by Kimberly Blaker
Have you scoured the planet for just the right gift only to find yourself left with the usual standbys— a sweater, cologne, etc.? Giving the same boring gift can feel like a worn-out consolation prize.
This year, why not try one of these gift ideas from local businesses? They’ll be sure to please everyone on your shopping list— not a sweater to be found here!
Concert tickets. A pair of concert tickets to the Huntington Center will be sure to please— check out huntingtoncentertoledo.com for a list of performances. Or maybe consider tickets to shows produced by the Toledo Ballet (toledoballet.com) or the Symphony (toledosymphony.com).
Dinner at a posh restaurant. They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach— but women enjoy gourmet meals, too! So if someone on your list doesn’t like to splurge on themselves, give them a gift certificate to a top-notch restaurant. It’s the perfect way for the person on your list to enjoy a gourmet meal without any of the guilt. A few of our favorites: Mancy’s (mancys.com), Rockwell’s (rockwells.mbaybrew.com), Georgio’s Cafe International (georgiostoledo.com), Rosie’s Italian Grille (rosiesitaliangrille.com), Souk (soukkitchenbar.com), Registry Bistro (registrybistro.com), Brim House (brimhousetoledo.com), Element 112 (element112restaurant.com) or Nagoya Steakhouse and Sushi (nagoyaohio.com).
Dinner at one of Toledo’s Mexican restaurants. Want something with a little more spice? Try out Ventura’s (venturasmexicanrestaurant.com), Carlos Que Pasa (carlosquepasa.com), Loma Linda (lomalindamexican.com), Cocina De Carlos (cocinadecarlos.com), or Vida Cantina (vidacantina419.com).
Golf package. Does the woman or man in your life enjoy hitting the links? Give a round of golf at Heatherdowns Country Club (heatherdowns.com).
Certificates for the body. Give them the gift of relaxation and health with Agni Massage and Esthetics (agnimassageesthetics.com), Essence Mind Body Studio (essencembs.com), Noms Health Care (nomshealthcare.com), Sue Hall’s Homebound Mobile Salon (419-382-0624), OUCH! Massage Therapy (ouchtoledo.com) or Serenity Health and Wellness Center (serenitywellness1.com).
Sporting event tickets. Whether they like home runs or slap shots, there are plenty of great options for live sports in Toledo. Visit toledowalleye.com/tickets for Walleye Hockey, milb.com for Mud Hens tickets or utrockets.edu for University of Toledo athletics.
Record player & LPs. Vinyl lives again! You can find collectible vintage record players as well as brand new ones online in every price range. Look for LPs at vintage record stores, thrift stores, antique malls, or online. Culture Clash Records (cultureclashrecords.com) is a great local option.
Annual non-profit membership. Make the person on your list a card-carrying member of the Toledo Zoo (toledozoo.org), the University of Toledo Foundation (utfoundation.org), Partners in Education (partnerstoledo.org), the Ability Center (abilitycenter.org), Toledo GROWs (toledogrows.org) or any organization that fits their interests. Most organization memberships include periodicals among other benefits.
A night, weekend or week away. Making someone on your list happy could be as simple as dinner at Benchmark in Perrysburg (benchmark-restaurant.com) followed by one night at the Belamere Suites (belameresuites.com) or a weekend away for rest and relaxation at nearby Sauder Village (saudervillage.org) or a week-long adventure to a favorite destination arranged by Central Travel (centraltravel.com) or Ottawa Hills Travel (ohtco.com).
Museum or other membership. Is someone on your list an art enthusiast or history buff? If so, give membership to the Toledo Museum of Art (tma.org), the National Museum of the Great Lakes (nmgl.org) or the Zoo (toledozoo.org).
Out-of-town trip. Someone wanna head north for a night? How about giving Childers (childerstransportation.com) a shout and booking them a limousine ride to Detroit Metro?
Listening Tours. More fascinating historical facts can be found with audio tours put together by local historian Ted Long of the Old West End. voicemap.me/tour/toledo-ohio
Cable TV. Give the gift of year-round entertainment with a package from Buckeye Broadband (buckeyebroadband.com).
House Cleaning. What a joy to have someone else clean after the holidays! Give a certificate from Molly Maid of NW Ohio (mollymaid.com).
Yard Plants. Give a certificate for a homeowner to use in the Spring from Nature’s Corner (mynaturescorner.com) or Hoen’s (hoensgardencenter.com). Maybe couple this with a certificate from Jeff’s Hauling and Cleanup (facebook.com/Jeffs-Hauling-Cleanup) to take away old plants and other waste.
