The season of giving is upon us! After the past year-plus of craziness, there’s never been a better time to reach out to those around us, show each other we care, and support one another and support the small businesses and organizations that make up our local communities. Whether we gift each other kind words, our time, our talent, money, or physical gifts, every kind of gift big and small is sure to feel extra special this year.
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect gift to show your loved ones just how much you care and want to put your dollars to good use supporting the local community, look no further. We’ve got just the list of amazing local gifts for all your shopping needs.
Give the gift of audiobooks with Libro.fm
Walk down the hall of private offices at Vibe, and you’ll likely see Libro.fm founder Nick Johnson whipping up the latest design work that’s sure to entire you to gift audiobooks to anyone in the world (including yourself!) from the comfort of your home. You choose the membership (1, 3, 6, or 12 months/credits), your gift recipient picks their own audiobooks, and your local bookstore is supported by your purchase. (Fans of Away With Words Bookshop (Poulsbo), Ballast Book Co. (Bremerton), Eagle Harbor Book Co. (Bainbridge), Bookit Nook (Poulsbo) or Liberty Bay Books (Poulsbo)… rejoice!). For $180, you get a 12-month audiobook membership to gift (or keep), while the local bookstore of your choice gets $90, which can: offset lost revenue from COVID-19; pay the light bill; purchase cleaning supplies and masks; pay several booksellers for an hour of work; help cover unexpected repairs; buy hard-working booksellers 20 cups of coffee. Get gifting!
Give the gift of self-care with LadyBox
Last year, Vibe member Aljolynn Sperber made heads turn on the cover of South Sound Business magazine when her company, Lady Box, was named among the Top 10 Startups to Watch in the South Sound region (go Aljolynn!). Get in the holiday spirit with a Period Self-Care Advent Box, find the perfect stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts and wow the womxn and menstruators in your life with the fun of receiving a monthly organic period subscription box that transforms periods from UGH to YAAS!. Whatever you choose, you won’t go wrong with gifts from this company, founded by a fellow menstruator, womxn of color, and solo mom right here in Poulsbo. First period kids and custom-ordered pregnancy and postpartum boxes are also available for gift or subscription. Head here to check out all of your options.
Want to support LadyBox in other ways? Consider checking out Lady Box’s business registry on Shine Registry to see how you can gift some help, support, and encouragement to Aljolynn and her brand.
Give the gift of grilling with Or Whatever You Do
If there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about good cooking, it’s Vibist Nicole Johnson, who hosts one of the biggest collections of home-cooked, family-tested recipes on the net vis a vis Or Whatever You Do. From drool-worthy BBQ Rub, silly stickers, and helpful magnets, to e-books (and more!), Or Whatever You Do has every fun gift for the grill-master in your life. And let’s be honest, it’s really a gift for you too. After all, every great grill-master needs a master taste tester. You don’t even need to know anything about grilling in order to select the perfect gift. Options like the Everything Rub, a rub designed for literally everything from steak and burgers to shrimp, chicken, and pork, make selecting the perfect gift a snap.
Give the gift of rocket fuel with Grounds for Change coffee
Ain’t nothing like a bag of beans for the holiday. We have the pleasure of working with Grounds for Change to provide our members with some of the best damn brews on the Peninsula. If you’ve ever wondered why the coffee we keep on tap is so good, it might be because it’s 100% fair trade, organic coffee delivered to us by the Grounds for Change crew each week, freshly ground and roasted in small batches just two miles down the road. We love Grounds for Change precisely because it’s a family-owned and operated B Corporation with great coffee, as well as a member of 1% for the Planet. Whether you’re looking for a bag’o’beans, holiday coffee gift box, Theo chocolate bars, mugs, carafes, or filters, our friends at Grounds for Change have got you covered. Check out their online shop to get started.
Give the gift of Comfy Clothes + Happy Mugs
Vibe’s merch shop has officially launched! Just in time to help you, or those on your list, stay cozy all year round. Snuggle up in an incredibly soft and stylish Vibe sweatshirt, wrap your hands around a brightly colored and incredibly fun mug full of your favorite warm drink, or snag one of the softest t-shirts known to humankind and add your favorite cozy flannel over top for the ultimate PNW winter outfit. We have sizes for everyone on your list from adults to toddlers so the whole family can dress happy with this vibrant merch.
Give the gift of confidence with The Little Virtues
A Vibe kid favorite! The Little Virtues are on a mission to positively instill good values that help foster the emotional and mental development of children and youth to prepare them for life’s challenges. Written by local author and former Vibe member, Rose Sprinkle, The Little Virtues series now includes Little Love, Little Envy, Little Brave, Little Faith and Little Charity. The perfect gift(s) for the littles in your life, the Little Virtues book series are written with love and imagination to improve relationships, create lasting memories, and strengthen communities around the world. Buy the books, as well as complimentary merch including bracelets, backpacks, pillowcases, stickers and tees in The Little Virtues shop here.
Give the gift of wisdom with Adulting for Christians
We all need a helping hand sometimes―especially when we’re first starting out. Adulting for Christians is a straightforward and enjoyable approach to learning how to deal with a whole new world of responsibilities, all while staying true to your faith. Whether it’s finding a place to live, learning how to land and keep a job, figuring out your health insurance, or just getting some handy cleaning tips, Adulting for Christians by Vibe member Jenny Ingram has you covered. This combination guide, journal, activity book, and devotional gives you everything you need to conquer these new challenges―and have fun doing it! Get a copy for yourself and everyone you know at your favorite local bookstore, or here on Amazon.
