Need holiday gift ideas? It’s hard to believe that the Holiday season is almost here! Whether you have babies, kids, or tweens, we have holiday gift giving suggestions for everyone on your list. We’ve rounded up our favourite holiday toys, clothes & more for our annual Holiday Gift Guide below. We’ve included local businesses who are committed to ensuring our families have access to the best healthy, active, and eco-friendly products. And our guide is out early to give you lots of time for shopping!
The best news is that we’re also giving away one of every item featured in this guide! That means over $5,000 in prizes will be given away at our online Holiday Facebook Party on Thursday, November 14th at 8 pm PST, including a Springfree Trampoline, your own Maplelea Doll, gorgeous kids furniture, and family admission to our favourite holiday events and attractions across Metro Vancouver (check out our 2020 Metro Vancouver Holiday Events Guide). To RSVP for the party, just visit our Healthy Family Expo 2020 Facebook Event and click “GOING” or “INTERESTED”. Then join us online on that Facebook Event page on November 14th at 8 pm for your chance to win $5,000+ in prizes. Happy holidays from our families to yours!
HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS
FOR METRO VANCOUVER FAMILIES
New Customized Smart Trampoline
from Springfree
Springfree Trampoline, the world’s safest trampoline, is now offering customers the opportunity to design their very own trampoline! Change the colours of the frame, the legs, the mat rods and net rods. Then top it off with a personalized nametag! You can mix & match from 7 fun colours to represent your favourite sports team or maybe your school colours – the sky’s the limit. These trampolines are constructed out of the highest quality materials & are designed to withstand even the harshest conditions so you can jump all year long – even in the snow! How excited would your kids be to wake up to a Springfree Trampoline on Christmas morning?!
Buy it here: Springfree Coquitlam, 1300 Woolridge Street, 604-757-6499 or www.springfree.ca
Hot Deal: Black Friday specials hit their website Nov 22nd!
Connect: Facebook; Twitter; Pinterest; Instagram
Facebook Party Prize: Customized Large oval trampoline + FlexrHoop + FlexrStep + delivery/installation ($3,000+ value)
7-in-1 Instant Pot
from London Drugs
London Drugs has so many kitchen appliances to help you make smart choices for feeding your family. Busy parents don’t have to sacrifice home-cooked, healthy meals even when you have a crazy schedule! One of our favourite time-saving appliances is the Instant Pot. This number 1 selling multi-cooker, combines 7 kitchen appliances in 1: Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer. It prepares dishes up to 70% faster to support your busy lifestyle. And you can cook meals straight from frozen so you are never in a panic over what’s for dinner – hands up if your family or someon you know would love to find an Instant Pot from London Drugs under the tree this year!
Buy it here: www.londondrugs.com
Connect: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest
Facebook Party Prize: 8 qt 7-in-1 Instant Pot ($200 value)
2-in-1 ScooterBike
from Active Baby
One of our top picks for kids from Active Baby this holiday season is the world’s first 2-in-1 ScooterBike. Flip from one to the other as your child progresses. It transforms instantly using a revolutionary twist mechanism and a patented safety adjustment clip. So easy, so much fun, and super adaptable as kids grow & learn! This double-function kick scooter and push bike was designed to maximize fun within one product, created with the help of kids and experts in Austria. We love this easy way to get the whole family more active. Active Baby is a parent-run local baby boutique, with locations in North Vancouver, Langley and NOW a new one on Kitsilano! Active Baby is committed to supplying local families with specially curated organic, top-quality products from nursery essentials, clothing, and accessories, to car seats, strollers and more. You won’t want to miss the grand opening of their Kitsilano store very soon!
Buy it here: www.activebaby.ca
Connect: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram
Facebook Party Prize: 2-in-1 ScooterBike ($230 value)
Fun Advent Calendars
from BC Playthings
BC Playthings knows how to get in on the holiday spirirt with their assortment of festive advent calenders! From LEGO to Playmobil to D.I.Y. decorate-your-own options. A visit to to their North Vancouver store in Edgemont Village is a November tradition to get families into the holiday spirit. BC Playthings is a unique, family-owned toy store that is known as the best local place to find creative & multi-use toys for kids. And did you know they’ve moved into a much bigger space with SO MANY TOYS! We love their commitment to toys that inspire hours of pretend play fun!
