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Small Shops of Sonoma County - 2017

Small Shops of Sonoma County is an annual TRADITION that goes back 15 years. Like all traditions, we like to be consistent - that’s part of what makes it areal tradition. The consistency here is supporting locally-owned businesses who support our local economy by keeping your money right here at home.

This year, the last few months have a been a serious challenge for small business owners. The fires kept customers away long enough to impact owners’ ability to pay rent, purchase products, etc. People also gave a lot of money away...first to hurricane victims, then to fire victims right here at home.

That means that shoppers are especially reluctant to spend more money they don’t have. Many people couldn’t go to work, some lost jobs along with the businesses they worked for. That fire did more damage then just burning land, homes, and buildings. There are no funds for lost business from natural disasters, so we will do our best to make this holiday the best it can be, and look forward to repairing the damage and moving on.

Please look at the CENTER MAP (below) to find your way across the county to the small businesses who are on the same mission we are…keeping our local economy strong. They read the Gazette, so they know exactly why we publish this guide to holiday shopping. We don’t just tell you to go buy stuff - we provide inspiration on gifting in ways that support our home and families. Please see our Holiday Craft Fair Guide on pages 14 & 15, and our Great Holiday Events Calendar in the December Gazette and online at SonomaCountyGazette.com for FUN Holiday events.

Our preference is to inspire you with ideas on how you can contribute to people’s lives, our community, and still find a gift for someone you care about. People love presents wrapped in pretty paper and ribbons. But it doesn’t have to be something to dust and figure out where to place. It can be an experience.

With that in mind, Aleta Parseghian and Amy Calhoun researched ways to spend time with people, offer them a gift of something they don’t normally do or can’t normally afford, teach someone a new skill, etc.

And we always encourage you to find gifts that are locally made. Sonoma County is home to amazingly creative people, from musicians to fine artists. Our co-op galleries are the best places to find unique gifts you will never find in a chain store. Please look online for the Gazette’s Art Galleries of Sonoma County created by Su McMurtry for our October edition - and online under LOCAL GUIDES at SonomaCountyGazette.com. And while you are on our website, please see our LOCAL GUIDES to Jewelers, Flower Shops, Bike Stores, Garden Businesses and more.

We want to be your resource for shopping where our community benefits the most.

Please see links(below) to all our 2017 articles on ideas for giving gifts this year...experiences top the list!

Here's the full Small Shops 2017 Holiday Guide in the Flip the Pages version of our print edition: http://online.flipbuilder.com/opcf/slag/mobile/index.html

Holiday Shipping Deadlines:

United Parcel Service: ups.com/holiday

Dec 18 – Deadline for 3 Day Select shipments. Dec 20 – Deadline for 2nd Day Air shipments. Dec 22 – Deadline for Next Day Air shipments. International info@ups.com

United State Postal Service:usps.com/holiday/

FedEx: fedex.com/us/holiday/holiday-service-schedule.html

Dec 18 – Deadline for Home Delivery and Ground Delivery shipments. Dec 22 – Deadline for 2-Day and 2-Day A.M. shipments. Dec 23 – Deadline for Standard Overnight, Priority Overnight, First Overnight International info: fedex.com

DHL International Courier: www.dhl-usa.com

Military Mail: APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs: ZIP Express 1st Cls Priority Airlift Spc Avail Grnd ZIP 090-092 Dec. 16 Dec. 11 Dec. 11 Dec. 4 Nov. 27 Nov. 6 ZIP 093 N/A Dec. 2 Dec. 4 Dec. 4 Nov. 27 Nov. 6= ZIPs 094-098 Dec. 16 Dec. 9 Dec. 11 Dec. 4 Nov. 27 Nov. 6 ZIP 340 Dec. 16 Dec. 9 Dec. 11 Dec. 4 Nov. 27 Nov. 6 ZIPs 962-966 Dec. 16 Dec. 9 Dec. 11 Dec. 2 Nov. 25 Nov.6 INFO: militarybenefits.info/holiday-shipping-mailing-dates

In Love with the Earth

Every year for the last 8 years, Leslie Curchack has published a calendar of her photographs and donated the proceeds to Daily Acts, a nonprofit sustainability group started by Trathen Heckamn 17 years ago. The whole point of Daily Acts is to be conscious of the impact we have on our planet and on the lives of others. By living consciously and acting in accordance with the principles of supporting a sustainable life, every day we contribute to the health and well-being of everyone and our home. Read more...

LIVE Theater Tickets

Season & Performance Tickets make great holiday gifts. Slip them inside a glass with a bottle of wine, beer, cider, a box of locally made food, a jar of popcorn kernels, wrapped around candy bars, whatever creative way you care to dress up a small package with a large experience inside. Read more...

GIVE the Gift of INSPIRATION

The holidays are all about gift giving, right? Buy every family member and friend something they may or may not need as a way to show them that you love them. Make sure there aren’t any empty spaces under the tree. Fill that stocking to the brim. Get your kids every single toy on their wish list. You’ll make room for it all somehow. Read more...

Dreaming of a Wine Christmas

Let’s be honest, not all of us enjoy holiday shopping. Actually, some of us dread it. The stress of crowds, finding parking, waiting in lines, being assaulted by fluorescent lights and pushy customers is enough to give you an anxiety attack. Read more...

A New View of Giving

A few weeks after the fires were over, I attended a wedding reception for one of my cousins in the East Bay. She was registered at a high-end department store. Read more...

