Let's stuff those stockings!

We're in the final days of Christmas shopping and many of you may be at the "stocking stuffer stage" - your remaining gifts are fun, little things for the stocking. This past week on Instagram and Facebook, I shared some of my favorite stocking stuffer ideas which I will recap below, along with some other fun ideas. Hope it helps someone with their final holiday shopping!

Fun pens or pencils

Moonshine Boot Wax

Local bath or hand soaps - Little Seed Farm, Music City Suds or WOW Soap

Paper coasters and/or paper straws

Small pottery bowls for rings, keys, decor

Fun coin purse with a gift card, cash or coin assortment (great for vending machines at work!)

Notepads, list pads or sticky notes

Travel-sized candles

Fun box of matches

Cocktail napkins

Jewelry

Fun keychain

TruBee lip balm or honey

Bang Candy Company marshmallows, caramels or syrups

Cocktail mixers - Walkers, Eli Mason or Barsmith

Roux Maison travel-sized stain remover or detergents

Local snacks/seasonings/chocolates - Batch Nashville store at the Farmer's Market has an abundance of fantastic gifts that will fit nicely in those stockings

Room spray from Music City Suds (love Conway Minty!)

Fun socks

stocking stuffers! image southern giftologist

Happy gifting!

Let's shop...original {affordable} art

Once upon a time I found original art unapproachable and had the misconception that it would be out of my budget, so I stayed away from those "fancy art galleries". However, several years ago a dear friend introduced me to a local gallery where I purchased my first piece of original art for around $150...and I was hooked. Since that time, I've actually taken a few leaps of faith in buying art as gifts for others and have been pleased at how well-received it was - especially to those who have never purchased original art - so today I want to talk about gifting a truly unique gift...the gift of art.

Click through the slideshow below for pieces that caught my eye.

I sat down yesterday with my favorite local gallery owner, Ron York, whose gallery York and Friends Fine Art in Nashville has a wonderful selection of art at all price points (seriously, as low as $50!) and in all styles. Below is some advice he shared when considering gifting a piece of art:

1. Play it safe by choosing a piece with a particular theme or color you know the recipient likes. Big fan of birds? Then find a piece featuring a bird. Loves the color pink? Choose a piece that prominently features that color.
2. Start small. A smaller art piece can be displayed on a bookshelf or table - it doesn't require the recipient to clear off wall space or to find that perfect spot. Now, if you know the person pretty well and know they have a particular space they're wanting to fill, you can take more risk with your gift.
3. Think carefully before buying unframed art. Ideally, when gifting you don't want to create work for the recipient. Giving a piece of unframed art is fine, but consider also giving them a gift card for framing costs or having the piece framed yourself. 
4. Give a gallery gift certificate. Art is personal and each piece speaks differently to each person. If you're not a gift risk taker, then consider giving them a gift certificate to a gallery where the recipient can choose their own piece - and then go with them to see what they choose! A $100 gift certificate to a gallery likely will result in a more memorable gift than the same amount to a department store.
5. Think outside the canvas. Art can be in the form of glassware (vases, tumblers) or pottery (beautiful bowls for fruit or simply objects for display).

These glass tumblers could be used for pens, pencils or even makeup brushes! Image southern giftologist

Ron showed me many pieces currently in his gallery for $100 or less, so if you're still searching for a unique gift this holiday season, be sure to visit his gallery (or one in your area if you're outside of Nashville) or a local art show event and support your local artists!

A huge thank you to Ron for chatting with me yesterday...and if you're looking for a gift for me, stop by and he'll happily show you some of my favorite pieces! Happy gifting!

Let's gift...A Membership or Subscription

The holiday shopping season is in full swing! Are you done with your shopping yet? Still wrestling with what to gift to friends and family members or not sure what to ask for yourself? Then let's talk about membership and subscription gifts!

A great idea for a family gift - especially if the family has children - is a membership to your local zoo. We have been members of the Nashville Zoo for many years and membership offers access to members-only events or just being able to skip the ticket line when we do visit - which can be as many times as we want during the year. Even during the winter you'll get that one random warm day where the sun is shining and a walk around the zoo is perfect for getting some exercise and fresh air. This is also a great gift idea for older friends and family members!

