
When it comes to holiday shopping, may we suggest that you skip the mall in favor of supporting local? There are so many incredible Twin Cities businesses that you could hit up for gifts this year, and we are thrilled to support the local businesses involved here!
Not only are we excited to point you in the direction of these businesses, but we personally love all of the highlighted products. And we have a surprise for you! We will be giving away some of these amazing items in early December on our social media pages, so stay tuned to enter to win!

Cozy Creature
Cozy Creature is a shop filled with organic, heirloom toys inspired by the wonders of travel and the whimsy of childhood. These modern toys are thoughtfully designed and inspired by research in developmental psychology that shows the benefits of high contrast patterns in the environment of infants and toddlers. Combinations of simple shapes are used to create lovable companions.
Meet Daisy, a Highland Coo, known for her sweet heart and her fabulous bangs. Daisy is handmade with embroidered features and a removable dress so she can share and trade with other Highland friends.


Free Generation Naturals
At Free Generation Naturals, we strive to provide the safest, most effective, eco-friendly natural deodorant and body care products for you and your family. We use safe, mostly organic ingredients for a natural deodorant suitable even for children and expectant mothers. Our lavender and rosemary natural deodorant stick combines two of nature’s most soothing herbs. The scent of these two fragrances together brings to mind a warm bubble bath, a cup of herbal tea, or a burning candle. Apply to your underarms and you will feel clean and fresh the whole day through.


Minnesota Zoo
Recent research shows that experience gifts result in greater happiness compared to a physical object, which is why the Minnesota Zoo is offering a suite of experience-based gifts this season that will last a lifetime. Giving an annual membership or a special behind-the-scenes tour of one of the Minnesota Zoo’s award-winning exhibits will promise to deliver life-long memories, enriching outings and educational opportunities to any Zoo-goer.


Willow Tree Jewelry
As a mother and daughter-in-law team, we take pride in designing and handcrafting jewelry that spans across generations. We want our pieces to be conversation starters, so it is prevalent that we use materials that are hand selected and made of exceptional quality. We often seek inspiration in our environment, choosing semi-precious and precious stones, metals, and leathers that when combined, create an unforgettable story.
Featured is our Hand Stamped Bar Necklace in 14K gold filled, a favorite of our customers. Hand stamping is a method where each letter is individually stamped into the metal to create a word or phrase. This piece is a great custom gift item for the holidays or any special occasion.


Amy's Cupcake Shoppe
After opening in 2014 with only the best ingredients, Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe builds every treat from scratch with a lot of love. Every order is made-to-order from scratch when you need them.
The macarons from Amy’s are absolutely one of our favorite local treats! We would willingly drive clear across town for them and it’s worth every mile. Order your favorites ahead or stop in the shop to see what they have available each day. Either way, this is a great gift or addition to the family holiday meal. Stop by their shop in Hopkins or call ahead at 952-479-7516.


Science Museum of Minnesota
With more than 8 ½ acres of exhibits about the human body, dinosaurs, sports, and more, plus a giant screen Omnitheater, the Science Museum of Minnesota offers visitors more than they can do in one day. A membership is the perfect gift for individuals, couples, or families of all sizes, allowing them to visit again and again to enjoy new offerings along with their favorite features. Gift memberships start at $89, and benefits include free exhibit and Omnitheater admission, discounts on parking, shopping, and dining, advance registration for summer camps, and free or reduced admission to hundreds of science museums across the country.


City Girl Coffee


Clingks
Clingks® are the hippest trend in glassware…removable, reusable decals that cling to glasses, bottles, coffee mugs, even plastic! The sassy phrases will put your guests in the party spirit right from the start. Clingks® are an edgy and fun alternative to wine charms. Bonus feature: they’re a great conversation starter to encourage mingling! Add sass to your glass, use Clingks® at your next party!


Northern Glasses
It isn’t possible to spend time in countries where water isn’t accessible and not feel the deep injustice that exists. Northern Glasses, owned by Fight For Something, is a creative outlet bringing business, artists, and consumers together to tackle the water crisis that exists all over the world. You get a glass, they give a gallon. 7% of sales are donated to bring clean drinking water to developing nations through our friends over at charity:water.
The Minneapolis Skyline Pint Glass is designed by a true Minnesotan, made in Minnesota, and the perfect gift for any Minnesota lover.


