Last December the mantra was “Shop local.” Now the concept seems to have caught on as a holiday tradition. Marcie Manfredonia, president of Custom Candle Co, in Bedford Hills, is one of many small business owners who tell us they’ve seen an uptick in seasonal shoppers this year.

“I think that this year’s holiday shopping season is different,” she says. “More people are shopping local and trying to get more meaningful and personal gifts.”

Your CBD Store, in Mount Kisco, makes holiday buying easy by customizing gifts and even shipping them to the recipients for free. But shopping local is the right thing to do all year long, says owner Cathy Parlitsis. “It keeps your dollars invested in your local communities, so it also benefits the community,” she explains.

Ann LaGoy, owner of green-products company Sound Earth, agrees that patronizing small businesses keeps money close to home. “We are your neighbors, friends, investors in our communities,” she says. “It is well known each dollar spent locally circulates many more times within the local economy than big box stores.”

Ongoing supply-chain issues, especially bottlenecks in overseas shipments, have reinforced the idea that shopping local is a pragmatic as well as ethical choice. Parlitsis says having products that are US-grown and -manufactured has been an extra blessing for her store this year.

Shira Adler, who sells holistic wellness products online through her company Synergy by Shira Adler, says she’s prepared for the holiday season, despite the bottlenecks.

“We anticipated the supply-chain issues plaguing companies this year, but we are fully ready to go,” she says. “The only delays we can’t control may come from mail-delivery service companies, so order early.”

 

 

CBD Gift Boxes & TRIM Products

(Prices vary)

Gift boxes are very popular around the holidays at Your CBD Store, in Mount Kisco, says owner Cathy Parlitsis. “Giving the gift of health and good sleep is sure to be appreciated,” she says.

The fully customizable boxes usually contain a tincture, a topical cream and either a gummy or sleep product. “These work well, because it’s best to get CBD in you and on you,” Parlitsis says. “Additionally, gift boxes receive a 15 percent discount, which certainly helps.” Shoppers can also assemble a Self-Care Box, choosing from a variety of bath bombs and beauty products. 

Another product that Parlitsis predicts will be a big hit this holiday season is the store’s new TRIM weight-loss line. 

“Like THC turns the ‘munchy receptor’ in the brain up, THC-v turns it down,” she says. “Why not give the gift of good health this season?”

TRIM products are available as capsules and a tincture and are backed by research showing that 100 percent of the study participants lost weight over a 90-day period.

Shop in person at Your CBD Store, 222 E. Main St., Mt. Kisco, NY, and Your CBD Store, 1582 Rte. 9, Wappingers Falls, NY.  Order by phone at 914.276.5409 to have gifts packaged and shipped at no charge.  Shop online at YourCBDStoreMtKisco.com and CBDWappingers.com. See ad, page 20.

 

 

Custom Liquor Bottle Candles

($34.99 and up)

Marcie Manfredonia, president of Custom Candle Co, says custom liquor bottle candles are her most popular gift this holiday season, perhaps because they’re so personalized.

“It’s the perfect gift,” she says. “It allows you to choose your favorite liquor bottle and fill with the wax color, scent, and wick type of your choice. You can purchase it by itself, or you can add other items along with it. We have a wide range of candles and small gifts that can be made into beautiful gift baskets.”

In addition to its storefront in Bedford Hills and a second one opening soon in Mount Kisco, Custom Candle Co has an online store and ships domestically and internationally.

Shop in person at Custom Candle Co, 25 Depot Plaza, Bedford Hills, NY. New location opening soon at 720 Bedford Rd., Mount Kisco, NY. Order by phone at 914.218.8357. Shop online at CustomCandleCo.com.

 

 

Aroma Bracelet Gift Set

(Under $30)

Ann LaGoy, owner of Sound Earth says the Aroma Bracelet Gift Set her favorite product she’s selling this year.

“I love this item because it is beneficial to the person wearing it,” she explains. “Each bracelet is made with semiprecious stones, and each scent is made with therapeutic-grade essential oils. Both have a specific positive purpose: relaxing, soothing, invigorating—pick your pleasure.”

She says she also loves it for its reasonable price.

“The giver doesn’t have to break the bank to express their care for the receiver,” she says. “It’s less than $30.”

Shop online at SoundEarth.com.

 

 

CBD Combo Holiday Gift Set

(Bliss Butter: $59.99; Synergy Sprays: $39.95 each; CBD Tinctures: $79.95 and up)

Synergy by Shira Adler products are organic and free of gluten, pesticides, toxins, solvents—and really anything that doesn’t belong in a clean, pure, plant-based therapeutic. Its combo holiday gift set, featuring three CBD-infused personal-care items—Bliss Butter, a1500mg tincture and any aromatherapy Synergy Spray of the customer’s choosing—is already shaping up to be a seasonal favorite, says Shira Adler, founder and CEO of Synergy by Shira Adler and a second company, EcoSynergy.

Bliss Butter is a highly absorbent topical made with 500mg full-spectrum hemp extract (that’s CBD and everything else that comprises a “full spectrum” of cannabinoids and plant-based therapeutic agents), plus 10 essential oils, in a shea-butter base. In can be used daily as needed. 

The tincture is a high-milligram, full-spectrum hemp extract (CBD+) “with just enough organic MCT oil as a carrier oil for maximum absorption,” Adler says. It’s applied with a dropper (a quarter to half full) to the area between the cheek and gum, where it’s entirely absorbed in under five seconds. No swallowing required.

Adler calls these portable, affordable Synergy Sprays “the world’s only CBD-infused aromatherapy series of our proprietary blends—four or five oils per blend—meant to layer on each other.” To use, spray two or three times in front of your face and inhale deeply. 

Shop online at ShiraSynergy.com. Follow Shira Adler on social media @The1ShiraAdler and @ShiraSynergy.