The Harry Potter-possessed person in your life wants a trip to Wizarding World in Orlando, but your pockets are deathly hallow. In lieu of a Confundus charm, buy them a broomstick.

The new Granville Island Broom Company makes brooms fit for fictional characters and cleaning house. Handcrafted on-site by two sisters trained in the art of broom-making by their parents, the family’s brooms were featured in Bewitched and Harry Potter promotions. They sell standard Shakers, but we say opt for one made with a twisty Manzanita branch ($59-$170).

While it won’t fly you to Florida, a broom given on the occasion of marriage or housewarming brings good luck.

Granville Island Broom Company, 1406 Old Bridge St., Vancouver, 604-629-1141, www.granvilleislandbrooms.com

Vitamin Daily Vancouver reader Elizabeth wrote, “Hi there, I'm looking for a nice wine and champagne cooler or ice bucket for my boyfriend. Ideally, I'd be able to have it monogrammed. Do you have any suggestions as to where I should go? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks very much.”

Herewith, our picks for cool coolers at three different price points:

For the gadget guy who favours function over flash, the Vacu Vin champagne cooler comes with a removable, reusable insert that chills champagne in five minutes flat sans ice. $64.99 at Homewerx, 1053 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-682-2204, www.homewerx.ca

Liberty’s silver champagne bucket is perfect for the regal gent. The front features an elegant engraved crest with a spot in the centre for adding your own monogram. $149 at Liberty, 1635 W. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-682-7499, www.libertyinside.com

A mod man will love the slick and shiny stainless steel cooler by Alessi with room for more than one bottle and a bigger, bolder engraving. $336 at Inform Interiors, 50 Water St., Vancouver, 604-682-3868, www.informinteriors.com

Say good riddance to the recession and splurge on mom—isn’t that what tax returns are for?

Foodie Mom
Leonard Cohen once said, “Once you’ve seen Paris, there’s no going back to the farm.” Or Kitsilano for that matter. Give Mom a Gallic gift from Fabrics de France, like a bottle of wine wrapped in a Parisian tea towel, or a French tablecloth shrouding a good Tomme or Camembert from Les Amis du Fromage (on the same block). From $20. Fabrics de France, 1738 W. Second Ave., Vancouver, 604-737-0502, www.fabricsdefrance.com

Glamour Mom
And if you can’t take her to Normandy, get her a timeless pair of espadrilles by Le Pont St Michel in the colours of the French flag ($105 at Misch, 2960 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-731-1017, www.misch.ca) and a wide brimmed hat from Goorin Bros., 1188 Hamilton St., Vancouver, 604-683-1895, www.goorin.com

Classic Mom
Remember, gifts you give mom may become yours one day, so choose wisely. Like this vintage-look sterling silver frame from Birks ($395, pictured 698 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, 604-669-3333, www.birks.com), or beautiful French ceramics by Astier de Villatte (from $50) at The Cross Décor & Design, 1198 Homer St., Vancouver, 604-689-2900, thecrossdesign.com

New Mom
Gwyneth Paltrow says she never takes off her gold tag necklaces engraved with her kids names ($270 to order at  www.chloeinstyle.com), or give her a necklace made from an antique baby spoon by Vancouver’s Anna de Courcy ($300) from Misch, 2960 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-731-1017, www.misch.ca. Hang them on The Icelet jewellery tree from Umbra so they never get tangled. $24.95 (pictured) at Room In Order, 1055 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-684-8884, www.roominorder.com

Culture Mom
For her beach read, we suggest the tongue-in-cheek Life’s Too Short To Fold Fitted Sheets by Lisa Quinn ($22.95) or Stuff Every Woman Should Know by Alanna Kalb ($9.95), both from Raincoast Books or, let's face it, Oprah by Kitty Kelley ($17.50) at Amazon.ca and the new DVD  It’s Complicated with Meryl Streep.

Homey Mom
Enforce relaxation with The Cross’s new house candles ($20) in Harmony and Unity (The Cross Décor & Design, 1198 Homer St., Vancouver 604-689-2900, thecrossdesign.com), and French mint tea and a modern teapot ($50) and Kusmi spearmint French tea ($22) at Homewerx, 1053 Davie St., Vancouver, 604-682-2204, www.homewerx.ca

Yummy Mummy
A treat from Agent Provocateur won’t go unnoticed. By anyone. Think cream silk corsets for this spring’s lingerie trend ($650, pictured, 1020 Alberni St. Vancouver, 604-688-2712, www.agentprovocateur.com). In case she feels underdressed, add a Michael Kors purse ($375) with the new DSquared2 oversized sunglasses ($450) for that Almost Famous look. At Holt Renfrew, 737 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver, 604-681-3121, www.holtrenfrew.com

Frank Lloyd Wright credits simple wooden building blocks with his future career. So how to nurture the future eco-starchitect?

Try these award-winning, BC-made Tree Branch Blocks made from beeswax-coated kiln-dried alder.

And just think, by the time he's 8 he'll be stacking the woodpile like an expert.

