Sending Flowers or Not

My favourite alternative to sending flowers is Edible Arrangements. They're just as beautiful as flower arrangements but you get to eat them instead of throwing them out after a week or two. This is a great idea to send to people just home from the hospital with a newborn or recovering from surgery as it's a ready made snack they can grab out of the fridge and enjoy. I have recently discovered another alternative to sending flowers - PopFlowerShop. These brightly coloured blooms are made of dirt-resistant lightweight polypropylene plastic made from recyclable #5 plastic. They're the perfect item to send to someone in the hospital as they are cheerful, low maintenance, fragrance free and hypoallergenic.

William Ashley Sale

William Ashley's two retail locations are now having their big annual sale. You can save up to 70% on brand names such as Royal Doulton, Noritake, Wedgwood, Mikasa, Waterford and more. Stock up on half price china and silver place settings. Open stock crystal stemware and most gifts are 40% off. Sale ends January 31st.
Locations: Square One, Mississauga ON & 55 Bloor St. W (Manulife Centre), Toronto ON

JNY Factory Outlet Sale

Jones New York Factory Outlets are having their January clearance event. Get 50-80% off the original ticketed price on all winter items.

Winter Trends

'Boa' scarf KC's Hats; chain belt (can also be worn as a necklace) Belle Boutique; faux fur jacket - Winners $59.99; faux leopard swing jacket - Winners $64.99; scarf - H&M $14.50; leopard batwing top - Winners $8; turleneck - H&M $14.50; brigh coloured top - Addition Elle; wide belt - Costa Blanca $7.50.

Midnight Madness

IKEA is having their annual midnight madness sale tonight (Dec 1). It runs from 8pm to midnight and you can save 50% off all remaining holiday collection items. Every year they usually have a different colour scheme for their holiday items and this year it's red, white and silver with a bit of green and balck thrown in here and there. Make sure to take advantage of the other instore specials they will have this evening - from time to time they will announce over the speakers an item they've marked down to a crazy low price. And as usual they have their Christmas tree deal: buy a tree for $20 and get a $20 cupon to use towards your next IKEA purchase of $75 or more before tax (coupon valid Jan 2-Feb 28).

Start Your Shopping

Need some ideas for holiday gifts or just the right motivation to start your shopping? Check out some of the sales going on now:

H&M - up to 50% off selected items for men, women, teens and kids

Banana Republic - 30% off regular prices sweaters (Dec 10-13)

Fairweather - take an extra 50% off the lowest ticketed price on outerwear

Danier - up to 50% off everything

Smart Set - save $10 on your purchase of $40 or more (before tax); selected pyjama trios (top, bottoms, socks) priced at $25

Jacob - up to 70% off selected items until Dec 24th

Fred Has Flare

I have been familiar with Fred Flare for a while but just recently checked out their website. This is a great place to find unique and fun gift items. I love Russian nesting dolls so I was very excited to see they have a few products done in this style such as a USB flash drive and measuring cups. Other items that caught my eye were the pb&j earrings, black lace tape, country house handbag, bandages that look like strips of bacon (yum!), the Holly GoNightly sleep mask which looks very similar to the one Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast At Tiffanys and the duckie ear buds. With todays weather being so miserable, I wish I had a mini umbrella to help put a smile on everyones face. All their items are reasonably priced and a lot are on sale right now. Ordering online is easy and they actually ship internationally (shipping costs are per pound; this is where it gets expensive - Canada starts at $19.00 for a 1lb order) or stop by their store if you're ever in Brooklyn.