K9 Sportsack

For the dog owner in your life, we cannot recommend this brand enough! We have two K9 Sportsack carriers and are currently eyeing their travel pop-up tent. They make so many amazing pet products that have become absolute staples in our life and we are huge fans. Our dog Theo loves his carriers and we use them all the time on hikes, bike rides, and even regular walks when he gets tuckered out. They have been such a huge help for when we’re travelling with him, and he’s always so happy when we use it! The brand has tons of information about which carrier is right for what kind of dog, as well as all the details you need around sizing. We have a code if you’d like to get a discount on your purchase, just use ‘LEZSEETHEWORLD’ for 10% off!

S’well Bottle

One of our all-time favourite purchases are our S’well Bottles. We each have several bottles in different sizes, and we’ve bought many more for our loved ones. They are truly the best insulated and reusable bottles out there! We recommend the small 9oz size bottle for travel, and the 17oz medium size bottle for every day use. Steph also loves using the 12oz traveler style as a coffee thermos! The bottles can keep beverages cold for up to 48 hours, or hot for up to 24 hours. These are a perfect gift for literally anyone on your list!

My Kitsch 

I’ve been very into hair health this past year while learning to love my natural waves, and My Kitsch is one of the best hair accessory brands I’ve come across! One thing that is so important (especially for textured hair) is to opt for soft materials that won’t cause damage and frizz. I ditched my hair elastics and replaced them with satin scrunchies and I’ve already noticed way less breakage. For other wavies and curlies, how you sleep is also very important! Sleeping with a satin pillowcase or sleep cap will help extend your style and your hair will be far less frizzy in the mornings. I also have a satin eye mask, which I love and bring everywhere with me. We have a code if you want a discount on your purchase, use ‘LEZSEETHEWORLD’ for 15% off if buying directly through the Kitsch website!

Herschel

One of our fave brands (and a Vancouver company!) is Herschel. They do amazing bags and we each have several sizes and styles! Their hip packs are a great purse alternative, Steph uses hers every day and they’re perfect for travel. We also love their backpacks and duffel bags, and they have so many different styles and prints to choose from. We both have their passport holders and card wallets as well, great gift ideas for when we can all travel again!

Biird

If you read our recent post about our current favourite sex toys, you would have seen us raving about our Obii from Biird! It’s a perfect option for a first time toy, and is great for use either solo or with a partner. Its unique and versatile design is what really sets it apart for us, and we truly cannot recommend it enough. A fun gift idea for your significant other or for yourself! We have a code if you want to get a discount on your order, just use ‘LEZSEETHEWORLD10’ for 10% off!

Air Fryer

If you follow us on Instagram you’ve probably seen that we are quite often raving about our air fryer. Our best purchase of 2020 which has made staying at home much easier, we use our air fryer ALL the time. Especially great for plant-based foodies and vegans, there is so much great stuff you can do with it. We seriously air fry everything! It’s definitely worth the investment in our opinion, and won’t be a kitchen appliance that will sit in the closet collecting dust. Whoever you buy this for will never stop thanking you! 

Tripod

For the photographer in your life, this tripod is the ultimate gift. We’ve gone through many tripods and this one is the perfect combination in our opinion because it folds up small into the perfect travel size, but is still sturdy and well made! We bring it on every trip with us and use it every single time we take photos. We’ve recommended it to so many friends and everyone who gets it tells us how much they love it. Every photo lover and camera geek needs a great tripod! 

We hope you find this list helpful! Wishing all of you the very best for the holiday season.

Do you have any great holiday gift ideas? Leave them in the comments below!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links in this blog post may be affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you, we could make a small commission through your purchase. We only recommend products and services that we truly believe in, and the income generated goes toward creating more content on this website for you to enjoy for free.

The post A Few of Our Favourite Things – Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Lez See the World.

The Vancouver Christmas Market

This German style Christmas Market is a must! It has more than 80 amazing vendors with artisan crafts, locally made products, food stands, festive drinks, and so much more. There is plenty of traditional German fare as well as great vegan food options (our favourite!), and of course plenty of mulled wine. There’s also beautiful light displays, plenty of great photo ops, and awesome live entertainment. It’s a really fun activity to do during the daytime or in the evening, and we always go a couple of times each season!

Vancouver Christmas Market
Where: Jack Poole Plaza in Downtown Vancouver
When: November 20 to December 24
Price: $13 online for adults (includes a seasons pass)

Bright Nights in Stanley Park

Stanley Park is a really fun place to visit during the holidays! Bright Nights decorates the park with incredible light displays, and there are food and drink vendors as well as Santa’s Village. You can also get a ticket for the miniature Christmas Train (highly recommend), which takes you around the park for a closer look at the three million lights they put up! The whole event is truly magical, and we always make sure to visit each year.