Buy it here: www.bcplaythings.com
Hot Deal: Mention Healthy Family Expo Gift Guide in store for 10% off store-wide until December 31st, 2019 (once per family)
Connect: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram
Facebook Party Prize: Your choice of Advent Calendars from in-store stock (up to $75 value)
Fingerprint Jewelery
from Smallprint Vancouver North
Capture your loved one’s precious prints in silver! Smallprint Vancouver North specializes in creating pure silver keepsakes using fingerprints, hand/footprints, drawings or actual handwriting of your loved ones. This is a great opportunity to start your Christmas shopping! Simply bring your loved ones to one of Mahnaz’s pop ups around town or to her home studio in North Vancouver and she will capture their unique fingerprints or hand/footprints. She then handcrafts a unique sterling silver keepsake especially for you! Can’t bring them with you? No worries – you can take the prints yourself at home (only exception – Original Fingerprints). Or design something special featuring their drawing or handwriting! If you already have prints, just bring them to a pop up or scan / email them to Mahnaz!
Buy it here: Facebook or connect with Mahnaz at 778-865-3774 or mahnaz@smallprint.com
Facebook Party Prize: Medium-sized Original Fingerprint pendant on a fine silver chain ($150.00 value)
Canadian Girl Dolls
from Maplelea
Maplelea® is distinctly Canadian, featuring gorgeous 18 inch dolls with story journals, outfits and accessories that celebrate our country’s spirit and identity! Based on the knowledge that toys and books can be powerful educational tools, Maplelea was developed to enlighten and entertain children. Their mission is to make a difference in the lives of Canadian children by providing age-appropriate dolls and activity products that promote creative play and healthy, active lifestyles, while fostering a love and interest in Canadian culture, heritage and geography. If you’re looking for a more customized option for your child, choose from a variety of Maplelea Friend dolls with different hair, eye and skin-tone combinations. Check out our video & blog review of the whole Maplelea family and you’ll see why these dolls are the perfect gift for your kids this holiday season!
Buy it here: www.maplelea.com
Connect: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter; Pinterest
Facebook Party Prize: A Maplelea Doll of your choice! ($115 value)
Forest Table & Chairs
from Tender Leaf Toys
Open up your child’s imagination with this stylish animal-themed wooden table that has a hidden compartment for art supplies under a chalkboard centre panel. The matching rabbit & bear-themed chairs are adorable! It’s just one of the many options in the Tender Leaf Toys product line that promotes learning through play. Their top-seller is a sweet set of Stacking Garden Friends, and some of our kids’ favourites include the Cosmic Rocket Set & Smoothie Maker. They are traditional in concept but contemporary in design, with a unique blend of soft cotton fabric, gentle non-toxic water stain, sustainable rubber wood & high quality plywood. And we love that for every tree that becomes a beautiful toy, another is replanted. Check out their YouTube channel to see these toys in action!
Buy it here: www.tenderleaftoys.ca
Connect: Facebook; Instagram; YouTube
Facebook Party Prize: Forest Table & 2 Chairs ($269.99 value)
Harry Potter LEGO Set
from BC Playthings
Harry Potter plus LEGO means hours of pretend spell-casting fun! We love how LEGO sets teach logic, planning, execution, and attention to detail. Once a set is built, pretend play takes over and the sky is the limit as to where the adventure can take you. Rainy days are well spent with a box of LEGO! BC Playthings is a unique, family-owned toy store in North Vancouver that is known as the best local place to find creative & multi-use toys for kids. And did you know they’ve moved into a much bigger space in Edgemont Village with SO MANY TOYS! We love their commitment to toys that inspire hours of pretend play fun!
Buy it here: www.bcplaythings.com
Hot Deal: Mention Healthy Family Expo Gift Guide in store for 10% off store-wide until December 31st, 2019 (once per family).
