Our Favorite Things By Nanette Wiser
HOLIDAY GIFTS… Really, all we need is love. And peace on earth. If that’s not enough, here are some thoughtful gifts for the special person in your life this season. Shop local, shop often, and volunteer your time to brighten someone else’s holiday. Here are some ways to support our community and make someone happy. Be sure to visit John’s Pass, The Edge and Grand Central Districts, DTSP’s Beach Drive and the wonderful boutiques from Clearwater Beach to St. Pete Beach and Corey Ave.
Gifts of Experience
- Virtual theater and musical performances, as well as live concerts and plays, need your support. Keep our local talent working. Check out American Stage, freeFall Theater, The Palladium, The Florida Orchestra, Ruth Eckerd Hall, The Straz and smaller pop-up performances on Facebook.
- Buy a membership at a local museum, like The Dali, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg Museum of History, Morean, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, Florida Craft Gallery and more.
- Buy a musical instrument and learn to play, be it a ukulele or electric keyboard. Hire a music tutor for your pod, form an impromptu band on Zoom. Check out St. Pete Guitars, Mad Music, Seminole Music and Villano Music.
- Indulge the enophile with a wine tasting class.
- Get kooky and outdoors with a zipline experience (Empower Adventures, Treehoppers Adventure Park), kayak (Sweetwater Kayak Rentals) or paddleboard lesson (Kayak Fishing Adventure).
- Embrace nature and learning with a membership in the Florida Aquarium, Clearwater Aquarium (home to Winter the Dolphin), Great Expectations and Glazer Children’s Museum.
- Make some memories with a sunset sail, dolphin watching or island adventure with Dolphin Landings or Hubbard’s Marina.
Gifts of Learning
- Learn a new language in person or online and be ready for your next travel vacay.
- Improve your tech skills with classes online at SPC or PTECH.
- Cut a rug with dance lessons at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, local Zumba, jazzercise or ballroom classes.
- Explore your inner Monet with an art class at Beach Art Center, Morean Arts Center and Centre for Clay, SunTan Art Center, Zen Glass Studio or Pinot’s Palette.
- Embrace your comedy bone with an improv class at American Stage, Patel Conservatory and other open mike nights at Spitfire Theater or Coconuts Comedy Club.
- Author, author? Keep St. Pete Lit, Wordier Than Thou and Studio @620.
Making A Difference
- Buy gift certificates from restaurants, coffeehouses and breweries. Some places offer deals where if you buy, you get a discount on your next meal.
- Tip well, from dining delivery services to your server. Many have been out of work or have fewer shifts.
- Donate meals and restaurant gift cards to your first responders – nurses, fire stations, police departments and all of those who rarely get a break.
- Support our troops with care packages, gift cards and more. Check with your local American Legion for ideas.
- Donate canned goods and non-perishables to local food banks including churches, Metropolitan Ministries, RCS and more.
- Pick a charity for an end-of-year donation with a good Charity Navigator rating, such as The Kind Mouse, Tampa Bay Watch or Hands Across the Bay.
For The Gardener
- Small garden or balcony? Check out the Verde at personalized home garden – a modular system that is designed to grow up to 76 plants at once or the Bloem living herb kit that is conveniently wall-hung in your kitchen.
- Moulin Roty’s Botanist Kit for children encourages exploration and hands-on, outdoor play.
- HearthSong’s DIY kit for kids – Grow With Me Garden Fort Kit – Includes a frame that is 58-inches by 58-inches by 48-inches, as well as a ground tarp and four seed packages.
- Greensens smart houseplant sensor helps you optimize your plants’ health by being positioned into the soil of potted plants and instantly going to work monitoring the ambient temperature, soil moisture and light conditions.
- Bird feeders, plant stands, garden gnomes, gazing balls, fairy statues and whimsical solar-powered lights (dragonflies) make great gifts.
For The Pet Lover
- Support your pets’ health with all-natural CBD products for pets NaturesPetHerbals.com.
- Fetch, sit not working? Dogmandu Family Dog Training can help Fido figure it out.
- Personalize a calendar, mousepad or a mug with fur-baby photos.
- Amazon features a smart dog collar that keeps your pooch healthy and safe, including a GPS tracker and activity monitor.
