Boxes of biscotti at Mrs. B's Gifthouse. Photo courtesy of Mrs. B's Gifthouse.

We gave you our shop-local kid list already (click here), now it’s time for our top local picks for adults (we think many of these would also be suitable for the teenagers in your life, too). We looked at Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guyshop in downtown Burlington (457 Brant St.), the Handmade House (460 Pearl St.), Mrs B’s Gifthouse (4129 Harvester Rd.), a Burlington family-owned and operated stalwart who’ve been around for over 30 years, and Christy’s Gourmet Gifts (3530 Mainway Dr.), as well as small local businesses and artists from whom you can buy online (through their website or contact via social media): Toques from the Heart, Graceful Designs, Myhticepoxy, and Phillips Art + Design.

Jewelry is an oft-desired gift, and there are pretty options at a range of price points to be found in our city. Consider Biko’s essential chainlink collar in gold, which can be found at Joelle’s for $245; stylish, made close to home (in Toronto), and equally at home over a t-shirt and blazer or a dress. The Handmade House carries more locally-made baubles; we like the sideways initial necklace by Maple Lane Jewelry ($34).

Burlington-based Graceful Designs makes a lovely gift for moms with little kids: a “mama” and “mini” bracelet set ($35) for mom and little, available in a range of colours. These are available at the Handmade House or find the brand on social media (@graceful.designs1991).

Myhticepoxy, another Burlington-based small business, makes pretty pressed-flower bracelets and earrings, among other creative products. We especially love the earrings pictured here ($19.99 per pair); find them on Instagram under @myhticepoxy.

Biko’s essential chainlink necklace (left), at Joelle’s (photo courtesy of Joelle’s); Maple Lane Jewelry’s sideways initial necklace, available at the Handmade House.
Graceful Designs’ mama and mini bracelet sets (left); Myhticepoxy’s pressed-flower earrings (right).


For anyone who experiences migraines or other aches and pains (so, all of us over a certain age), Wrapped in Comfort’s rice-filled pillows that can be heated in the microwave or frozen to provide pain relief — and are sized perfectly for laying over the eyes — would be a welcome gift. Available from the Handmade House in a number of prints (we’re partial to the blue flowered one pictured here) and priced at $25, they are affordable and useful.

Another practical and stylish gift idea is a warm winter hat from Toques from the Heart, which has the added bonus of social impact: the company gives a toque to a person experiencing homelessness for every toque purchased. Available in a wide range of colours, with great brights in their classic line and gorgeous neutrals in their classic ($34.99), merino ($49.99), and sustainable-fabric ($54.99) toque lines. For the hockey fan in your lift, they have toques in NHL team colours ($39.99). We are particularly partial to the rich neutral colours of the sustainable toques.

While we’re on the topic of eco-conscious gifts, Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guyshop carry items by Ecoalf, a line that uses sustainable and recycled materials; its tagline is “Because there is no Planet B.” The Storm sweatshirt in stone ($150) and the Bronson stainless steel bottle in smokey blue ($55)  are our picks.

Wrapped in Comfort’s heatable/freezable eye pillow, available at the Handmade House (left); Toques from the Heart’s sustainable toques in neutral colours (right).
Ecoalf’s Storm sweatshirt in stone (left) and Bronson stainless steel bottle in smokey blue (right); availble at Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guyshop, respectively. Photos courtesy of Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guyshop.


We found some other beautiful items at Joelle’s and Jeff’s Guyshop; we love the Betrice leather mittens by Soia & Kyo ($105). You can unzip the fingertip end (and hold it down with the magnetic button closure) when you need to use your phone or fumble with your door keys, and stay warm and chic the rest of the time. To stay warm inside, there are the Eberjey sherpa slippers in ivory ($93); soft, easy to slip on, and comfortable.

