As of today, there are 10 shopping days left before you’re expected to have every gift neatly wrapped, labeled and under the tree. While you can certainly join the masses at Target, Walmart or (if you’re brave) the mall, we think you’ll also enjoy perusing these great local shops. You’ll find fewer crowds, unique merchandise and friendly (and helpful!) staff, turning holiday shopping from a chore into something that’s actually kinda fun.

And now… our recommendations:

For the product junkie:

Give your favorite product junkie something she can’t get anywhere else – Herb Luxe Apothecary bath products ($6.50 – $14.50) made right here in the ICT by Bungalow 26 owner, Kelsey Metzinger. She sources most of the ingredients locally and uses only natural ingredients and essential oils. The products come in heavenly scents like eucalyptus mint, lavender rosemary and spicy citrus. Feeling lucky? Enter our contest to win your very own set of Herb Luxe Apothecary soaking salts, bath seltzer and salt scrub – all in eucalyptus mint.

Also on the product junkie’s wish list? Smith’s Rosebud Salve ($8, Bungalow 26), a favorite of beauty editors everywhere and a product that’s hard to come by in the middle of Kansas. Package it all together in a Betsey Johnson animal print make-up bag ($30 – $48, Pink Saloon).

For the fashionista:

For the girl who has everything, a La Mer wrap watch ($120, Pink Saloon) will brighten her holiday season (and possibly get her to show up on time for a change). Also flying off the shelves at College Hill’s Pink Saloon boutique? TOMS shoes ($48 for canvas, $58 for a glittery pair). Buy a pair and TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. And even though some of us wish leggings would have stayed in the eighties, the trend continues with “jeggings” – jeans/leggings – get it? Snag a pair for $78.

For the beer aficionado:

Believe it or not, the beer drinker in your life can actually make his or her own signature brew for a fraction of the cost of a trip to the liquor store. Delano’s What’s Brewin’ sells home brewing kits, which include all of the ingredients needed for 2.5 cases of beer, for only $69.95. The shop also offers malt extracts for a wide variety of beers as well as grains, hops and brewers yeast. Tie a bow around a brewing kit plus a copy of Joy of Home Brewing ($14.99) and know you’ll get to reap the benefits 3-7 weeks later when the beer is ready to drink.

For the craft-savvy:

Knitting isn’t just for your grandmother. In fact, it’s seen a resurgence in recent years as celebrities were spotted carrying around knitting bags on movie sets. The craft is relaxing, fun, and even social (check out Wichita’s own Knit in Public meetup group). For the knitting novice, pick up a set of knitting needles ($7), two skeins of yarn ($5.75 each) and Knit Aid ($7.95), a beggining knitters guide at Twist, a bustling yarn shop in the Delano district. There is a vast selection of yarn to choose from to fit a variety of budgets. Knitting kits for projects like scarves include everything your favorite knitter will need for $36.

For the wine lover:

With the katrillions of holiday parties during the month of December, wine makes an excellent hostess gift. Tom Messman of Beyond Napa, Old Town’s new wine boutique (translation: gorgeous liquor store featuring mostly wine, though a limited beer and liquor selection is available), gave us his top recommendations for the budget-conscious. His first pick, a 2008 Festivo Malbec from Argentina ($18.99) was described as “smooth as a baby’s butt… too bad you can’t print that.” Oh, but Tom, we can. Another great option, a 2006 Graffigna Cabernet Sauvignon ($14.99) is “readily drinkable.” His final pick, a 2007 Sean Minor Four Bears Chardonnay ($14.99), is “clean, crisp and mineral.”

If you have a “cork dork” in your life and budget isn’t a concern, Tom recommends the 2007 Beringer Sbragia Limited Release Napa Chardonnay ($39.99), 2005 B Cellars Blend 24 ($36.99), and, if you’re going for broke… literally, a 2004 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet ($102.29).

An offbeat gift for the wine lover in your life may not be wine at all. Instead, pick up a “winestein” ($20.99, LuCinda’s) – a wine glass that’s molded into a beer stein.

For the hipster chic friend:

Sock monkeys are, for better or worse, in. What better way to jump on the trend than to don a sock monkey hat… right? Pick up this adorably quirky knit cap at LuCinda’s in Old Town for $29. Other cute options include bird wallets ($22 – 28) that look like they may have been designed with your favorite new Twitter friend in mind or roomy canvas silhouette totes ($20, Bungalow 26)

For the coffee or tea addict:

One step into the Spice Merchant and you may never want to leave. With coffee roasted right in the store and an extensive selection of teas and accessories, your favorite coffee or tea addict will be easily satiated. Pick from the wide-variety of fresh roasted coffees (from $11.50 and up per pound) and pair it with a French press ($18 – $30). Or choose a gift pack of teas ($8.99), a tea pot ($28.99) and locally produced honey ($7.99).

For your favorite co-worker:

If you’ve ever been stuck in a cubicle for 8+ hours a day, you know desktop toys make for easy entertainment. Pick up one of the many stocking stuffer-ish items (starting at only a few bucks) at LuCinda’s or a humorous desk pad. For the co-worker who brings her own water bottle to the office, pick up a stylish aluminum water bottle ($25) and banish that boring Nalgene bottle to a desk drawer.

For the mother-in-law:

It’s time to step away from the Yankee Candles and find an alternative for the woman who gave birth to your significant other. How about locally made jewelery by Karen Ritter ($8 – $40, Bungalow 26) or a gurgle pot ($42, LuCinda’s)? If you must go the candle route, mix it up with eco-friendly soy candles ($25 each, Bungalow 26).

Shop Directory:

Beyond Napa – 338 N. Mead St., 316-260-9920

Bungalow 26 – 611 W. Douglas Ave., 316-440-4846

LuCinda’s – 329 N. Mead St., 316-264-1080

Pink Saloon – 4730 E. Douglas Ave., 316-612-7465

The Spice Merchant – 1308 E. Douglas Ave., 316-263-4121

Twist – 607 W. Douglas Ave., 316-262-9276

What’s Brewin’ – 720 W. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67203

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