Southern San Juan County Gift Guide
by Kara Laws
Contributing Writer
Gift giving is the best part of Christmastime. I hear it is part of the point. Giving the right gift; one that is unique, creative, and means something is an art.
I find that the gift most often checking these boxes aren’t the gifts we find at big box stores that are made by the millions but hand- crafted, small batch ones we find at home.
Discover some of the hidden gems in the southern part of San Juan County (Blanding on down) and spark some ideas for the people on your Christmas list this year.
For this gift guide, we have focused on businesses with some kind of storefront, physical or virtual storefront (in the form of a website).
HEALTH & BEAUTY:
Handmade Jewelry: From traditional Native American jewelry to modern and one-of-a-kind southern San Juan County has the jewelry options that will help the person on your list feel truly seen. Get started at Twin Rocks Trading Post, Blue Mountain RV & Trading Post, or Hunt’s Trading Post for your more traditional pieces. Or head to Recapture Beauty (recapture-beauty.myshopify.com) or Sky Silver Studio (instagram.com/skysilverstudio) for your more modern pieces.
Lotion and Oils: Handmade lotions made out of natural ingredients help your loved one feel pampered and their skin taken care of. Aspen Hill Farms and Bears Ears Farms both create their own blends of healing salves, oils, and creams that make fabulous gifts.
Luxury Blankets: Luxury blankets are absolutely a health and beauty item. Give the gift of ultimate coziness. NMC Designs has the softest minky blankets, bags, and custom items. Their products are handmade in San Juan County and are the quintessential cozy and luxury gift. Shop online at nmcdesigns.shop.
Night Away: Sometimes the best thing our body and soul needs is a night away. If you are a married dad reading this, I need you to listen carefully – your wife wants a night away. Not a night with you. A night away. Alone. Without children. Without you. All alone. You get her a night’s stay at Bears Ears Inn, Blue Sage Inn, Bluff Dwellings, Gouldings, Desert Rose and Cabins, or Stone Lizard Lodge and she will like you at least two times more than she has liked you for the last three years.
Spa Day: A full day, an afternoon, or a single hour, any time at the spa is a gift fully appreciated and well deserved. Let the loved one on your list know how much you value their hard work by giving them time to restore. Shop at Hozo Spa located in Bluff Dwellings, H+Aesthetics on Center in Blanding, or Balance Massage inside West Side Wellness.
TREATS & FOOD
Bakery Treat: Sour dough bread from Best Dough Bread, cookies of the week from Dirty Pop, fresh donuts from Destinations Awake Coffee and Bakery, or frosted brownies from DaYz Desserts you can’t go wrong with homemade bakery items from our local cottage businesses. Unwrapping carbs is unwrapping pure love Christmas morning.
Dinner on You: Dinner taken care of by literally anyone else is a delightful gift. Everyone has to eat and apparently we need to do it multiple times a day. Lighten the load for a loved one this holiday season with dinner (or lunch) on YOU. Snag a gift card to Patio Diner, Homestead Steakhouse, Canyon Smokehouse, Twin Rocks Cafe, Comb Ridge Eat and Drink, Goulding’s Stagecoach Dining, Yak’s Cafe, Smoke Pizza, or Mexican Hat Lodge.
Ice Cream Date: Everyone on your Christmas list would love a fun ice cream date. Nothing says, “I like spending time with you” more. Grab a gift card from Patio Diner, Goulding’s Stagecoach Dining, or Creamy Delights. You can even make a fun IOU for Bluff Fort or the Sno Shack (which both re-open in the spring).
Soda Break: “Dirty sodas” are all the rage throughout Utah. If you have a soda fanatic on your Christmas list stop by Dirty Pop or CB’s to get them a soda drinking spree in the form of a gift card. Tell them you love them through carbonation and creamer.
KIDS:
Books: Stop by San Juan Pharmacy to check out their collection of books. Chapter books, coloring books, and picture books are always a good bet when you have kids on your holiday list. Local artists and authors ensure a unique gift. Jodilyn Creates has a new holiday coloring book that will light up every young artist’s face.
Burgers & Bowling: You spend too much time on your phone (me too, me too). The people in your life, especially the children in your life would like to see your face for Christmas. So, get them gift cards for burgers and bowling and spend the day remembering what your people actually look like.
Night at the Movies: It’s weird but sometimes all your kids want is more time with you. Give them the gift of family time when you stop in San Juan Theater for movie passes and popcorn for the whole family.
Puzzles: Kids don’t have to have video games to sit quietly. Give the tiny human on your Christmas list the gift of practiced patience when you give them a beautiful puzzle from Spaghetti Tree Puzzles and Games.
School Pride: Representing your school matters most in small towns. Parents don’t let kids show up to school in the wrong gear. Hit up Bear Skins Custom Ink or Pick-a-Stitch (both in Blanding) to outfit your kids in the best.
Stuffed Animals: The small humans on our gift giving lists are sometimes the ones who need the simplest things. Stuffed animals are a frequent crowd pleaser and San Juan Pharmacy and Ace Hardware both have small but adorable collections of soft stuffed creatures to keep any kiddo on your list safe, warm, and happy all night long.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE:
Canyoneering Trek: Have a loved one on your Christmas list who likes to push themselves physically and take more risks? Book a high adventure, high adrenaline canyoneering tour with North Wash Outfitters. Learn how brave your Christmas loved one really is as they stand on the edge of a 100 foot cliff and have to make it to the bottom without crying. This gift just keeps on giving.
Jeeping Adventure: Jump in a side-by-side or a Jeep with Sunrise Outfitting to explore the remote destinations of San Juan County you weren’t quite sure how to find on your own. Or call Black Water Tours to explore Monument Valley. Bonus! Either make the most incredible Christmas gift.
River Trip: How insanely cool would the gift of a river rafting trip be for Christmas? Hit up Ancient Wayves River & Hiking or Wild Expeditions to book the Christmas gift that will be remembered for a lifetime.
Now that your Christmas shopping excitement has been sparked, get out there. Your Christmas list is waiting and your local businesses are excited to help you create the best Christmas for all.
When you shop with a local business you contribute to job creation, local sports teams, community events, and fundraisers. Each time you shop with a local business you get the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing that by shopping with your neighbor you are also helping grow the things you enjoy about your community.
If you are out of Christmas ideas, look as far as your local Facebook groups to find these incredible small businesses. Happy gift giving!