Let’s be honest—holiday shopping sucks. We all make the same “I will not wait till the last minute next year” promise to ourselves, but get real. Every year finds us rushing at the 11th hour to some god-awful shopping complex, searching desperately for the last toy, Blu-ray player, etc.
Let’s be honest—holiday shopping sucks. We all make the same “I will not wait till the last minute next year” promise to ourselves, but get real. Every year finds us rushing at the 11th hour to some god-awful shopping complex, searching desperately for the last toy, Blu-ray player, etc.
The worst part about holiday shopping is going to the Lloyd Center or Pioneer Place. These malls are crowded and smelly, and the whole dealing-with-the-line-of-people-waiting-to-see-Santa thing will drive you crazy. Rather than wasting time and money (the cost of all the coffee you need to survive a mall adds up), support local businesses and get gifts that err on the side of interesting rather than conventional.
Sock Dreams
8005 SE 13th Ave.
Nothing says Christmas quite like socks, right? Right. For all your Christmas sock needs, go to Sock Dreams. This sweet little shop is nestled in an old house in Sellwood, on the East side. It has every kind of sock imaginable, every print imaginable—you get the point. This place is cute and quirky and fits nearly any gift-giving budget. Plus it’ll be worth it to see the looks on your gift recipient’s face when they open their package and see…socks!
Tender Loving Empire
412 SW 10th Ave.
If you want to give unique, crafty and one-of-a-kind gifts, look no further than Tender Loving Empire, located right near Powell’s Books. Going inside is like walking into a woodland forest full of little indie animals. If Zooey Deschanel were to live in a shop, it would be this one. TLE offers locally made crafty things, jewelry, clothing, cards, toys and home decor. It also houses its own music label, and all of the music is available, in various formats, in-store. Since nearly everything is local, most items are pricier, but still affordable when you think about the time and craftsmanship that goes into each individual piece.
Portland Saturday Market
108 W Burnside St.
If you want to get even more local, there’s always the Portland Saturday Market. It happens every weekend, and it’s really great in terms of finding local arts, crafts, food and music. If you want to avoid holiday crowds, however, this might not be your first choice. If you are willing to brave the crowd, you’ll more than likely be able to find plenty of trinkets for your loved ones.
Cloud Cap Games
1226 SE Lexington St.
Green Bean Books
1600 NE Alberta St.
If you’re looking for a gift for the younger set, there are plenty of cute toy stores all over Portland. If you’re in Southeast, try out Cloud Cap Games, an adorable store that specializes in board games. They have a great variety, and the decor is A-plus. If you want to give the gift of literature to a child, go to Green Bean Books. This teeny-tiny store is located on Northeast Alberta Street, so you know it’s gotta be good. Green Bean houses nearly every children’s book imaginable. It can get cramped when busy, but it’s worth the trek and bustle.
Vegan Mall
1211 SE Stark St.
Last but certainly not least is the vegan strip mall. This selection of shops is located on Southeast Stark, and is home to Herbivore Clothing Company, Sweetpea Baking Company, Food Fight! Grocery and Scapegoat Tattoo. All four businesses are completely vegan, and all are worth your time and money. Get your sweet gifts from Sweetpea, your party nourishments from Food Fight and clothing-related gifts from Herbivore, then stop by and see Silje or one of the other artists for a one-of-a-kind vegan tattoo. (I recommend Silje just because she did a wonderful job on my most recent tattoo.)
So there you have it. There are plenty of other places to go in search of the perfect gift, but these are a good springboard. Remember, shop local and support Portland businesses! Make this holiday season a less stressful one, and reward yourself with some shopping that might actually be fun. Happy shopping!
