Holiday Gift Guide |
The Secret to Being Santaby Devon Dams-O'Connor |
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So you’ve fished a crumpled piece of paper out of some basket that contains the random names of co-workers/distant relatives in a huge family, and now you have to identify a perfect gift for them. Or, maybe you’re a little clueless about good ideas for people you do actually know, and have been reduced to walking in zigzags around Target to see what you can knock off of a shelf and into your basket. You’re not Santa, and that’s ok.
Good bets for blind gifts fall under two basic categories: 1. The item supports a basic human need, and/or 2. It’s something thing that a person might not spring for themselves. Here are several unisex ideas to start with.
For amusement
Even the most creative person sometimes searches for something to do. At Talking Leaves Books (951 Elmwood Ave., 3158 Main St.), you can get your recipient out of the house with An Explorer’s Guide to Western New York by Christine Smyczynski ($20). It’s the area’s first comprehensive travel guide and features directions, attractions, green spaces, facts, and lore. Or, make their time at home more productive with a universal how-to book such as The Minimalist Cooks at Home: Recipes that Give You More Flavor From Fewer Ingredients in Less Time by Mark Bittman ($26). The novice and pro alike will be pleased.
Anyone can also fill their own pages with ideas, drawings, recipes, or to-do lists jotted down in a sketch book or journal from Hyatt’s wide selection of blank bound volumes, ranging from $12 to $27 each (910 Main St. and 8565 Main St., Williamsville). Colorful suede-bound sketchpads at The Neighborhood Collective (810 Elmwood Ave.) come with a watercolor set or markers tucked into the inside cover for under $25; miniature versions have tiny colored pencils or a deck of cards inside.
For more interactive fun, New World Record (765 Elmwood Ave.) sells a Simpson’s Rubik’s Puzzle for $15, which promises hours of heady goodness trying to rearrange a palm-sized rendition of Homer’s head. A more refined game of 3D tic-tac-toe can be found for $25 at Plum Pudding (779 Elmwood Ave.). A square board with nine pegs challenges players to stack wooden Xs and Os until they get three in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally on one plane or across all three levels.
For the belly
Enliven someone with a few bags of house or varietal java from Caffe Aroma (three Buffalo locations, 631-2687) or Blue Mountain Coffee (509 Elmwood Ave.). Both sell pre-packaged pound bags, and Blue Mountain packs quarter-pound bags of their most popular selections into several gift-boxed collections. Buffalo-based Parkside Coffee (www.parksidecoffee.com or 1-800-660-9511) will roast-to-order any of its 13 blends in individual batches ($10 per bag), then custom grind each one. Parkside doesn’t sell its coffee in stores to ensure freshness, but orders generally arrive within three days.
A selection of sweeter delights can be found at Watson’s Chocolates (www.watsonschocolates.com for locations), including a festive box of candy-sprinkled dark and white chocolate peppermint bark. Or, let someone play guess-what’s-inside with a gorgeously wrapped box of chocolates filled with nuts, creams, caramels, and cordials.
Fowler’s Chocolate’s (www.fowlerschocolate.com for locations) signature “Truffaloes” are bison-shaped chocolates filled with raspberry or hazelnut truffle for $12 a box. For something different, look for their milk chocolate in the shape of a slice of pizza (with mushrooms and pepperoni) and four chicken wings ($10). There’s even a side of white chocolate “bleu cheese” in its signature plastic cup.
At Sweet Tooth (478 Elmwood Ave.), pick up some a la carte dessert truffles for $2.50 each, or some chocolate-covered potato chips or pretzels ($14.95 a pound). Yum!
For warmth
It sure is chilly this time of year, and will be ‘til about April.
The 180s Convertible Training Glove from Fleet Feet Sports (892 Elmwood Ave.) is an insulated, moisture-wicking glove with a wind-proof mitten “hood” that you can peel back and tuck into the cuff for greater dexterity ($30).
To combat frozen toes, Buffalo Hemp Outfitters (1005 Elmwood Ave.) carries thick-soled, slip-on hemp slippers for $16. This durable, environmentally friendly fiber is warmer than cotton and gets softer with each washing.
Buffalo Fleece & Outerwear (758 Elmwood Ave.) also has super-soft acrylic scarves ($21) from V. Fras in dozens of colors and patterns for both men and women. Bundle up.
For the home
Most people live someplace, so why not make that someplace a little nicer with a domestic offering?
The Elmwood Panhandler (820 Elmwood Ave.) offers an eight-inch diameter hammered metal bowl for $25 whose shiny attractiveness and food-safe surface ensure it a place in any home as a serving piece, decoration, or dresser-top catch-all.
A more utilitarian option from the Panhandler is “The Wing Machine” (pictured), a $30 wine opener that promises not to leave cork chunks floating in the bottle. Its ultra-thin spiral passes smoothly through the cork rather than wedging it apart like other openers, and pressing down on its patented “wings” smoothly lifts the stopper out.
El Buen Amigo’s (114 Elmwood Ave.) wide woven reed cylindrical basket ($15) is another multipurpose option. It has a top adorned with a soapstone medallion and is great for keeping rolls warm at the dinner table, or personal items out of sight in the home.
A gift of holiday greenery is also a safe bet. Good options are a seasonal paper white or amaryllis plant for $14 to $20 at Diggin’ It (801 Elmwood Ave.), lush tabletop boxwood “trees” ($30, pictured) smartly decorated at Floral Explorations (1448 Hertel Ave.), or the more traditional poinsettias (starting at $9) and real pine wreaths at Mother Nature Plant Emporium (712 Elmwood Ave.), ranging from $14 to $30.
For the wallet
If you have to take the less adventurous route and buy gift certificates, at least make it look like you thought about the present longer than the time it took you to whip out your credit card by wrapping the certificate with a thoughtful or clever addition. Pair a Chef’s (291 Seneca St.) or Anchor Bar (1047 Main St.) gift certificate with a bottle of their respective signature sauces for about $5 each. Or, give someone a hand with things they buy anyway and package it with something fun: a bar tab and a beer stein, a gift certificate to Fox Tire Co. (1035 William St.) and a pine air freshener for the rearview, or even a NOCO gasoline card and a whoopee cushion.
After all, it really is the thought that counts.
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