You thought October flew by? Well, news alert: November is almost over! That means that in addition to figuring out whether you’re spatchcocking or turduckening your fowl, or what to bring the host who has the aforementioned quandary, you get to start thinking of holiday gifts! Unless you’re like an old colleague of mine who would start counting down to Christmas in June… I bet her gifts are all wrapped and under the long-since decorated tree.
Anywho, now that I’ve spiked your cortisol, tell me, what kind of holiday shopper are you? A procrastinator? An environmentalist trying to keep your footprint small? A small business supporter? Local community advocate? Anti-big box store shopper? Perfect! Because boy, are you in luck. Our sweet little Wallingford welcomes all of the above. Step right outside your door to find the perfect gift for the special humans and pets in your life.
Here is a sampling of the special shops that are ready to serve you:
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- Second Act Kids – new and used children’s clothes and toys
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- JAS Corner Store – beautifully curated selection of home goods
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- Cascadia Pharmacy – yes! they have an impressive gift selection, especially for kids
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- Pacific Northwest Shop – they’ll wrap your presents for you
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- Wally Pets – your furbaby deserves a gift too!
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- Saltstone Ceramics – consider a gift card for one of their classes
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- PETI Boutique – beautiful selection of small gifts and women’s clothes
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- The Sock Monster – serving up hot cider and homemade cookies on weekends in December, plus gift wrapping
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- Archie McPhee – the best gifts for the jokesters in your life
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- Spinnaker Chocolate – chocolate of the utmost quality
And this doesn’t even include restaurants, wine/beer/ice cream shops, or spas/salons that would be happy to sell you a gift card!
If that isn’t enough, check out this excellent Holiday Gift Guide, published by PNW family resource Parent Map, featuring “locally-owned, small businesses around Seattle.”
For a craft market vibe, check out the Holiday Makers Market hosted by Figurehead Stoneway on Sunday, November 30, from 11:30 am–3 pm, featuring locally made pottery, jewelry, and more (3513 Stone Way N).
Wait, did I forget to mention all the perks of shopping in our local neighborhood? Save the stress on shipping costs, tariffs, delivery delays, wasteful packaging, weird online knock-offs, algorithm-pushed products, and generic presents.
Need yet more motivation? Let me tell you about an adorable tradition two of my neighbors partake in, which actually inspired this post. Florida transplants Dana and Dave are passionate about community, whether that’s spreading the word on local emergency preparedness education, getting to know local shop owners, or organizing “alley parties” for cheery neighbor mingling. A few years ago, they landed on a new holiday tradition: filling holiday stockings with only items from Wallingford businesses. It has become a joy to walk the neighborhood looking for stocking-sized items, and a delightful opportunity to visit some businesses for the first time. They highly recommend exploring what can be bought locally in Wallingford, including filling your stockings this holiday season!
If we missed any shops in our list, our apologies—please list them in the comments!
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