This weekend was my boyfriend’s 32nd birthday and I apparently got the best-gift-ever award! A long time ago he told me he was interested in getting into photography so I went online to look at reviews and settled on the Canon EOS 1000D digital camera. Apparently I made a great choice – he spent all of his fancy b-day dinner fiddling with it!

What ended up selling me on the Canon on top of the overall positive reviews was its live view function (as opposed to many cameras only using the viewfinder), compatibility with a ton of other accessories and lenses, as well as easy access to both automatic and manual settings.

I don’t know how to make the thing work – dear god its way too complicated for me! But, it’s has a ton of great features:

• 10.1 MegaPixels CMOS Sensor
• Self Cleaning Sensor Unit
• 3 Frames per second
• 2.5 inches LCD screen with Live View Function
• EF-S18-55mm Zoom Lens
• 3.0 fps continuous shooting
• Compatibility with both SD and SDHC memory cards

Now all we have to do is buy a book on how to use our new camera!

Are you looking for a unique gift idea for that special someone?  Look no further than our new merchant Boutika. They have a great selection of unusual gift ideas for everyone.

One such gift is the brake disc wall clock shown on the right. What a great idea for that special guy for his ‘Man room’. :-)

Boutika offers flat rate shipping in Canada. Only $9.99 for packages under 10lbs. Find more details here.

They also have a very unique offer going on right now. Just visit their site and they will send you a FREE pair of Button Pearl earrings that are valued at $32.95 (you just pay the shipping).

Take some time to check out all the cool products from our new merchant Think Geek. They have a vast array of totally geeky products for geeks of all ages.

Everything from more bacon products than you could imagine, geeky toys, hilarious geek clothing, cool gadgets, and much more!

I could spend hours looking at all their neat stuff! LOL

Diamonds may be a girls best friend but unfortunately my wallet doesn’t support my passion! That’s why I was very happy to see that Swarovski started listing their products on shoptoit.ca last week.

While browsing their inventory, I saw the coolest thing I have seen in a long time… The D:Light – a crystal-studded bangle bracelet that turns into a watch at the touch of a button!

Although, it’s not one of their less expensive pieces, it’s a statement piece made out of durable stainless steel or elegant gold, with a face composed of 171 shiny crystals that light up when you look at the time. All this and the mechanism is Swiss quartz for lasting quality.

I love it!

Stop by and have a look at the great products from our new merchant Flowers Fast.

They have a great selection of flowers, gift baskets and other great gift ideas for every occasion. One unique option is the plush frosted cupcake box that is pictured here. It is filled with a variety of fun birthday candy. Yum!

A little bling for Valentine’s day is always appreciated.  Whether you are ready to ‘pop the question’ to that special someone, or looking for something less flamboyant to show your love we have ideas for you here.

Are you ready to pop the question and have no idea what to look for in an engagement ring? Here is a link to our guide on how to buy engagement and wedding rings. When you have decided what you are looking for then check out our nice selection of engagement rings here.

Looking for something gorgeous with a lot less stress attached to it?  A beautiful heart-shaped piece of jewellery or ‘heart-themed’ item will fit the bill.

I know we have talked about Valentine’s Day a bunch already, but I am a sucker for fun-facts about anything… so here are some things you may not already know about Valentine’s Day!

Did you know that Venus, the Goddess of Love especially cherished red roses AND that Cupid was her son!?

Roses are not all created equal: red represents deep love, pink shows love and appreciation, orange embodies passion and excitement, lavender represents love at first sight, yellow means friendship and freedom (a definite no-no on Feb 14!!), and white roses represent innocence, purity and new beginnings. Check out our detailed guide on the true significance of flowers to learn more.

During the middles ages, people believed that the first person you met on Valentine’s Day would be your future husband or wife (I don’t know about you, but I would’ve sent a scout ahead of me that’s for sure!!).

Men spend twice as much on Valentine’s Day as women do!

The cost of long-stemmed red roses can be raised up to 30% on February 14th!

Pregnancy tests sales go up in March… wonder why??!

Richard Cadbury designed the first Valentine’s Day box of chocolates in 1868.

Approximately 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent by mail every year (and that’s not counting the cards exchanged by school kids)… Can you imagine the trees we would save if we sent them electronically instead!?

During the 19th century, doctors would prescribe chocolate for patients who had a broken heart… I guess the mentality hasn’t changed much except for the fact that we self-diagnose now!

In Taiwan, a single rose means the same as it does here, but 108 roses means ‘Will you marry me’… I wonder if they are still expected to splurge on the engagement ring after all these flowers!

Men prefer to receive their Valentine’s Day gifts first thing in the morning, while women prefer to receive gifts after a romantic dinner… If compromise is what a relationship is all about, does that mean we should make lunch dates from now on?

There you have it! I hope you enjoyed those and don’t forget to check out our Valentine’s Day gift guides and suggestions if you need help finding a great gift idea for your sweetheart on Sunday.

Lingerie is always a great gift for Valentine’s Day, but it can be quite a challenge to find the right item for that special person. We have put together a great resource on how to buy lingerie if you have any concerns about shopping for that special someone.

Check out this gallery of our favourite sexy lingerie choices for more ideas. Don’t forget about the men either. Most men would be happy to model anything sexy that their partner gets for them. Here is where you can find men’s underwear on shoptoit.ca. We also have a great selection of pajamas and robes for that special guy.

What do you think? Is lingerie a great Valentine’s choice for either sex, or is it too risky?

This week we are featuring five days of great gift ideas for Valentine’s Day. Budget is on a lot of people’s minds again this year. One great idea for your significant other is to treat them to a romantic home, cooked meal. I know I thoroughly enjoy every time my hubby cooks a special meal for me.

If you are technically-challenged in the kitchen then a fondue is the right meal for you! If you can cut up food and melt cheese and/or chocolate then you are good to go! This also makes a romantic meal as you can feed each other tidbits of food. Here is a link to some great fondue pots and another to fondue recipe books, so you can find the perfect pot and recipe for your special night.

Don’t forget a nice bottle of wine to go with your meal. Here is a link to some great wine-related products to help add to the atmosphere.

We also have put together more great idea for a romantic evening here, and don’t forget to check out our Valentine’s Gift Advisor for more great ideas.

I moved to Dubai a few months ago, and as you probably are aware, it is a pork-free country. Even though I love bacon, I wouldn’t go as far as saying I miss it, and I might even argue that I my waistline is better off without it (….that and poutine!).

Well! Imagine my surprise when I stumbled onto an article today that states 43% of Canadians would actually choose bacon over sex!!

Puh-lease!

What’s worse? 23% of people who participated in the survey in the Prairies admitted to wondering whether their partner loves bacon more than them! Seriously people – do you think we have a problem in our Canadian bedrooms?

On the plus side, the same news release announced the launch of Maple Leaf’s new re-sealable, 100% recyclable bacon packaging. Now, that is good news! Or is it? Will making it easier and more convenient to prepare bacon further affect our already suffering sex lives? Hmmm….something to ponder!

With Valentine’s Day coming up in a little over a week, we thankfully have something other than our stomachs to focus on! Perhaps you’ll take the opportunity to share a delicious bacon-free dinner, and finish things off with some well-deserved time in the bedroom!

PS – if you are looking for sexy lingerie or fun toys to further spice up your sexy-time, take a peak at our great Valentine’s gift suggestions and buying advice.