There are also Johnnie-O knit blazers at Jeff’s Guyshop; we like the blue Cook model in particular ($495). With a dash of Southern charm plus laid-back West Coast style, this lightweight and comfortable blazer could serve as the lynchpin for a great look. Another cool find is the Walton Wood Farm line of solid colognes ($28 each), with names like the Gentleman (a light citrus and mahogany scent); the Wanderer (a cracked-pepper and mandarin scent), and the Musician (vanilla bean and musk — no, not whiskey and cigarettes), these colognes are travel-ready, vegetarian-friendly, and cruelty-free.

Soia & Kyo’s Betrice black leather mittens (left) and Eberjey’s sherpa slippers; both available at Joelle’s (right). Photos courtesy of Joelle’s.
The Cook knit blazer by Johnnie-O (left) and Walton Wood Farm’s solid cologne (right); both available at Jeff’s Guyshop. Photos courtesy of Jeff’s Guyshop.


Looking for a gift for someone who’s working towards better wellbeing? Take a look at these wellness journals ($18) from the Handmade House. Add some fun coloured pens, and you’re good to go!

While we admit that buying art for other people is difficult, we can’t help but recommend the work of Burlington artist Jude Phillips. He creates beautiful, graphic landscapes, often based on local scenery. There’s framed art ($300) and smaller pieces. Phillips also does pet portraits, though you’ll have to book now for the next holiday, as he’s booked up for this Christmas. Go to www.phillipsartdesign.com for more.

Wellness journal at the Handmade House.
Some of Jude Phillips’ beautiful work.


Burlington has plenty of amazing options for the food-lover on your gift-buying list. You can go for a pre-made basket from Mrs. B’s Gifthouse, with options ranging from the Brie Baker ($27.95) to the Holiday Treasure ($174.95), or pack up your own gift basket. Our top picks from Mrs. B’s include the coffee bombs (mocha, vanilla, and salted caramel; $15.95 for a box with one of each flavour), and, of course, the biscotti. Go for a pack of three, a package of the popular bisconuts, or a whole box of biscotti (prices range from $8.95 to $39.95).

The Brie Baker has everything needed to make baked brie (left); the Holiday Treasure has cake, nuts, chocolate, candy, cheese and crackers, and so much more. Photos courtesy of Mrs. B’s Gifthouse.
Mrs. B’s bisconuts (donut-shaped biscotti; left) and coffee bombs (right), to make that first morning coffee special. Photos courtesy of Mrs. B’s Gifthouse.


Alongside the coffee bombs and bisconuts, look at some savory treats, like Royal Pepper’s The Knight, a dill pickle and habanero hot sauce ($14) from the Handmade House. This beauty can be used as a marinade for chicken, on burgers, or — this is a top-secret tip from the Handmade House — mix it with mayo for an amazing dip for fries (or just about anything else). Add in a package of seasonings from Salt + Mustard: the Handmade House carries a three-pack with Everything Blend, Spicy Everything Blend, and Za’atar Mustard ($20). We hear the Everything blends are great on eggs, avocado, and popcorn.

Then, round your gift basket off with some more sweets (it is the holidays, after all); add Christy’s Gourmet Gifts’ original craft beer brittle ($12), ginger dipped in dark chocolate ($5), or some of that famous crunch — we’d go for the milk chocolate cacao or dark chocolate toffee.

The Handmade House carries Royal Pepper’s sauces, including the dill pickle habanero (left), and Salt + Mustard’s mustards and spice blends (right).
Christy’s Gourmet Gifts’ beer brittle (left), dark ginger (middle), and milk chocolate cacao crunch (right).
Hungry yet?


Throw in some nice cheese, crackers, maybe some popcorn from the Toronto Popcorn Company (Christy’s Gourmet carries a few flavours), and you’ve got yourself a lovely gift.

We hope we’ve inspired you to shop local for your holiday gifts; we’ve had a lot of fun putting together this gift guide, and each of these shops — and other local shops we didn’t get to visit this time — has lots more great stuff for gifting. If you make a great find and want to share it with us, tag us on social media @localnewsburl and use the hashtag #shoplocal!