- Chewy.com features a wacky Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel and Puzzle Plush Jumbo that will keep Lassie occupied.
- Nina Ottosson By Outward Hound Hide N’ Slide Treat Dispensing Dog is a puzzle your dog will love opening.
- Yummy treats and gifts at Bark Life, St. Petersbark, Three Dog Bakery and Pawsitively Posh Pooch (biker jacket!) will please your cat and dog.
- Adopt an animal from a rescue group or shelter and give them a forever home.
Pampering Presents
- Give a gift certificate to a local spa at the Don Cesar, Opal Sands and Sandpearl Hotel or two of my favorites: The Woodhouse Day Spa and Lemon Tree Spa.
- Bring the massage and aromatherapy home and book a massage with Teresa Gandeza LMT 727.512.9414.
- Give a nail and hair refresh to your special friend at London Hair & Spa or Looks & Co. – The Salon.
- Tired of your short hair? Wigs By Abby is a “Dolly Parton” refresh with the excellent expertise of a former Disney hair mistress.
Fashionista Finds
- Vintage jewelry and estate sale treasures (Silver Queen), gems (The Gold & Diamond Source, Diny’s Diamonds), watches (Bernies & Son), Jeff the Jeweler, coastal-inspired (The Landing) and funky finds at St Pete’s Corey Ave. Sunday Market will have her purring. For Pandora, check out The Bronze Lady.
- Every gentleman needs a visit to Sartorial in DTSP, for bespoke style.
- Pippa Pelure’s is the couture and elegant casual boutique favored by all the social crowd.
- Sunglasses are all the rage, and Optik! European Eyewear or Island Optics feature the latest styles.
- Cowabunga style for surf attire, gear and sunglasses can be found at Overhead Surf Shop, Suncoast Surf Shop, Reno Beach Surf Shop, Saltwater Hippie and NautiGirl Beachwear.
- Boho style, cards, candles and jewelry at Pieces of A Dream, courtesy of ultra-cool Patti yields the perfect personalized gift, as does ArtPool Gallery and Vintage Marche.
- Casa Thrift Shop, Designer Consigner, Detox Designer Resale Boutique yield excellent second-hand chic clothes, purses and accessories.
- One of a kind delights can be found in DTSP at The Tipsy Mermaid, Bad Ass Baubles and Things, Shandy Style Boutique, Cozette’s Boutique, Misred Outfitters, Ashe Couture Boutique and Plain Jane. Also fun: Dody’s, Annabelle’s, Patchington and Paris Isabella for Florida-friendly styles.
- Dress like a local! The St. Pete Store & Visitor’s Center features local products and wares produced by our area’s best artists, including t-shirts, mugs, postcards, jewelry, handmade glass cutting boards, baseball hats, hand poured soy candles, and books written by local authors.
- Neat Neat Neat sells greeting cards, sensational candles, old school toys, decor, St. Pete merchandise and more.
Eco-Concious
- Living Composter both minimalist and modern can process more than two pounds of food a week, reusable bowl covers and funny produce bags with comical veggies and more online at Uncommongoods.com.
- The Zero Waste Cookbook: 100 Recipes for Cooking Without Waste.
- Check out Rolling Oats, Nature’s Food Patch and Sprouts for hundreds of eco-friendly products and ideas.
- Burt’s Beeswax lip balm was awarded a Good Housekeeping Sustainable Packaging Award in 2019, thanks to the company’s recycling program.
- Stainless steel straws and water bottles and French market string bags.
Cultured Gifts
- Support the arts with a one-of-a-kind piece from Wyland Galleries, Duncan McClelland, Chad Mize Gallery, Shapiro’s Gallery, Chihuly Collection and WADA.
- Make music and give vinyl from Daddy Kool Records, Asylum or Bananas Music.
- You can never have too many books from Tombolo Books, Book + Bottle and Barnes & Noble. Look for booklover gifts, postcards, 3-D bookmarks, puzzles, journals and stationery when you’re there.
- Give a magazine subscription to Paradise News or indulge their passion/hobby from hot rods to Southern Living.
- Audible and audio books make great gifts for those with a long commute. PN
