Holiday Gift Ideas – Unwrapping Freebies at the Holiday Issue Gifting Lounge

Although Christmas is still months, it is never too early to think about that perfect present to give to your loved ones. On Friday, September 11, 2015, the PR Department hosted The Holiday Issue Gifting Lounge at The Richmond. Invited guests were given tours of the vendors who displayed their products geared towards their target buyer. After meeting with the vendors, guests received gift bags from each vendor containing some of their products.

The following vendors were present at The Holiday Issue Gifting Lounge: Maille, T-Fal, Pink Princess, Tiny Devotions, Cole + Parker, Hebederma, Jesse Rowes, Create Luv, Tyler Kenney, and Giant Tiger.

Giant Tiger living room

T-Fal Actifry Express

Maille balsamic reduction

Cole + Parker men’s socks

Hebe Serum

For the stylish people in your life, Jesse Rowes showed off her line’s Fall/Winter 2015 collection as well as its Spring/Summer 2016 collection. The dresses in the Fall/Winter set featured a lot of fleece-lined black leather skirts, hand sewn details in the tops, and lace to reflect Vanessa Rose Thomas’ background in Bridal design.

Cole + Parker handed out two pairs of their high-quality men’s socks in the gift bags.

The cosmetics line, Pink Princess, gave the guests bottles of their cruelty-free, carcinogenic free nail polish as a possible gift idea for that environmentally conscious person in your life.

The sustainable social e-commerce website, Create Luv, gave away plant seed coins to their guests. While it may not sound like much, this social enterprise donates 50% of net profits to the charity of the consumer’s choice. The other 50% is re-invested into the website. Presents from Create Luv would best suit the charitable soul who loves hand-crafted items and supports social justice causes.

Maille, the internationally known mustard brand, offered a variety of hors d’oeuvres and delectable treats that all feature their products. Macarons made with Maille’s original and honey mustards were surprisingly delicious and had a really nice balance of flavours. The newly launched balsamic vinegar glaze was a huge hit for its light syrupy consistency and slightly sweet taste. The cocktail punch made with pineapple juice, mango juice, thyme, and Maille’s Provençal mustard however, tasted just as confusing as it sounds.

The upper level of The Richmond was transformed into a cozy and stylish Christmas-themed living room. The Christmas-themed living room was decorated with high-quality home décor accessories from the Canadian discount store, Giant Tiger.
Every item used in that ‘living room’ came from Giant Tiger, including a $30 portable DVD player, and a $250 fireplace, which was the “priciest” item in the room (compared to $499 in other stores!).

Giant Tiger Christmas-themed lounge was a really good reminder that decorating your living space for the holidays doesn’t have to be a drain on your finances. In fact, The Holiday Issue Gift Giving Lounge was successful in that it provided guests with a lot of unique gift giving and home décor ideas for the upcoming holidays that won’t cause you to go into bankruptcy.

Maille Grey Jar

Giant Tiger polar bear cushion

Maiille Malossol

Quilted Moto Boots