Image Frist Center for the Visual Arts

Another membership idea that you can tailor to the interest of your recipient is to a museum or outdoor garden. Here in Nashville, we have many museums but probably the most recognizable ones are the Frist Center, the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and Cheekwood Gardens. An annual membership allows the recipient to visit as many times during the year as they wish and again, offers access to members-only events. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year.

Image Cheekwood Art and Gardens

Other fun membership gifts could be to a gym, yoga or other fitness class, the local YMCA or even AAA or some other roadside assistance membership for those who make frequent road trips. Have a craft beer fan in your life? How about a local Mug Club membership to their favorite local brewery? This is an especially great guy gift!

Lastly, there are subscription gifts - and I'm talking about more than just a magazine subscription (which I feel is still relevant for some recipients). What about hopping on the trend wagon and gifting one of the many "box subscriptions" out there such as Nature Box or Birchbox? A quick Google search of "subscriptions gifts" indicated there's something out there for pretty much every interest. These monthly or quarterly subscriptions can offer a fun surprise of new products to try throughout the year.

Image Nature Box

Have other great subscription or membership ideas? Let us know in the comments below...

Happy Gifting!

Let's Shop...Small Business Saturday

The green flag has been waved and the 2015 holiday shopping season has begun (at least for those of us who didn't finish our shopping 2 months ahead of time)! Traditional retailers have been tempting us with their Black Friday deals for weeks, but today I want to talk about my favorite post-Thanksgiving shopping event - Small Business Saturday.

Image Pinterest

Basically, the day was created to encourage shoppers to get out and support smaller, local shops within their community (which, personally, I feel we should do much more frequently than one day a year). So, I'd like to encourage each of you to save some of your Black Friday budget to spend at locally-owned retailers in your area tomorrow, Saturday, November 28th. Be sure to post pictures of your Small Business Saturday purchases on social media with #southernggifts so we can see all your awesome finds!

Happy {Small Business} Shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The gift-buying frenzy kicks off this Friday, but there's a really important holiday that shouldn't be overlooked this week - Thanksgiving Day. On this day, we partake in our turkey (or ham) feasts, indulge in all of our favorite holiday foods followed by down-time with family and/or friends and reflect and give thanks for the past year.

Image redstamp.com

It's easy to think of gifts as physical items that we give to another person, but it's important to note that some of the best gifts could be as simple as the gift of volunteering our time to help others less fortunate or the gift of lending an ear to someone who just needs to talk through a difficult situation. There will be plenty of time to focus on physical gifts over the next few weeks, so take a pause and instead focus on the intangible gifts of your time and attention to your friends and loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving...and please pass the gravy!

Holiday Birthdays

Let me start by saying I love celebrating birthdays - not my own, of course, because I don't age - but I love celebrating other people's birthdays. I mean, a whole day dedicated to YOU and the fact that you were born! That's all fine and good if your birthday is in the middle of summer, but what happens when that special day happens to fall on December 23rd...or 24th...or even the 25th?! Or what about those birthdays that occur the first week of January - right AFTER the slew of gift-giving has occurred?! Don't even suggest that the person pick another day to celebrate their birth - that's their special day! So let's talk about ways to celebrate a birthday while also celebrating a major holiday - regardless of the time of year!

Image someecards

Full disclosure...I have family and friends who happen to have birthdays a day or two before Christmas - smack dab in the middle of holiday celebrations. Before I knew better, I wrapped their birthday gift in holiday paper. I did a Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas card (so embarrassing!) until one of them finally clued me in as to how cheated they felt having a birthday so close to Christmas. They felt as if it were an excuse to give them a unigift - one gift to fit both occasions. Not cool. 

Image redstamp.com

So, what can we do for our friends and family who share their special day with (or near) a holiday?

