Sarah B.'s stationery.
When it comes to picking out a gift for me, my husband knows jewelry is usually a pretty safe bet. But when you open a new necklace or pair of earrings each and every Christmas and Hanukkah, not to mention birthday and anniversary, for 20 straight years, jewelry box real estate can start to get pretty tight.
My daughter has put a Rainbow Loom, the popular craft kit, at the top of her holiday wish list. I guess she's hoping to weave multicolored rubber band bracelets for the menagerie of neglected Webkinz and Zhu Zhu pets -- the "it" toys of Christmases past -- that have sat, untouched for years, on her shelves.
I firmly believe my kids' teachers are the world's greatest. But I don't think any of them are dying to open another mug testifying to the fact this holiday season.
Let's face it: We are all tired of giving (and receiving) presents that are likely to end up gathering dust in the back of a hall closet, awaiting a garage sale, just as soon as the tree comes down. That's why this December I am challenging myself to give consumable gifts, things that can be "used up" in some way, as opposed to more "stuff."
Consumables usually have the added benefit of being a little easier on the Earth, as well on the pocketbook. They take up no permanent storage space and tend to be pretty darn tasty.
I already have ideas I'm excited about for almost everyone on my holiday shopping list.
For my husband
Come Christmas morning, I plan to remind the only guy I call "honey" of this status with a variety pack from Mad Urban Bees, one of the first urban apiaries in the county. What could be more romantic, short of an O. Henry ending, than a jar of something that is, according to the company's website, "pure, unfiltered, unadulterated and raw." And at just $40 for a six-pack sampler, there will be no need to sell my hair, or his watch, in order to stock up.
The honey is for sale at various outlets around Madison, including Metcalfe's, the Willy Street Co-op, Orange Tree Imports, the Soap Opera, Bloom Bake Shop and Olbrich Botanical Gardens.
For my brother-in-law
Speaking of six-packs, I think I'll draft a handwritten invitation to my brother-in-law asking him to join me one Sunday afternoon for a tour of Ale Asylum's state-of-the-art brewery on the city's north side. Offered hourly, the 30-to-45-minute explorations cost a mere $5 (cash only) and include a free pint of your choice plus a special sampling. With a price like that, I might be willing to ante up for a case of one of their seasonal brews, like Ballistic IPA or Mercy Dark Ale, for him as well.
For my daughter
I'm pretty sure my daughter, who is nuts about animals, would think it's pretty awesome if one of her holiday gifts went to help out Jabari the giraffe, Kawan the Bornean orangutan or the many other zoo animals available for support through the Henry Vilas Zoo's Befriend-an-Animal program. For a donation of $50, which is used to help education and conservation efforts at the zoo, my daughter will receive a package that contains an official "Befriend an Animal" certificate, as well as a trading card with valuable information about her new "best friend." Yes, I realize the certificate and card aren't exactly consumable. But they'll surely take up less room than the puppy she's been angling for.
To sweeten the deal, I'll also spring for a series of gift certificates to one of the Chocolate Shoppe's three ice cream stores (downtown, north and west-side locations). There she (and, okay, I) can celebrate the Festival of Lights by indulging in eight evenings of their anything-but-light, yet absolutely delicious, flavors, including the award-winning Zanzibar Chocolate and the ever-popular Blue Moon.
And since ice cream can get a little messy, I'll throw in some fragrant fizzy bath bombs, available in such "flavors" as chocolate, orange and Neapolitan, from Scooops Kid Spa at Hilldale. They're sure to make bath time a treat long after we've rung in the New Year.
For my sister
A fan of the local food scene, my time-crunched sister might really appreciate the winter farmers' market option offered this year by Local Thyme, a seasonal menu-planning provider. For $60, once a week, November through May, personal chefs Pat Mulvey and Laura Gilliam will email her three dinner plans: gluten free, omnivore and vegetarian. Also included in the email is a shopping list of everything she'll need to create the recipes, much of it available at winter farmers' markets as well as local grocery stores. And if my sister really likes the service, Local Thyme members have the ability to create their own plans and generate personalized shopping lists on the company's website -- a really handy tool for planning holiday parties when you don't want to forget a thing.
Or maybe this year I'll help my sister spruce up her holiday curb appeal; there's more to December decorating than inflatable snowmen and tacky lawn Santas. I can give her a gift certificate from Mel's Green Garden, a personal gardening service. Proprietor Melissa Tracy is a master of seasonal arrangements and has a knack for blending white birch branches, evergreens, pinecones and twinkly twig lights into stunning outdoor pots and window boxes.
For my teenage son
While it wouldn't be the most appropriate gift for Hanukkah, it works as a Christmas gift in our interfaith family. If I hold off a few weeks I'll be able to present my son with something he really adores and can consume right away on Christmas morning: bacon. For $70 (plus shipping and handling), Nueske's, the Wittenburg, Wis., purveyor of gourmet smoked meat, offers a Bacon Lover's Gift Basket. It includes an assortment of the company's favorite bacons, as well as bacon cheddar scones and cheese spread.
And I don't even need to leave home to buy it. If I place my order online by Dec. 17, a Christmas arrival is guaranteed.
For our teachers
This year, we'll plan to show our school staff just how much we appreciate them with a jar of Yumbutter, a locally produced line of designer nut butters. With such unique varieties as Asian Jazz and Dark Chocolate (Om)mond, our teachers will have something tasty to accompany all those apples they are rumored to receive. And a gift of Yumbutter truly pays it forward. For every jar sold, the company will purchase a RUTF (ready-to-use therapeutic food) to feed a malnourished child in the developing world though their "BuyOne:FeedOne" initiative. Yumbutter is widely available in Madison groceries and food specialty shops.
A contribution to a meaningful kid-oriented charity would be a terrific way to honor a teacher, too. Perhaps a donation to an educational nonprofit, like the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools, which helps to provide grants for innovative projects that are not funded within the core school budget. Or a contribution to Dane County CASA, the Court Appointed Special Advocates program that helps to provide a voice for abused and neglected children in the area.
The ultimate consumable this time of year, though, might just be personalized stationery, like that available at Sarah B.'s, 2501 Monroe St. Teachers will likely use it up by the end of winter break writing thank you notes to all the well-meaning but misguided souls who thought giving yet another "World's Greatest Teacher" mug was a good idea.
Where to buy
Mad Urban Bees
608-622-7965;
608-347-8859; ; Smaller portions available locally at Metcalfe's. Order the gift basket through the website.
Henry Vilas Zoo Befriend-an-Animal
Friends of the Zoo: 608-258-9490; vilaszoo.org/support/index.php
Chocolate Shoppe
1726 Fordem Ave., 608-241-2747
555 South Midvale Blvd., 608-441-5248
468 State St., 608-255-5454;
Foundation for Madison Public Schools