Bright Nights in Stanley Park
Where: Pipeline Road in Stanley Park
When: November 28 to January 1
Price: Admission by donation (Christmas Train tickets $13 online)

Ice Skating at Robson Square

This has to be one of our favourite holiday activities! It always feels very romantic to go ice skating in December, and Robson Square is the perfect spot to do it. The Robson Square rink is right in the middle of downtown Vancouver, and is always very festive for the holidays. There are skate rentals if you need them, and a beautiful Christmas tree in the square which makes for a great photo opportunity! If you love ice skating, make sure you add this one to your list.

Robson Square Ice Rink
Where: Robson Square Ice Rink (Robson St between Hornby & Howe)
When: November 30 to February 29
Price: Free admission (skate rental $5 cash only)

VanDusen Festival of Lights

The light display at the VanDusen Botanical Garden is truly amazing! It’s a beautiful place to take photos, or just walk around and enjoy. There are holiday lights all over the grounds and around the ponds, as well as scheduled dancing light shows each half hour. There is also a carousel, fireside lounge, and Santa’s village. It’s a beautiful event and definitely worth the visit this time of year!

VanDusen Festival of Lights
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
When: November 30 to January 5
Price: $19-$22 online depending on dates

Christmas at Canada Place

Canada Place sits on the beautiful Burrard Inlet Waterfront, and has a ton of things going on around the holidays! We love checking out the classic Christmas window displays that have been preserved from the Woodward’s Department Store, as well as the avenue of Christmas trees. We always visit in the evening to see the beautiful night time views of the water. Canada Place is also home to FlyOver Canada, a flight simulation ride that does a Christmas edition each year! We highly recommend checking out Canada Place around the holidays, and it’s a only a few minutes walk from the Vancouver Christmas Market if that’s on your list.

Christmas at Canada Place and FlyOver Canada
Where: Canada Place in Downtown Vancouver
When: December 6 to January 1 (FlyOver Canada November 21 to January 5)
Price: Free admission (FlyOver Canada $26-$32 online depending on dates)

Aurora Winter Festival

Aurora is Canada’s largest winter festival, and this is it’s second season in Vancouver! It has amusement park rides, a frozen river for skating, incredible light displays, live performers and entertainment, and tons of food and market vendors. The festival is huge and there is so much to do! Our favourites are the vegan food truck, the character performers, and the gorgeous light displays. If you’re looking for a big winter festival jam packed with activities, don’t miss this one!

Aurora Winter Festival
Where: Hastings Park/PNE
When: November 22 – January 5
Price: $18-$20 online for adults (amusement park rides are extra)

Canyon Lights at Capilano

The Canyon Lights Festival is one of the more expensive holiday attractions, but Capilano Park in North Vancouver is truly amazing to visit. The park is incredible at any time of year, but the holiday festival is extra special! The rainforest and canyon look absolutely beautiful filled with festive lights, and the suspension bridges are magical. There is additional festival entertainment including a holiday band, and the canyon views are incomparable. Capilano Park is about 20 minutes outside of Vancouver, but there is a free shuttle that leaves from various spots downtown.

Canyon Lights at Capilano
Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
When: November 22 – January 26
Price: $54 online for adults

Glow

Glow is an amazing indoor holiday festival that we love to visit every year! Our favourite part is that we can stay cozy and warm inside while we enjoy all of the festivities. Glow has really beautiful light gardens and tons of great spots to take photos. There is also a Christmas Market, live entertainment, a licensed bar, interactive displays, and a miniature train. This event is also very family friendly, so don’t be afraid to bring young kids!

Glow
Where: Harbour Convention Centre
When: November 21 to January 5
Price: $20-$23 online for adults

Lights at Lafarge

Lafarge Lake is located outside of Vancouver, but it has the best free holiday light display! Hundreds of thousands of lights decorate the park and walkway around the lake, and we especially love this activity because it’s dog friendly! It’s a beautiful spot to take photos, and it can be much quieter than the holiday events in the city. It’s a really beautiful walk around the lake with lots to see, and they even have certain dates with special activities. The lake is accessible by transit from the city, and in our opinion it’s definitely worth the trek!

Lights at Lafarge
Where: Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam
When: November 30 to January 19
Price: Free admission

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum

This is the most unique event on the list, as it takes place in a living museum of a 1920’s village about 25 minutes outside of Vancouver. Heritage Christmas includes holiday light displays throughout the village, a carousel, live entertainers, amazing vintage museum displays, and Father Christmas. This is one we really love to do because it’s so different from the other holiday events in December! The museum is accessible by transit from Vancouver, and is the perfect activity this time of year.

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum
Where: Burnaby Village Museum
When: November 23 to January 3
Price: Free admission (carousel $2.65)

Do you have a favourite holiday activity in Vancouver that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments! We can’t wait to hear which festive activities you love to do this time of year.

The post Top 10 Holiday Activities In and Around Vancouver, BC in 2019 appeared first on Lez See the World.