Christmas

The great month of December

sbradford — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:44:09 +0000

The great month of December

December 1, 2025

Craig Grooms

Up Front

December is a special time of year. The days may be shorter and colder, but there’s a lot to like. College and pro football start to get really interesting as rankings and playoff hopes take shape, and most of us aren’t too tired of the weather (yet). Christmas music can be heard everywhere, and for those of us who love it, especially the deep cuts or new songs just being released, it brings a lot of positive energy to the season. I look forward to discovering new Christmas music each year and love listening to favorites I haven’t heard for the last 11 months.

While we enjoy the season, electric cooperatives have been hard at work. They’ve spent months getting ready for winter — building, repairing, and checking lines and equipment to make sure everything is in good working order. Their goal is simple: Keep the power on, no matter how cold or snowy it gets. That means warm homes, working lights, and peace of mind for all of us.

It’s also a good time of year to recognize the heart-warming stories that arise when co-op members get the opportunity to support their own. Most of the co-ops in the state have programs in which co-op members can choose to round up their electric bills to the next dollar. That small change — just a few cents — goes into a fund that helps people in the community. It might support a food pantry, help fund scholarships, or provide aid to a local family in need.

What makes these round-up programs so wonderful is how easy they are. You don’t have to give a lot to make a big difference — when many people give just a small amount, it adds up to something powerful, and that simple idea brings real help to real people. Honestly, it’s the kind of program that should be everywhere.

December is a wonderful time to count our blessings here in the USA. So, as we enjoy the music, the lights, and the spirit of the season, let’s also take a moment to appreciate the folks who keep our homes warm and our communities strong. Yes, we face challenges — but the good still shines much more brightly than the bad.

As the year comes to a close, we pray for peace on earth, goodwill toward all, and a season filled with kindness, hope, and togetherness.

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2025 Holiday Gift Guide

sbradford — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:09:10 +0000

2025 Holiday Gift Guide

November 1, 2025

Shelby Bradford Moore

www.finerfindsandcreations.com

Got someone on your list who’s seemingly impossible to buy for?
Make shopping simple this season with our tally of treasures sure to be a treat for even the trickiest members of your tribe.

(Oh, and by the way, all of these are made, based, or sold within cooperative communities around the state!)

For those who need a getaway

A stay in Utopia

An Airbnb gift card could translate into a stay in the luxurious Utopia cabin at Paradise Lake, a private lake near New Philadelphia in Amish country. Utopia promises a relaxing haven for nature lovers, with peaceful water views as well as opportunities for kayaking, fishing, or simply relaxing by the shore. Utopia boasts two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a hot tub. Other Paradise Lake cabins sleep as many as 14 or as few as two. All are available year-round.

www.paradiselakeohio.com
6400 Paradise Lake Rd. SW, New Philadelphia, OH 44663 | 330-275-3880

Treat them like royalty

Take a step back in time during your next weekend trip by booking a stay at Landoll’s Mohican Castle, tucked right in the heartland of Mohican country. This breathtaking estate offers its guests luxury and old-world charm, and an on-site restaurant and courts for pickleball and basketball. Visit the website to book a trip or purchase a gift certificate for a stay in one of 11 suites in the original castle.

www.landollsmohicancastle.com
561 Township Road 3352, Loudonville, OH 44842
419-994-3427 | info@landollsmohicancastle.com

For the homebodies

At-home spa treatment

Unique artisan gifts and goods from more than 50 local vendors can be found at Hand + Home. A gift basket with products like body and face polish, hydrating facial mist, facial oils, and cleansers will make for a delightful at-home spa night. Place an order on their website or visit their store in Findlay.

www.handandhome.co
622 South Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840

Let them pamper themselves

Every item sold by Mae’s Finer Finds & Creations is handcrafted in Spencerville, including their popular soy candles and blankets. A chunky blanket, custom-made with the recipient’s favorite colors, or a gorgeous dough-bowl soy candle for cozy nights at home, transforms any night in into something special. Visit the website to place an order or find a list of stores where their products are sold.

