One thing that I love about the holidays is finding the perfect gift for my loved ones, knowing I will see  huge smiles on their faces when they unwrap their big surprises.  In my opinion, giving is even more fun that getting!

While shopping during the holidays can be lots of fun, it can also turn into a frustrating experience when the perfect presents are hard to find.  Luckily, there are so many fabulously unique shops and talented craftsman in Bucks County to make the search more fun. In addition to fueling our communities, local shops offer the personal service and care to take the stress out of shopping.

This year, take a look at the Bucks Happening Holiday Gift Guide to find those extra-special gifts to make 2010 the best holiday yet!

Uniquely Bucks

Whether it's the quaint, stone farmsteads and picturesque landscapes or its rich artistic and cultural heritage there is something very special about Bucks County.  UniquelyBUCKS.com is an online boutique for the discriminating buyer seeking unique, one-of-a-kind Bucks County handcrafted works such as this 5″ x 7″ watercolor painting, Winter Grey, by Fred Place – $125 (includes shipping).

UniquelyBUCKS offers a fine selection of artwork, pottery, jewelry, body & bath products, chocolates, and baked goods including gluten-free mixes – all handcrafted in Bucks County. Sampler and custom gift baskets of these locally-made products are also available. In addition, throughout the holiday season UniquelyBUCKS is supporting Gilda's Club, a cancer support center, by donating a portion of their profits through December.

Steel Magnolia

Steel Magnolia, located in Peddler's Village, is proud to feature Gypsy Global Artistry Jewelry.  Each piece in the Gypsy collection imparts a story of history and culture.  The jewelry is handcrafted true to methods perfected hundreds of years ago by Ottoman Era artisans.  The unique combination of symbols, materials and superior craftmanship present in this timeless artistry makes a meaningful gift for jewelry and art lovers alike.

Steel Magnolia offers Business, Casual and After-five Collections…..a blend of European and New York Coutour.  Coming in 2011:  The Worth Collection….make plans to stop in!

Morning Morning Flowers

Check out the Deck the Halls Tree Deluxe: Don't let a lack of space dampen your spirits! This “tree” made of holiday greens, red flowers, festive ornaments and ribbon will deck anyone's halls in style for just $64.95! It's the perfect gift to send or receive! Local or Nation Wide Delivery Available. Order at www.sendingsmiles.com or stop in at their location in Yardley Borough or Princeton. Find out more about Monday Morning's  in our previous article on Bucks Happening.

Newtown Athletic Club

While you might not think of a gym as the first place for holiday shopping, the Newtown Athletic Club offers a variety of gifts within their full-service salon and spa, gym, and personal training services. One great feature is that babysitting services are available to anyone with an appointment (member or not). A few hours of kid-free rest and relaxation is a gift any mom or dad can appreciate!

Raymer’s Homemade Candies

Fine chocolates and candies have always been the perfect gift for special people and special occasions or for a pick-me-up.  Raymer's enjoys helping their customers send just the right thought with their specialty homemade candies.  Whether as a “thank-you” for a business associate or for a host of a party, you can be sure to find a little something for everyone in one of their gift packages. Not only do all of our candies come in beautiful presentation boxes, but Raymer's also arranges the goodies in beautiful gift baskets with all the trimmings for a truly memorable impression. Check out their website for more information and order at their shop at 21 East Oakland Avenue in Doylestown or call (215) 348-3788.

BeMe Boxes
Founded by local entrepreneurs Angela Giovine & Tina Paparone, BeMe Boxes are the perfect gifts for girls.  With the BeKickin' Box for soccer, BeBattin' Box for softball, BeDancin' Box for various types of dance, BeCheerin' Box for cheerleaders, and BeJiggin' Box for Irish dancers, there is a musical jewelry box to make any little girl happy! Priced at $35, each box is made of high quality white wood with painted designs, features musical movements, and comes with FREE  personalization. Order yours at www.Want2BeMe.com.

Peace Valley Lavendar Farm

At Peace Valley Lavendar farm in Doylestown, they raise several varieties of English lavender and lavandins with more than 3,000 plants blooming on their scenic hillside. (check out when we visited last spring) With that raw material, the farm produces a wide variety of wonderful lavender products: bath & body, culinary, dried floral, sachets & pillows.  Stop in their shop or check out their range of gift baskets available on for sale online.

Bucks Happening Merchandise

Have you checked out the range of Bucks County themed merchandise available on Bucks Happening? There are products for just about every type of Bucks County-lover on your list! Take a look here.

Judith Renstrom Jewelry

Upper Bucks resident Judith Renstorm began metalsmithing at the Baum School of Art in 2002 and developed a unique style using fold forming, fusing and keum boo and integrates her love of textiles by using folds, pleats, ruffles and textures. Her work is featured in The Art And Craft Of Making Jewelry, Gemstones Jewels (Lark Publishing), and a piece of hers was in the Secret Identities show at M.I.M. in Baltimore, juried by Tim McCreight.  Check out more about Judith and her jewelry on Bucks Happening.

Chaddsford Winery (available at the tasting room in Peddler's Village)

Whether you're heading to a friend's holiday party or sending a gift to a colleague, a bottle of delicious local wine is a gift people love to receive.  This year, the Chaddsford Tasting Room in Peddler's Village is taking wine gifts to the next left, making it even easier to find a special gift.

One thing that I love about Chaddsford is that they make creating a custom private label easy and affordable for anyone, without high minimum order quantities or long turnarounds.  In fact, Chaddsford customizes labels on premise in just 5-10 minutes!  In addition to their private labels, Chaddsford offers both custom & pre-made gift baskets.  You can shop online and in-store for pre-made goodies or visit their shop in Peddler's Village to create a custom gifts.  Baskets can be filled with award winning wines, gourmet foods, and all sorts of fun wine accessories.

Wash Thyme Soaps

With handmade, recycled soaps from Upper Bucks County, you can feel good about your purchase in more ways that one! Drew Rumbold and John Morano use recycled and filtered vegetable oil to make biodiesel for their homes and diesel vehicles.  They take the process one step further to create chemical free soaps.  By extracting the vegetable glycerine byproduct of biodiesel and adding natural shea butter and essential oils, Wash Tyme has created a natural hand soap, shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent, stain treatment, and kitchen degreaser.  There are no phosphates in their products and no added chemicals; this means it’s all natural.  Wash Tyme soap is biodegradable, filtered down to 10 microns (one human hair is 100 microns). Find out more on Bucks Happening.

Cives Urbe

If you're looking to splurge on a big present this holiday season, consider a memorable, custom escape to Italy planned by Doylestown's Cives Urbe. Italian-native, Chiara Underwood, recently launched her travel consulting company that specializes in custom trips to Italy, taking travelers away from the tourist traps and into the Italy she knows.

House of Coffee

For the tea and coffee lovers on your gift list, you'll find their perfect gift at House of Coffee in Peddler's Village. House of Coffee features a variety of unique, hand-roasted beans as well as coffee and tea accessories. To make the gift extra special for the local lovers, HOC also carries Upper Bucks based products, Ajiri Tea and Bucks County Biscotti Company. Order online or at their shop in Peddler's Village.


Stay tuned for more great gift ideas from Bucks Happening all season long! If you have a product or shop you'd like included, please email blog@bucks.happeningmag.com.

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