Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

I love Christmas stockings! For adults or kids, they're so much fun! And I love finding great inexpensize items made in Canada to fill them! Here's a few suggestions:

1) For the meat lover, a selection of high-quality meats snacks made in Alberta (show here $ 1.99):

2) For the proud Canadian, a Strong & Free pewter keychain  made in New Brunswick ($ 9.99):

3) For the handy-dandy, a super resistant mini multi-bit screwdriver  made in B.C. ($ 4.99):

4) Perfect for Christmas morning: the dairy-free and egg-free way to celebrate the holidays! Healthy replacement  for eggnog, made in B.C.: ($ 2.99)

5) Natural beeswax candles made in B.C. A warm and luxurious addition to any table ($ 11.99):

6) To keep those lips nice and kissable with this all natural apres-ski lip balm  made in Ontario ($ 4.69):

7)  For a sweet smelling bath and super smooth skin, nothing beats these orange vanilla cream scented handmade soaps  from Alberta ($ 5.25):

8) Make bath-time fun-time with this all-natural bubble bath made in Ontario ($ 8.99):

9) Professor Noggin's fun and educational card games made in B.C. Choose from a variety of subjects, including Outer Space  ($ 12.99):

10) A beautiful alphabet book  from the Maritimes, It will become a classic in your family! ($ 7.95):

So here you go! Lots of great ideas that are sure to put a smile on that special someone's face on Christmas morning!

Animals are great companions, guardians and friends. We want the best for them, and we want to spoil them a little over the Holidays. Here's a few gift ideas made in Canada for the furry friends in your life!

1) Holistic dog biscuits slow baked in Ontario with fresh, food-grade meats and vegetables sourced from Canadian growers. Comes in a variety of great flavours including Turkey-Cranberry! ($ 7.99):

2) Essentia Natural Memory Foam Luxury Dog Bed made in Quebec ($ 189.00):

3) How about some bling for that sophisticated feline in your life? Mouse and cheese sterling silver charm made in B.C.             ($ 99.90):

4) Most dogs LOVE water, but it's sometimes hard to keep them safe and within reach. Get peace of mind with this doggy safety vest made in Ontario ($ 79.95):

5) Making natural eco-friendly pet products has never been this easy! A great DIY project to do with the kids, made in Quebec    ($ 12.95):

So go ahead and spoil your pets this Christmas. After all, they're family!

Who says guys are hard to buy for? Nowadays, there are so many choices to spoil that special man in your life. And many of these items are made in Canada!

Here are just a few:

1) Keep his skin soft and kissable with this great shaving set made in Ontario ($ 35.00):

2) He will surely appreciate the workmanship that went into making this wine rack. Will last a lifetime. Made in B.C. ($ 145.00):

3) And since he enjoys wine, surprise him with this awesome wine refresher made in Quebec. Instantly cools your wine to the ideal temperature ($ 39.95):

4)  For the handy guy that likes to spend time in the workshop. This Lee Valley apron will look great on him! ($ 36.50:

5) Keep his footsies warm with these great soft and comfy alpaca socks made in Quebec ($ 42.00):

6) For the movie buff, nothing beats a home theatre to enjoy the magic of the cinema. Now your guy can enjoy his action flicks with these reclining theatre seats made in Manitoba:

7) Store all his CDs and DVDs in this great early-Canadian style cabinet made in Ontario:

Spoil the man in your life this Holiday Season. I'm sure he deserves it!

Whether it's for your Mom, your wife, your sister or any other special woman in your life, it's easy to pick great gifts made in Canada.

 Here's a few suggestions:

1) These designer handbags & wallets handmade in Cape Breton are so unbelievably special with their inlaid Swarovski crystal. Stunning! ($ 129.00):

2) This beautiful jewelry is made in Alberta and looks like a million bucks! ($ 48.98):

3) A great fragrance company working on making the world a better place. Inspirational & delightful! ($ 70.00):

4) This luxurious all-natural facial cream protects and promotes a youthfull complexion. Made with love in B.C. ($ 34.99):

 5) A stylish and eco-friendly version of the traditional briefcase. Made in Ontario from wool felt. ($ 129.00):

 6) Give the gift of a good night's sleep with these natural Kapok fiber pillows made in B.C. ($ 34.00):

7) For the gardener, nothing beats this flower press which allows the summer's flowers to get a second life! ($ 29.50):

8) The perfect gift for every woman who hates to scrape the ice off her car windshield: wiper covers that slip over your wiper blades to keep them from freezing to your windshield! A new product, made in Ontario. ($ 18.99):

I hope this will demonstrate the variety of great products still made in Canada today. Amazing isn't it? And they really are gifts that keep on giving...back to the local communities in which they are made!

Christmas is for kids of all ages! There's nothing quite as magical as seeing the excitement and anticipation in their eyes on Christmas morning! and you'll be even happier knowing some of the gifts under the tree are made in Canada!

