Last Minute Shopping: Make it Local, Make it Unforgettable!

So, you’ve put it off as long as you can.  You’ve only crossed 3 names on your list and it’s crunch time.  Grab your keys, stuff that shopping list in your pocket and head out the door.  Our first stop is The Hill.

Herbaria, (www.herbariasoap.com) on Marconi Street, is the best place for your last-minute shopping and the best place to take out of town guests on a field trip.  You might just be lucky enough to be there the day they are making soap.  All visitors are welcomed to the back of the shop to see how the organic, all natural, fabulously fragrant soap is made, sliced, cured and wrapped. 

When I was there a few days ago, some kids and their parents were using cookie cutters to cut up individual bars of soap.  The kids had a blast cutting the soap and Mom and Dad were smiling, checking out the youngsters’ handiwork.  It was great memory making all around! 

Ken Gilberg, the owner and “Soap Guru” greets you as you enter his amazing shop.  Ken’s newest sidekick is his rescue dog, “Soapy.”  She’s a real ambassador for the store and ready to get any hugs or kisses you may have to dispense.

Every single bar of soap and all the other products are made in-house, totally by hand.  Each time I go to Herbaria there are more fragrances available.  I believe that there are 40 options at the present time.   

During the Christmas season, you can buy a packaged set of  “Holiday Favorites” such as Peppermint, Juniper Berry, Almond Spice and many more.  At $36, it’s a gift that will impress even the most finicky person on your list.  If you’re shopping for individual bars, for each 6 bars of soap ($5.95 per bar) you purchase, the 7th is free.   Two or three wrapped in tissue, tied with a bow, is sure to impress! 

My favorite beauty product of all time comes from Herbaria.  It’s their Organic Shea Butter.  It’s $11.95 for a jar that will last for months and months.  I have super-dry hands and I apply it every night before I go to bed.  Just a little dab will do you.  By the next morning it’s all soaked in and my hands look fabulous.  I have recommended this to so many friends.  We all swear by it! 

I also am never without the Organic Jojoba Oil.  I especially like the lavender scent; it’s $24.95 for the 8-ounce bottle.  This product also lasts a very long time, at least 3 months.  I use it every day and I even bring the oil when I get a massage.  My massage therapist loves it as well!

You’ll also find organic laundry detergent at Herbaria.  I wash my towels and sheets with it and they are fluffy-soft and smell wonderful.  Spray deodorant (it’s in a pump bottle) is now available, I use that as well.  It’s $2.99 for the travel size and $9.99 for the full size. 

Herbaria is such great soap, made organically and naturally, that Whole Foods carries it.  I think that’s the ultimate seal of approval.  In closing, Herbaria should be your one-stop shopping destination for all those “hard to shop for” people on your list!  After all, everyone needs soap!  Oh, and don’t forget to give Soapy some loving while you’re there!

George and I haven’t been to Bowood Farms in the Central West End (www.bowoodfarms.com) in a while, so we decided to stop by to see if anything was left that would make for good gifting.  We found lots and lots of great items for Christmas gifts. 

If you’ve got kids, grandkids, or neighbor kids you need to shop for, Bowood has some really creative items.  My favorites were finger puppets.  They are knitted in bright colors and each one is an animal or bird of some sort.  I saw a bald eagle, a snail, birds, snakes and so on.  They are $5 per puppet.  For the grand total of $25 you can give your favorite little one a puppet for an entire hand.  And, being knit of fluffy yarn, they’ll keep those tiny fingers toasty in the winter months! 

Bowood also had some charming knit and felted animal stuffed toys.  They’re displayed in a cute little wheelbarrow and look vintage- just as if they were passed down from Mom or Dad.  If you find the antique wagon you’ll also discover lots of hand-carved wooden safari animals displayed inside, just waiting for new homes. 

One gift that I think would make a great one for kids is a birdfeeder and some seed.  Getting kids interested in nature at an early age is a really good thing.  On cold, snowy days, why not fill the birdfeeder and sit back to see who comes first.  Quality time watching nature trumps the TV or video games any day.  Why not pick up a bird identification book while you’re at it?  Bowood has everything you need to spark an interest in bird watching for kids of all ages.

Now, on to the gifts that adults want.  If you have a friend who is into houseplants, they have the best book for you at Bowood.  The book is called, “The Houseplant Expert” and is the number one selling book on houseplants.  You can’t do any better than that. 

If you are looking for plants, Bowood has what you need.  You’ll find lots of potted orange Amaryllis in bloom and they’re just stunning.  You can also buy Amaryllis bulbs in six different colors.  At $15 each, they’re huge and great quality bulbs.   A gift sure to please any gardener would be an Amaryllis bulb, a small bag of potting soil and an aged Campo de Fiori terra cotta pot.  Campo de Fiori makes beautifully aged pots that have moss already growing on them.  They’re somewhat expensive, beginning at about $20 for a small pot to well over $100 for a large one.  Bowood also has Paper white bulbs for $1.20 each.  Few flowers rival the scent of the paper white in bloom.  They’re one of my favorites.

I spied a charming collection of glass dishes that have a quote on each.  My favorite is: “The Trouble with Trouble is that it starts out as Fun.”  There’s a large collection with quotes from Coco Chanel, Humphrey Bogart and other notables.  They’re a little pricey at $60, but there just might be one quote that fits your friend perfectly!

George and I agreed that the best gifts at Bowood are the plants and glass containers.  We have been wanting to make some terrariums and the selection at Bowood are exceptional.  You’ll find beautiful glass jars, cloches and vases in which to let your creativity reign.  They had a knockout terrarium already finished on a wood base for about $120.  If you need a gift to impress, that terrarium will do the trick! 

George bought some tiny orchids, ferns, ivy’s and palms for our project.  Look for a blog on terrariums in the next few weeks!  We also got some amazing air plants for the measley sum of $6.50.  George snagged the very last air plant that was grown as a sphere.  It was blooming, showing off with purple, red and grey foliage.  It was stunning and a great buy at $24.  It will be hung from the ceiling with fishing line so it will look as if it’s floating in midair. 

If you still need some Christmas greenery, wreaths or decorations, Bowood has them.  A collection of antique- looking ornaments ranged in price from $6 to about $18.  No one would ever guess that you waited until the last minute to do your shopping!

A few local establishments that I frequent still have a nice selection of great gifts.  They’re all just waiting to be purchased, wrapped and delivered.  Try Dazzle (www.dazzle-boutique.com) in Lamp & Lantern Center.  Owner Jennifer Walsh will help you pick out the perfect gift and wrap it for you as well. 

JA Whitney in Mason Woods Village still has good stock, and I don’t know any woman who wouldn’t love a gift from Codi (www.codijewelry.com) in Town & Country Crossing.

I’ve given you some great ideas about where to shop and what to buy.  Now, get out there and finish your shopping!  Time’s a waistin’.