Our third holiday gift guide this season is dedicated to Kids and Pets! You can be the most cynical adult alive, however spend the holidays with children and your Grinch heart will have no other option but to grow three times its size. We also included pets in this blog because they are one of our greatest sources of joy and love and deserved to be spoiled in the holiday season (well, all year round really when you think about it). We picked five gift suggestions that we hope you will not only love for your nearest and dearest but will inspire you to do the work of actually shopping small and shopping local, not only for your holiday gifts but for all year round shopping. That is the main goal of our gift guides.
With the kids and pets gift guide we focused on small, independent brands that have a mission and a story. We included different categories and price ranges. Like all previous gift guides, there is an online store and you just need to click onto the captions for the link. We hope this starts the love and passion for hunting the treasures out there that smaller and more artisanal brands provide.
Toys for children (I bet you thought this one was for the pets) are of course at the top of this list. Mon Ami (“my friend” in French) is a child accessory brand established in 2018 that specializes in products that create a delicate balance of beauty, comfort, and emotional connection—creating treasures to cherish, gift, and grow up with. Besides toys, Mon Ami have many child related accessories. It was hard to pick our favorite plush toy so since it was the holidays we went with Jingle Holiday Dachshund, the cutest pup around! With his smart holiday sweater and festive Santa hat he is one super snuggly dog stuffed animal. Gifting this sausage puppy stuffed animal to a little one dreaming of owning a dog or the dachshund lover in your life will guarantee a lifelong childhood friend. This nine inch long bundle of love will also melts the hearts of not only children but their adults too.
MCNALLY JACKSON INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE - THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS: CLASSIC ORIGINAL TEXT PAIRED WITH MODERN ART
Books are always a favorite gift suggestion from The Local Artisan Guide, especially for children and definitely for the holidays. We always highly recommend going to independent, small book stores and McNally Jackson is one of our favorites. If you have a small local independent book store in your neighborhood it is a treasure trove for gift giving for both children and adults. We highly recommend “The Night Before Christmas: Classic Original Text Paired with Modern Art” by Hayden Goodman (Illustrator) based on the original story by author, poet and scholar Clement C. Moore. Hayden Goodman is an African American painter, illustrator, and character artist. She works primarily in gouache to paint witches, fairies, goblins, and other mysterious creatures from mythology and folklore. For this rendition, “On Christmas Eve, a little girl is woken by the clatter of Santa's reindeer on her apartment building's roof. When jolly Saint Nick comes down her chimney, she and the other children in their apartment building get swept up in a Christmas adventure.” The book features beautiful bright illustrations filled with diversity (much needed right now) in this modern twist of a classic tale where every child can see themselves in it. It is surely to become a holiday tradition and keepsake for the family of the child who receives this magical book.
MOMA DESIGN STORE - LE CHOCOLAT DE FRANÇAIS GALATIC CHRISTMAS PRALINE BALLS BOX
Chocolate will always be a holiday gift favorite, especially for children. We love MoMA Design Store because their gift merchandisers search the world for special brands that they feel will lift us up in beauty and artisanal traits. It is an amazing destination for both the brick and mortar and the online store to source spectacular holiday gifts that are easily accessible. A brand we love from France is Le Chocolat de Français which MoMA offers in their collection. This fun decorative tin contains nine milk chocolate praline balls. All Le Chocolat de Français products are made in France, using traditional chocolate-making techniques, with 100% natural ingredients. Contains 3.9 oz of chocolate. The tin is certainly a keeper and let’s face it, this is a gift for the kid in all of us.
