DIY Gift Basket for Beating Winter Blues

I wanted to share the idea for this DIY gift basket because this time of year can be kind of glum.  Social media is filled with photos of people who live further south already celebrating the arrival of spring weather, but I’m still buried under mountains of snow.  I look out my office window, I see a massive heap of snow.  I look out the living room window, there’s a massive drift of snow.  When the snow slides off the roof, I’ll be totally encased so I’ll need someone to please bring wine and chocolates.  I’m so tired of the snow!  I actually scrolled through cell phone photos earlier this week, trying to remember when the snow melted last year.  The lake still had ice at end of April and there’s photos of me wearing my parka around that time too.  So the answer to my question, “when will the snow melt?” is a gloomy “not for a loooong time”.  So what better excuse than this never ending winter to give someone a personalized gift basket as a little late winter pick-me-up?

This post is sponsored by Beauty Sense, a Montreal based online provider of professional beauty & cosmetic products.  Beauty Sense reached out to me to review the SkinCeuticals line of advanced products (backed by science).  Once I tried them on my winter ravaged skin, I knew that I wanted encourage others to give the gift of smoother, softer skin to someone else, and the idea for this gift basket was born.  Keep reading to see my ideas for a cute and custom DIY gift basket (along with some tips for keeping it a little eco-friendly), plus my review of the SkinCeuticals products I tried.

Tips for Creating a DIY Gift Basket to Beat Winter Blues:

THE BASKET:

The first thing I did was find the perfect “basket”.  The thrift stores are all FULL of former gift basket baskets.  But I wanted to choose something a little more substantial – with the promise of summer.  I found this cute ice bucket thrifting – it was brand new with its label, but only a few bucks.  I love that the recipient can re-use this for storage or for drinks in the summer.  (Suuummmmer, read it again so you’ll believe it does exist).

THE FILLER:

I don’t like the idea of wasting perfectly good trees, so I reused some wood excelsior (sometimes called wood wool).  Something I ordered awhile back was shipped with this and I had been saving it.  If you have a paper shredder, that can make great eco-friendly fill too – just make sure the contents of the shredder aren’t bills or sensitive documents (I say this because I have done this).

THE CONTENTS:

For my gift basket, I filled it with treats focused on beating the winter blahs.  The super soft DIY sleep mask I made is perfect for lazy winter naps!  A beautiful pottery mug and local tea are always a treat in the cold months.  A pretty candle, which smells like summer in a jar, (in a re-usable ceramic container) is perfect for someone suffering from a case of cabin fever. And of course: SkinCeuticals products, to help soothe winter skin!

Other great ideas: a thin wool blanket or wrap (rolled up and tied with a ribbon), a great novel, some fine chocolates, a batch of homemade cookies, or a spa gift certificate.  Gift baskets are a great way to create a personalized gift with smaller treats and handmade goodies – it’s also a fun way to loop friends and family in on your favorite products.

THE WRAPPING:

The thing that drives me nuts about commercial gift baskets is the plastic!  So much waste!  You can wrap up a gift basket with leftover fabric – I found a cute textured sheer in my stash, but I also had a tulle kicking around that would be perfect too!  I just wrapped it like a stork wraps a baby, lol, and it looks cute and casual without plastic waste.

The Scoop on SkinCeuticals:

So let’s chat about the SkinCeuticals!  I know that as a DIY and decor blogger, you probably think I’m watching HGTV at night but I don’t!  If I’m not watching The Walking Dead or Truck Night in America, I’m watching beauty YouTube tutorials.  I don’t know how I got hooked on them, but they’re so addictive.  I’ve been trying to take care of my skin and apply my makeup more smoothly.  I was carded twice buying lottery tickets in the last few weeks, so I think I’m making progress.  I had heard a lot of beauty gurus rave about SkinCeuticals so I was excited to try some of the products, which are designed to prevent, protect and correct specific skin concerns.  I tried the SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal B3, which is a comprehensive daily corrective moisturizer that improves skin by reducing the appearance of wrinkles, re-tightening surface elasticity, and evening out the skin tone.  It delivers intense hydration – my skin instantly felt smoother after the first use.  I’ve been using it for a week and hopefully by the time spring rolls around, there will be no signs of the endless, blustery -25°C days I subjected my poor skin to.   The other product I tried was the SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal B3, which is a night cream that supports skin’s natural repair by neutralizing free radicals.  Take that, harsh winter air!  My skin already feels more firm and radiant.

Hopefully spring comes soon!  But if someone you know is counting the minutes until the snow melts like I am, treat them to a personalized gift basket stuffed with treats to help make this last stretch of winter a little more bearable.

This post was sponsored by Beauty Sense, but all thoughts, opinions and editorial decisions are my own.  I was not asked or encouraged to provide a positive review.  Thanks for supporting the (Canadian!) brands that support Dans le Lakehouse.