9 Tricks, Tips & Ideas We Loved This Month: November 2024

Sparkle & Shine

With holiday celebrations and family gatherings on the horizon, it’s time to stock up the fridge with crowd-pleasing sips. Whether you’re planning a booze-free soiree, looking for the perfect beverage to top off a signature cocktail or simply want to offer your guests water with a festive sparkling, naturally flavoured twist, Canadian carbonated spring water brand Montellier has you covered. Montellier is a family-owned business that’s making waves across Canada. The quality of the water—sourced from a pure spring in Quebec—has even been recognized by Monde Selection, a Brussels-based international quality institute. We can’t wait to say cheers with the fine bubbles this local pure sparkling water offers. You’ll be serving this refreshing accompaniment at family gatherings and friendly get-togethers during the holiday season and beyond.

Montellier CARBONATED WATER, $14

Hear me roar

Take a walk on the wild side with leopard print—a timeless pattern that's all over the runways this season.

Our Top 14 Leopard Print Picks

Start Blooming

From coast to coast, Canada is full of inspirational makers and doers. This collection of 50 interviews with fascinating women and non-binary people from every province and territory is a testament to that. Entertaining and motivating, we’re introduced to an artist from Yukon, a fashion designer from Manitoba, a Prince Edward Island-based journalist and dozens of other entrepreneurs and creatives that inspire us to follow our own unique path with confidence and courage.

BLOOM ACROSS CANADA: 50 INSPIRING CONVERSATIONS (Heritage House) by Beka Shane Denter, $43

Get The Scoop

As an abundant protein in the human body, collagen is a building block for our skin, muscles, connective tissues and more. While it’s produced naturally in the body, over time we start to lose the collagen that keeps joints healthy, skin plump and nails strong. If you’ve been considering adding supplements to your routine, a quick-dissolving powder can seamlessly fit into your coffee break or afternoon snack. Add two scoops of this tasteless supplement to a smoothie, yogurt, soup or latte daily to get the benefits of grass-fed bovine collagen peptides. It’s as easy as that!

Great Lakes Wellness Grass-Fed Bovine COLLAGEN PEPTIDES, $36

Festive Fragrance

Just as lovely to behold as it is to smell, this reed diffuser and scented candle duo instantly elevates your space with fresh fragrance. Housed in sleek glass containers emblazoned with a luxe gold motif, this set shines on your countertop or shelf like artwork. Crisp notes of birchwood, white pine and fir balsam combine with rich musk and amber to create a festive atmosphere perfect for sharing a feast with family, clinking drinks with pals and cozying up by the fire.

Nest New York Birchwood Pine SCENTED CANDLE & REED DIFFUSER SET, $124

Save/Splurge: Liquid blush

Get a fresh-faced flush, whatever your budget.

Save: Give your cheeks a pop of colour using this buildable blush with a dewy finish.

ELF COSMETICS Camo Liquid Blush in Pinky Promise, $9

Splurge: This silky formula delivers a wash of colour and eight hours of skin-pampering hydration.

NARS COSMETICS Afterglow Liquid Blush in Secret Lover, $40

Happy Feet

For a pair of boots that can take us from the cool, wet days of fall to the freezing, slushy days of winter, we’re loving the Tundra collection from footwear company Kamik. Founded more than 125 years ago in Montreal, Kamik knows how to brave Canadian weather. These light- weight rubber boots come in a trio of wearable neutral hues and include a removable thermal guard liner that keeps your tootsies toasty when temperatures drop. Adjustable around the calf to keep rain and snow out, these cute boots will be your go-to all autumn and winter long.

KAMIK Tundra Boots in Fossil, Khaki, Black, $100 each

Put A Pin In It

When your bobby pins aren't taming pesky flyaways or securing an intricate updo, they can be called on for these simple yet super useful style hacks:
 

SNAG IN YOUR FAVOURITE
KNIT SWEATER? Hook the snagged yarn onto your pin, thread it back through the fabric and pull. Optional: tie the yarn into a small knot to keep it in place.

KEEP THE END OF YOUR BELT FROM SWINGING by securing the tail to the rest of the belt with a couple of bobby pins.

TO TEMPORARILY FIX A BROKEN ZIPPER TAB, insert a bobby pin through the slider. This makeshift tab ensures you can zip and unzip your jackets, pants and purses without catching your fingers.

FASTEN YOUR BRACELET SOLO by threading a pin through the eye at one end. Hold the pin
to keep the tail from sliding away while you wrap the bracelet around your wrist and secure the clasp with your other hand.

Purple With A Purpose

We all know and love the ultimate movie night concession: a big tub of buttery yellow popcorn. This classic snack gets an upgrade with Purplesful, a Toronto-based purple grain popcorn company. Unlike their yellow counterparts, purple kernels pop without leaving behind those sharp hulls that poke your gums and get stuck in your teeth. Plus, they boast a creamier and silkier flavour profile while offering a rich concentration of antioxidants. If that’s not enough, an impressive 25 percent of profits from this snack go to local children’s charities. Satisfy your salty craving while supporting children in need by picking up the company’s newest tasty flavour, the spicy, cheesy Jalapeño Cheddar.

Purplesful Jalapeño Cheddar POPCORN, $5

Purple With A Purpose

We all know and love the ultimate movie night concession: a big tub of buttery yellow popcorn. This classic snack gets an upgrade with Purplesful, a Toronto-based purple grain popcorn company. Unlike their yellow counterparts, purple kernels pop without leaving behind those sharp hulls that poke your gums and get stuck in your teeth. Plus, they boast a creamier and silkier flavour profile while offering a rich concentration of antioxidants. If that’s not enough, an impressive 25 percent of profits from this snack go to local children’s charities. Satisfy your salty craving while supporting children in need by picking up the company’s newest tasty flavour, the spicy, cheesy Jalapeño Cheddar.