Twelve Gifts of Bucks County

For creative, low-stress holiday shopping, think outside the box store.

By: Jillian Kalonick and Jessica Loughery
   With so many unique shops and eateries, there’s no excuse not to avoid the box stores and shop close to home for the holiday season. Gift certificates for many local stores and restaurants can even be ordered from your home computer — now that’s local.
90 Main Everyone seems to have those friends who are recent (or not-so-recent)
transplants to the suburbs, and can’t stop talking about how much better everything
was in the city. Is nothing good enough for these people? Silence them with a
gift card to 90 Main (90 S. Main St., New Hope, Pa., 215-862-3030, www.90mainlounge.com),
which promises it is "successfully bringing the city vibe to New Hope." Its "world
fusion" cuisine offers sashimi and sushi, tapas, rich desserts and an extensive
drinks menu. If nothing else, those friends can drown their sorrows about living
in the ‘burbs with a few Washington apple martinis ($12). This place even has
bottle service. And if you call the restaurant with credit card in hand, the folks
there will send an elegantly packaged gift card directly to the recipient —
you don’t even have to leave the house. — Jillian Kalonick
Artisans in Bucks County More than 35 artisans will offer one-of-a-kind arts and crafts at the juried Artisans in Bucks County show (George School Sports Center, Route 413, Newtown, Pa., Nov. 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $5 admission). Jewelry, pottery, furniture, wood-turned vessels and more will be for sale, along with art for the wall. "We have worked hard to give the people of Bucks County a wonderful alternative to the hassle of mall shopping," says show producer Jill Biros. It probably won’t be quite as crowded as Oxford Valley or King of Prussia, but you could probably still bring along any Thanksgiving guests who are overstaying their welcome and accidentally "lose them." — J.K.
Bow Wow So the dog won’t wear those antlers, despite repeated attempts to attach them to his head. Maybe he’ll put up with a Santa hat? How about an elf outfit? A jingle bell collar, at least? There are numerous doggie duds available at Bow Wow (102C S. Main St., New Hope, Pa., 215-862-9871). If you want to reward your canine instead of making him look ridiculous, Bow Wow offers a wide selection of gourmet treats, including the 12 Doggie Days of Christmas (15½ ounces, $14.99), a tree-shaped assortment of goodies. For the dog obsessed, Bow Wow offers mugs, pillows, blankets, flags and ornaments that feature a mind-boggling 200 different breeds. Themed toys will put puppies in the Christmas — or Hanukkah — spirit, depending on your dog’s religion.— J.K.
Busy Bees Toys If you happen to be sick of the crowds, the lines and the simple, same old of Toys "R" Us and other chain toy stores, you might try Busy Bees Toys (38 E. State St., Doylestown, Pa., 215-345-6070), a brand-new shop stocked with unique European and American specialty items for kids. The Plan City line from Plan Toys easily becomes a new collection. These mini-cities are popular and feature locations that come separately, such as the Ice Cream Shop ($16), Fire Station ($25) and Garage ($50). Children will love handmade Waldorf dolls made by the 100-year-old German company Kathe Kruse. Gems like the Fairy Doll ($70) are hand-crafted with natural materials like mohair and wool. Other options include Dancing Eggs ($15), a game by HABA featuring rubber eggs, large dot dice and an array of funny tasks, and Selecta Spedino wooden push toys such as the Mouse ($33), whose head bobs to the jingle of bells when he’s scooted along. — Jessica Loughery
Churchville Nature Center What better place is there to shop for the nature
lovers in your life? Churchville Nature Center’s Gift Shop (501 Churchville Lane,
Churchville, Pa., 215-357-4005, www.churchvillenaturecenter.org)
carries field guides, jewelry, bird feeders and children’s books and toys. For
the bird watchers, there are Sibley Bird Guides ($20-$30) and Droll Yankee Birdfeeders
($30-$60). For something especially local, take advantage of the center’s status
as one of few locations that carry resources on local Native Americans and give
the Lenape Delaware Indian Heritage Book ($40) as a gift. Kids will find they
can stretch their performance muscles with native wildlife finger puppets ($5-$6).
All of the above count as gifts that give back, too; proceeds benefit the center
and its educational programs. And a heads up: the nature center is holding a three-day,
15-percent off sale Dec. 1-3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. — J.L.
