From Our Sleigh To Yours...Last-Minute Gifts Ideas Actually Purchased

Shopping while getting ready to head out of town can be so fun: As you are rapid-fire pulling triggers on choosing gifts for people on your list, you have no time to second-guess the decisions. Here is a rundown of what you can find on Beacon's Main Street for any last-minute gifts you need to dash to the store for:

Wool-felted soap for amazing exfoliation. We tweeted a Reader Request for where to find soaps in Beacon, and Wanderlust Gifts is one place you might find a twist on a traditional soap gift.
Find This In: Wanderlust Gifts (located on the east end, near Ella's Bellas)

A carry-on-friendly cocktail kit for the traveler on your gift list. My selection was the Champagne Cocktail, for a certain niece on my list who is flying all over the country on business.
Find This In: The Pfotoshop (located in the old train depot, formerly Hair Haven)
Editorial Note: The Pfotoshop is a Featured Business in A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide, but this is not a sponsored spot! Pure editorial.

The copper mug that has exploded onto the cocktail and kitchen decor scene - copper mugs for Moscow Mules! I don't even know what a Moscow Mule cocktail is (but the recipe here calls for ginger beer, which you could inquire about at More Good); I am just a sucker for copper accents.
Find This In: Utensil Kitchenware (located on the east end of town, on the big curving bend in the road). I admit, I just cleaned out all of Utensil's copper mug stock, but more inventory will be in soon. One of the Cocktail Kits over at The Pfotoshop is for a Moscow Mule as well. You might even ask Utensil if they have a kit, since they have sugar and spice for just about everything else.

For the voracious reader on your list, Binnacle Books provides Beaconites with nearly instant access to new and used books! The requirement for this gifting mission was to find a book about the Hudson Valley region for a man who is obsessed with learning about the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, and has read just about every book on both subjects. "The Catskills" is a new release and the authors are from the Hudson Valley. Surely, this reader wouldn't have it yet! There are some signed copies still available in the store.
Find This In: Binnacle Books (located near Get Frosted Cupcakery and Subway; read our feature on Binnacle Books here)

For the avid knitter on your list, an easy pack-it-and-go gift is complementary shades of colored yarn. I am not a knitter; in fact, I have been known to verbally slip and call it "yarning," but pair these shades of gray yarn with a pop of red, and you have an instant OSU (Ohio State University)-friendly gift for someone who loves to knit spirit-wear. Many more color combos, already paired and ready for wrapping, are available in the store.
Find This In: Clay Wood & Cotton (located on the west end, near Bank Square Coffee)

"The Goonies" metal lunch box. I have been yearning to buy one of these metal lunch boxes from Play, and finally have a recipient who may appreciate it. This is for a nephew in medical school who may just be tired enough to get hooked on this lunch box as he takes snacks to and from studying.
Find This In: Play (located on the west end of town, across from Hudson Beach Glass)

For two nieces who are very different, yet really got into a sister-spat over last year's gifts: pretty wall art from Play. This year, they can play Tug-Of-War with these laser-cut floral wallets that feature tons of card slots and pockets.
Find This In: Play (located on the west end of town, across from Hudson Beach Glass)

Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!