13 last-minute gifts for your cottage host that you can find at the drugstore

There’s a time and place for reading this year’s CanLit hit, but the dock probably isn’t it. Pick up something pulp-y and fun (think The DaVinci Code) and maybe a bonus biography you can fly through in a day or two, then leave ‘em behind when you head home. Unless you’re a library, you don’t lend books, so this is the perfect leave-behind gift that can be enjoyed again and again. Photo by John Neff/Shutterstock

A book or two

It sucks, but it might rain. Your drugstore might not have board games (if it does — that’s great!), but it probably has a deck of cards tucked away somewhere. Snag a pack just in case, and then check out our list of games you should try out should the skies open up. Photo by stockfour/Shutterstock

Playing cards

If you’ve left Netflix behind, then it’s time to go back to 2002 and grab a few bargain bin blockbusters on the cheap. Like with books, these are great leave-behind gifts, and like cards, they’re perfect for rainy days and late nights. Plus, who doesn’t love movie nights? Photo by Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

Discount movies

When it comes to the sun, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Sure, someone at the cottage probably brought some, but next to our keys, there’s maybe nothing we misplace more than our bottle of sunscreen. Pick up an extra bottle of SPF, and have it on the ready for anyone who needs it. Sun damage is no joke. Sure, we’ve chuckled at a few brutal burns over the years, but the reality is that when it comes to trouble, peeling shoulder skin is a distant second to skin cancer. Photo courtesy of Shoppers Drug Mart

Sunscreen

So you bought the sunscreen we told you to buy, but just like we said, you lost it. Or, maybe you just forgot to put it on. Or maybe you jumped into the lake too soon after applying it. Whatever the case, consider Solarcaine your new best friend. Bring this not just for yourself, but also for any burn prone friends or family meeting you up there, and they’ll thank you later. The lidocaine cools (if not outright numbs) the stinging feeling on your burn, while the Aloe Vera works quick to try and repair your damaged skin. Photo by Keith Homan/Shutterstock

Solarcaine

Inventory differs from store to store, but most drugstores will have a seasonal aisle stocked with some sort of water accessories. Whether it’s the old fashion pool noodled or a fancy Flamingo floatie, grab what’s there, convince yourself it’s for the kids (if there are kids at the cottage) and then reap the benefits. We took a quick pass before writing this and found a 5 foot inflatable marker. Take a look; you’ll be surprised what’s there. Photo by Annette Shaff/Shutterstock

Lake Toys

If there is anything more quintessentially Canadian than the cottage, it’s ketchup chips. Grab a couple bags, because you know by the time the sun sets you’ll be munching through the first one. Photo courtesy of Lay's

Ketchup chips

It smells bad. It’s sticky. But it’s still better than being bitten. Like sunscreen, chances are someone at the cottage either a) forgot or b) ran out of their OFF! supply, so grab a spare. Your legs will thank you. (So will your hosts). Photo by Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock

Bug spray

Kill two birds with one stone with this. Or should we say, two bugs with one stone? Grab a pack of Citronella tea lights in your Shoppers’ seasonal aisle and you can help keep the party lit late into the night, while also keeping the bugs away. Photo by Maxena/Shutterstock

Citronella candles

Because sometimes, you just can’t beat the bugs. For the pesky skeeters that snuck through the clouds of bug spray and citronella flames, there’s After Bite. It’s not quite a miracle cure, but it’s close, and the less you itch, the less likely your bites will, well… itch. Photo courtesy of After Bite

After Bite

Drugstores don’t sell booze, at least not yet, but they’re happy to meet you halfway. Why not bring the party and grab one a cocktail kit? Let someone else bring the rum — you’ll handle the Mai Tai’s when you get there. Photo courtesy of John Lewis

Cocktail mixers

If you’ve ever raised a kid, you might know Pedialyte for its intended use: replenishing dehydrated, sick little ones who’ve spent the night in the bathroom or by a bucket. But this fruity drink — which, we’ll admit, does still taste a little like medicine — has surged in popularity as a hangover cure. A kind of super Gatorade, it’s crammed full of electrolytes and will work twice as fast as that Advil on making you feel right again. On that note, though… Photo courtesy of Abbott Laboratories

Pedialyte

Feel weird shopping for a hangover cure in the baby aisle? Don’t stress. While it won’t act as fast as the Pedialyte, Advil (or any store brand Ibuprofen) is probably your first choice after a few too many beers on the dock. Unlike Tylenol (or acetaminophen), Advil isn’t metabolized by the liver, so you’re not pushing your body twice for that extra drink. Be sure to opt for the liquid gels, since they provide a faster-acting wallop to your brain bothering headache. (Just don’t abuse them — follow the instructions on the bottle, and know that Ibuprofen can damage your stomach’s lining, so an upset tummy isn’t out of the ordinary). Photo by Saowanee K/Shutterstock

Advil

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13 last-minute gifts for your cottage host that you can find at the drugstore

Drug stores can be a lifesaver.

That of course has always been true, but no longer are they simply the place to pick up your prescription. Now, drug stores are a failsafe for shoppers; open late, often on holidays, and with the perfect blend of essentials and impulse buys.

Which makes them the perfect place to grab a last minute gift while on your way to a friend or family member’s cottage. Because sure, you meant to grab a bottle of wine, but things don’t always work out. You’re busy. Isn’t that why you were so excited for that cottage trip in the first place?

From the peculiar to the practical, here are some great last minute gifts you can get at the drugstore. Just don’t forget your points card!

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