Give the gift of a warm greeting with Bremerton Letterpress
The holidays are a time to rest, be present, and reconnect with those we love near and far. Brighten the day of someone you love and remind them you care with a stunning locally made card from Bremerton Letterpress. With a wide variety of artists and art styles included, holiday cards, everyday cards, and cards for special occasions, you’re sure to find something that is unbelievably perfect for the loved ones in your life. Explore all of their greeting cards—including holiday cards!
Give the gift of Staying in touch with the Snail Mail Society
There’s no better way to reconnect with the loved ones in your life than with a greeting card subscription box from the Snail Mail Society. Vibist Marit Bockelie of the Bremerton Letterpress Co. personally prints, publishes and curates a collection of compelling greeting cards to help you connect with your loved ones near and far each month. A monthly subscription to the Snail Mail Society will get you 3 specially curated greeting cards delivered to your doorstep each month, stamped and ready for you to drop right in the mail to your friends, family or clients. Give the gift of staying in touch.
Give the gift of confidence and leadership with Beyond Limits Consulting
Expand your horizons! Purchase individual or team coaching sessions and packages from Vibe member Samantha Mathis to help you or someone special in your life become a more confident and effective individual, leader, or team. Beyond Limits Consulting offers individual leadership coaching, career coaching and team coaching and development. Kick off the New Year by taking stock of your life and creating new healthy habits and goals by booking a single session or a series of sessions. Packages are customized, and as an added bonus, Vibe members receive a 10% discount on all BLC sessions/packages!
Beyond Limits Consulting also offers affiliated Ignition Coaching Academy courses to build resilience and navigate uncertainty, including:
Resilience: Navigating Uncertainty with WAVE™ (90-minute program to navigate uncertainty, stress, and change by building resilience with the WAVE™ model – $40)
Building Emotional Resilience (12-day program to create greater self-awareness and strengthen your emotional resilience – $175)
WAVE™ Program for Mindful Resilience (20-day foundational program on building resilience through the WAVE™ Model for Resilience – $199)
Give the gift of fresh wall art with Wayzgoose Kitsap
If blank walls have got you down, an original Wayzgoose print from one of dozens of local artists is sure to do the trick. Through Wayzgoose Kitsap, local artists print hand-carved linoleum blocks with full-size, ten-ton steamrollers in the streets of Bremerton every Labor Day weekend, and a limited number of each print are offered for sale through Wayzgoose’s shop, making this a seriously unique and collectible gift. Farewell blank walls! Not sure your loved one has the wall space for a print? Snag a practical and fashionable tote, a bandana, a festival poster and a 2022 wall calendar, too (coming soon — early December).
Give the gift of color with art by Cory Bennett
If you’ve spent any time at Vibe Coworks in person, you’ve surely noticed the Insta-worthy murals brightening our walls. The master(s) behind them? Cory Bennett and Joshua Fisher. Known as an iconic Neo-POP artist, Cory combines pop themes, iconic images and neo-expressionist techniques to produce work that is wary of modern society. His art is vivid, bold, powerful and iconic. Give a gift that speaks volumes with one of Cory’s original paintings or shop his art in other forms like t-shirts and postcards. Plus, treat yourself to a free coloring book from Cory while you shop! If you’re local, don’t miss stopping by the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art to see his current solo exhibition, Heroes, on display through January 30, 2022.
Give the gift of NATURE with E7s Studio
Nothing makes a space feel more like home than some “just your style” art. Vibist Eliza Evans’ vibrant art makes the perfect gift for any animal or nature lover in your life (or maybe for yourself!). Her art is available for purchase as paintings, photography, wall art, tote bags, mugs, clothing, notebooks, fabric, wallpaper, magnets, stickers, and more! Meaning that there is just the right gift available for any budget and any sized space. You can purchase her art through her shop on Spoonflower and Redbubble or, Eliza has more art at home—including other subjects and paintings on seashells, magnets, etc.—so if you like what you see but are looking for something different, let her know! You can also see more over on her Facebook page.
Give the gift of Support to local entrepreneurs with Shine Registry
As you’ve probably noticed just from this list alone, our region is packed with inspiring, innovative, entrepreneurs who are doing some incredible things with, for, and in our communities.
Help support them and keep their work going by searching for “pugetsound” (all one word) on Shine Registry . You’ll find the wishlists of local businesses and organizations including A Drop In the Ocean, Anna Sun Choi, LadyBox and Wicked Words that offer ways both big and small that you can help support them this holiday season (and all year round!). It can even be as simple as sending someone a positive pep talk to inspire them or following them on social media.
Shine Registry hosts profiles of businesses and their founders with wedding registry-style lists of the stuff that they need. Founders ask for support while they are starting their businesses and give their communities an opportunity to show that support in meaningful and substantive ways.
And last but certainly not least… give the gift of an escape from the home office
Coworking at Vibe Coworks makes the perfect stocking stuffer! We’re all a little burnt out on our home offices right now. Give your loved ones, friends and employees a break by giving them the gift of an occasional escape from the home office, complete with ridiculously fast gig speed fiber internet. Gift cards can be purchased online or in person at Vibe in any amount you choose. Gift cards can be used towards a future membership, Day Pass or conference room booking, and are valid for use at Vibe Coworks in Poulsbo, or at our our new Vibe Spaces location, The Spot, in Downtown Bremerton. There’s no better gift than the chance to work happier, healthier and more connected…without the commute, but out of the house.