'Twas the day before Christmas, when all through downtown
Not a creature was resting, for last minute gifts were abound
The Wolford stockings were hung in our bathroom shower;
While we scampered and fretted over the quickly passing hour

The children were fighting over the iPad's last 10 per cent,
While I tried to discern on whom my favourite wrapping was spent;
And friends in their finest and me in a hat
Had just settled down for a winter nightcap

There's much more to this story, as you ladies know,
But with the clock ticking down, we really must go.
But not before we wish you the most peaceful holiday scene
With plenty of health and fortune in 2013

May your morning be filled with laughter, and a coffee mug spiked with Baileys
And a very Happy Christmas from Vitamin Daily.

Did Secret Santa stick you with someone especially tough to please? Don't fret, we've got a few ideas that will make you look like a gifting genius.

Your Partner’s Super Stylish Little Sister: Sometimes she gets on your nerves but she was a great ally at the last family gathering. Keep her on side with a Scout & Catalogue clutch ($88). The shop is taking a holiday break, but get a gift card here: scoutandcatalogue.bigcartel.com

Your Mother-in-Law: Two words even she can't disapprove of – Jo Malone. This Wild Fig and Cassis candle is a simple way to give her a bit of everyday luxury (and score some major brownie points). $75, www.holtrenfrew.com

Your Boss: She makes you work your butt off but at the end of the day she’s also your mentor (we hope). The M0851 classic card holder symbolizes top quality and style, just like you ($45). www.m0851.com

Your Co-workers: Vancouver’s Beta5 Chocolates will make everyone forget your rant about not eating smelly food in the office. I’m obsessed with the hot chocolate kit ($30) but these peppermint patties will be a nostalgic crowd pleaser ($10). shop.beta5chocolates.com

Your Boyfriend… of Three Weeks: At this stage, a deluxe Swiss army knife will pretty much kill the chemistry (I learned the hard way). Why not gather the ingredients for his and your favourite cocktails instead? AMC posted a guide on how to make everything from a Greyhound to a Vodka Gimlet here so you can embrace your inner Don and Joan (sorry Peggy).

—Julie Whelan

Christmas songs on the stereo, a warm kitchen, and our dog-eared copy of Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookies certainly put us into the mood to bake.

This year our pantry is stocked with Pemberton Distillery’s extracts, featuring Costa Rican vanilla ($16.95) and Ceylon Cinnamon (from $13). Additive-, gluten- and sugar-free, both are certified organic and cold-pressed to retain maximum flavour. Use them in baking, ice creams, and specialty coffees.

And hey, since we are shopping local we may as well stock up on their original single malt whiskey. Suddenly that specialty coffee got a lot more “special.” —Alexandra Suhner-Isenberg

Order both extracts direct from Pemberton Distilleries or find their vanilla at Marche St Georges, 4393 St. George St., Vancouver, www.marchestgeorge.com

A single detached house for under $150? You bet!

This Vancouver Special gingerbread house kit from local Beta-5 is a limited edition, and comes with chocolate-covered pretzel railing, jelly bricks and white chocolate stucco. A perfect holiday party activity for your real-estate obsessed friends. Even more fun is the “tear down.” —Sarah Bancroft

$120 at BETA5 Retail Workshop, 413 Industrial Ave., Vancouver, 604-669-3336, www.beta5chocolates.com

If you’re finding the men in your life to be gifting enigmas, we’ve got you covered.

Definitely not a murse, this stylish shopper by Mismo channels military chic through its classic colour combo and its heavy-duty canvas body with leather and brass hardware. Buy for him; borrow for yourself. $350 at Neighbour, 125-12 Water St., 
Vancouver, 604-558-2555, and www.shopneighbour.com

The freshly released book, Vintage Menswear: A Collection From the Vintage Showroom, is sure to pique any man’s interest. No, it’s not just another boring book trying to teach him how to dress—this one is a catalogue of rare 20th century sportswear and military apparel. $57 at Chapters.ca

Just the right combination of sleek and rugged, Vancouver-based Lifetime Collective nails Canadian chic. Our man can go from a stroll around the city to an impromptu trip to the cabin. No need for a change. $160 at www.lifetimecollective.com

And while he’s at the cabin, he might want a snazzy axe by Best Made Company. What guy doesn’t? You know, for chopping wood, or, um, fighting a zombie apocalypse, Walking Dead style. Okay, even if he’s not a handy type, it would look really cool mounted on a wall. $250-300 at www.bestmadeco.com

If there is one thing we learned about men over the years is that they can never have enough watches (kind of like us and shoes). Hudson's Bay Company’s iconic stripes add a cool Canadiana twist to a timeless Timex classic. $95 at The Bay.

New Zealand men's grooming line Triumph & Disaster is a new favourite of the office husbands, and we love the minimalist packaging, high-quality ingredients from its orgin country and all around the world (clay from Australia, jojoba extract from Mexico and tamanu oil from Polynesia) and best of all, subtle, masculine smell. Availabe at Masc and Provide, http://triumphanddisaster.com

—Anya Georgijevic

A little variation on an old classic:

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the condo
Not a creature was sleeping…so get to bed pronto!
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
Ok, so it’s a gas fireplace, but the Whole Foods cookies were there.

The children were nestled in their Ikea bunk beds
While visions of iPhones danced in their heads
And Mamma in her La Perla and Pa in his Jockeys
Were “discussing” (again) appropriate times to watch hockey

When out on the sidewalk there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my Eames rocker to see what was the matter
Away to the window I flew like a flash
No shutters to open because we don’t have the cash

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Gave the luster of midday to the objects below
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a Fiat 500 and 8 guys chugging beer.

