come in both men and women’s styles, which includes canvas flats, boots and now wedge heels. For every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need. Of course, they are also made of pesticide-free cotton canvas as well as recycled and sustainable materials. TOMS can be found at Pedder Red (Ngee Ann City, +65 6735 5735).