1. Be mindful that their birthday is a separate event from whatever holiday you're celebrating.
2. Don't wrap their birthday gift in the same wrap as the holiday you're celebrating. Don't even let the birthday wrap share the same colors as the holiday!
3. Carve out time for the BIRTHDAY celebration/dinner/party. Don't try to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, by combining a birthday dinner with a holiday dinner unless that person insists. Even then, try to make them feel special by carving out time to celebrate just them.
4. Birthday cake! Balloons! Sing "Happy Birthday"!
5. Make them feel special. People bring joy to our lives - celebrate them! Without them, all the other holidays aren't the same.

Have other ideas for making a holiday birthday special? Please share them in the comments below! 

Happy holidays, happy birthdays and happy gifting!

Holiday Gift Idea: Local for Local

Ok, so the holidays are fast approaching - have you started thinking about your gift list yet? Here's an idea for those of us who exchange gifts over the holidays with friends or family that live in another state - consider a "Local for Local" gift exchange!

Nashville goods. Image southern giftologist.

The concept is simple - agree on a dollar amount (or not!) with the only criteria being that the gift must contain locally-made or sourced goods from each respective state or city. How easy is that?! And what a great way for each of you to seek out and discover local goods not only from where you live but also from another area!

Does your recipient like to cook? Your gift could be as simple as a local cookbook!

So if you and a buddy decide on a local for local gift exchange, post a photo on social media with #southernggifts so we can all see the cool stuff you gave and received! Note: You could also apply this concept to "secret santa" and "white elephant" exchanges that you're involved in.

Local goodness. Image southern giftologist.

Happy gifting!

Get your {local} holiday shopping on!

Now that Halloween is over, the countdown to the biggest gift-giving season of the year has begun - but there is no need for anyone to panic! There is still plenty of time to figure out what to gift everyone on your list and I'm going to do my very best to help point you in the right direction. There are several local, holiday markets on the horizon that would provide a wonderful opportunity to think - and buy - outside the gift box this season.

Happening Friday, November 20th (noon - 7pm) and Saturday, November 21st (9am - 6pm) is the MADE South Holiday Market at The Factory in Franklin. This is a ticketed event for both days - $15.00 in advance; $19.00 at the door. I attended their first event a couple of months ago and it was chock-full of wonderful goods by regional vendors. Get more info here or check out my previous blog post about their last market here.

Image MADE South

You're going to want to clear your calendar the weekend of December 4th - 6th for these next two markets. As I mentioned a couple of blog posts ago, Porter Flea is back for their holiday market Friday, December 4th (ticketed event 6pm - 9pm) and Saturday, December 5th (free event 10am - 5pm) featuring an amazing roster of artisans and their handmade goods. This event takes place at Silver Point Studios in East Nashville. Click here for more info or check out my previous blog post.

Image Porter Flea

Also that weekend, there's a NEW holiday market taking place Saturday, December 5th (10am - 6pm) and Sunday, December 6th (noon - 5pm) - the WEHO Holiday Market & Art Crawl at the Track One building in the Wedgewood-Houston area of Nashville. This free market promises to bring together the "best of art, fashion, design and vintage" and will include artisans and vendors from Nashville and the surrounding region. This event is in conjunction with both the First Saturday Art Crawl in the area and the 2nd Annual Designers in Music City event presented by The WJA Nashville Chapter. Get more information about the WEHO market here.

Image WEHO Market

In case you're wondering, yes, I plan to attend all three markets! If you go, please tag your photos with #southernggifts so I can see all the awesome goods you find. Happy gifting!

Let's shop...High Note Gifts

I understand - life gets busy and shopping for gifts can become a burden or chore. Next thing you know, you're stressing out about that gift for "insert occasion here" that you need to find but time to do so is what you really need. Wouldn't it be great if there was an online shop where you could find unique, local gifts to send for any occasion? Well there is! Today, I'd like to introduce you to Nashville-based High Note Gifts.

The Bourbon Bundle. Image High Note Gifts.

This online shop offers the best in locally-made goods from the Nashville area. They create their own gift combinations but will also work with you to customize gifts to meet your gifting needs. Want your gift to include certain local products? They can do that! Best of all, they work within any budget to make sure your gift is perfect for your recipient and for your wallet. Additionally, they offer corporate and special event gift services - just contact them with details of your occasion and budget and they'll work on creating a gift to fit your needs.

