A Taste For Chocolate’s Large Dark/Milk Chocolate Tasting Box

What a fun thing to do with friends. Invite them over, as I did, and have a chocolate tasting night with A Taste For Chocolate’s Large Dark/Milk Chocolate Tasting Box. It comes with 2 fine milk 2 fine milk chocolate bars (Domori Lattesal & Bonnat Java Lait) and 3 fine dark chocolate bars (from Amedei, Michel Cluizel and Valrhona) along with a chocolate tasting guide and tasting notes.

It says the box is big enough for 10 people, but if you have chocoholics in the group, you should reduce that number quite a bit!

It was fun to experience the chocolates alongside one another to really pick up on the subtleties and differences, especially between the milk chocolates and the dark. And to have everyone give their opinion – two of us tasted the same thing in a couple of the bars!

And we tried the chocolates first and then read the comprehensive notes afterwards, so sometimes we had guessed ingredients such as coffee, almonds or citrus, or were surprised to lean about how it was made.

The chocolates were very different in every aspect – taste, look and mouthfeel – so there’s sure to be something for everyone at your own tasting!

I’m thinking this would be a fun way to spend New Year’s or Valentine’s Day with friends, but a nice quiet night in December works too!

For the Makeup Lover

Auraline Makeup Brushes

Every cosmetic lover is always on the hunt for the latest product that will make them glisten and shine, but every girl needs a good brush set. One that is made for travelling, whether to school or work, in your purse, briefcase or luggage.

Auraline’s 7pc Black Folder Brush Set has 2 sides. One side has a side pocket complete with zipper to store your blush, eyeliner or whatever essentials you need to have nearby. On the other, there is a brush for every need - powder/blush, eye primer/concealer, shadow, precision crease, liner/brow, lip brush and lash/brow groomer.

What a nice present this is. Because she’ll use it everyday and think of you.

Those are the best kinds of presents, I think.

The Luxe Lover

La Prairie

Undoubtedly one of the most world’s most luxurious skincare lines, La Prairie not only is packaged beautifully, but immediately rejuvenates and moisturizes your skin!

I know, because I had the chance to try the Caviar Collection:

I tried the Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Lift Cream, Skin Caviar Luxe Cream and Skin Caviar Luxe Body Cream and loved the whole line – how could you not? They lift, firm and nourish your skin – and in my case, my eye area, face and whole body!

La Prairie’s creams have something called Cellular Complex that really goes to work and leaves your skin feeling incredibly hydrated (I looove that feeling) and supple. I felt my skin had greater radiance, more of a glow than before.

Now these creams are expensive, it’s true. But they are nothing compared to what I consider a truly luxe item – the La Prairie Jeweled Skin Caviar Luxe Cream. It is their signature cream – Skin Caviar Luxe Cream – with a Limited Edition Swarovski covered jar and cap. Each jar has 2,400 handset Swarovski crystals and takes up to 48 hours of labour to produce!!

So perhaps this holiday will be the one to splurge on yourself. And just think – when everyone’s looking drawn and drab in January and February, you’ll be looking like a million bucks.

It won’t cost you that much. That’s something, isn’t it?!

The Avid Cook

I love enamel kitchenware because it has both an old and new look and feel to it and it is incredibly durable and long-lasting. Also, because my Mom has collected enamel kitchenware over the years, having it around reminds me of her.

So when I came across the Typhoon Vintage Kitchen line, which gives a nod to the kitchenware of the 30s, 40s and 50s, I knew I’d have to make it a part of my kitchen!

Typhoon offers four fantastic colours in which to compliment your kitchen – vanilla Cream, baby Blue, rich berry Red and soft Pink (Typhoon will be donating 10% of all of their Vintage Pink collection us web and phone sales to the National Breast Cancer Foundation) and offer everything from bread boxes to storage canisters, not only in the nostalgic colours, but shapes!

I got two Pasta Canisters – one in baby Blue and one in buick Red! So much fun! They have cream interiors, an airtight seal to keep your pasta fresh and a ridged bottom half that gives the full on feel of a retro kitchen! Such a fun way to store your noodles and they hold an ample size so you can feel free to stock up! So great!

The baby Blue Colander is so beautiful, I just want to set it out on the counter so I can look at it all the time.

The icy blue ridged in silver and cut out snowflake designs makes the ultimate holiday present! I love the high base and it is both wide and deep, which means your contents won’t be spilling out into the kitchen sink like your last colander! It is dishwasher and incredibly strong, so don’t be afraid to use it!

The Cake Tin in baby Blue is just such a beautiful ode to the past that you might want to use it for more than just cakes! It also has an airtight seal and is just massive - 5.5"H x 9.5"D – so you can make or buy a large cake and be sure that it will fit! I think it is great for transporting your cake to another location as it comes complete with a sturdy top handle.

Vintage Pink Small Canisters (Set of 3) is a fantastic gift for either the holidays, housewarming or as a thoughtful hostess present. They come complete in a box with a front cutout so you can see all 3 canisters – tea, coffee and sugar (how retro!), and they have the same tough interior and exteriors and the airtight seals to keep everything fresh!

The Typhoon Vintage Kitchen line is made from enameled steel, so you know you’re getting a good quality product and the items are incredibly easy to clean and care for. Usually they just need a quick wipe to keep the enamel fresh and clean!

So check out the whole line at Typhoon and pick out something for yourself while you’re there! You’ll be so pleased you did.

I know I am.