My Personal and Mostly Playful Gift Picks from Near and Far

I hate shopping.  I’d rather put time, energy and money into “experiences” rather than things. However, I’ve met some incredible people and discovered unique resources through Twitter and my blogging buddies over the past year.  I love that.  Many of these picks are local to OC and some are as far away as Bend, OR and Canada. I’m excited to dip into these resources this year for my very limited holiday shopping. This is NOT a sponsored post.

All for play, nature, and the outdoors:

• Little Humbugs Shop: Connecting Kids to Nature (children’s books, snuggly fairy dolls for girls, an eco superhero doll for boys, and other nature-inspired gifts). Canada.
• KaBOOM “Celebrate Play” Store (playful t-shirts, mouse pads, and coffee mugs from this national non-profit). Washington, D.C.
• Play Outdoors for Kids Outdoor Clothing and Gear with tons of gift ideas on their blog. Bend, OR.
• Trailmix.net Use their products to create “Educational Expeditions” for the kids complete with activity suggestions. Visit their blog for inspiration. Sacramento, CA.

For your artistic side:

• This is Me Journal – A Kid’s First Keepsake Journal (You must see this journal! It’s creativity waiting to happen). Orange County.
• Deccatree – A shout out to my FAVORITE OC band. Catch them at The Gypsy Lounge from time to time or grab a song. Orange County.
• Photography sessions with local photographers like Noel from Bosh Images, Mali from Mali Workman Photography, Jenny from Jenner Rose Photography, Nahal from Sweet Memories Photography, or Jeff and Dana from Sipper Photography. Orange County.

To wear:

• Elis Lids – Stylish Lids, tees, and leggings for the kids. Orange County.
• Francie Pants – Perfect for active little girls who like to wear dresses or skirts. Orange County.
• Mermaid Charms – Sea Inspired Designs (jewelry). Orange County.

For celebrations:

• Meringue Bakeshop – Made to order cupcakes. Kristin creates yummy cupcakes for any occasion. Orange County.
• Dippin’ Dots – Debbie runs the store in Fountain Valley complete with party packs, cakes, and Frappe coffee drinks. Orange County.

Blog management and design:

• Kirsten Wright of Wright Creativity specializes in blog management, copywriting, and graphic design. Orange County.
• Shannon of Eight Crazy Design gave Fun Orange County Parks its first professional look. Although I’m doing it myself now, I’ll always love her vibrant design for the previous version of Play Parks Central. Orange County.

For the park lover:

• Look for more posts where I’ll give you the scoop on purchasing annual passes for OC Parks, San Clemente beach parking, Huntington Beach parking, California State Parks, and National Parks.
• I’ll dig up some charitable organizations supporting play and nature, too.