The pressures of the holidays are simultaneously well documented and often glossed over — the combination of awkward office parties, guilt-inducing family obligations and shrinking bank accounts, not to mention the effects of increasingly short, increasingly dark days — can drag even the most spirited among us into a serious state of winter blues. And yet, we persist in pretending this is the hap-happiest time of the year. If you’ve noticed that most of the folks on your shopping list have turned into snarling beasts and zonked-out zombies, consider picking out something that might help pick them up. Add a hot drink, a fireplace and an upbeat soundtrack that in no way resembles Christmas carols (how about some classic calypso or mariachi music?), and the prescription is complete.
JUST ADD HOT WATER
Every woman I know loves getting a gift certificate to Body Blitz: Health By Water Spa. There’s nothing like alternating between the hot green tea and salt water pools, the infrared sauna and the eucalyptus steam bath to kill a chill — in my experience, an afternoon playing hooky in the heat can leave a lady with a lift that lasts for weeks. The full-body treatments are pure luxury, but even a two-hour pass to the therapeutic waters ($48) will do wonders for improving the foulest mood. You can even throw in a few extra bucks for a poolside Ayurvedic tea or antioxidant-rich juice. 471 Adelaide W. 416-364-0400. www.bodyblitzspa.com.
FOR THE GENTLEMEN
And because boys need to relax, too, Shizen Spa has a whole menu of services specifically designed for guys who might otherwise be intimidated to go to a spa. For the very stressed, it’s hard to go wrong with a hot stone ($130 for 60 minutes) or Ayurvedic ($155 for 75 minutes) massage. The five-star-rated spa is offering a seasonal “Spa”rkle Holiday Package that is the
ultimate in high decadence if you’re feeling flush — it starts with a 30-minute orange essence body scrub followed by a full-hour aromatic cinnamon Swedish massage followed by a good schvitz in the eucalyptus steam room and a vanilla tea break ($180). This sounds like the kind of thing you should buy for someone you enjoy having sex with since the guy will emerge smelling like a delicious holiday cookie. Plus, orange, cinnamon and vanilla are all uplifting, energizing scents that help people feel happier. Just saying. Cosmopolitan Hotel, 8 Colborne. 800-958-3488. www.shizen.ca.
HELP HER WORK IT OUT
I have a friend who had to cancel her fancy gym membership when her finances got too tight and she got progressively edgier and angrier as a result of the sudden drop in regular endorphin rushes. Finally she invested in some inexpensive equipment and DVDs and she’s been much easier to be around ever since. There are loads of gift options for someone who loves to work out and is bored with their routine — or hates to leave the house for it when it’s too icy to bike or jog comfortably — from inflatable exercise balls to coffee table–worthy books filled with glossy yoga-porn pictorials. I like the Stott Pilates Express Series DVDs (US$9.95-$14.95) — short, beginner-friendly programs that focus on form and breath. www.stottpilates.com.
GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT
On the Wilco album Summerteeth, Jeff Tweedy advises the forlorn to “smile all the time” in the song “How to Fight Loneliness,” and even though he’s delivering that smile with his tongue in his cheek, it’s actually proven that sometimes surface gestures help make us feel better. Fake it till you make it and so on. The sheer volume of whitening products available at the drugstore speaks to the fact that people are keen to achieve gleaming teeth, but so many of the whiteners on the market require a long commitment that, frankly, not everyone is up for making. Luster Weekend Tooth Whitening System ($29.99 at Shopper’s Drug Mart, various locations, www.shoppersdrugmart.ca) offers results in three days. Stuff this in a stocking along with a stack of screwball comedies. www.lusterpremiumwhitening.com.