Think Outside of the Box for Holiday Gifts this Year
You’ve received the wishlists and even checked them twice, but if you’re anything like us, you could use a little bit of inspiration to help you find those last few perfect gifts for everyone on your list before the Zoom holiday celebrations begin.
More than ever this year, it is imperative to shop local and support the small businesses here in our Portland community. Luckily there are great tools out there that make it simple and easy to shop local like Travel Oregon’s list and the Built Oregon Marketplace.
Here are our top picks for gifts this holiday season from PNW-based makers.
Portlandia Soap Flight Sampler
It’s been one of the hottest items on store shelves this year, but this soap “Celebrating Apart” box especially entices our PNW-based hearts and makes a useful gift for anyone on your list. Made right here in Portland by Optimistic Soap, the soaps in this box give your recipient a touch of home via scent. There are two box options to choose from - Cucumber Melon/Vanilla Rosemary Peppermint or Rosemary Lemongrass/Oatmeal Milk Honey. Either option includes a soap dish too. The soaps are small enough to travel with if your recipient finds him or herself on the go this holiday season, or they’re still the perfect size to put out in any bathroom.
Keeping true to the “optimism” in the company name, Optimistic Soap makes a conscious effort to donate proceeds from every sale back to communities. Recently Optimistic Soap donated to Raphael House, which helps victims of domestic abuse in PDX. The box is $25 from Optimistic Soap.
HAB Sauce 4-Pack Collectors Set
If you came to our BIPOC Market this summer, then you know about HAB Sauce. Award-winning for a reason, HAB Sauce crafts each sauce focusing on flavor before heat, which is why some of their signature sauces (like Pineapple Habanero) work so well on so many foods.
The sauces in this 4-pack range from medium to medium-hotter, so this gift is perfect for anyone who wants to spice things up a bit, literally. The box is $32 from HAB Sauce’s website.
Momo Cocoa
We can’t imagine winter, nonetheless the holiday season, without hot cocoa. Momo Cocoa is a PDX maker that makes all of their cocoa mixes with organic sugar, premium cocoa, and organic vanilla. With many of their products being vegan and gluten-free, this is the perfect gift for those on your list with dietary restrictions.
Momo Cocoa offers an Original Cocoa Variety Gift Box, Floral & Mint Cocoa Gift Box, Spiced Cocoa Gift Box, or Tea Cocoa Gift Box (you read that right, tea and cocoa in one, so it tastes like a chocolate bar).
No matter the variety, each gift box contains four flavor varieties, each flavor having its own 2 oz. packet that can be combined with your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk of choice for the perfect mug. Gift boxes are $20, and orders over $50 from their website come with free shipping.
Game Night Board Games
With 77 pages full of board games in their online store alone, Cloud Cap Games has every game imaginable from classic board games to brand new ones, ensuring hours of fun this holiday season (and beyond!) while we are all spending extra time at home. For added fun, order one game for yourself and one for your friend, then “get together” on Zoom or FaceTime to play virtually.
If you’re local to the PDX area, Cloud Cap games is still offering board game rentals (most are $5 for three nights). If you rent the game and then decide you like it enough to buy a copy for yourself, the rental fee will be applied to your purchase.
Their store is open 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily for both walk-in visits and curbside pickup.
Bold & Badass Virtual Gym Membership
Perfect for those who are trying to stay fit during the busiest time of the year or that are trying to cram their daily steps in, while working from home, Bold & Badass offers virtual training sessions so you can safely stay fit at home.
This gym focuses on inclusivity and is perfect for those of any fitness level. Coaches on staff will also work with members to set fitness goals, provide guidance, and teach the mental and physical skills needed “to bring out your inner badass.”
Bootcamp-style classes are held mornings and evenings, and memberships start at $99. And, being a Portland-based gym, they’re right in the neighborhood when we can return to in-person fitness.
Portland Cider Club One-Time Shipment
Exclusive to our Local Fam, our Portland Cider Club shipment is back this month just in time for the holidays. For this December shipment only, it is available as a membership-free option, making it the perfect gift to order for your PDX neighbor (or yourself, we won’t judge).
Perhaps the most exciting part, this box will contain our newest seasonal release that, as of right now, is still top secret… The only way to be one of the first people to try this new cider is in this December Portland Cider Club.
Also included will be the seasonal taproom-exclusive Santa Sauce, the return of Ciderade, award-winning Kinda Dry, Concord Grape, and Peach Berry ciders.
This box is $35 and must be ordered by the end of the day on December 14th.
Portland Cider Company is committed to making the best cider in the Pacific Northwest - it’s in our roots! Portland Cider Co. was started in 2013 with the mission of bringing together cider rooted in the English tradition with a little Portland personality and culture. Combine those things, and you’ve got the Portland Cider Company.