Fitting Christmas gift ideas for the strangest of years

If someone had told me last year that I’d be recommending ‘mask facials’ and escape room adventures that you play at home as gifts, I might have questioned their sanity. But 2020 has thrown us for a loop, and these strange times call for some more creative gift ideas.
Here are my suggestions:

Escape Mail

As soon as we opened the envelope, our family was hooked on this escape room/mystery puzzle. One minute we were holding our heads in our hands, perplexed and bewildered, and the next our arms were raised above our heads in the universal sign of victory. At the end, there were high-fives all around, as we solved the mystery.

The Calgary-based company started Mobile Escape when their escape room business that catered to schools vanished due to COVID-19. Determined not to give up their dream, they created these fun and clever mysteries available to anyone reachable by snail mail.

Stress-reducing Lotions and Potions

A wise gift, frankincense is believed to have sedative and comforting properties that support the body’s immune and respiratory systems. This time-honoured fragrance is an ingredient in several of Neal’s Yard Remedies best-selling products. This English company specializes in natural products that bring apothecary expertise ethically to customers.

Two products especially fitting for 2020 are: Unwind Foaming Bath Collection with blends of essential oil that will encourage your loved one to indulge in a relaxing soak more often, and Night Time Aromatherapy Duo which promotes tranquility. (Hint: put a drop in your mask for a calming effect.) The duo comes beautifully packaged with a ribbon, perfect for hanging on the tree.

Chocolate Postcards

Speaking of snail mail, remember when we used to get letters and postcards?  So imagine the delight in receiving a chocolate postcard in the mail. Alicja Confections, based in Ottawa, created a handmade chocolate bar you can send in letter mail, using one $1.94 stamp in Canada. The funky design of the package, on which you can add a personal message, as well as the unique varieties of the 26 flavours are sure to please most people on your list.

Try Party in My Mouth (white chocolate with popping candy and sprinkles) or the Nicholas (milk chocolate with potato chips) for the young and adventurous or Ember Island (chili dark chocolate) or Espresso (coffee dark chocolate) for the more discerning chocolate lover.

‘Maskerade’ Facials

Ritz-Carlton, Toronto has just introduced a new facial called Maskerade, focussing on the areas of the face exposed when wearing a mask, which remains on during the treatment.  Indulge in 60 minutes of exfoliation, moisturizing, anti-aging therapy and massage for your eye area and forehead along with a blissful scalp and shoulder massage. Beauty Sleep is another wellness treatment that would be much appreciated under the tree in 2020, as it was especially designed to reduce stress, promote relaxation and help you to sleep better and longer. Ritz-Carlton gift certificates, which can be used for all services in the hotel, never expire.

One-of-a Kind Goodies

Since 1975, the One Of A Kind Show has been a holiday event to look forward to with its hand-crafted gifts that range from tasty treats and stocking stuffers to major artwork, furniture and clothing. This year, they’re online from October 22 to December 22, with 700 + Canadian makers, so it’s easy to support small businesses and find original gifts.

When we searched face masks, we found 416 products from beautifully designed Japanese fabric masks to more humorous face coverings that depict characters from popular sit-coms like “Golden Girls” and “The Office”.

Bet you never imagined this in 2019.