Just For Her gift. Image High Note Gifts.

For the holiday season - Halloween through New Years - they're offering special holiday-themed gifts. I follow them on social media and love seeing their creative ideas!

Trick or Treat basket. Image High Note Gifts.

So what are some occasions where you might find High Note Gifts to be your go-to source? Pretty much any gifting occasion! Get well, housewarming, birthday, welcome-to-Nashville, farewell-Nashville or simply a thinking-of-you gift. 

Welcome Home gift - I think this would make a fantastic housewarming gift! Image High Note Gifts.

So next time you find yourself struggling to find a gift for that upcoming occasion, consider letting High Note Gifts take the stress from you and put together a custom, local gift that's perfect for your recipient.

Happy gifting!

Off the beaten path...Belle Chèvre in Elkmont, AL

My day job requires semi-regular travel between Nashville and Birmingham and several months ago I noticed an "attraction sign" for Belle Chèvre Creamery just over the Alabama state line. This past week, I decided to venture off the beaten path of I-65 and travel 5 miles to the center of Elkmont, AL to visit the tasting room and shop at Belle Chèvre - and I was so glad that I did!

The cheese board. Image southern giftologist.

I managed to arrive shortly after they opened at 10:00 a.m. and was greeted by Julie who promptly offered me a cup of freshly-made French press coffee and samplings of their locally-made goat cheeses and ice creams. The space was bright and relaxing - a great little out-of-the-way stop. Not only do they offer their products for sale, but they also serve breakfast and lunch items if you need a bite to eat. The shop also offers other items such as hats, soaps, t-shirts and various other goods.

The tasting station at Belle Chèvre. Image southern giftologist.

Image southern giftologist

So what does any of this have to do with gift giving? I’m so glad you asked! Their goat cheeses were delicious and I’ve seen a few of them available at Whole Foods here in Nashville. It would make a great item to bring to a dinner party, get-together with friends or to serve guests at your next party or girl’s night in…just add some crackers and wine! Or, as a gift to yourself, stop in at Belle Chèvre next time you find yourself traveling around the Alabama/Tennessee state line and take a moment to savor some delicious, locally-made products!

Mark Your Calendar: Porter Flea Holiday Market

Well, everyone...the calendar has flipped to October and we're officially in the last quarter of 2015! The stores are filled with Halloween, Fall and Holiday decor and it's time to start planning for all those wonderful, unique and local gifts you're going to give this holiday season. One of my favorite events to attend each December is the Porter Flea Holiday Market where you can find fabulous, hand-made goods by local and regional artisans. This year, the event takes place Friday, December 4th (preview market) and Saturday, December 5th (free event).

Image Porter Flea

I always find great gifts at Porter Flea and I especially love the Porter Pantry where I can stock up on local food items which also make great stocking stuffers! So if you've never attended, I highly recommend checking it out as part of your gift-giving search this year.

Happy gifting!

I picked up this nifty little reclaimed circuit board tree made by Hazelwood Laboratories at last year's Porter Flea Holiday Market. Image southern giftologist.

MADE South Market Follow-Up

I went to the MADE South Market last weekend and WOW...what an amazing event! Purveyors from all over the South were in attendance and I enjoyed discovering some new artisans that I wasn't familiar with. Today I'll share with you my purchases and some of those vendors I'm now following and keeping in mind for the upcoming gift-giving season!

Here's a peek inside my shopping bag. Image southern giftologist

I blame it on the fact we visited right before lunch that I bought so many food-related items, but it was all in the name of research! Here's what I went home with - some for gifts, some for me:

1. Guitar notecards from Oak + Ink
2. Candies from the new Seersucker Candy Co. 
3. Old Fashioned mix from Eli Mason
4. Nokes Granola
5. Molly & Me pecans
6. Gents ginger ale & cocktail mixer
7. Great Bear Wax Co. Autumn candle - can't wait to start burning this just as soon as the weather cools off a bit more!