For the artsy

Fine art from a local

Mac Worthington is a world-renowned artist best known for his abstract sculptures and paintings, which can be seen in homes, businesses, and public spaces around the world. A print of a Mac Worthington original would make the perfect gift for your art enthusiast. Browse and purchase through the Ohio native’s online store or visit his personal gallery and studio in Ostrander.

www.macworthington.com
5935 Houseman Road, Ostrander, OH 43061

Blown glass to blow their minds

Your art buff will be blown away by the handblown glass artwork available at Jack Pine Studio! These one-of-a-kind glass pieces can be purchased at the Jack Pine Studio gallery in Laurelville, or online and shipped straight to you. Our favorites are the glass mugs, vases, bowls, and garden art.

www.jackpinestudio.com
21397 OH-180, Laurelville, OH 43135

Custom heavy metal

A Brighton-based company called Fabit is known for its unique metal art, welded in-house with American steel. Some of their most popular products are custom-made firepits and windchimes! Check them out on Facebook to view their recent projects and place a custom order, or visit their showroom in Brighton to purchase already- made sculptures, wall art, and other goods.

52300 State Route 18, Brighton, OH 44090
440-315-1649 | fabit2016@gmail.com

For the outdoorsy

Acres and acres to explore

Established in 1929 with a mission to enrich lives through the conservation of trees, nature, and history, the Dawes Arboretum covers nearly 2,000 acres and is home to about 16,000 trees. Purchase an individual or family membership for your nature lover to give them access to year-round nature exploration, programs, events, and other outdoorsy experiences.

www.dawesarb.org
7770 Jacksontown Road, Newark, OH 43056
740-323-2355 | information@dawesarb.org

A plant for any occasion

This plant destination is known for its massive collection of succulents, unusual plants, and wide variety of indoor and outdoor flora. Groovy Plants Ranch also offers year-round classes and workshops, presales of seasonal plants, a gem mining station for kids, and much more. To shop for your gardener, visit the Ranch in Marengo or peruse their website.

www.groovyplantsranch.com
4140 County Road 15, Marengo, OH 43334

A place to hide

Have a hunter in your life? Surprise them with a new Stryker Hunting Blind, hand-constructed in Millersburg. These stealthy blinds come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit the needs of any hunter. Check out the blinds offered on Stryker’s website and contact them by phone or email to order.

www.strykerhuntingblinds.com
330-674-3900 | info@strykerhuntingblinds.com

For the foodies & sippers

A great cup of coffee

Get your coffee aficionado a delicious cup o’ Joe this holiday season! Silver Bridge Coffee roasts small-batch blends of coffee made with carefully selected arabica beans from all over the world. For the holidays, your loved one will enjoy one of Silver Bridge’s seasonal blends — Highlander Grogg or Snow Angel — or one of their ever-popular coffee-themed advent calendars.

Order online at www.silverbridgecoffee.com

Specialty wine

This mother/daughter-owned Gallia County winery and vineyard features a wide variety of wines grown and bottled on-site. Your wine connoisseur will love Merry Family Winery’s seasonal and specialty wines, like Homestead White, Decadent Red, White Diamonds, and Lucky 7. Stop by the winery to pick up a bottle Wednesday– Saturday between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., or until 8 p.m. on Fridays.

www.merrywinery.com
2376 State Route 850, Bidwell, OH 45614

Flavor upon flavor

On a Millersburg farm, dozens of all-natural, gourmet products — ranging from dry rubs and glazes to syrups and infused vinegars — are blended, cooked, and bottled by hand. We recommend trying any of their delicious syrups, which are tapped right on their farm. Simple Products items for your home chef can be purchased online and shipped to your home.

https://simplegourmetsyrups.com

For the holly & jolly

A European holiday

Find the perfect gift for your Christmas enthusiasts at the Christkindl Market of Bryan, where vendors will be set up in a European-style market around Bryan’s courthouse square. The market will be open 4–8 p.m. each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, beginning the day after Thanksgiving through December 20. For a list of vendors, visit the Christkindl Market of Bryan Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/ChristkindlBryan
118 West High Street, Bryan, OH 43506

Festivity year-round

Snowmen and reindeer and candy canes — oh my! Six Christmas-themed stores can be found in West Unity, each with its own special theme. Inside, guests can find festive home décor, Nativity scenes, snow globes, and unique ornaments. Visit the website for specific store addresses, hours, and products.

www.hollyjollychristmasshop.com/west-unity-stores

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holiday guide

Oh no, the mistletoe!

sbradford — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:29:58 +0000

Oh no, the mistletoe!