And now for the pet portion of our program. Let’s face it, treats are the best thing that can happen in a pet’s life (besides the love of a good human). They pursue treats the way we pursue a good pizza. We found Barkin, a small independent dog brand that we feel in the future has the potential to become a huge dog brand. The company is dedicated to producing all-natural treats for dogs while championing a greater social mission. Inspired by their late English Bulldog, Marlow, who is the heart and inspiration behind this brand, Barkin also has a mission to pledge their support to causes that promote mental health and emotional wellness. We saw how dogs were going crazy for their Chicken Pot Pie Soft & Chewy Treats so we knew this had to be on the holiday gift guide for dogs. The Chicken Pot Pie is a tantalizing blend of natural goodness designed to delight your furry friend's taste buds while providing wholesome nutrition. Crafted with the utmost care, these treats are made with three key ingredients: tender chicken, luscious sweet potato, and aromatic parsley. This treat offers moderate protein, a good amount of fat for energy and taste, and fiber to support digestion. It’s balanced to provide energy and flavor while remaining shelf-stable and easy to chew. This gift is a win/win! And quite honestly, I can’t tell you how tempted I am to try it myself. One day!
LUCA THE NAPA DOG - SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA CABLE CAR DOG TOY
Besides treats pets love their toys. Lucca, The Napa Dog is another small, independent pet brand inspired by the love of a dog, in this case it’s Lucca, a big 70 lbs fluffy dog. The brand specializes in dog inspired gift baskets however they also feature other categories and pet toys are one of them. Since it’s a Napa based brand we love their San Francisco, CaliforniaCable Car Toy. Never has tug-a-war been so cute with this soft cable car that has a crinkly roof and bold squeaker. Guaranteed hours of fun for both your furry one and you.
We hope we have inspired you with these gifts. Please take a look at your local neighborhood toy stores, holiday markets, independent bookstores, pet shops and children boutiques. They contain a trove of artisanal gifts for your loved ones that they are sure to become family heirlooms.
Next week is our last blog for holiday shopping and it will be GIFTS FOR ALL! We will also be featuring in our Instagram stories special picks starting on Sunday, November 30th for all of Advent. These will be be brands we know and love that only have an online presence. Now that the holiday season is officially on its way and Black Friday is over we hope you are enjoying the season and finding shopping for your loved ones a pleasure.
We have reached the eighth day of our Holiday Gift Guide and today we put the spotlight on kids; their fashion, their toys, their books. We are highlighting three brands, one bookstore and one toy store that offer unique, playful, colorful, eco-friendly, relevant products for children. If you think your child is a one-of-a-kind then these choices should make you happy and even more important your babies happy.
Lucky Wang is a kids clothing store that is for the cool kids in the know (or their parents at least). Known for their beautiful baby kimonos, rock tees and playful clothing and toys, we chose a Kamala Infant Tee as Lucky Wang likes their babies and kids to be political aware from the cradle to the single size bed. RBG and Obama tees are also available.
Makie is a highly curated children’s boutique in the Historical District of Soho (although they do carry some women’s apparel and home decor), The aesthetic is mainly minimal,with soft muted colors and luscious textures. However we picked one of their plush toys that they feature for babies made by French based knitwear designer, Sophie Digard. Since 1999, Sophie Digard has been designing models for fashion accessories and textile objects in her Paris workshop. Every object is then crafted entirely by hand in natural materials after a long process of preparation. Work on color is of prime importance. Inspired by the infinite variation of natural elements, Sophie Digard process creations that defy the dictates of time.” The small Donkey and Dog is 6 inches and the large is 9 3/4 inches. Made of 60% Merino wool, 40% Cotton. All process are made by hand in Madagascar. Its such a beautiful stuffed toy, you may want it on your bed.
A simple goodnight routine turns marvelously madcap in this cleverly rhymed picture book. Instead of settling down to sleep, Dad bakes bread, Mom fixes the roof, and Grandma plays cards with a ghost. And between the dog, the cat, Sister, and Brother, there's at least three different wars being waged! A modern classic perfect for read-aloud fun and bedtime alike.
Made in France, a new generation of slipper-socks has a feeling of barefoot plus support! Micro-ventilated, they are super comfortable and have anti-slip spikes. Socks are designed with a white heart print on the front. 86% Cotton 12% Polyamide. Machine wash cold. Comes in multiple sizes.