Here are some other vendors that caught my eye that I'm keeping in mind for future gift-giving occasions:

McQueen Pottery: I fell in love with several of their pieces and can see their pottery making a wonderful house-warming or wedding gift.

Image McQueen Pottery Instagram account

Cotton & Pine Creative: It's no secret I'm a sucker for cool stationery, prints or other paper products and these guys have a fun selection of all of those.

I foresee gifting several of these coaster sets this year. Image Cotton & Pine

Mitchell Bat Co.: I will admit at first glance I thought "oh, baseball stuff" and yes, they have some really cool baseball bats and related products. However, what caught my eye were the neat Tennessee products - hats, t-shirts and pennants. I see their products making great guy gifts!

How great is this pennant for a kid's room, man cave or college dorm room? Image Mitchell Bat Co.

There were so many other great artisans representing at MADE South Market that will likely appear in future blog posts as we get closer to the holidays. I hope the folks at MADE South will host this event again next year and if they do, be sure to check it out!

Happy gifting!

Let's gift...cocktail mixers

It's no secret that gifting a bottle of wine or six-pack of beer is an easy, timeless hostess or housewarming gift. Stock-the-bar parties are a no brainer - gifting alcohol is typically one of the easiest, go-to gift ideas. But how can you set your gift apart from all the other bottles of "insert liquor here" gifts? By pairing that bottle of alcohol with an awesome, local cocktail mixer. 

Let's start with Bang Candy simple syrup. I have tried at least four of their flavors by now and love how versatile these mixers are - you can find a flavor to pair with most any liquor. What I love about these, too, are that they mix well with iced tea or soda water to make a delicious non-alcoholic beverage. One of my favorites this summer was mixing the Lavender Mint syrup with iced tea. For the alcoholic variety, my go-to is the Spiced Smoked Orange with bourbon. With Fall knocking (hopefully) at the door, try the Pumpkin Spice in your coffee or latte - delicious! More recipes can be found on here on Bang Candy's website.

Gift it: 1 Spiced Smoked Orange Bang Candy syrup + 1 bottle good bourbon + Bang Candy boozy caramels OR

1 Pumpkin Spice Bang Candy syrup + 1 bag of local coffee + Bang Candy marshmallows

I typically buy my Bang Candy syrups at Hester & Cook. Image southern giftologist

I consider the next two true cocktail mixers - sorry, I don't think these mix well with anything other than alcohol, but if you know of any non-alcoholic recipes, please post them in the comments below! I recently picked up a bottle of Walker Feed Co.'s Blackberry Margarita Mix from the Batch store - yum! Just mix it with tequila and you have yourself a delicious drink! I believe their Southern Bloody Mary mix is their most popular but they also have Honeysuckle Sour and Strawberry Rhubarb flavors which I have not yet tried. 

Gift it: 1 bottle Walker's mix + 1 bottle appropriate liquor + some fun cocktail glasses or napkins

Image Walker Feed Co.

Lastly, I'd like to introduce you to Eli Mason cocktail mixers. I love being able to mix up a delicious cocktail at home without a bunch of fuss or a lot of ingredients and with Eli Mason's Old Fashioned cocktail mixer I can do just that. Find their other mixer flavors here, where to buy here and drink recipes here. 

Gift it: 1 bottle Eli Mason Old Fashioned mix + 1 bottle good bourbon + 1 box of Willas shortbread cheese biscuits

A warm summer evening calls for a cool cocktail. Image southern giftologist

Cheers...and happy gifting!

Upcoming Event - MADE SOUTH Market

In just a couple of days we'll flip the calendar over to September - does anyone else feel 2015 is quickly zooming by or is it just me? There are some people out there (I am typically not one of them) that start holiday shopping by this time. There are still others who - legend tells me - are DONE with their shopping by this point! 

I think this year will be an exception to my early holiday shopping rule. Each year, I look forward to attending any local maker markets where I can shop for unique, local gifts to give during the holidays or for any upcoming occasion. This year, there's a new event taking place at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, TN on Saturday, September 12th - the MADE SOUTH Market - and I can't wait to check it out!

