It’s definitely on now folks. If there was any question before it is most certainly on. We are careening toward Christmas and if you are one of those fine folks who have their shopping done by July well more power to you. Admittedly when one tells me such a thing with obvious pride I can’t help but think it a bit strange. I mean first off isn’t the whole gig about Christmas shopping is that it needs to be done in the waning weeks (or for some of us the waning days) before Christmas itself? Because it’s kind of part of the whole package. There’s trees and decorations and special cookies and an unending ocean of Hallmark movies, and seasonal music playing nearly everywhere…. And Christmas shopping. For those of us who rationalize this yearly dilemma as being part of the holiday due to a less than highly organized behavioral pattern here are a few of Shopping With Ken's interesting tips on some local non-mall gifting opportunities. Two are accessible via website and facebook and two involve visitation depending on your particular preference. Who doesn’t like T-shirts? Ok, Ok I forgot these are the days when rhetorical questions such as that draw in the folks who sit there keyboard-ready with an argument on anything so let me rephrase it. Few among us disdain T-shirts. People wear them not merely as clothing but to make a statement, tell a tale of travels relate a joke, express an opinion or as a way to explain things to people as my friend Tim (who says he’s not my friend but really is) does when he proudly dons his favorite tee with the word STUPID blazoned across the front. Once on an annual golf trip to Florida a group of us used to survive he wore it to the course while his elder sibling Bob wore one that said “Stupid’s Brother”. True story and the least of many involving those legendary trips, some of which can be told like how we once accidentally left a guy in Indiana but that’s for another time perhaps. And no, we didn’t go back for him in case you were wondering Aren’t You A Smartee is the brainchild of a pair of college friends, one of them Lisa Jahr of Fremont. “The idea for the business came from a conversation with a long-time kindred spirit. We became fast friends in college because we possessed the similar goal of finding things to laugh at daily, even though most of the time it was ourselves. “Through our lives we stayed close and supported each other through the deaths of our husbands and raising kids on our own. We continued to try to find things to laugh about, find joy in each and every day and just be there for each other. Everyone needs that at some point in their lives. “The world can be a very negative place at times. I want to help everyone find humor and joy. We all have bad days. We all make mistakes. We all have embarrassing moments. Learn to laugh at yourself. So you fall off your bike, laugh it off and tell people you are practicing to be a stunt person. Everyone has their own special gifts and talents. Find it! Let it shine! You are smart! You are talented! You are awesome!” These are quality tees with a sense of humor and there is no one who couldn’t use a bit more humor in their lives. Lisa will either create a design for you or take your design and slap it on a tee or two (or more) for you. www.arentyouasmartee.com Or email at [email protected] Nap Time Knit Shop produces some very cool stuff from the hands of my daughter-in-law Casi who happens to be among the family members I claim (the rest of you know who you are). “It all started during those oh so precious napping hours of my sweet daughter. (Ed. note: Referenced daughter being Harper, one of the four most intelligent good looking and downright likeable humans who just happen to be the grandchildren I share with LSC Lil). “It could last 10 minutes or 3 hours. I would sit quietly in the room next to where she slept and make whatever my heart desired. As I tried new things and patterns people started asking me to make more and more so the shop was born! “ Handmade and local you can visit the shop via their facebook page. Custom items can also be requested. In our most humble of opinions the best presents emerge from the stockings. It’s this golden opportunity to pack the sock of a loved one with little trinkets that sing fun and silliness. I lean toward slinkys yo-yos, silly putty, bubbles and cheap musical instruments or perhaps a box of new crayons and that’s just for the adults on my stocking list. But those are the staples and one should always introduce an element or two of surprise when it comes to Christmas socks. A few years ago when SWK was in its infancy we discovered the neat stuff on hand at the Friends of the Fremont Library Gift Shop. What was planned to be a quick walk through turned into more of a shopping excursion as I found it to be filled with ideas for stuffers. It’s open the next two Saturdays before Christmas from 10am-1pm. The Gift Shop at Gerber Memorial is a rather remarkable place serving well as a browsers paradise. They change up inventory often, have a truly eclectic collection of gift ideas and are driven by an exceptional crew of volunteers. Years ago when duly employed at Gerber it was a regular stop for a quick meal (they have candy bars) that inevitably led to some perusing and purchasing. These are a few of our suggested sites. If you know of a place or a product worth investigating do not hesitate to contact the offices of SWK via [email protected] and we will most assuredly send out our quietly quixotic staff to investigate and report back in these pages. Remember friends… Buy Local Be Local Wear your Mittens
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