By MARY SCULLY MACLEAN
Now is the time to savor and enjoy holiday shopping, and there is no better place to do it than in the hamlets of Bedford, Bedford Hills, Katonah and Pound Ridge. From festive decorations to friendly, helpful shop owners, staying local can provide unique gifts while making holiday memories for you and your family.
Why buy local? “I think people like to feel a connection with what they’re buying, whether it’s with themselves or with the recipient,” said Kristin Hemick, owner of Shepherd + Co. in Bedford Hills. “They are really starting to look for more one-of-a-kind items versus mass- made — from smaller companies where people are making them with their own hands.”
From great gifts for under $75 to must-haves for a bit more, here are some ideas to check everyone off your list while shopping locally.
Gifts up to $75
From stocking stuffers to hostess gifts to even gemstones, you can find great gifts for under $75 in our area.
Gretchen Menzies, owner of The Reading Room, located at 9 Edgemont Road, Katonah, suggests books, art supplies, candles, mugs, planters or journals. For kids, pair a book and a small toy or stuffed animal to match.
For $65, Bijou of Katonah, located at 135 Katonah Ave, Katonah, has gemstone earrings from Lulu Designs in emerald, blue topaz and moonstone. Bijou owner Casey Carter says these are great for somebody who likes a petite earring or who is just entering the world of their first ear piercing.
Weinstein’s Pharmacy, located at 101 Katonah Ave., Katonah, has been the hub of holiday spirit in Katonah for generations. First established in 1881, Weinstein’s is full of holiday gift ideas such as soaps, candles and decorations at great prices.
Charles Department Store, located at 113 Katonah Ave, Katonah, a hamlet fixture for 100 years, has clothing — from socks to winter coats — for men and women, and houseware gifts for every budget, such as monogram cheese boards from J.K. Adams for $35, and classic hip flasks in tartan for $60.
Phat Olive, located at 87 Katonah Ave., Katonah, is a family-run business, offering artisan oils and balsamics, along with hostess gifts and other unique goodies at prices starting at under $10.
At Consider the Cook, located at 26 Village Green, Bedford, you can find charcuterie serving sets for $45, as well as fun tea towels for gifting at $35.
For adult candy for stockings, oHHo, located at 34 Village Green, Bedford, has pomegranate blood-orange full spectrum CBD dots for $20, and wild orange dark chocolate with hemp and CBD for $26.
For tasty stocking chocolate without a buzz, Mast Market Bedford, located at 1 Court Road, Bedford, offers a box of five signature Mast bars for $25. They also offer artisanal condiments, and, for the gastronomic adventurer, exotic sardine tins from Jose Gourmet in octopus, tuna and smoked salmon, for $14 to $20.
At Toney Toni and the Gang, located at 70 Westchester, Ave, Pound Ridge, owner Kim Linn loves the holiday scented candles from Enlighten for $38 for hostess gifts.
For kids (and adult) stockings, Eiluj Beauty, located at 189 Katonah Ave., Katonah, is a one-stop shop for fun finds such as the L. Erickson Grab & Go Pony Tube for $22, and Ellison+Young Darcy initial bracelets for $24. They also offer body care gift sets from Molton Brown and Fresh, and the Everything Oil from Carter+Jane for $53.
And don’t forget the fur babies on your list. Kelloggs & Lawrence, located at 26 Parkway, Katonah, offers a full array of pet toys. For bird lovers, they carry seed and feeders, including wooden Nature’s Way Feeders for $44.50. On your way out, if you need some quick, quirky gifts for humans, check out the irreverent journals for $13.50 and tile coasters for $10, with sayings such as “Having a weird dad builds character” and “Diary of a Plant Killer,” as well as their assortment of stocking stuffers.
Photos by Mary Scully MacLean
Gifts over $75
From state-of-the-art Ooni Karu pizza ovens at Kelloggs & Lawrence to crocodile and diamond cuffs at Bijou, we are blessed to live in an area where you can gift just about anything.
Bijou’s Casey Carter recommends jewelry from designer Mary MacGill for around $200, including a wide assortment of stack bands for under $500.
Kim Linn of Toney Toni and the Gang says sweaters in holiday red and neutrals are the go-to gift for the holidays, priced from $150 to $500. Her favorite gifts include animal and nature prints from Inoui Editions Paris scarves at about $200.
At Shepherd + Co. in Bedford Hills, owner Kristin Hemick loves gifting artisanal Nepalese mittens and hats starting at $85. The shop also is the exclusive outlet for handmade Italian wool blankets starting at $500.
For a distinctive, signature fragrance, Duchess, located at 641 Old Post Road, Bedford, carries Vyrao eau de parfums in scents such as Witchy Woo and Magnetic for $190. Their French Famacie Le Sculpt + Glow Set contains an enriching serum and facial massager, all boxed and ready for gifting great skin for $100.
At Eiluj, owner Julie Cuomo recommends gift cards for their award-winning Natura Bissé facial for $175, or for the ultimate skin care treatment, the DiamondGlow facial for $375, a clinically proven dermabrasion treatment great for men and women. Cuomo is offering a buy-one get-one half price so that the gift giver can experience the treatment as well.
For iconic wooden toys destined to become family heirlooms, G. Willikers toys & games, located at 29 Katonah Ave., carries classic Tender Leaf wooden dollhouses for $290, wooden Wildwoods owl push-carts for $126, and more.
And, to create your own heirlooms and memories, gather the family (recommended for children 8 and over) at the Katonah Reading Room for the start of the annual Holiday Stroll in Katonah on Friday, Dec. 13. For $20 per person, guests will create beautiful ornaments made out of recycled book pages. All materials included. Register at katonahreadingroom.com.
This is one article in the first of three Recorder Special Holiday Sections. To view the entire section for 11/29, click here.