In case you're not familiar with MADE SOUTH, check out their website here. They offer subscription gifts whereby they send a "curated shipment of Southern goods to your door every three months". You can purchase a quarterly, four-box or one-box option. It's a great gift idea for a birthday, "welcome to the neighborhood", or for that friend or loved one who moved away and misses the South. Maybe it's a great gift for yourself to check out some new, regional goods.

How fun are these paper coasters? Image MADE SOUTH

Maybe you can see why I'm so excited about attending this market event! According to their website, there will be 80 artisans and makers from all over the South in attendance. A quick view of the vendor list shows a lot of Nashville representation but also many other vendors from surrounding states. 

Image MADE SOUTH

Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door - the link to purchase tickets can be found here. I'll report back later next month on my market finds!

Plan on attending? Let me know in the comments below!

Let's shop...Little Gourmand

Bonjour, mes amis! After a brief break, I'm back and happy to share with you this wonderful French market located on Bandywood Drive in Nashville. I've followed Little Gourmand on Instagram since it opened late last year and first visited Easter weekend to purchase a box of beautiful macarons from Sweet Darling Patisserie. Last weekend, I had an opportunity to visit (during a torrential downpour) and was greeted by the lovely owner, Guenievre Milliner, who so graciously answered my questions about many of the products she carries in her store.

As you know, dear readers, my mission is to find gift ideas outside of the ordinary and yet stay within a reasonable price point. Little Gourmand is a French market with wonderful, unique products to fit any budget. So, I'd like to share just a few of the things that caught my eye during my recent visit.

Jars of honey...French honey! Imagine one of these paired with a loaf of artisan bread, a box of tea or alone as a "hey, you're sweet!" gift to brighten someone's day.

Image southern giftologist

Chocolate helps alleviate many woes in life and Little Gourmand has your chocolate needs covered. How about these chocolate spreads? They look good enough to eat straight from the jar with a spoon but since we're not savages, how about picking up a box of butter cookies that are 2 shelves over at Little Gourmand to pair with? Or ask Guenievre for her recommendations on how to serve this chocolate goodness.

Image southern giftologist

Little Gourmand has many gift options that will satisfy any foodie or someone who likes to cook: gourmet salts, oils, mustards, tapenades, a cold case with many specialty foods - the list goes on - but you can also find non-food items such as cookbooks and these gorgeous dish towels which Guenievre tells me many of her customers frame and hang in their kitchen.

Image southern giftologist

Back to my original visit Easter weekend - the macarons! Every Thursday, Little Gourmand receives a delivery of macarons from Little Darling Patisserie. When I visited last Saturday they were already sold out, but I made a return trip this weekend when I saw the picture below posted by Little Gourmand on Instagram. A box of these would make a wonderful gift for most any occasion: new baby, birthday, welcome home, just because...

Looks too pretty to eat...but I'm going to! Image Little Gourmand Instagram

Whether you live in Nashville or are planning to visit, I encourage you to stop by Little Gourmand the next time you're in need of a unique gift or just want to pick up some special products for a dinner party or to keep at home. Also, starting next week, Little Gourmand will begin serving pastries and sandwiches on-site! I can't wait to plan my next visit to enjoy a croissant and espresso and to visit with Guenievre.

Au revoir - and happy gifting!

Add a little something special to that next celebration! Image southern giftologist

Let's gift...a book

Over the past few years we've seen e-readers and iPads take the place of traditional books and magazines. However, I'm still a believer in the old fashioned book - especially coffee table books...or grown-up picture books as I sometimes call them. I realize I'm quite likely in the minority on this, but I still believe paper books can be great gifts.

Coffee table books can bring beauty to a room and are great for browsing - especially if the subject matter is reminiscent of a great trip, a place or theme one really enjoys or just filled with beautiful pictures. Local guide books or picture books also make great gifts. I love the Wildsam Field Guides which highlight certain U.S. cities and are great for those who love to travel or are just are enamored with a particular city.

Regional books I keep on my bookshelf. Image southerngiftologist

Giving the gift of a great - perhaps regional - cookbook can be a wonderful gift idea whether the recipient loves to cook or not. Many cookbooks are essentially beautiful picture books - I was gifted with a cookbook from Blackberry Farms and enjoy it for the beautiful photos as much as the delicious recipes it contains.

