Down-to-the wire gifts for everyone on your list — from right here in SLO County
Now it’s really getting down to the wire, but not to panic.
Here are some unique gifts that won’t break the bank. Many were made by local artisans, and some are pay-it-forward gifts that benefit worthy causes around the globe.
All but one are available right here in San Luis Obispo County, which means you can save on gas and frustration by avoiding the big out-of-town malls.
Oh, and for you online shoppers, there will be fewer Amazon boxes to haul out to the recycling bin.
So get that shopping done, then sit back and enjoy the holidays — at least until it’s time to start the cooking.
For night owls
Night lights featuring iconic scenes of San Luis Obispo County are made from recycled window panels and broken glass. In addition to Mission San Luis Obispo, there are lights featuring Morro Bay Harbor and the Seven Sisters. Sales benefit needy Ecuadorian families. Lights are $22, and are available at HumanKind Fair Trade, 982 Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo.
For chasing away the blues
We can all use a little color in our lives and these garlands of handmade beads bring it. Drape them, hang them, wrap them or turn them into jewelry. They sell for $20 a pack at the General Store in Paso Robles, 841 12th St., and they benefit the Zozu Project, a great local organization that helps families in Uganda.
For the foodie with a sweet tooth
A beautiful, handcrafted wooden pastry knife made by Peter Ljepava, aka Mustache Pete. These are destined to become family heirlooms and, as they say on “Forged in Fire,” these knives will cut! In fact, Pete says he’s almost cut a finger a time or two during the sharpening process.
Another advantage: Certain types of wood have antibacterial properties, which is why so many cutting boards are made of wood. (Mustache Pete makes those, too. And he makes mustache wax and beard balm.)
Knives are $65; they are available through the holidays at SLOcally Made, a popup store located behind Athleta in the Downtown Centre, and year-round at Eclair Bakery in the Village of Arroyo Grande, where you can also pick up some luscious pastries to test out that new utensil.
To learn more, go to themustachepete.com.
For music lovers
Check out BooBoo Records’ great selection of music by local artists.
Two recommendations: for bluegrass fans, Wally Barnick, of the Cache Valley Drifters, and Santa Margarita’s own Jade Jackson. The L.A. Times described her like this: “Jade Jackson may be the next big country-rock star. But first, she has some tables to wait.” That would be tables at the Range, the popular Santa Margarita restaurant that Jade’s parents opened 15 years ago.
Prices for CDs range from around $10 to $14. Wrap one up, stick it under the tree or in a stocking and you’ll be a rock star on Christmas morning.
For your furry friends
All good boys (and girls) will look great over the holidays in these Christmas-themed bow ties that attach to a pet collar. A steal at $6 each.
Available at Tails Pet Boutique, 745 Higuera St. in downtown SLO, where you can also pick up some treats for Christmas morning.
For cold feet
Only one thing beats a cute pair of warm socks: Cute socks for a good cause. Conscious Step socks sold at HumanKind Fair Trade in San Luis Obispo cost $17 per pair. Sales help support a variety of good causes through partnerships with nonprofit organizations.
There are socks that support rescue dogs through donations to animal shelters; socks that plant trees; socks that provide books to children; socks that provide clean water. Have fun matching the socks to the recipients’ interest.
For the adventurous eater
Beer jelly from Morning Glory Farms in Bradley could wind up being the talk of the Christmas table. Try it on a grilled cheese sandwich with a little sriracha sauce. Beer jellies, which sell for $10 a jar, are specially made for the General Store in Paso Robles. Another Paso business, Symbiosis Wines, carries custom-made wine jellies.
Morning Glory jams and jellies in other flavors — including hard apple cider, fig cranberry, spiced persimmon, prickly pear and plum chipotle — are available in several other local stores, including Home Santa Margarita, Filipponi Ranch Winery in San Luis Obispo, Windmill Farms in Arroyo Grande and San Miguel Mercantile.
Or order on Etsy or directly from the farm by emailing morningloryfarms@sbcglobal.net or calling 805-441-4894.
For the SLO literati
“Good Night San Luis Obispo” by local author Jennifer Kirn is described as a bedtime story for children and adults.
With verses like this, “Good night to our vibrant Bubble Gum Alley, Good night to the moon over Old Edna Valley,” and beautiful illustrations by Melody Sullivan, every SLO County resident or wannabe resident will treasure this.
The book sells for $14.99; find it at the General Store in Paso Robles, at BooBoo Records, EcoBambino and the Chamber of Commerce in San Luis Obispo or, if you must, on Amazon.
For the office curmudgeon
Who needs the Elf of the Shelf when you can have a one-of-a-kind gnome?
These are crafted by one of the talented young “mini-makers” featured at SLOcally Made. They’re $15 each and are so seriously cute they will bring a half-smile to the face of even your crabbiest coworker.
For your packages
While you’re at SLOcally Made, check out 10-year-old Gwen’s watercolor gift tags. A pack of 6 is just $5. With tags this cool, you can get away with wrapping gifts in butcher paper ... or newspaper.
For your friends with cat-i-tude
A grumpy cat card from HumanKind Fair Trade, 982 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo; $6. Practically guaranteed to make the recipient laugh out loud.
Full disclosure: It wasn’t made in SLO County, but it’s for a great cause. A portion of sales benefits women in the Philippines who have escaped sex trafficking. Find out more at www.goodpaper.com.
For the stressed (aka all of us)
Who doesn’t deserved to be pampered? Pick out a selection of fancy soaps — the kind you normally wouldn’t buy for yourself but you secretly covet. You’ll find soaps made from goat’s milk, soaps with their own crocheted covers, soaps that smell minty and soaps the smell lemony.
To win serious gift-picker-outer points, throw in a CBD bath bomb.
Check out the selection at SLOcally Made (which also carries locally made makeup), the General Store in Paso and The Hive in the Village of Arroyo Grande (where you can also pick up local honey).
For those special someones
There are hundreds of bottles of local wines to choose from, and any one would be a treat. If you’re looking to impress a Special Someone, try Love You Bunches. It’s a not-so-local wine from Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County — yes, we cheated.
This one’s worth buying for the label alone, but the wine itself, a carbonic Sangiovese that’s meant to be served chilled, is a winner, too.
The wine label can be personalized with a signature — or a bright red lipstick kiss.
When the wine’s all gone, stick some battery-operated wine lights inside to keep the love alive.
Available for $24 a bottle at the Stolpman Vineyards tasting room in Los Olivos, or order online at shop.stolpmanvineyards.com
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 6:23 AM.
