Experience Gifts
We love holiday shopping, and we love doing it even more at locally-owned businesses. But while it’s fun wrapping up gifts in perfect paper, sometimes it’s hard to find something physical for the person who has everything, or for the minimalist in your life. Cue the experience gift — a gift of something to do! This can be a certificate to their favorite restaurant, a gift card to fuel their mornings at a local coffee shop — or some of these ideas we’ve put together.
While dinner and a movie are fun, sometimes it’s nice to shake it up with a gift card for something a little different. We love the WoodChux axe-throwing bar in Excelsior Springs.
Call us nerds, but we love going to the car wash, and we especially love the BetterWash. You can buy a month (or more!) of unlimited washes for the folks on your list.
Got some kids with energy to burn? Above All Trampoline Park in Liberty is the perfect place as we head into winter — they have toddler times and areas for older kiddos, too.
We love treating the folks on our list to some major pampering with a gift certificate to The Spa at Briarcliff.
Add some nostalgia to your gift-giving with a night on the town at the Northland Rolladium Skate Center in Liberty.
T-Shotz is a fun night out as we head into winter, and is perfect for date night, friend night outs, or as a fun family activity.
Foodie Gifts
Got a foodie on your list? We love giving consumables to the people in our lives — they’re perfect for people who seem like they have everything, and they’re also great for someone who you may not know very well but still want to get something for, like a coworker. Here are some of our favorite local places with yummy treats to give for the holidays.
Green Dirt Farm in Weston makes such delicious cheese that can be beautifully boxed for a gift, but they also have a great assortment of food in their shop, like mutton sausages, chocolate, and honey.
Nothing says love like a juicy steak, and we love shopping at Upper Cut butcher shop in Liberty! They raise all of their own beef and they're the only people in Missouri that raise and sell the exquisite Akaushi! They’ve got delicious pork, chicken, bison, seafood, and more. You can walk in, order online, have it shipped, or even deliver it to your door.
Whether you’ve got kids on your list or adults with a sweet tooth, the Candy Jar in Weston is a nostalgia-filled sweet shop that we can’t resist.
The Whiskey Snug is an almost-hidden gem in the back of the Celtic Ranch in Weston, and it’s both a bar and a one-stop shop for all things whiskey.
There is no shortage of places to shop for wine made locally in the Northland, and we especially love Fence Stile, Jowler Creek, Van Till, Ladoga Ridge and Pirtle Winery.
If you have a charcuterie enthusiast on your list, Blush Farms Cork & Board is the perfect place to shop for special treats for a cheese board, or you can have them make one for you to gift!
Local Gifts
Whether you’re someone who loves to shop for the perfect gift for that special someone or someone who gets overwhelmed with anxiety trying to get something that’s just right, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of our favorite local businesses to shop at for holiday gifts.
Cactus Creek in Weston has a perfectly curated assortment of boho clothing, vintage home goods, and unique gifts, but we especially love their beautiful sari blankets.
For something especially thoughtful, you can get something sentimental framed at Art & Frame Kansas City, or pick up some of the local art in their shop.
You can find brand-new toys or vintage sets for the Lego fan (adult or kid!) in your life at The Sorted Brick in Riverside.
Lemonality in Liberty is the cutest paper & gift store — it’s a great place to find the perfect something!
Maybe you like something that’s not brand new — The Brownstone at Zona Rosa has great vintage goods that will truly make for a one-of-a-kind gift.
Twill boutique in Parkville has some incredibly cute stuff — you’ll be lucky if you can leave there without something for yourself, too!
