We are big fans of local, shopping and buying local where we can. There are so many great opportunities to support local with gift giving, we thought we’d highlight some great finds under $50 to help you with your Christmas shopping.
Walnut Boards $20 & $30
The fol
ks at The Wood Shop have created these beautiful wooden boards made from reclaimed black walnut. Perfect for serving appetizers or charcuterie. Add a unique cheese, a small jam, some nuts, you are set. Small board is $20 and large is $30. To order yours, visit them online at The Wood Shop.
Starters, Salads & Sexy Sides $24.95
Caren McSherry, owner and chef of Gourmet Warehouse, recently published a cookbook Starters, Salads & Sexy Sides. This is a collection of over 80 creative recipes for the foodie in your life. Book retails for $24.95 and is available at Gourmet Warehouse in store or online.
Nip In The Butt – $10
This is for
the cat lovers, or those looking for a fun gift for the cat lover. 2 Fork Designs has created this fun whimsical design called Nip In The Butt. This cool catnip cat toy is made with 4 layers of felt and comes in a host of different colours all for $10. To purchase your Nip In The Butt, check out their Etsy Shop. Pssst 2 Fork Designs is offering our readers a 20% discount use code 1217EASTVAN20 to get your discount.
Sriracha Revolver Gift Pack – $24
Know someone that loves sauces? We recommend this Gift 
Pack by local East Van business, Sriracha Revolver. It includes their 3 sauces for $24.00 – Beets + Tequila, Cilantro + Lime Sriracha and Clean Mango Sriracha. The Gift Pack is currently only available at the Blitzen Pop Up Shop at 623 Kingsway which is open Wednesday to Saturday 12:00 to 8:00 pm. You can also order their sauces individually online, or visit their website to see where you can purchase them.
Silver Wrapped Pearl Earrings – $45
Know a special woman that deserves something unique and pretty? We are sure you do and we bet she might like these freshwater pearls wrapped with pure Argentium sterling silver wire. They give the impression of small rose buds in bloom. They are made by local jewellery designers, Cord & Stone and are available online, but you can also find some of their pieces at Second Nature Home on Commercial Street and Scout & Co. in Steveston. To see all their designs, visit them at Crafty Affaire at The Croatian Cultural Centre December 16th.
Carrall Credit & Debit Card Wallet – $30
For the guy that doesn’t like to carry a wallet, but just a few cards. These woode
n credit/debit card holders designed by Jeremy Lee of Konisa Studios hold up to 6 cards. As you might imagine, the wood does keep the cards from bending or breaking. This is cool gift that will last and at $30 we think a steal. You can find the Carrall Credit/Debit Wallet in person at Kyubu Market located in the Maker Labs or online at Konisa Studios.
Em’Say Lil Squares Planters – $20/$25
We are q
uite in love with the concrete planters created by Nadia M’Seffar of Em’Say. Nadia has created a number of different planters in various shapes and sizes, but we quite like the Lil Squares Planters which range from $20 to $25, whether you have 1, 2 or 3 side by side with a living plant, they look darn cool and make a great gift this Christmas. To purchase, visit her store online or stop by the Eastside Flea this weekend for the Holiday Market Saturday and Sunday. Outside of that, you can purchase them at Octopus Studios by appointment.
Macaron 6 Piece Gift Box – Le Gateau Bake Shop – $
15
Who does not love to receive macarons? They are delish and usually gluten free. They make a great hostess gift, stocking stuffer, or maybe that Secret Santa gift at the office. You can’t go wrong with this 6 piece set in a beautiful gift box from Le Gateau Bake Shop located on 3458 East Hasting Street (at Cassiar). Pop by in person, or place your order in advance.
East Van Mule Kit – Odd Society Spirits-$60
OK we know this isn’t under $50, but just over but we think it makes a great gift so felt 
compelled to include. Check out this East Van Mule Kit by the good folks at Odd Society Spirits which comes with a Moscow Mule Cup, Rootside Provisions Ginger Beer Mix, a bottle of their East Van Vodka and a few fresh limes. To order your East Van Mule Kit, contact Odd Society Spirits or drop by the distillery.
We hope you will consider shopping local and supporting all the amazing small businesses in our community.
Contributing writer, Tiva Quinn, steps outside of East Van to review an important production that just completed a short run at Performance Works on Granville Island. Although it’s completed, we wish to feature it as it provides valuable information and insight for survivors of sexual abuse.
n the space next to 
Lots happening in East Van this next week. Our weekly feature What’s On East Van sets out cool events for the upcoming week. Beyond the week, we invite you to check out our 
In case you hadn’t heard, Srircha is hot, literally and figuratively. If you aren’t familiar with Sriracha, it is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It varies in consistency, ingredients and hotness. We recently met Jordan Hocking, owner of the new 
Contributing writer, Nicole Alivojvodic recently checked out the premiere of the new web series The Dangers of Online Dating. No matter where you live, East Side or West Side, this applies to us all and this show is funny! Here’s what Nicole has to say about this new series:
Oh Man! is coming to Havana Theatre this Friday and Saturday. Jo Dworschak, creator and producer of Story Story Lie, has put together a multimedia monologue about a mom trying to overcome her fear of men before having one. With some assistance from TJ Dawe, a respected playwright, actor and director, Jo Dworschak has put together this autobiographical production which features some problematic relationships with men in her family life, to learn she’s pregnant and having a boy. The production won Best Solo Show at the Montana Fringe Festival and this week’s show will be the first showing in Vancouver and possibly the last. Jo bills this show as “humorous, heart warming and the perfect night out for the parent”. You can catch her show Friday, December 8th and Saturday, December 9th at Havana Theatre. Tickets are $10 and available through 
ILiveInEastVan.com 
