As the holiday gift-giving season kicks into full gear, make some time to visit our local shops while keeping nonprofit groups in mind. Supporting our community businesses in person is important, you’ll get superior, more knowledgeable customer service; your money stays local, it’s better for the environment, and you’ll find higher-quality products and services. Round out the day with a visit to a nearby restaurant, farm stand or winery with friends or family and capture that holiday spirit. Happy shopping!
toys for tots
Wooden Puzzle Boxes, $45
Made from sustainably sourced wood, these sweet puzzle boxes, carved into favorite animal shapes, contain smaller boxes within. They’re fair-trade, eco-friendly, and handcrafted by a small group of artisans in northern India using traditional techniques. RAM Design Home, 181 N. Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-5067; ramdesignhome.com
Surfboard Puzzles, $38
These 450-piece jigsaw puzzles come in several designs and include puzzle glue and a scraper if you’d like to save and display your work. A percentage of sales goes to the myPEAK Foundation, which promotes positive mental health through surf therapy. One Love Beach,
211 Main St., Greenport, 631-333-2064; onelovebeach.com
Baby Quilt, $65; Crochet Bunny Teething Rattle, $19; Baby Bib, $16
Made on Long Island, this machine-washable 100% cotton quilt is the perfect baby gift and can be personalized for $20. Add-ons, like a crochet bunny teething rattle and handmade bib, are also available. Orient Linen Co., 1100 Village Lane, Orient, 631-521-3712; orientlinenco.com
Gnome Needle Felting Kit, $25
Bring this cute gnome to life by sculpting pieces of wool in a process known as needle felting. Appropriate for adults and kids over 10 with supervision; penguin and snowman kits also available. North Fork Fiber Arts, 195 Love Lane, Mattituck, 631-298-7181; northforkfiberarts.com
Beanie Bouncers, $5.99
From the maker of Beanie Babies, Beanie Bouncers are the new toy of the moment—plush Beanies that bounce. Choose from characters like Leggy the octopus, Fins the shark, Spots the leopard and more. Goldsmith’s Toys & Electronics, 128 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-0466
food & drink
BranDuar Te Anton Brandy, $65
Made locally in collaboration with winemaker Anthony Sannino of Sannino Vineyard and master distiller J. Duarte Cunha of Twin Stills Moonshine Distillery, this brandy, made using local grapes and aged for six years in French oak casks, will warm you up on a chilly day. Sannino Vineyard, 15975 County Road 48, Cutchogue, 631-734-8282; sanninovineyard.com, Twin Stills Moonshine Distillery, 5506 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, 631-779-3199; liooldtymer.com
Pot Pie Sampler Pack, $32
Here’s your chance to taste four different kinds of pot pies—short rib, chicken, lobster, and vegetable — in six-ounce samples. Various other flavors are also available in this cute, compact store. NoFo Pot Pies Country Market, 11160 Main Road, Mattituck, 631-548-PIES (7437); nofopotpies.com
Organic Dark-Chocolate Peppermint Tea, $4.95/two ounces; Organic Warming Crimson Berry Tea, $4.95/two ounces; OGO Living Double-Walled Glass Infuser Mug, $24.95
Enjoy these beautiful-looking (and tasting!) teas in this stylish, self-infusing glass mug.Tea and Tchotchkes, 120 Front St., Greenport, 631-333-2575; teaandtchotchkes.net
Japanese Cooking Classes, $500 for two people; $120 per person for groups of six or more
Japanese-born and New York City-trained chef Mamie Nishide offers private cooking classes in Laurel or at your home. Learn to make sushi, ramen, dumplings, tofu, or tempura, or customize your lesson. Japanese Cooking Studio, 516-297-9761; japanesecookingstudio.com
2021 Topaz Impérial Brut Rosé, $44 (members price, $39.60)
This striking pinkish-peach-hued sparkling wine is a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes and won a gold medal at the 2024 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships. Sparkling Pointe, 39750 County Road 48, Southold, 631-765-0200; sparklingpointe.com
the great outdoors
Librett Durables Nautical Doormat, $65.99
This polyethylene rope mat has a simple, elegant Nantucket-style design. It’s resistant to salt water, colorfast, washable, reversable and even floats! Southold Ace Hardware, 54795 Main Road, Southold, 631-779-2676; acehardware.com
Toadfish Universal Can Cooler, $25, fits 12-16 ounces
Let the whitecaps reign—this non-tipping, stainless steel, double-wall vacuum insulated koozie will keep your bottled beverage of choice chilly like the bottom of the ocean, while the smartgrip bottom will prevent it from going overboard. Preston’s Marine Supply, 102 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-1990;
prestons.com
North Fork Dog Collar, $24.99
Dress your pup in local pride with this handsome, American-made adjustable pet collar with easy snap closure and snazzy brass tag ring. Harbor Pets, 120 Main St., Greenport, 631-477-1518; harbor-pet.com
