Support Your Local Girl Gang with These Galentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Thanks, Leslie Knope, for a dreaming up an occasion we can all get behind.

Ah, Galentine’s Day: that Parks and Recreation–coined occasion that takes place a day ahead (February 13) of the saccharine Hallmark tradition that is Valentine’s, offering badass women around the world an excuse to celebrate other badass women. Or as Leslie Knope, breakfast enthusiast and deputy director of Pawnee’s parks-and-recreation department, so eloquently describes it: “It’s like Lilith Fair minus the angst. Plus frittatas.”If mosaic portraits of your friends’ faces crafted from the crushed bottles of their fave sodas are a little outside your wheelhouse, we’ve rounded up some gift ideas that should sufficiently convey your affection for all your closest pals—each designed and/or crafted by local women makers.Toast to Beyoncé, Frida Kahlo, Serena Williams and other influential female figures with drinks that are inspired by them—the recipes of which have been concocted by local author and cocktail fanatic Jennifer Croll and prettily packaged in the Kelly Shami–illustrated Free the Tipple ($20). chapters.indigo.caHandcrafted in Chinatown, designer Erin Templeton’s Time for a Change leather pouch ($50) is a carry-everywhere home for loose change, important plastics and your tiniest, most beloved lip balm—you know, the essentials in a KonMarie era. erintempleton.comGift your gals the perfect flush (and shimmery highlight) with Pink Natural Solutions’ multi-use Glow Stick (from $12). Locally crafted in small batches, the multi-use product comes in a range of flattering shades and uses ingredients you can actually recognize and pronounce: coconut oil, shea butter and the like. neighbourhoodqualitygoods.caHelp a pal kick the single-use-plastic habit with ceramicist Meg Hubert’s hand-painted Black Splatter Go-Go-Go ceramic mug ($55). Equipped with a leak-proof silicone lid, the reusable cup comes in a standard 12-ounce size (a Starbucks tall) to fit snugly under espresso machines. meghubert.comBanquet Atelier and Workshop’s greeting cards are simple, but boast just enough colour, quirk and artful flourish to make them stand out from a crowd. We love the studio’s You Are Magic Note Card ($7)—the perfect little something for the women who spark joy in your life. etsy.caHemp-infused wellness line Deew may get its name from the word weed spelled backwards, but don’t expect its Highly Nourishing Crèmes ($38) to get you lifted, shifted, higher than a ceiling. Rather, the moisturizers use the THC–free oil obtained from hemp plants, which contain a whole lot of essential fatty acids for plump, hydrated skin. youdeewyou.comFor the busy bee or health junkie on your Galentine’s list, there’s Blume’s vegan, gluten-free and easy-to-brew latte mixes, which ditch caffeine in favour of superfoods like turmeric and beetroot. Just add a splash of hot water and your choice of milk or “mylk”—a non-dairy alternative—for a sip that’s as tasty as it is energizing. harvestunion.caTreat your friends to a luxe cleanse—after a long day of smashing the patriarchy and all that—with Bare Skin Bar’s single bars ($6.50). Handcrafted in Vancouver from ingredients like rose clay, coconut milk and spirulina, they come in four skin-boosting experiences: calming, detoxing, softening and restorative. gatley.ca