Gift Guide: Bmore Local

Gift GuideBaltimore
Written By Staci Wolfson

You guys!

Happy official holidays! It is Cyber Monday, and you know what that means...A/S/L? JK. But remember when "cybering" was something weirdos did in AOL chatrooms? Thank DOGE, capitalism turned it into something else.

Did you go shopping this weekend? I didn't. I'm finding that as I get older and more and more hermity, I just want to do all of my gift shopping online. And shop I shall! Today is the day!

But as you may know, Jen and I are both erstwhile small business owners, and even though Small Business Saturday has passed, we still strongly encourage you to shop small and shop local! So today I put together possibly one of the best gift lists YOU WILL FIND THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. And you're welcome.

Bonus: Most if not all of these companies are running some sweet Cyber Monday deals today, so get on it!

 

  1. Gundalow Juice, Shots + Juices Starting at $3.50
    This lady-owned business (woop, you'll see a lot of those on this list!) makes amazing, nutritious juices. TBH, I tend to actually not like a lot of juices you can buy. Do I want to be healthy? Sure. But do I want to drink something that tastes like I'm chewing on dandelions? Not really. So imagine my delight when I tried Gundalow, and it was not only healthy but delicious. Big fan over here of Dockside Sunrise and Starboard Strawberry. I haven't gotten my hands on Watermelon Waves yet, but I suspect that would be my favorite of them all.

  2. Cheseapeake Bay Candle Co., Candles Starting at $8
    I found my first Chesapeake Bay Candle Co. candle at Target (hooray!) and because of the name decided to look them up and see if they are local, and they totally are. I am a big whore for candles, so I love getting them at Tarjhay prices, and these scents are so so SO good. I used to go for baked goods scents until I realized they made me want to eat everything in sight, so now I typically look for homey, cozy scents, or citrus. My favorite Chesapeake scents are yuzu lime, laughter and joy (cranberry dahlia), and blood orange.

  3. The Food Market {at home} Cookbook, Hoopla Catering $30
    I've written about Hampden's Food Market multiple times before because the food is fucking amazing. So when I saw on the Becket Hitch Instagram that there's a Food Market cookbook, I got super excited. Granted, I *know* I won't be able to cook like chef Chad Gauss, but like maaaaaybe I can pull off some tacos.

  4. Zeke's Coffee, Coffee by the Pound Starting at $14
    Local roaster Zeke's Coffee is well known in and around Baltimore and for good reason -- the coffee is the shit. The line for a free cup along with your purchase of a pound of coffee wraps around half the perimeter of the farmers market every Sunday, and it is worth it. (Well, if I'm behind honest, I don't wait in line for the free cup, but I do shell out $14 for my favorite 1812 espresso blend.)

  5. Juniper Apothecary, Tea Blends, Spice Blends, and Superfood Tonics starting at $8.50
    Chef Sarah Acconcia opened Juniper Apothecary at Mt. Vernon Marketplace (another fav) to create healthy but delicious options for living well. A cup of tea is at a least a once-a-day ritual for me, so I'd love to give some of her teas a try!

  6. Trisha's Almond Toffee, Bags Starting at $10
    I first sampled Trisha's Almond Toffee at my first Emporiyum a couple years ago. It was so good, I had to buy some, even if I couldn't buy it for myself. So I bought some as a gift! I am happy to see the family-run company is still going strong, and my mouth waters just thinking about it.

  7. Mouth Party Caramel, Individual Caramels Starting at $0.50
    Speaking of watering mouths, here's a funny story for you. On one of my visits to see Scott in Gainesville, we went to a Mexican restaurant called Boca Fiesta. He laughed at how stupid it would sound if there was a restaurant called "Mouth Party" in English, and that rang a bell for me because awesomely, Baltimore boasts Mouth Party Caramels, and in fact, I don't think it sounds stupid at all. I think it sounds fucking delightful.

  8. Treason Toting Company, Prices Vary
    TBH, I don't own any of these (yet), but they are divine. I know most of the gifts on this list are of the edible/drinkable variety, so if you're looking to gift someone something a little more, I dunno, LASTING, these are some beautiful, high-quality bags.

  9. K. Doss Creative, Linoleum Cut Prints Starting at $25
    Not sure which Instagram rabbit hole led me to these Baltimore-themed designs, but they're sleek and unique and I love them. Not gonna lie, I'd really love to see the bench print above hanging in my home.

  10. Art by Barton, Silk Screen Prints Starting at $75
    I actually discovered Charlie Barton's work years ago at a craft show, kept his business card, and have coveted his work since. There's a heavy contingent of Baltimore in his silk screen work, but there are cityscapes of other places as well, and the work is so gorgeous and cool. WANT.

  11. B. Willow, Succulents, Air Plants, Terrariums, and Ceramics, prices vary
    Just so you know, I pulled the photos for all of these gifts from each company's website, except B. Willow's. I took that one on my own, and the small shop in Remington is SO beautiful, I just want to spend all my time there. I also want to turn my apartment into an air plant/succulent jungle, but my cat eats even fake plants so ::tears emoji::. Buy some for your friends and I'll live vicariously through their Instagrammed hygge houses. #fomo

  12. Wight Tea Co., Tea Blends Starting at $15
    Again, tea is a BIG part of my day...and evening...and life. I haven't gotten to try this local brand yet, but it's totally happening soon. Who needs English Breakfast when you can have Baltimore Breakfast?

And now...in case you AREN'T a hermit like myself and want to do some in-store shopping, the following stores are local, small-biz, largely woman-owned, and carry most of the above gifts, plus loads of other goodies. (Also, I'm not actually *that* much of a hermit, but I would be if I could live inside Trohv or Su Casa.) Visit, support and love:

Well Baltimoreans, I know I missed a few. What are your favorite local businesses to support this holiday season?

-Staci

P.S. Who's buying me all this stuff?

  

Staci Wolfson
Previous

Gift Guide: #GivingTuesday
Next

Italy: Venice Day One