Litezall Compact Camping Lantern, $9.99
This lightweight little lantern is great for boating or camping, provides 360 degrees of light and comes with a rope handle and easy-push on/off button. 3 AA batteries are included. Orlowski True Value Hardware, 320 Love Lane, Mattituck, 631-298-8420; stores.truevalue.com
Picnic Basket for Two, $229
Shade Trees Nursery is known for its phenomenal selection of perennials, annuals, pottery and other yard accoutrements, but their beautifully curated gift shop is a wonderland of original ideas for that hard-to-buy-for family member or friend. Case in point: a picnic basket for two that includes actual silverware, ceramic dishes, cloth napkins and wine glasses, as well as a sturdy bottle opener and slots for two bottles of wine. Even better, you can pack the entire picnic with Shade Tree’s selection of local cheeses, crackers, housemade jams, honey and your choice of Wölffer or Suhru wines. Shade Trees Nursery, 1875 Main Road, Jamesport, 631-722-4041, shadetreesnursery.com
comfort & joy
Home & Loft Turkish Robe, $145/Turkish Towels, $55
Handwoven by skilled artisans and available in several colors, the robe and towels’ soft, lightweight material is machine-washable, making it as beautiful as it is practical. Home & Loft is a women-owned-and-run brand that works with traditional artisans in developing areas. Barbara Fisher Home, 449 Main St., Greenport, 917-620-8115; barbarafisherhome.com
Books The Longitude of Grief, $20/The Astrology House, $28.99
Curl up with a good book in front of the fire—these debut novels by Matthew Daddona and Carinn Jade, both graduates of Southold High School, make for a cozy couple of evenings. Burton’s Books, 43 Front St., Greenport, 631-477-1161; burtonsbooks.com
Town Name Notepads, $35
These generously sized notepads will get a lot of use while keeping North Fork town names front and center. Arni Paperie, 54127 Main Road, Southold, 631-566-1037; arnipaperie.com
Lavender Gift Set, $80
This sweet-smelling set includes a 12-ounce lavender liquid soap, 12-ounce lotion, 10-ml essential oil, tinned lotion bar, and a sachet. Lavender by the Bay, 7540 Main Road, East Marion, 631-477-1019; lavenderbythebay.com
Evermore Beaded Tourmaline and Sterling Locket by Susan Pridham, $140
Choose an adornment for someone special, like this beaded rainbow with a locket that can hold a tiny treasure. Common Ground Fine Jewelry + Studio, 123 Main St., Suite C, Greenport, commongroundjewelry.com
gifts that give back
North Fork Arts Center Gift Card, $120 for 10-Movie Punch Card; custom amounts available
Gift the now old-school experience of watching a movie on the silver screen and support this nonprofit at the same time. Ten-movie punch cards are available, as well as traditional gift cards in amounts of your choice. North Fork Arts Center at the Sapan Greenport Theatre, 211 Front St., #A, Greenport, 631-477-8600; northfork-artscenter.org
North Fork Animal Welfare League Guardian Angel Fund, suggested donations start at $100
Since 1963, this no-kill animal shelter with locations in Southold and Aquebogue has been keeping pups and cats healthy while finding them forever homes. Their Guardian Angel Fund is for animals that need more than your typical food and shelter, providing lifesaving medical care for dogs and cats in dire straits. North Fork Animal Welfare League, 165 Peconic Lane, Peconic, and 324 Church Lane, Aquebogue, 631-765-1811, northforkanimalwelfareleague.org
Shelter Island Historical Society Puzzles, $28; Notecards, $15-$25; Calender, $27
Preserving the past is no small task. Our local historical societies are the keepers and caretakers of our towns’ collective histories—and most have great gift shops with wares that directly benefit their mission. The snow-covered structure on this puzzle and notecards is the original barn built by William Havens in the late 18th century. It’s part of the property that now houses the Havens House, home to the historical society. Shelter Island Historical Society, 16 S. Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-0025, shelterislandhistorical.org
Relic Hoodie, $59.95
East End brothers Aiden and Alex Kravitz built their clothing-brand-with-a-conscience to sell cool sea-centric tees and sweatshirts with a sincere give-back component. In addition to donating proceeds from sales of their cozy clothing to help reseed oysters in Moriches Bay, the Kravitzes have also established 83 volunteer trash clean-up stations on East End beaches. Relic Design, relic-design.com
Spirits Promise Horse Sponsorship, $100/month
Founded by Marisa Striano, this equine rescue and rehabilitation not-for-profit rescues abused, neglected and unwanted horses and gives them a new purpose: equine therapy to help humans struggling with grief. Sponsoring one of the rescue horses provides hay, grain, medication, care and other necessities to keep them healthy, while they in turn help people get healthy, too. Win-win. 2746 Sound Ave., Riverhead, 631-875-0433, spiritspromise.com
