The holidays are upon us. It is time to break out those decorations, tacky sweaters, reindeer antlers, and of course… your pocket book! According to Gallup, the average American spends nearly $800 on holiday gifts. Let’s keep some of that money local by shopping at nearby businesses in our neighborhood.
Below are just a few ideas for gifts that give back to the community.
Gift Cards
Several local restaurants are offering deals on gift cards for the holidays.
Agave has a special where you can get a free $25 gift card with the purchase of $100 gift card, or you can get a free $100 gift card with the purchase of a $200 gift card.
Six Feet Under,
Tin Lizzy’s,
The Pig & The Pearl, and
The Shed at Glenwood are all offering a free $20 gift card for every $ 100 gift card purchase.
Stocking Stuffers
My Friend’s Growler Shop, is the perfect spot for stocking stuffers like
Eventide Brewing t-shirts, beer glasses, and gift certificates.
Bennett’s Market and Deli also offers a selection of stocking stuffers like candles, spice rubs, and other local items. You may also want to try area restaurants, which often sell t-shirts, as well as signature spices and sauces. Then there are the gift shops at
Zoo Atlanta and
Historic Oakland Cemetery or the
GPNA Café Press site.
Sweet and Salty!
Anybody with a sweet tooth will love
Bumps Cookies or cupcakes from
Endulge Cupcake Boutique. You can also pick up some baked goodies at the
Candlelight Tour of Homes bake sale, scheduled for December 13 and 14.
For that special someone who prefers the salt of the Earth, gift them small-batch culinary sea salts from
beautiful briny sea. We suggest "Magic Unicorn" [smoked paprika, lemon, garlic, rosemary, celery seed and pure ocean salt. Yum!
Handmade Items
Unique handmade crafts can be purchased at the
Pop –Up Market at
Octane, scheduled for November 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event will feature local artists like
Noel Saabe’s Art,
Kevin Griggs Photography,
BonesArt,
Amy Christine Preston,
Yo Soy Candles,
Amy Pieroni Designs,
My Art Weighs a Ton,
Kate Logan,
Mindzai Creative, Carolin Oelkers, and Portkey Atlanta. Most of these artists can also be found through Facebook or Etsy.
Handmade crafts from local artists, as well as baked goods, can also be found at the
Eastside Church Bazaar on December 6th or the
Candlelight Tour of Homes Artist Market, scheduled for December 13 and 14.
Handmade scarves and kimonos are available through
Maelu Designs, a local company which focuses on being environmentally conscious, supporting artisans in India, and donating to the Global Fund for Women.
Kan Kan Mercantile offers a wide variety of handmade items, such as small home decor pieces, candles, children's toys, room decor, stationery and many other unique gifts. Neighbors can enjoy a special 10% discount offer through January 1
st by using the code
10FORGP. Other special offers can be found by liking their Facebook page or following them on Instagram.
Block & Hammer rescues vintage silverware & hand-stamps it with fun phrases and custom messages. They also offer a variety of men's accessories, the perfect gift for any dapper gent! Email the artist at
[email protected] for your custom phrase.
At
Cabbagetown Clay and Glass Works, you can make your own holiday gift. They will be hosting an Annual Holiday Show on December 5, from 5 - 10 PM. The event will feature "YOU DO RAKU!”, which will allow attendees to choose, glaze, fire and take home their very own unique vessel.
How about an adorable metal spoon or miniature wagon vessel for your culinary sea salt from beautiful briny sea (above) from
Metal Morphosis! Local neighbor, Kacey Binns, handcrafts all sorts of metal keepsakes, from pocket tokens, to flasks, to jewelry and more, and are 100% made in the USA.
Fine Jewelry
Factory’s Inc. offers a beautiful collection of fine jewelry and also specializes in rare or custom made jewelry. The Midtown business is not open to the public, but Grant Park neighbor, Jennifer Berkowitz, decided to let us in on her family’s special business. Jewelry can also be purchased at
T Lynn Designs or
Victoria Lansford.
Gardening and Home
Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, which recently relocated to 271 Chester Ave, sells many lightly used home and garden items.
You could also help a loved one decorate their home with a fragrant balsam fir wreath from the
Historic Oakland Foundation’s Holiday Wreath Sale, a personalized burlap print from
Big House Relics,
a SAND trolley, or a
GPNA sunburst. You can also find
paintings and
vintage American pottery through Grant Park neighbor, Kelly Enzor’s Etsy shops.
What about the gift of professional garden design?
Garden*Hood's in-house designer, Camille Harvey, offers 90-minute on-site consultations starting at $185. Printed gift cards for the consolations are available by contacting Kacey Cloues at
[email protected].
If your gift recipient has always dreamed of a garden but doesn’t have the space, you might consider buying him or her a plot in the
Grant Park Community Garden.
Another idea is the gift of a warm, energy efficient home.
Smart Space offers a Comprehensive BPI certified Energy Audit, which will help your recipient make the most of their home through flexible improvement options.
Finally, who wouldn’t love the gift of clean carpets?
Metro Carpet Keepers offers carpet cleaning, as well as carpet and furniture repair.
Health and Beauty
Treat a special someone in your life to a massage or manicure at
Café of Life, or maybe they’d enjoy a trip to the salon at
Hawkins and Clover,
Lux The Salon, or
Relish Salon and the new
Relish Jr - haircuts for kids.
What's better for your health than getting active?
Cuong Nhu Martial Arts has gift certificates available and new classes starting in January.
Fun Experiences
Think outside the giftwrapped box with tickets to the
Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes, a 2015 membership to
Zoo Atlanta, or a package of improv classes from the
Village Theater. If you know someone who likes to bust a move, you could also consider classes from
Dance 411 or the
D’AIR project. Looking for something more permanent? What about a tattoo from
Live Free Tattoo or
Only You Tattoo.
Gifts for Every Interest
Check out the wide selection of musical instruments at Earthshaking Music when you visit their
new location south of Grant Park, shop for that new mom or mom-to-be at
Baby Love, or buy a gift for a cyclist at
Loose Nuts Cycles. Pet lovers might enjoy a gift for Fido from
Intown Healthy Hound and City Kitty or fresh, homemade pet food from
RebelRaw. You might know someone who would enjoy a gift from
Wyzos Tobacco and Accessories, where you can currently buy a vaporizer pen and bottle of juice for $22.99. Avid readers would enjoy Tom Ferguson’s novel set or his collection of essays, which can both be found by searching his name at lulu.com. Music lovers might enjoy Tom Ferguson’s album, which can be downloaded
here for $5.
Security
Give your family the gift of financial security by visiting a financial advisor at
Edward Jones or by purchasing life insurance through
Holcomb Insurance. The family would also appreciate the gift of home security with a membership to the
Grant Park Security Patrol,
East Atlanta Security Patrol, or the
Trolley Patrol.
Charitable Donations
Finally, while you are in the spirit of giving, you may also want to consider a tax deductible donation to one of the area nonprofits. The
Grant Park Conservancy,
Grant Park Neighborhood Association,
Historic Oakland Foundation, and
SAND are all great options.
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