Cookbooks! Image southerngiftologist

Last, but certainly not least, a book from the Images of America series makes a great gift for those who enjoy history or have a very specific interest. I have a family member who's a long-time fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and gave him an Images of America book about the Cardinals a couple of years ago - and he loved it! These historical picture books span so many subjects - you're likely to find the perfect one for your recipient.

Images of America books from my own collection. Image southerngiftologist

So the next time you find yourself stumped for a gift idea, head on over to your local bookstore (they do still exist!) and browse the shelves for the perfect gift...a book.

The $10 - $15 gift challenge

A friend of mine recently asked for help coming up with hostess gift ideas for 6 ladies that were throwing her a shower. Easy, right? Well, not so much when she says that her budget is between $60 and $70 in total. At that point I could have easily pointed her to the $10 Starbucks gift cards but that's not the southern giftologist way, and I knew we could find something local and/or creative within this budget. At some point we all are faced with finding gifts in this price range - hello, white elephant or secret santa gifts during the holidays?! And so I present 5 ideas for gifts that come in at $15 or less - for those times we need to gift on a smaller budget:

1. Tin candle from Southern Firefly. The Grapefruit Mangosteen is one of my favorites, but they have several scents to choose from. These candles can also be found at several stores around Nashville or on Southern Firefly's website. Pair with a decorative box of matches to complete the gift!

2. Travel-sized laundry products from Roux Maison. Elevate the laundry game by gifting a couple of these trial-sized products. Sold in sets of 3, you can order a couple and mix and match depending on the recipient. Choose from stain remover (supposed to be one of the best), scented detergent, delicates detergent or swimwear detergent.

image southern giftologist

3. Fun office supplies from Poppin. Yes, I realize this is my second post to mention this company and no, I don't work for them, but they ARE one of my go-to sites for gifts. And who doesn't love office supplies in bright, fun colors?

4. Shopping lists or notepads. I love the ones from Rifle Paper Co. and Southern Fried Design Barn both of which I have seen at Green Door Gourmet. Add a recyclable grocery bag, tote or a decorative hand towel and you have yourself a useful gift.

Hand towel and notepad from my personal collection

5. Last, but certainly not least, consider giving the gift of local food products. There are so many wonderful companies out there making delicious products that could (and likely will) fill an entire blog post alone, but for the sake of space on this post I'm only going to mention a few. Two of my go-to places for local products are the Batch Shop at the Nashville Farmers Market and Green Door Gourmet. 

• Box of Willa's Shortbread cookies or bag of Nola Granola and a fun snack bowl from West Elm or Anthropologie
• Jar of Nashville Jam Company jam or TruBee honey accompanied by a pretty spreader, spoon or loaf of fresh, artisan bread
• Bag of Soberdough bread mix and a bottle or two of local beer (one for the mix and one for drinking while the bread is baking!)
• Six-pack of local beer with a bag or two of Sweet Meat Jerky (great guy gift!)

Local goodies I purchased at the Batch store

So there you have it - some of my ideas for gifting on a budget. If nothing else, I hope I've helped spark an idea or two of your own or introduced you to a new product or store that can be a resource for your gifting needs.

College send-off gifts

Yes, I realize everyone is just now hitting their summer stride, but it's not too early to think about those recent high school graduates who are headed off to college next month. Many of you may have already gifted them with cash - which is always a useful gift - but let's explore some other potential "going off to college" gift ideas that may be a bit outside the mainstream.

I admit - I love cool office supplies. One of my favorite online shops to buy fun, colorful supplies is poppin.com. The best part about Poppin is that they have a vast array of colors to choose from...which makes it easy to gift grown-up desk supplies in the recipient's college colors! We know a recent high school graduate who's headed to Kennesaw State next month so we gifted her with yellow and black supplies and post-it notes - perfect for getting her started freshman year. Another advantage to a gift like this is that it's gender neutral - suitable for guys and gals!

