Where my procrastinators at? Just like many of you, I am feeling the holiday rush as the countdown to Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve is swiftly ticking along. Not to mention that we are already half-way into Hanukkah! And with the holiday parties piling up, I’m feeling the festive frenzy. That all said, the gifting ghoul has surfaced, and I’m gearing up for last-minute shopping. I’m way past the after-Thanksgiving sales and CyberMonday deals, and to be honest, I used most of those “online savings” on things for myself. And as enticing as shopping while sitting on the sofa wearing pajamas may seem, the reality of shipping rates and delivery dates have now made any internet purchases implausible.
Therefore I highly recommend shopping local. Not only will your money go to support small business, but you can handpick from a highly curated selection of unique items. And nothing beats word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted people in your community. For this week’s column I enlisted some of my friends and colleagues, who live in the hi desert, to share some of their local picks that will hopefully assist you in finding something special in real life.