Merry Christmas from everyone at Vitamin Daily!

Presents are wrapped, turkey is ordered, and most importantly, the wine rack is stocked. But you need a few more bits to fill up the stockings!

For the tots…
Santoy’s wooden foods are non-toxic and made from renewable rubber wood trees, plus they look super cute. Stick a boiled egg, a piece of toast, a banana, or a bunch of grapes into your little one’s stockings. From $2.25 to $5.99 each at Dilly Dally Kids, 1161 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, 604-252-9727, www.dillydallykids.ca

For the lover of stuff…
Tools: Real Stuff for Future Classics is a limited edition publication by HUGE magazine’s new book label. It is a catalogue of stuff, featuring “tools” we use in our everyday life, outside and inside. $35 from Inventory Stockroom, 45 Powell St., Vancouver, 604-568-5889 www.stockroom.inventorymagazine.com

For the gourmande…
Ayala Moriel perfumes and Cocoanymph chocolates have teamed up to make these fragrant chocolate bars. Put a White Potion bar into a foodie’s stocking, it is made of tuberose, roasted almonds, and coconut and will be a feast for the senses. $12 from CocoaNymph Chocolates & Confections, 3739 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, 604-222-4477, www.cocoanymph.com

For the fairest of them all…
You can never go wrong with beauty products in a stocking. For her, throw in a Too Faced Glamour To Go palette (with 8 shadows, blush, lip gloss, and bronzer), for him, Crown Shaving Company’s soothing after shave. Too Faced palette, $29 from Sephora, Pacific Centre, 701 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, 778-331-3942, www.sephora.com Aftershave, $18 from BeautyMark, 1268 Pacific Ave., Vancouver, 604-642-2294, www.beautymark.ca

For everyone…
A mandarin orange at the bottom of the stocking is a tradition at our house, and let’s face it, it may be the only piece of fruit you eat over the next few days. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

This time of year, it’s a treat to spend time with our significant others (without the in-laws). Here are our picks for romantic holi-date ideas.

Holiday Films at VIFF
Vancity Theatre has a line-up of holiday-themed classics like Some like it Hot, It’s a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Carol. Which is perfect because this might be the only time of year we can guilt-trip him into watching black-and-white films.

Karaoke Christmas Lights Tour
If a lit-up trolley equipped with a karaoke machine doesn’t scream romance, we don’t know what does. We’ll happily hop aboard and warm up. Our vocal cords, that is.

Outdoor Ice Skating at Grouse Mountain
Unlike the rest of this country, we can’t use our backyard as a skating rink. But up on the mountain, that’s a whole other story. Grab your skates and a thermos of hot cocoa and unleash your inner Michelle Kwan.

Patron Saint of Stanley Park
Written by a Vancouverite and set in this city’s most famous park, this heart-wrenching, heart-warming tale is perfect for a little after-dinner theatre.

Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge
On Dasher! On Dancer! On the Capilano Suspension Bridge! Which is illuminated with a gazillion twinkling lights this time of year. —Kelsey Dundon

‘Tis the party season, and planning a good one is a lot of work, so let’s make sure our hosts’ efforts are well acknowledged.

Emily Post would, of course, agree that one should never show up at a party empty handed. Whether it’s something salty or something sweet, we found the perfect one-stop shop for all our host gifting needs, Grenadine & Co. For the epicurean, a set of 14 essential Indian spices by Epices de Cru ($36); for the mixologist, Fee Brothers’ selection of classic cocktail bitters ($8.49 each); and for the sweet tooth, a pack of three delicious Mrs. Bridges Preserves ($15.29). Yummy gifts will undoubtedly guarantee a future invite. —Anya Georgijevic

Grenadine & Co, 3028 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-737-8010, www.facebook.com/grenadineandco

As we squeeze one more glass of champers out of 2010, here are a few things you can do before the clock strikes midnight to make 2011 the best yet. Cheers to another great year.

Animal Crackers
We’re usually in the Swiss Alps, where local tradition is to stroke a pig’s snout for good luck on New Year’s Eve. This year we’re in Toronto so maybe I’ll dress up in a ball gown and take my family out for bacon sandwiches. Ha, ha, Happy New Year.
Athena Tsavliris, Toronto editor

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the sparkliest of them all?
They say that you should always take a look in the mirror before you leave the house and remove one accessory. Since my New Year’s resolution for this year is to accessorize more (I tend to stay simple with my diamond studs), I’m going to add one. Maybe two. Watch out!
Jennifer Nachshen, Montreal editor (English edition)

Return to Sender
The Babylonians were the first to make a New Year’s resolution and this is what it was: return anything borrowed from a friend in the previous year.
Tonya Albulet, Western Sales Manager

Go With the Flow
As one of my yoga instructors often says: “You’ll never be as young as you are this very second.” So instead of resolutions that are restricting, this year is about celebrating life and all its frivolity. And if this means, shopping more, drinking more wine or eating another cookie, try to enjoy every moment, every bite and every sip because it will never be exactly like it is in that moment.
Malwina Gudowska, Calgary editor

The Three P's: Pajamas, Postcards, Positivity
Tradition: "Party Top Pajama Bottoms" party. The photos taken from the waist up make it appear everyone dressed up, but from the waist down it’s all comfort. Makes stumbling into bed that much easier at the end of the night.
Resolution: Send more postcards, for no particular reason, to the people I love.
Superstition:  The surest way to ensure a happy new year is to fix my thoughts on something positive the moment the clock strikes 12.
Joy Pecknold, Vancouver editor