Shopper’s delight: Local retailers have plenty of gifts that won’t bust your budget
Shopping for office gifts and Secret Santa exchanges can be a tough search if you’re looking for gifts in the $10 to $20 range that look more expensive.
Some local retailers can help you find those perfect gifts without breaking your budget.
The sparkle of Swarovski Crystals in glass display cases and gentle Christmas music fills this Georgian colonial mansion on 2523 Milford Road (Business Route 209) in Smithfield. after taking in the shimmer of the dozens of glass cases filled with collectibles, be sure to head back to the bulk candy room with the scent of homemade chocolates and nuts — and free samples at hundreds of wood barrels.
“We try to stress that we’re doing it individually for you and it’s fresh,” says owner Pam Schrenko. “Call ahead and we’ll have something ready for you.”
You can make up a box of candies, or fill a basket with assorted tasty, even healthful snacks — the staff will help you to fit any budget. Aisles of shelves are filled with collectibles, including thousands of brand name lines from Disney to Lenox Classics to Fontanini, as well as a variety of tree ornaments and travel mugs to suit any sports fan. While more exclusive items are high-priced, there are many choices for under $20. Check out the handcrafted jewelry line made in Nazareth by Cathy Woolway. also popular are the wide array of candles and reed diffusers — $29.99 each or 2 for $49.99. And, don’t miss the downstairs all-year Christmas shop with holiday collectibles. It’s open daily 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phone toll free 877-553-8853 (1-877-KKettle). Visit country-kettle.com.
One of the many stores at old Lumberyard Shops on 115 Seventh St. in Milford (570-409-6787), manager Leah Meola opened in April the branch of the national franchise based in San Antonio that offers unique soy-based chips in boxes selling for $10.75. The chips burn for 140 hours, spreading one of the 48 aromas over 3,000 square feet. Scentchip’s holiday special gets you five boxes for the price of four. Combination scents include Country Spice, made of cinnamon, clove, and vanilla, and Woodstock, with patchouli, musk, and vanilla, as a last minute gift for the diligent colleague you know is a hippie at heart. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
A walk into the winter wonderland on 2575 Milford Road (Route 209) in Marshalls Creek puts anyone in the holiday spirit with plenty of ideas from festive holiday display plates, to Christmas stocking hangers, lamps, snow man hurricane lamps and candle burners as well as wreaths, topiaries and garlands that can be made to order and a staff eager to help. many are marked down. It’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Call (570) 223-0717.
For those who want a sweet offering, there are two different options. Sugar Sugar on 15 Crystal St., East Stroudsburg, offers vintage labelled candy that has been popular as far back as 60 years ago. it offers gift-packaged popular labels as well as hard candy. Co-owners Laurie Carrington and Brenda Riccio offer nostalgia brands such as Chuckles, Sugar Daddies, Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy (back in production), Mike & Ike, Brach’s jelly nougats, Abba Zabba Bars, Sen Sen, Teaberry Gum, Sky Bars, Candy buttons, Wonka Bars, wax sticks and bottles. it is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 570-434-6615.
Callie’s Candy Kitchen and Callies Pretzel Factory, both on Route 390 in Mountainhome, offer an array of sweet and tasty treat packages. both stores are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Callie’s Candy Kitchen has chocolate truffles, bark, seashells, chocolate-covered pecans, chocolate-covered gummy bears and turtles. There also chocolate molds of items designed for teachers and businesses, including boxes of a guitar, golf, PlayStation, a computer cell phone, music cleft and motorcycle, and lollipops of characters like Barbie, Barney, Batman, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Tinker Bell, Dora the Explorer and Transformer. There are demonstrations in the back room showing candy canes being made and they can be bought in all sizes. popular fudge flavors include pumpkin and cookie dough fudge.
For pretzel lovers, there are assorted package ideas. Soft pretzels generally last one day, but hard pretzels can be sealed in bags and saved for about two months. besides pretzels, customers can also buy cotton candy and chocolate, cheddar, cinnamon sugar, and nacho popcorn, which are all made on location.
Call 570-595-2280 for information for both Callie’s stores.