Image poppin.com

Does anyone else remember walking into your drab dorm room and immediately wanting to cover it with posters to mask the white cinder block walls? Ok, maybe that was just my experience, but another option for those heading away to college is a little piece of home...via a hometown poster. Here in Nashville, Anderson Design Group and Hatch Show Print both offer unique options for adding a little touch of home to a dorm room.

Image Anderson Design Group

Another way to send a little piece of home with a college freshman (or even a friend who's moving away) is with a piece of simple, state-inspired jewelry. On a recent trip to Knoxville, I found a Tennessee bracelet made by Gleeful Peacock at one of my favorite stores, Bliss. Gleeful Peacock has an array of state jewelry on her website, so maybe a bracelet or necklace from your home state would make a great send-off gift.

Image Gleeful Peacock

I'm a big fan of practical gifts, too, and one of the things I remember about being a college freshman living away from home was that suddenly I had to go buy household stuff like laundry detergent myself. Gift a practical gift like a small laundry basket filled with a couple of fluffy towels, laundry detergent, dryer sheets and maybe a roll of quarters to feed the laundromat machine. Or, a freshman first aid kit with basics like Band-Aids, headache medicine, first aid ointment, and the like could come in very handy.

While all the gifts I've mentioned are potentially great gifts, don't forget that most of those moving off to college simply don't want to be a victim of "out of sight, out of mind". In this day of text messaging and instant everything, sometimes a simple piece of mail or a postcard can really brighten their day. So, make a note to send them a postcard from that beach vacation or even from home. You never know how great the simple gift of "hello" can be.

Nashville postcards from Anderson Design Group. Image southern giftologist.

Let's gift...a water vessel

In case you haven't noticed, summer has officially arrived! Events are going on all over the place and suddenly you realize you need a housewarming gift or a birthday gift or a hostess gift and it's so hot the last thing you want to do is to run all over town searching for the right gift. Alas, I offer you a simple, yet useful, gift idea - a carafe or cute water pitcher!

I purchased the blue carafe at Welcome Home Shop in East Nashville and the crab carafe was gifted to me by some friends who purchased it in Charleston, SC.

I became fascinated with the carafe after a trip to France several years ago so my husband bought me one after I returned home. A carafe (or water pitcher) can be a fun addition to any dinner table or drink station at a party or even a bedside convenience for that person at home recovering from surgery when it's difficult to go to/from the kitchen for water.

I love the GurglePot! The only place I've seen them in town is Bliss Home on 8th Ave. in Nashville. I purchased these (future gifts!) in Maine last month.

While a pretty/unique/fun pitcher can stand alone as a gift, there are a couple of ways to kick the gift up a notch. How about filling the pitcher with fresh flowers - either from your garden or a simple store bouquet? After the flowers fade, the recipient is left with a useful water pitcher. Or, pair the pitcher with a bottle of wine (or fancy bottled water for the non-drinkers) for a great gift combo. The friends that gave me the carafe from Charleston paired it with a lovely bottle of wine for my birthday and it was the perfect gift!

Now, stay cool out there and don't forget to hydrate!

This is a blog about gifts

Welcome to the southern giftologist blog, where we’ll traverse the gift-giving (and receiving) waters! Exciting, right? It is to me! I can’t explain it, but I enjoy shopping for gifts for other people more than I enjoy shopping for myself. Over the years, I’ve had friends and co-workers routinely ask me for gift-giving advice or ideas and, generally, people seem to really enjoy the gifts I come up with. I have no special training in this area – by trade, my job is in corporate America and I do LOVE my day job! But, crunching numbers all day leaves me craving a creative outlet, which I have found in shopping for and giving gifts or coming up with cool gift ideas…and so this blog was born.

So, what can you expect from this blog? I’ll share gift ideas for any occasion, we’ll talk about stressful gift-giving scenarios, we’ll explore local stores in my wonderful hometown of Nashville, TN, and we’ll feature local products and goods – which will hopefully inspire your own creative gift-giving ideas and challenge you to think outside the {department store} box and steer you away from that gift card tree when you’re just too tired to think about giving the perfect gift.

Let’s begin, shall we?

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