$29.95 for a small set, at www.naturalpod.com

Whether father knows best or not, you can give him the best (from $25 to a splurge). Herewith, Vitamin Daily Vancouver’s Top 5 treats to delight dad this Father’s Day: 

To tide him over till the next installment of the Bond franchise, give him Daniel Craig as real WWII freedom fighter Tuvia Bielski in Defiance. $24.99 at www.futureshop.ca

Have him looking young and dapper like Chuck Bass with a swish silk bow tie from Brooks Brothers. And if he’s only ever done clip-on, the store’s website also has step-by-step instructions on how to knot the genuine article. $58 at Brooks Brothers, 1026 Alberni St., Vancouver, www.brooksbrothers.com

With a USB flash drive, blade, scissors, nail file (with screwdriver), key ring, mini flashlight, and retractable ball point pen, this Swiss Army knife turns even the least handy dad into a modern day MacGyver. $72.95 at www.swissarmy.com

He’ll think he died and went to a bar in the sky with Vida Spa’s Beer Therapy. Made with men in mind, both 60-minute facial and massage treatments start with a glass of organic brew and incorporate beer-infused compresses. From $115 at www.vidawellness.com

Whether he actually chops wood with it or just hangs it on his wall, a Best Made Co. axe oozes masculine cool. The made-to-order, hand-painted tool is the brainchild of two boyhood friends who met at camp in northern Ontario. $200-$550 at www.bestmadeco.com

A short drive from the city, historic Steveston is a sweet way to spend a sunny day.

do
With whale watching season now in full swing, hopping on a Steveston Seabreeze Adventures boat, with its hydrophones to eavesdrop on Orca chitchat, is well worth it. Or if you’re a land lover, rent a tandem bicycle ($10/hr) to cruise the quaint streets or spectacular seaside South Dyke Trail. Steveston Seabreeze Adventures, 12551 No. 1 Rd., Richmond, 604-272-7200, www.seabreezeadventures.ca

eat
After working up an appetite, head to the classic fish ‘n’ chips joint Pajo’s and indulge cod, salmon or halibut cravings. Sit on one of the many Adirondack chairs and soak in the rays while your fresh-cut fries soak up the malt vinegar. Pajo's on the wharf, Corner of Bayview and Third Ave., 604-272-1588, www.pajos.com

shop
You’ll have a hard time walking away from Nikaido Gifts empty-handed. The unique boutique offers over 20 varieties of signature teas—like its currant, bergamot and caramel blend “Paris” ($7.95)—with strict instructions on how to make a perfect cup inside every packet. To inspire future sojourns, also take home one of Chronicle Books’ City Walks travel decks which hold 50 cards that spotlight a segment of an international city to explore. Nikaido Gifts, 150-3580 Moncton St., Richmond, 604-275-0262.

You can’t put a price on a mother’s love, but you can show her you love her at any price point. Herewith, Vitamin Daily Vancouver's top 5 prezzies (from $25 to a splurge) to make Mom feel posh this Mother’s Day:

Customize a set of Haute Note cards with her name and she’ll feel like a queen while she keeps in touch. Set of 8, $24 at www.hautenote.com

A sculptural sterling silver pendant by Winnipeg’s Hilary Druxman signifies her uniqueness and elegance. $50 at www.hilarydruxman.com

Send her to see smoky songstress (and super mom) Diana Krall perform ballads and bossa nova standards from her new album Quiet Nights at the Orpheum on Thursday, May 14. From $69.50 at www.ticketmaster.ca

Have her smelling as young as she feels with a bottle of Ageless perfume—its notes of pink grapefruit, mango, pomegranate, jasmine and vanilla musk have been clinically-proven to make you smell eight years younger to others (but no matter what your age, the scent is delightful). $98 at The Bay, www.agelessfantasy.com

Give her a dash of timeless Italian style with a lovely, lightweight summer scarf by Faliero Sarti, fine fabric supplier to the likes of Giorgio Armani and Ann Demeulemeester. From $231 at Misch, www.misch.ca

When Father's Day panic sets in (does he really need another man-purse or pair of Paul Smith socks?) Green Shag comes to the rescue.

The Canadian bespoke men's etailer now makes custom cufflinks from your children’s artwork, so Dad can truly wear his heart on his sleeve.

Go through the piles of fun drawings your little Basquiat has created and pick out a favorite (thankfully, abstracts look best) to turn into your next family heirloom. 

How’s that for an early lesson in Dadaism?

$200 for first pair, $80 for second matching pair. Deadline for Father's Day orders is mid-April.

www.greenshag.ca

We’ve outgrown the Easter egg hunt, but getting hopped up on chocolate we’re never too old for. Rather than gorge on sickly sweet creme eggs, we’re treating ourselves to Thomas Haas.

A recent inductee into the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame, the patissier is a master at making whimsical cocoa creations like flower pots, roadsters with caramel wheels and eggs painted with leopard spots.

We suggest throwing your name in the hat to win one of his enormous edible creations (pictured) or for a guaranteed fix, take home a nest of egg truffles filled with blackberry honey-infused milk chocolate, passion fruit-tinged white chocolate and lavender lychee-flavoured dark chocolate ($5.50).

It’s the kind nest egg you don’t sit on.

Thomas Haas, 128-998 Harbourside Dr., North Vancouver, 604-924-1847, www.thomashaas.com

In the unlikely event that your Valentine’s Day doesn’t play out like a steamy scene from The Notebook, we’ve got a back-up plan to bring you love—no significant other required.

In lieu of a kiss: Press your lips to Jonathan Adler’s Love/Hate Mug. Whether you fill it with hot cocoa or something stronger is up to you. $25 at Chachkas, www.chachkas.ca

In lieu of sweet nothings: Hear the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, She & Him and A.C. Newman cover their favourite love songs on the new compilation Sweetheart. $14.95 at Starbucks, www.hearmusic.com

In lieu of long gazes: Watch Eric Rohmer’s Love in the Afternoon. While the Audrey Hepburn-helmed motion picture by the same name is a classic, this 1972 French art house film is a more thought-provoking look at eros. $6.99 at Videomatica, www.videomatica.bc.ca

In lieu of tender embraces: Wrap yourself up in By Guru’s warm, woolen Love Blanket. $165 at Bestow Boutique, www.bestowboutique.com

In lieu of a ring: Put some sparkle on your own hand with Essie’s Love, Beverly Hills nail polish, which is infused with real 24K gold. $19 at Essie, www.essieshop.com