If you're looking for that special something, may we suggest:

1) Give the gift of pain relief to a precious little one, with this maple wood and organic cotton teether handmade in Ontario ($ 15.99):

2) Keep their little tootsies warm on Christmas morning with these cute infant slippers made in Ontario ($ 17.99):

3) Hours of fun & creativity with this playhouse made in Quebec from recycled cardboard. Kids can draw or paint it inside and out!   ($ 48.00):

4) Great to develop dexterity and creativity in kids, these soft building kits come in a variety and models and are made in Quebec ($ 25.00):  

5) Board games are great for kids of all ages. This one is fun and encourages cooperation instead of competition. The Harvest Time game is made in Ontario ($ 15.99):

6) Keep your little princess safe (and looking great!) on the slopes this winter with this Princess helmet cover made in Ontario ($ 40.00):

7) This will become a family heirloom, without a doubt. Good old-fashioned Canadian wooden sleigh, made to last in Ontario. It even converts to a wheeled wagon in the summer! ($ 129.99):

8) For the teenager under your roof, what better way to keep them busy and moving than a handcrafted wooden longboard. Made in Alberta, it's a piece of art! ($ 185.00):

Quality gifts made in Canada for the kids in your life. And you can be sure they will not break before the day is over!

My biggest pet peeve when it comes to cars and winter is having to scrape the wiper blades off a frozen windshield. Arhhh!!!! Even if you can scrape off the ice from the windshield, ice clumps stay on your wiper blades attracting more of the same and eventually re-icing your windshield. It’s frustrating and exhausting, right? 

 

Buy 2 sets and get the second set at 50% discount, from now until December 31st 2012!

It's been going on for awhile, now,  but I still have to laugh when I see the stores putting out their Hallowe'en candy and costumes...in August. Why? Because they don't stop at candies and costumes anymore!  Now you can also find pet dog and cat costumes, personal fog machines,  inflatable, life-size cemetaries, complete with amusing headstones,  motion-sensitive haunted house sound effects, Hallowe'en lights to drape on the eavestroughs and in the trees, 8 foot tall headless horsemen and their ghostly steeds...Hallowe'en just seems to get more and more popular and elaborate every year!

                            Original Caramels

In Peterborough, Ontario, folks start decking their porches and trees with 'spider webs' and 'crime scene tape' in the last week of September! They have leaf bags that look like pumpkins on their lawns and paper lunch bag ghosts hanging from branches, the moment they rip the page from their calendars for the new month!

 

 

People seem to like Hallowe'en for the same reason that they enjoy movies such as the Twilight series and TV shows like True Blood and Ghost Whisperer. They are all about supernatural creatures like Vampires and Werewolves, being terribly scared and, oddly enough, everlasting love. It's both romantic and Freudian!

                          Hallowe'en Cookie Kit

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy Hallowe'en anymore! I've decided to have fun with it ... why pass up an opportunity to celebrate something AND to make things? Besides, how can I resist a haunted gingerbread house that I can decorate myself!? I LOVE this! It is such a clever idea and would be so much fun to make with some kids or artsy pals! You could make an awesome haunted village! The cookie kit is also irresistable and I want to make a bunch of them and give them to some special friends! Fun!

                            La Caterina + Vampire

Last year, my husband and I dressed up as La Caterina and a Vampire! We joined friends in their backyard, toasted marshmallows over the bonfire and enjoyed the Full Moon.Then we walked home in the lovely Autumn night, to eat more candy! Perhaps this year, I can persuade him to put up a Hallowe'en tree and hang our Hallowe'en stockings by the cauldron!

                          Hallowe'en Kisses 

How do you celebrate Hallowe'en?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members.

Proud wearers of Tail-Wags helmet covers are of all ages. Founder, Karyn Climans, designs styles in sync with each customer's wants and desires. I find myself saying this every other day because this is why I became a customer and soon after joined her to market to the francophone community.

I'm very demanding when it comes to consumer products no matter what the price tag is. When I first received the cover - the leopard for my 8 year-old -, I put on my quality assurance cap and got out my checklist: stitching, touch, print, packaging, label, color comparing to web site display. Tail-wags got a perfect score!

And it doesn't end there. Tail-Wags contributes to our local economy  and creates jobs, as it is 100% Canadian from start to finish. The fabrics (fleece, lycra), the designs, the cutting and sowing, all done here!

And kids are wearing them all over the house not just on wheels or slopes! They are an extension of their imaginary. And adults wear them as a rallying symbol for triathlons and what not!

Not surprisingly, Tail-wags has been getting rave reviews from the media all across the country. CBC News, TFO Broadcast, Parents Magazine.

Without further a due, here are my 4 top picks for Halloween or any time of the year as of that matter!

The Gladiator for the bold one! Made of fleece for those chilly trick-or-treat evenings:

Blaze through the speed of light:

The Princess's tiara sparkly purple and her soft tulle. Girls love to feel the tull flow as they ride:

And for the wilder kind, The Wild Thing. Can you hear it?:

So wait no more! Get yours in time for Halloween. And we're offering 10% off throughout October.

Diana@tail-wags.com

Looking forward to hearing from you!

A warm hello to all my Anglophone and Francophone readers. I'm Diana Yazidjian, a Montreal entrepreneur back from a 9 year ride in Europe. I have an editorial site on business and also on nifty finds Yazziness.com. As of late, I have partnered with Tail-Wags 100% Canadian brand for the love of the brand and what it represents to us Canadians. I am so pleased to be a guest blogger on the Good Shopper Blog and hope that you will enjoy my nifty finds! Looking forward to hearing from you also!