Connect: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram
Facebook Party Prize: Harry Potter Hogwart’s Great Hall LEGO ($131.99 value)
Reflective Clothing & Gear
from Zapped Outfitters
ZAPPED is high visibility reflective street-wear clothing disguised as rad everyday essentials for school-aged kids. Using a custom-made durable reflective fabric, kids can play hard AND be seen. Gener-neutral designs suit little dudes and dames just the same. Their reflective lineup includes a ball cap, toque, jacket, backpack, slip-on sneakers and fleece-lined high top shoes, illuminating your kids from head-to-toe while still blending in. Light up Christmas (and our dreary Raincouver winter) this year by putting ZAPPED under the tree, and keep your kids safe and seen!
Buy it here: www.zappedoutfitters.com
Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Facebook Party Prize: $80 Online Shopping Credit
Freezer Meal Delivery
from Well Fed Studio
Give a busy friend the gift of delicious healthy meals from Well Fed – or drop hints like crazy to your own family 😉 ! With our hectic schedules, Well Fed regularly comes to the rescue. They are a boutique food studio in beautiful North Vancouver that offers frozen meals to go, elementary school lunch program, kids camps and private cooking classes. They offer a monthly menu as well as favourites that are available all the time – delivered right to doorsteps in Vancouver, Burnaby and across the North Shore! All Well Fed meals are full of high-quality, whole, preservative-free ingredients, and they’re happy to accomodate special dietary restrictions or food allergies.
Buy it here: www.wellfedstudio.com
Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Facebook Party Prize: $160 meal delivery credit (approx. 8 meals)
Coffee Boosters
from Level Up Superfoods
Tired of putting boring deodorant in your partner’s christmas stocking? We have an amazing stocking stuffer idea for the adults on your list! Level Up Superfood Coffee Mix is a coffee creamer made from virgin coconut oil, raw cacao and unique spice blends. It offers a healthier alternative to cream, sugar and typical coffee creamers, plus makes a delicious addition to tea, hot chocolate, smoothies, oatmeal and desserts! All flavours are vegan, sugar free, dairy free, keto, & paleo. Choose from 5 yummy flavours: Chile Mocha, Cinnamon, Dark Chocolate, Dirty Chai, Turmeric Spice. Who’s ready for a warm holiday drink?!
Buy it here: levelupsuperfoods.com
Facebook Party Prize: Level Up Superfood Coffee Mix Gift Pack ($75 value)
Miniature Accent Art
from Shae Salmon
Once we saw Shae Salmon’s work we couldn’t get enough. The colours and the details drew us in. Her miniature canvases and absoulutely gorgeous Charcuterie boards would make the perfect gift for the art lover or foodie on your list! Shae Salmon is best known for combining her life long passion for photography with mixed media painting. Starting with a base of textural layers and translucent colours, her acrylic paints create abstract impressions of the natural landscape – sea, sky, and forest. Atop these backgrounds, she transfers her photographic images of birds and trees. Shae is a co-owner of 3 Brushes Studio in North Vancouver and is represented by Innovare Art.
Buy it here: www.studioshae.com
Connect: Instagram
Facebook Party Prize: Your choice of 8″ x 8″ original painting ($100 value)
Newborn Essentials
from Westcoast Baby Co.
Established in 2005 after the birth of her daughter, Amanda created a simple line of beautiful newborn essentials which is captivating in both design and colours. After 14 years in business, Westcoast Baby has designed quality timeless pieces that have vintage practicality combined with modern shapes. Each item is carefully, consciously and ethically made here on Vancouver’s West Coast. Amanda uses a variety of fabrics, but her most popular is Bamboo Jersey – a high-quality fabric that’s insanely soft to touch, eco-friendly, washes up beautifully, holds its shape and the stretch adds to baby’s comfort. At Westcoast Baby Co. you will find practical yet beautiful items for your delicate newborn and more!
Buy it here: www.westcoastbaby.com
Facebook Party Prize: $100 credit for online shopping!
Wondering what to do with the kids in Metro Vancouver this weekend, or what to make for dinner? You can find it at HealthyFamilyLiving.com! From the Sunshine Coast to the Fraser Valley, we’re the best online resource for busy parents looking for practical tips for healthy, active, sustainable living. For the latest on family events, outdoor adventures, birthday parties, camps & classes and kid-approved recipes, follow us on Facebook and sign-up for our parent-approved e-newsletter!