On the corner of Main and Sixth streets in downtown Stroudsburg, Josephine’s Fleur de Lis has an elegant line of merchandise, but some fall in the $10 to $20 range. “We wrap for you and we’ll help you with ideas,” says Martha Loomis, co-owner. “We have a wide variety of items and great service.”
Choose a large, colorful blown-glass ornament for under $15 as well as comparably priced saches and room fragrances. Vance Kittira soy candles and candles with Christmas motifs make good hostess gifts for under $20. a unique office gift is the $19 silver-toned Decision Maker desktop paper weight, which guides its user to “Pass the Buck,” wait till “Tomorrow” or simply “Sit on it.” for deeper pockets, browse the jewelry lines by Troll Beads, Kameleon and Lori Bonn or upscale tableware by Vietri.
The store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., but closes at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Phone: 570-476-7909. E-mail: . on the web: josephinesonmain.com.
Shoppers looking for an international theme can visit the store in its 19th year on Route 611 in Tannersville. Along with a wide array of nutcrackers, there are Bavarian beer steins, Russian nesting dolls, Inge glass ornaments, Polish pottery and Italian music boxes. Call 570-620-2003 to see if they have or can order a specific gift item. for those spending a little more, there are German cookoo clocks and grandfather clocks. The store is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and one hour later on Friday and Saturday.
It’s like walking into a stage coach stop in the Wild West unless one chooses to exclude the gentle melody of “Sing we now of Christmas” playing in the background.
The gift shop at the Pocono Indian museum on Route 209 is teeming with rustic articles of the Native American culture. Dream catchers, dolls, incense burners, knives, ponchos, moccasins, leather jackets, books, cards, native music, outerwear, walking sticks, rain sticks and cedar chests, are a few of the uniquely crafted articles for sale on the store.
Colorful and meaningful Native American pottery and vases adorn the shelves displayed according to the tribe they represent and tribes they are created by. Jewelry to suit everyone is a hot seller of the year.
Anyone can leave with a good find without burning a hole in their pockets. Articles are priced anywhere from $5 to $300, and many items fall in the $20 range.
“We have unique articles that one cannot find in the department stores. Absolutely no store sells them. You wouldn’t know what you can find unless you walk into the store,” said Doreen Musara, bookkeeper and sales person at the store. “Many of them are handmade by the native people themselves.”
If that isn’t enough, the other part of the property is a complete winter outfitter that sells goggles, shirts and other apparel.
Open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the museum is on Route 209 in Bushkill. for more details, call 570-588-9338 or visit poconoindianmuseum.com.
For those looking for an affordable live gift of unique garden gifts and holiday-themed floral arrangements, the expansive shop in its 78th year at 5064 Milford Road (Route 209) in Marshalls Creek has an array of selections that can be made to order. It’s open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Call 570-223-8134.
For those looking for scent-sible ideas, this is the place on 1993 Milford Road (Business Route 209) in East Stroudsburg, with candles of all types made on-site. Co-owner Vicki Cobb says, “We are all about candles. this time of year, people love our Christmas Tree, Holly Berry, Bayberry and Candy Cane scents. also very popular are the lighted aroma night lights.”
Seasonal jar candles come in sizes ranging from a petite 4-ounce votive to 28-ounce double- or triple-scented (two or three wicks) jar candles. a Candy Cane 28-ounce double costs $10.19. an electric candle warmer for $10.99 gives off a scent without a flame — a great idea for someone with small children or mischievous pets, or who just likes to make the candle last. The aroma night lights in 17 designs for $17.99 complement any style and are a great gift idea for all ages along with the accessories of oil, soy beads, wax, replacement dishes.
For a last-minute teacher or Secret Santa gift, there are pre-wrapped, $4.99 grab-and-go gifts just inside the entrance. Or explore the many rooms of unique offerings, from carved candles and custom wreaths and centerpieces to decorative photo frames and nativities. And, if you’re shopping with a child, visit the upstairs make-your-own-candle area (just $5) or watch the staff create carved ribbon candles.
The store is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closes earlier at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Phone 570-421-1832 or shop online at poconocandle.com.
— Susan Jorstad and Jessica
Cohen contributed to this article
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