Mindware
Inspire kids to sink their teeth into the rewards of healthful home cooking! What’s on the menu? Crispy, tender chicken nuggets…bright, zesty zucchini fries…all made from scratch with REAL cooking tools, perfectly engineered for young hands! Color-coded measuring cups and spoons match up with the illustrated recipe cards, keeping your junior home chef cool as a cucumber. Soft-touch silicone utensils, a mixing bowl, star pan and apron are all foodie-approved. The tastiest projects for kids happen in the kitchen!


oh yay studio
oh yay studio has a heart to encourage joy and celebration in every big and little moment in life. From birthdays to obscure holidays or the first night your baby sleeps through the night to every other Mom victory, oh yay studio is your one stop shop for joyful and happy products.
These baby milestone markers are designed to use every month to document the growth, love and change in your baby. Style them for a photo next to your baby or use them as a topic of conversation around the dinner table to remember the growth and beauty of your little one’s first year! Made from birchwood, these milestone markers are pure joy that your family will adore! 🙂


CityTins
CityTins launches its inaugural 2019 Twin Cities Restaurant Edition. This extra gifty, ultra thrifty tin contains 25 coaster gift cards, each worth $10 off your tab of $25 or more at the featured Twin Cities eatery. That’s $250 worth of martinis, apps, entrees and sides for just $30! No blackout dates, no nonsense. This go-to gift is foodie fun for everyone on your list. Quantities are limited—once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. Coaster gift cards valid throughout 2019. Visit CityTins.com for details!


Minnesota Awesome
Minnesota Awesome is a celebration of all things our great state has to offer. Based in the Twin Cities, we are proud to offer high quality, locally-produced products, sharing our state pride with others who live here, who have moved here, who have returned here, or who have visited here. Our products celebrate Minnesota’s great people, the outdoors, the lakes, the perfect summers, the conversation-starting winters, the fairs and festivals, the big cities, the small towns and everything in between.
Our Hey Babe T-Shirt is an attention-grabbing, smile-inducing, fun take on Paul Bunyan’s BFF Babe the Blue Ox, both born and raised in Minnesota.


Seven Sundays
Hannah Barnstable, founder of Minneapolis-based Seven Sundays, believes that the best mornings start with good food and making good food isn’t complicated. Use real, unprocessed ingredients and recipes crafted in the kitchen (not in a science lab). That’s why she overhauled a hundred-year-old recipe for the original cereal, to give you a strong start to your busy day. Muesli is part whole grains, part fruit, part nuts and seeds, and completely delicious!
The Blueberry Chia Buckwheat muesli is Seven Sunday’s top-seller – a simple and delicious blend of chewy blueberries and apples, crispy coconut strips, superfood chia seeds and a blend of ancient grains, all lightly sweetened with a hint of organic wild flower honey. This would be an great stocking stuffer for anyone on your list!

The Cookie Creative
We are obsessed with the creative genius that is The Cookie Creative, a specialty cookie company based out of Minneapolis.
Their cookies are baked fresh with the finest ingredients and hand-piped to perfection. If you can dream it, they can make it into a cookie! Hand-rolled, buttery and delicious, their cookies are baked in small batches and completely made from scratch. Each cookie is then hand-decorated and topped with a sweet layer of royal icing. The Cookie Creative will collaborate with you to bring your cookie vision to life and create the perfect, customized treat for your special event. Cori will collaborate with you to personalize a design that’s perfect for your next event and you will not be disappointed!

Minny and Paul
Minny & Paul was founded with a vision to elevate your gift giving and make it easier to share high quality local products. You pick the box, they handwrite your gift message and send directly to the special person in your life. They are there to help spread gratitude through local gifting.
We love the local focus and have yet to find a box they’ve put together that we aren’t completely over the moon for!

Good Karma Skincare
Everyone deserves Good Karma. Using holistic science and a few secret weapons, Good Karma Skincare has simplified the beauty routine by taking 4 products and combining them into 1 jar. Fewer wrinkles, smooth & firm skin, and a glow that radiates from within – naturally.
We love the Lux 7™ Age Defying Four-in-One Face Cream – streamline your moisturizing to one simple, powerful product with extreme age-defying benefits. This is that gift that you get for yourself (okay, or your sister, or whomever…but also you).

Maddy and Maize
One word: YUM. Our team cannot stop buying bags of this delicious treat! Our personal fave flavor is the Birthday Cake, but they have all kinds of flavors to suite your tastes. Maddy and Maize is all-natural, non-GMO, whole grain popcorn. It does not include artificial ingredients or preservatives – find a local retailer near you here. Throw one in your loved one’s stocking – they will totally thank you!

Cameron's Coffee
Cameron’s Coffee sees the world as a “mug-half-full kind of place – with the next enchanting roast to entice your senses and brighten the color of your day.” This coffee, roasted in Shakopee, Minnesota, is known to be smooth and never bitter. Our whole team has been drinking this and it’s making our mornings happier!
Pair a bag of Cameron’s Coffee with a cute mug and gift it to your child’s teacher, your bestie, or any other person that could use a pick-me-up!

North Mallow
Cozy up with a hot cup of cocoa as you celebrate the holidays! Our favorite topping to add? A North Mallow marshmallow! They offer three delicious flavors of gourmet marshmallows, made in Minnesota with all-natural ingredients. There are no artificial ingredients or chemical preservatives, so they never catch on fire! Grab a bag for all your holiday gatherings for an extra special, local made treat.

Pink Linen Designs
Treat yourself and add this little tree to your holiday decor! We love Pink Linen Designs products and love that they are hand drawn, whimsical, unique, pieces of art. This is just one of their many designs – find one that speaks to you or would be perfect for a loved one’s home.