Playing Mantis is one of The Local Artisan Guide’s favorite toy stores with all its charming handcrafted wooden toys, costumes and beautifully curated book shop. Its hard to pick just one item from this store but for affordability we chose this charming horse marionette which acts as handsome decor when resting, but its real purpose is to delight, entertain, and amuse when animated. Sturdily constructed of hardwood, felt, fabric, and leather, this sculpture can achieve magically realistic movement with simple, one-hand operation. Should strings ever become tangled, you’ll be able to remedy the problem in a snap thanks to a unique, tangleproof string design.
We all know Christmas and the holidays are for children so hopefully we guided you to some children’s gifts that show them how special and unique they are to you and the world around them.
Recently Hudson Yards, a complex that includes residences, offices, shops, restaurants and cultural institutions all encased among innovative architecture (innovative for NYC) has opened up to the general public.
The Local Artisan Guide feels its important for you to have information at your hand for shopping destinations whether its on a charming small dead end street or a multilevel complex. Hudson Yards is certainly the latter.
Located at West 34th Street and 11th Ave. (you can take the #7 train to Hudson Yards directly or a crosstown bus), Hudson Yards is where the MTA has housed subway cars for decades (still does). After exiting the highly stylized new subway station, you encounter a complex of new, cutting edge buildings that include residences, the Equinox Hotel, and a very upscale mall for New York City.
Hudson Yards include a complex of residences, office buildings, shops and The Equinox Hotel.
There is a structure outside the shops that looks like the skeletal system of a bug or artichoke called “The Vessel”. It is a piece that you can enter and explore from the inside (much like the Statue of Liberty). To enter you need to go onto Hudson Yards’s website www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com and reserve a time and day to enter the sculpture (its free).
In the center of Hudson Yards you will encounter The Vessel, a sculpture you are allowed to enter and explore (tickets available for free online).
After exploring The Vessel you can head straight to the shops across the way. The main store here is department store Neiman Marcus. Neiman Marcus has never been situated in NYC (except for Neiman Marcus Last Call in Brooklyn) so in a city that has been losing iconic department stores for the last few years (Lord & Taylor, Henri Bendel’s etc.) it is nice to have one that has a long reputable establish itself here. Neiman Marcus presents itself in a minimal way, there is no or little clutter. They offer a strongly curated assortment of established and emerging designers in its store.
Neiman Marcus is the dominant department store at Hudson Yards, located on the third floor.
A view of The Vessel and the trains lined up in at Hudson Yards from the interior.
What is interesting in the consortium of stores in the Hudson Yards is its range. Here you can find high end brands such as Christian Dior and Cartier’s, to mid range brands like Kate Spade and Tori Burch all the way to H&M and Zara. All presented much like the high end malls you see in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. Downtown in the financial district you have a similar collection of stores in Battery Park City with high end brands, grand architecture, restaurants, hotels and residences all flowing into each other, yet at Hudson Yards there is a difference as the selection of stores at Hudson Yards has a curated feel to it. Besides the brands mentioned there are also more independent brands that you would find by strolling down the streets of Soho but you wouldn’t find their presence in American malls. These brands include Scanlan Theodore, M.Gemi and Hatch to name a few.
Fendi is one the high end stores you will find at Hudson Yards amongst others.
Zara and H&M are some of the affordable stores you will find at Hudson Yards.
Scanlan Theodore is one of the many independent brands that have opened in Hudson Yards.
Also unlike the malls in Asia or in Battery Park City, Hudson Yards strives to have something for everybody as shopping and eating there runs the gamut of all price ranges. You can find both high end restaurants and more affordable eating, like Shake Shack at Hudson Yards.
Hudson Yards offers besides shops, multiple places of all price points to dine. Shake Shack is amongst food choices at Hudson Yards.
Many of the shops have still yet to open at the Hudson yards. The experience of shopping at Hudson Yards is similar to the World Trade Center instead there the art structure is part of the interior shopping experience and in Hudson Yards its on the exterior of the building. Hudson Yards incorporates art installations throughout the interior and exterior of the complex making for a cultural experience too.
Hudson Yards included art throughout the entire complex.
Hudson Yards is bound to be a popular place to visit in the future, especially if you live there or are staying in Midtown when visiting NYC. It is definitely worth a visit.
