Neighborhood Expert: Gift ideas from local businesses

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].

We hear all the time about shopping local, shopping small, but do you know the real impact you have when you put your spending power behind a local store?

You’re helping someone live out their dream, sponsor a local team, feed their family, and create jobs. Sure, sometimes it might be $5 more than Amazon, but that money goes a long way to supporting your neighbors. I want to share some gift ideas if you’re looking for someone hard to shop for:

• Bards Alley: Books, journals, stuffed animals, candles, other small home goods
• Fern and Folly: Custom gift boxes (curated however you want — perfect for someone new to the area or leaving the area as a keepsake of their time here) or custom flower arrangements, or a flower arrangement class
• Caffe Amouri: Coffee machines and accessories, coffee or tea
• Cocoa Vienna: Chocolate or custom chocolate selection, also sugar free chocolate is available
• Holly + Clove: Custom anything! PJ’s, shirts, cups, sunglasses, koozies, onesies, ornaments, and more. If you need it by Christmas, you want to check in with her on availability though.
• The Sweet Life: Custom sugar cookie decorating kits or other custom orders
• The Freeman Store: Used books, but also a lot of Vienna centric items
• Child’s Play: Toy store, books, legos, stuffed animals, some small outdoor toys — NEW McLean location
• Mesmeralda’s Gifts: Great for mother in laws or a coworker (they don’t have a website, but you’ll just have to go in and poke around)
• Trace: So many options to encourage earth friendly or self-care items
• Terra Christa: If you’re like me, you’ve driven by this store on Church Street countless times but have never gone in. If so, here’s what they have: jewelry, stones, religious items, essential oils, and sage for the near year.
• Trousseau: Just going to leave this one here. Better than a new vacuum. 
• McLean Hardware: Tools, yard decor, grills, yard signs

Okay… next week is the big week. My annual map and list of the best light displays around Vienna. PLEASE send me your neighbors or your own home!

The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com