Forget crowded malls and traffic jams. Instead, cruise over to the Rye Ridge Shopping Center for your holiday gift buying.
By Georgetta L. Morque
{gallery}ryeridge2015{/gallery}
Forget crowded malls and traffic jams. Instead, cruise over to the Rye Ridge Shopping Center for your holiday gift buying. There’s plenty of free parking and a variety of interesting shops where you are bound to find that special something for those on your list.
At Domestic Dry Goods Company, check out the fun surprise gift boxes, themed tubes with party confetti and wish capsule necklaces. New items for kids are decorative plastic plates with fruits and veggies to encourage healthy eating ($16) and placemats that encourage proper etiquette ($18). For book lovers, there are new infinity scarves with the writings of favorite novels such as “Jane Eyre” and “Tale of Two Cities” ($55). Seasonal favorites include holiday-themed hair accessories, scented candles with actual pine needles to enhance the Christmas tree aroma, holiday socks for men, cookie mix sets with holiday dish towels, Star of David soap, beeswax Hanukkah tapers, magic Yule logs, and much more. And what could be more appropriate than a thank you note kit for beginners ($25) for after the holidays.
For the athletes in your life, head over to Sportech for all their sporting needs. Popular items are TriggerPoint products that help rehabilitate sore muscles and alleviate pain. Choose from foot and calf rollers, grid stick foam rollers, massage balls, and more. Prices range from $24.99 to $69.99. Swimmers will be thrilled with the new TRISWIM line of salon quality shampoo, conditioner, and body wash to remove chlorine.
From working out to going out, Lv2bfit can outfit every step of the way from colorful patterned leggings to Lolo vinyl cosmetic bags to a variety of jewelry, gloves and accessories. Top picks this year are soft Beyond Yoga sweatshirts and Shy necklaces ($112+).
Dusty Rose, a longtime gem, stocks lingerie for all ages, and tanks and sweaters your teens will love. For jewels that dazzle, you’ll find exquisite collections and specialty pieces at Landsberg Jewelers.
Fur and fringe are big business this season. At Indigo Chic, there are soft fur hats and mittens, from $89 to $115, fringed bags ($425) plus a fur-trimmed shawl by Linda Richards ($420). Fur also makes a statement at Z-Life Denim Lounge, which has fur gloves in a variety of colors ($75). For men, you can’t go wrong with a flannel shirt or a holiday-esque sweater by Faherty ($398). Shoe Inn will customize a gift box with gloves — leather or wool, fingerless or texting — scarves, headwear and socks. At Mixology, sweater sweatshirts ($48 to $65) and hats with pompoms ($85) are all the rage, and Polaroid cameras, in a variety of colors, are making a comeback ($99).
At Lester’s, girls will love colorful fuzzy onesies, sparkly gloves and the return of the fanny pack. At the new boy’s and men’s shop, you’ll find Happy Socks and Nixon watches ($150+). For the upcoming school breaks, Lester’s already has a full line of cruise wear for the entire family. Fun gifts are the trendy Emoji pillows of all types, even ones that light up.
The newly relocated Learning Express Toys features Advent Legos, the ever- popular Elf on the Shelf, a chalk message cookie plate for Santa that comes with a separate cup for reindeer treats ($32.99), in addition to a large selection of favorite games and toys. And when the snow comes, kids can keep busy with snowball launchers and snow scooters ($89.99).
Consider gift wines at the Wine Cellar, where there will be a complimentary holiday wine tasting December 18 and 19. The store will feature two- and three-bottle gift packs plus specials on the entire Cellar Collection.
Pet Valu features a number of plush holiday toys for your best friend starting at $4.99, and stockings filled with treats for $12.99.
Gift certificates from Coco Day Spa, European Wax Center, and Massage Envy make good stocking stuffers.