LIVE Beauty ~ Gifts of Flowering Bulbs

Nature creates the best gifts! Fall-planted bulbs are now available in our local nurseries*, and there are many ways to plant and gift them. Here are 3 easy and lovely ways. Read more...

Help Restore Oaks After the October Fire

This is a GIFT of your TIME to help RESTORE Sonoma County. You’ll have FUN outdoors, and chances are, you’ll meet wonderful people in the process. Read more...

Holiday Craft Fairs

Celebrate the season with gifts for everyone on your list and support local artists and crafts people. Check out our comprehensive list of holiday craft fairs throughout Sonoma County. Read more...

Small Shops of Sonoma County ADVERTISERS INDEX

People who have been reading our Small Shops Guides for the last 15 years know that we want you to support the small businesses who make this guide possible. PLEASE SHOP with OUR ADVERTISERS... and tell them you are in their store because you saw their ad in the Gazette.

THANK YOU for supporting our local economy while Holiday Shopping!

1 -Aim Mail Center 708 Gravenstein Hwy. N., Sebastopol 707-318-5798 AimMailCenters.com

2 -Art & Soul of Sebastopol 156 N. Main St., Sebastopol 707-824-4837 ArtandSoulofSebastopol.com

3 -Artisans’ Co-op Gallery 17175 Bodega Hwy., Bodega 707-876-9830 ArtisansCo-op.com

4 -Beekind 921 Gravenstein Hwy. So., Sebastopol 707-824-2905 Beekind.com

5 -Bulb Bliss 707-527-8653 BulbBliss@gmail.com At Farmers Markets & by Appt.

6 -Circle of Hands 7766 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol 707-634-6140 CircleofHandsWaldorfShop.com

7 -Cloverdale Nursery 216 So. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale 707-894-6654 CloverdaleNursery.info

8 - Fine Tree Care 321 So. Main St, PMB #3 Sebastopol 707-874-5500 SonomaTree.com

9 - Forest to the Sea Nature Stewards of the Coast & Redwoods 16215 Main St., Guerneville 707-604-7166 Forest2Sea.org

10 - Funk & Flash 228 S. Main St. Sebastopol 707-829-1142 FunkandFlash.com

11 - Galleria 3692 Bohemian Hwy. #3, Occidental 707-874-1977

12 - Gin Gillis Vintage Home 21079 Geyserville Ave. #E, Geyserville 707-857-3509 facebook.com/gingillis.vintage.home

13 - Graton Gallery 9048 Graton Rd., Graton 707-829-8912 GratonGallery.net

14 - Greenman Nursery 2833 Old Gravenstein Hwy., Sebastopol 415-710-2562 GreenmanNurseryCa.com

15 - Guerneville 5 & 10 16252 Main St., Guerneville 707-869-3404 Guerneville5and10.com

16 - Kindred Fair Trade 605 4th St., Santa Rosa 707-579-1459 KindredHandCrafts.com

17 - Kitty Hawk Gallery 124 N. Main St., Sebastopol 707-695-8501 KittyHawkGallery.com

18 - Large Leather on the Plaza 481 A First St. West, Sonoma 707-438-1042 Large-Leather.com

19 - Lavish Hi Fi 1044 4th St., Santa Rosa 707-595-2020 LavishHiFi.com

20 - Lynn’s Lavender 3335 Harrison Grade Rd., Occidental 707-874-1060 LynnsLavender.com

21 - Made Local Marketplace 529 4th St., Santa Rosa 707-583-7667 MadeLocalMarketPlace.com

22 - Monte Rio Rec. & Park 20488 Hwy. 116, Monte Rio 707-494-3617 mrrpd.org

23 - Nightingale Breads 6665 Front St., Forestville 707-887-8887 facebook.com/NightingaleBreads/

24 - Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary 209 Bohemian Hwy., Freestone 707-823-8231 Osmosis.com

25 - Petaluma Downtown Assoc. 210 Lakeville St., Petaluma 707-762-9348 PetalumaDowntown.com

26 - Positively Fourth Street 628 Fourth St., Santa Rosa 707-526-3588

27 - Postal Outlet Plus 16215 Main St. Unit 3, Guerneville 707-604-7796 PostalOutletPlus.com

28 - Retrograde Coffee 130 S. Main St. #103, Sebastopol 707-827-8065 RetrogradeRoasters.com

29 - Russian River Art Gallery 16357 Main St., Guerneville 707-869-9099 TheRussianRiverArtGallery.com

30 - Russian River Glass Images 16369 Main Street Guerneville 707-869-4105 RussianRiverGlassImages.com

31 - Sebastopol Downtown Assoc. 141 N. Main St., Sebastopol 707-823-2300 facebook.com/SebastopolDA

32 - Sebastopol Gallery 150 N. Main St., Sebastopol 707-829-7200 Sebastopol-Gallery.com

33 - Sisters Consignment 2700 Yulupa Ave. Ste #6, Santa Rosa 707-543-8422 SonomaConsignment.com

34 - Sonoma County Reg. Parks 2300 County Ctr Dr., Santa Rosa 707-565-6144 SonomaCountyParks.org

35 - Stones Throw Gifts 8278 Old Redwood Hwy., Cotati 707-242-6669 StonesThrowGifts.com

36 - Studio Nouveau 25195 B St., Duncans Mills 707 865 2461 ObjectsOfBeauty.com

37 - Union Hotel & Restaurant 3731 Main St., Occidental 707-874-3555 UnionHotelOccidental.com

38 - Wild Birds Unlimited 71 Brookwood Ave., Santa Rosa 707-576-0861 wbu.com/SantaRosa

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