New England Inspired Holiday Gift Guide

For the holiday season I like to start my holiday shopping a little early to avoid stress over the holidays or running out for last minute ideas. This gives me more time for what is truly important: time with family and loved ones. Still, I have a few people left on my shopping list. If you’re still looking for some ideas, I have created this simple New England gift guide to inspire your holiday shopping. If you are travelling to New England this winter, or if you are a local looking for a great gift that also supports your local businesses, this guide will give you some wonderful New England inspired gift ideas. 

Experiences:

The best gifts of all are gifts of time spent together and experiences shared. Instead of a material item, may I suggest some experience-based gift ideas instead:

• Ski passes: give a loved one a gift of a day on the slopes for skiing, snowboarding, or even tubing. Connecticut: Ski Sundown  Maine: Big Squaw Mountain Resort  Vermont: Stowe Mountain Resort New Hampshire: Waterville Valley  Rhode Island: Yawgoo Valley (the only ski resort in RI)  Massachusetts: Wachusett Mountain  
• A lesson: ski lessons are great this time of year, but so are lessons for musical instruments, singing, and painting. 
• A special date or family day trip someplace local. 
• Passes to a museum such as the Peabody Museum at Yale in New Haven Connecticut. 
• Aquarium passes. The Mystic Aquarium is a great example for a wonderful family gift. 
• Tickets to a show or a concert. The Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT has gorgeous shows, as does the Bushnell in Hartford. Find a local theater in your area. 

For people who love sweets or gifts you can eat:

• Vermont maple butter or maple syrup.
• Fine homemade chocolates like those from  Thorncrest Farm,  Bridgewater Chocolates or Emalyn Sweets. 
• A local jam.
• A jar of raw local honey.
• PEZ candy. The PEZ factory and factory store is located in Orange, Connecticut. 
• A Ben & Jerry’s Factory tour and tasting in Vermont.
• A gift card to a local restaurant. 

Gifts you can play with:

• Legos (another big name that is based in Connecticut) like this LEGO Christmas Town Square .
• LINCOLN LOGS .
• Handmade wooden toys like these from Franklin’s General Store in Mystic, CT. 

Gifts you can wear:

• Anorak jacket .
• A down vest.
• A Plaid Scarf
• Locally made woven scarves, hats, and mittens.
• A fleece plaid shirt.
• Wool socks.

Gifts you can make yourself:

• A homemade cookie mix in a nice jar.
• Orange spiced pomander balls.
• Holiday ornaments.
• Maple candy.

Gifts for the home:

• Natural soy candles handcrafted in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. The Roost Candle Co. is one of my local favorites. I’m a big fan of the Blue Spruce candle that smell so much like a real Christmas tree!
• A fun apron or tea towel for the kitchen by Kackie’s Crafts. 
• Handmade soaps. Connecticut: My personal favorite are Goatboy Soaps  Maine: Trillium Soaps  Vermont: Vermont Soap Rhode Island: Newport Sea Foam  New Hampshire: Cardigan Mountain Soap Massachusetts: The Soap Guild

Gifts you can read:

• Tractor Mac’s children’s’ books by New England local author and illustrator, Billy Steers. Tractor Mac Saves Christmas
• Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France, a memoir about a Connecticut man who opened an American diner in Paris.
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, a family holiday classic that takes place in Massachusetts. 

Classic Holiday Films Based in New England: 

• White Christmas
• Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
• Holiday Inn
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Technically, this movie takes place in Whoville, but the author, Dr. Seuss, lived in Springfield MA.)