Shop Local with These 10 Holiday Gifts From Small Businesses
Updated: Nov. 24, 2021From memory blankets to peanut brittle to fingerboards, local vendors are delivering quaint and clever products that make special gifts.
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Need a special, unique gift for that special someone? Small businesses can help. Read on for some of their distinctive ideas, from raw honey to hot sauce, a solar camp charger and a memory blanket.
LuminAid Two-in-One Camping Lantern/Solar Phone Charger
In today’s world of forest fires, flooding and other disasters, it’s imperative to have power on hand. The Shark Tank-featured LuminAid is one of the most innovative solar chargers we’ve seen. It uses the sun’s energy to power your devices AND the device itself turns into a light source.
The 4000-milliampere/hour (mAH) battery can provide 100 hours of light at full charge. The 300-lumen light switches between five brightness settings, and also features a red light that won’t disturb others.
Pure Raw Honey
As Pooh Bear said, “A hug is always the right size.” And that’s just what you’ll get when you give your loved ones some pure raw honey.
Bare Honey blends 100 percent bee-created raw honey with natural spices to create the perfect, spreadable honey. Pick from 19 varieties. They also sell branded apparel and beverage mixer kits. You can find their raw wildflower honey on Amazon.
Memory Blanket or Custom Knit Goods
If you have a lot of old t-shirts you don’t know what to do with but can’t bring yourself to get rid of, we have an idea. Have them made into a memory blanket.
They’ll be cut up but given new purpose as a cozy blanket in a size of your choosing. The more shirts you have, the bigger the blanket. It’s a great way to honor loved ones, or enjoy the memorabilia you’re not ready to part with. If a regular blanket isn’t enough once the mercury dips below zero, opt for a weighted version to keep you nice and cozy. Blankets not what you’re looking for? A custom, hand-made knit craft may be the perfect gift for the person who has everything!
Kumana Avocado Hot Sauces
Yeah, we like it hot. There’s nothing like kicking your food up a notch with tasty hot sauces.
With avocados as a base, it doesn’t get much better! Choose from a hot version made with habaneros, another with jalapeños and our favorite, siracha. There’s also a mango version for those who like a little sweetness with their heat.
JS Jackson Supplies Professional Bellows Accordion Toilet Plunger
It’s inevitable. The holidays are coming. People will gather. You’ll need a good plunger on hand. And the accordion bellows design lends a professional hand clearing out even the most stubborn clogs.
The lip doesn’t fold up like with traditional plungers, so you don’t get that undesirable splash-back action. It comes apart for storage under most counters. Choose from six colors. We like the standard black.
Grip6 Nylon Web Belt
Everyone needs a good belt and this one scores high marks — the nearly 13,000 Amazon reviewers who gave it 4.5 stars can’t all be wrong.
There are no holes to line up and no complicated ratchet system. Just slide the strap through the buckle for an infinite number of fits. Their patented “Badgerbite” system keeps it tight all day, and it can hold up to 2,000 lbs. without breaking.
The belt works as classy work belt, a golf belt, a hiking belt, a ratchet belt replacement or anything in-between. What’s more, it’s guaranteed forever — 100 percent.
Teak Tuning Fingerboard
For all of us with an inner kid we can’t hide, or for those of us with our own kids, fingerboards are cool. They hearken back to school days pretending a pink eraser was a skateboard on our chrome-legged desks.
The exotic burl finishing on this board is a cool touch. Use the included tools and micro bolts to dial in your trucks and wheels. There are even tiny bearings. The set includes free replacements for parts damaged or broken during shipping or setup.
Brittle Brothers Peanut Brittle
When founder John Spalding couldn’t find a quality peanut brittle in 1985, he made his own from a family recipe. After tweaking the recipe with more peanuts, half the corn syrup and a few other things, he shared the treat with family over the holidays, to rave reviews.
We agree. Break out this one-pound box at your next family gathering and hear for yourself how good it is.
Final Straw Reusable Products
Plastic straws and the damage they can do to the environment have been in the news for awhile now. Final Straw makes reusable straws and sporks that come in convenient carry cases.
Choose from different size straws. If you like the big, smoothie style straws, they have those, too. A bunch of different color combinations ensures you’ll find one you like. They call them “reusable foreverables,” and their mission of raising awareness to the small decisions we make that can create big changes is just plain cool.
Ultra Fine Continuous Water Mister
This aerosol-free spray bottle from Beautify Beauties is aimed at hair care, but we like that we can use it with our favorite cleaning products.
The consistent, even spray is good for various household and beauty purposes — things like cleaning, ironing, hairstyling, watering plants, dispensing air fresheners, misting essential oils and much more. You can even use it sideways and upside down, something you can’t always do with aerosols. And it’s eco-friendly.
