Zen Board $34 perfect!
LAWRENCE OFFERS A FEW GREAT GIFT IDEAS WITHOUT EVEN GETTING NEAR A MALL. PROMISE.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and that means I have a lot of Christmas shopping to do. The last thing I want to do this season is spend the hours that I am not working in a mall, shopping in a mall.
Fortunately, Lawrence has an easy solution for me. Even though brandname stores are popping up throughout the city, smaller, locally owned stores are thriving right beside them. After taking a look around these small nooks, I found a little something for everyone on my list.
So this Christmas I am going to avoid the mall as much as I can and bring my family gifts from Lawrence that aren't necessarily from the bookstore. I think that if you take a look around these shops, you will find things that are distinctive, creative and guaranteed to light up your loved ones' eyes.
to the bottles and paying $1 for gift wrapping, I had spent $30 on Mom.
Bloom also has a selection of bath beads in different colors and scents that would be fun to add to your mom's stocking. Besides its regular line of body products, Bloom carries a line of things for the kitchen such as dish soap, laundry detergent, ironing water and hand soap.
For Sisters
If you want cool, funky gifts with a retro angle, head over to Hobbs, Inc., 700 Massachusetts St. This store is chalk full of great ideas for every age and style. For my 20-year-old sister, I found the Zen Board. Think of it as an updated version of an Etch A Sketch. You dip a paintbrush in water and draw onto the silver paper surface. The water appears like ink and after a few minutes your masterpiece
For Mom
My first stop was at Bloom Bath & Body, 704 Massachusetts St. What drew me to Bloom is its custom-blend bar. Bloom offers 43 scents that you can blend with lotion, shower gel, bath salts and massage oil. After wearing out my sniffer smelling all 43 scents, I decided on a blend of orange flower and fresh flowers to be mixed into shower gel and lotion. The combination of these two should be perfect for my mom, who loves heavy floral scents. After adding pumps
fades back into a blank canvas. The Zen board goes for $34 and the gift wrapping is free when you make a purchase of $20 or more. Another one-of-a-kind gift for your list is Hobbs' collection of Ritzenhof glasses. This German company commissions local German artists to paint a line of glassware and dishware. Hobbs carries pilsner glasses, champagne flutes and martini sets, each of which is individualized by the artist. If neither of these is up your alley, Hobbs also carries pajamas, clothing, jewelry and books.
Flush, 17 E. Seventh St., a tiny shop
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