Colonial Farms What are the holidays without mouth-watering eats? This
is the time of year to appreciate the finer foods in life. Colonial Farms (Route
532 and Taylorsville Road, Washington Crossing, Pa., 215-493-1548, www.colonialfarms.com)
will put together baskets featuring your choice of munchies like chocolates, fruits,
cheeses, biscotti, caviar, pasta and cookies. Just give the folks there a price
ranging from $35-$250 and they’ll build the basket with you. Try the Organic Basket,
which features organic coffee, tea, grains and other natural foods. If you want
to stick with a standard sweet tooth-satisfying dessert, the Assorted Sweet Platter
($35-$75) comes in different sizes and is stacked with mini cannoli, éclairs
and chocolate-covered strawberries. There’s also the seasonally appropriate Holiday
Spice Cake with cream cheese icing ($18-$75). All desserts are made from scratch
on location. Here’s another culinary hint: keep these guys in mind for party catering.
— J.L.
County Theater No matter how great Netflix is, sitting in front of the
TV — even the plasma — can’t replicate the movie-going experience. A
year membership to the County Theater (20 E. State St., Doylestown, Pa., 215-345-6789,
www.countytheater.com)
costs $30 seniors/students, $40 individuals, $55 senior couples or $65 couples,
and members pay only $4.50 per ticket. Gift memberships, along with gift certificates,
are available online. The County is nonprofit, so contributions are tax-deductible
— everybody wins. Coming attractions include Christopher Guest’s take on
the film industry, For Your ConsiderationFurInfamous. —
J.K.
The Den For a destination that covers every hobby that’s ever struck a man’s fancy, hit up The Den (Peddler’s Village, Route 202 and Street Road, Lahaska, Pa., 215-794-8493), where you’ll find gifts for golfers, car collectors, sports fans, boating enthusiasts, poker players and more. The shop is currently featuring the popular Art of Shaving product line. While it carries the basics like shaving cream ($14) and shaving brushes ($50-$100), full kits work well as gifts. The Four Elements of the Perfect Shave ($100) includes balm, oil, cream and a brush. For a surefire hit, few guys will turn down a high-quality stogie. Here, you’ll find Ashton and Arturo Fuente brand cigars, among others ($3.75-$12). And for your standard apparel gifts, men’s clothing lines include Tommy Bahama, Indigo Palms, Bills Khakis and Woolrich. — J.L.
Face and Body Spa Maybe you don’t know what ear candling is, or why anyone
would want a lash perm. It’s OK — the Face and Body Spa (25 E. Afton Ave.,
Yardley, Pa., 215-369-0699, www.fbspa.com)
also offers more traditional services, such as facials, manicures, massage and
waxing. Gift certificates may be purchased online for a spa package ($155-$440)
or a dollar amount, since guessing someone’s spa taste can be tricky. —
J.K.
Finder’s Keepers Store at Sesame Place We all stroll through the gift shops
of amusement parks and museums on our visits, but seldom do we set out to such
destinations with holiday shopping in mind. Remember the adorable selection at
Sesame Place’s Finder’s Keepers Store (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, Pa., 215-752-7070,
www.sesameplace.com)
when you were there over the summer? From the Big Bird water globe ($7.99) and
the Cookie Monster cookie jar ($19.99) to the plush Elmo backpack ($21.99) and
the jumbo plush Grover ($39.99), you’ll find themed-items for all the kids’ favorite
characters at a range of affordable prices. You can even get portraits taken with
the characters. Finder’s Keepers is open weekends Nov. 24-Dec. 23. — J.L.
Habitat for Humanity Giving to those who sare truly in need is simple if
holiday shopping includes a stop at Lowe’s (1400 E. Lincoln Highway, Langhorne,
Pa.; 1001 S. West End Blvd., Quakertown, Pa.; 425 Easton Road, Warrington, Pa.).
Homes for the Holidays, a national partnership between Habitat for Humanity and
Lowe’s, gives shoppers the opportunity to make a donation to Habitat for Humanity
of Bucks County (www.habitatbucks.org)
at the checkout line. The program continues through Dec. 11. — J.K.
Rose Bank Winery Festive holiday wines are the merry mainstay of many seasonal
gatherings. Try bringing local libations along this year from any of the seven
Bucks County Wine Trail locations. Rose Bank Winery (258 Durham Road, Newtown,
215-860-5899, www.rosebankwinery.com)
is especially notable for its affordable prices and custom-made gift baskets.
Stock one with the 2006 Nouveau ($9.99), a light and fruity red served best chilled,
and another one of their red specialties, the Spice ($8.99). The latter’s hints
of cinnamon, cloves and ginger make it best served warm with a cinnamon stick
or slice of orange, though it works well as a marinade or baste for ham, too.
There’s also a wide selection of fruit wines to choose from, ranging from $6.99
to $12.99, and a cabinet full of Stonewall Kitchen products, including sweet heat
pretzel dip ($7.99), red pepper and Romano bruschetta topping ($8.99), and the
appropriate holiday jam ($5.99). — J.L.