December 1, 2024

Craig Springer

It’s the best time of the year — or so sings Burl Ives, over and over leading up to Christmas Day. Of course, cups of cheer (spiced cider, perhaps) will likely make an appearance, and (croons Burl) there may or may not be snow.

Lots of Christmastime traditions are easy enough to understand — stockings hung by the chimney with care, for example, have an obvious, convenient, and practical purpose for Santa Claus when he pops out of the chimney.

But back to Burl, who also highlights a truly puzzling one: little sprigs of an emerald-green, white-berried plant, hanging “where you can see,” where someone might just be waiting for you to steal away a kiss. Seems about as quirky as displaying a freshly cut pine tree in your living room.

Like the Christmas celebration itself, hanging mistletoe in your house is rooted in ancient tradition. But before we get to that, it’s worth noting that mistletoe has no real roots — it’s a parasite, making its way in life by living off of rooted trees. “Mistletoe makes its own sugar, but poaches water from trees,” says Savannah Ballweg, who manages the Miami University botanical conservatory in Oxford.

According to Ballweg, Ohio is home to one species of mistletoe: American mistletoe, also known as oak mistletoe, found mostly in the southern part of the state.

The thick evergreen parasite indeed has an affinity for the larger branches of oaks, but also takes to gum, hackberry, maples, and ashes, particularly along stream courses. It’s at its most visible standing out as a small green globular shrub nestled on larger tree branches after the leaf fall.

More about roots: The word “mistletoe” is rooted in German, from “mist,” meaning feces, and “tang,” meaning twig or tree branch — the little white berries of the plant do resemble something that has passed through the gut of a bird.

Besides being the actual word’s origin, the name, as translated, also explains a little about the parasite’s reproduction. Birds do, in fact, find the seeds to be yummy, and many that pass through a bird’s gut are deposited, covered in a sticky yet nutrient-rich gut-gunk, on tree branches. There, they sprout and send rootlets into the bark, where they tap into the host’s water and mineral nutrient supply.

Despite having evergreen leaves, they do little photosynthesis — and that is mostly in winter, according to Ballweg. “They carry some of their own weight,” she says. “Mistletoe does not kill host trees and lives a remarkably long time, up to 100 years.”

Mistletoe bears fruit at the approach of the winter solstice, which, according to Ballweg, ancient European cultures saw as a symbol of love, fertility, and perseverance.

And that, then, lends to the kissing tradition, though the full story comes from the Norse myth of Baldr, the god who was done in by an arrow made of mistletoe. Baldr’s mother, the goddess Frigg, cried tears that restored him to life, and those tears became the white mistletoe berries. Forever afterward, the grateful mom granted a kiss of her protection to anyone who passed under mistletoe.

Kissing under berry-laden mistletoe, then, was one of the pagan traditions that northern Europeans brought with them when they converted to Christianity. Holly (as in “have a holly-jolly Christmas”) was another. Also, as a way to ward off evil spirits around the time of the winter solstice, they often decorated their houses and barns with — you guessed it — freshly cut evergreens. Not so quirky after all.

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Christmas bells are ringing

sbradford — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:32:07 +0000

Christmas bells are ringing

December 1, 2023

Damaine Vonada

This time of year, you can find dozens of events that feature chestnuts roasting on open fires and Yuletide carols being sung by choirs, but there’s only one holiday celebration that features Ohio’s grandest musical Christmas tree.

Soaring 200 feet into the sky, the Carillon Tree of Light consists of 20,000 bright-white bulbs that drape over Deeds Carillon, a landmark bell tower at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton. “Deeds Carillon is a 151-foot-tall musical instrument with 57 bells,” says Alex Heckman, vice president of museum operations for the park. “Since the Tree of Light peaks above the top of the tower, it’s the largest musical Christmas tree in the state.”

Located on 65 acres bordering the Great Miami River, Carillon Historical Park is an open-air museum founded in the 1940s by industrialist Edward Deeds and his wife, Edith. Because his passion was history and hers was music, they made Deeds Carillon the focal point of a collection of buildings and artifacts that highlight both Dayton’s heritage and its many contributions to industry and transportation. The architectural firm Reinhard & Hofmeister, whose projects include New York’s Rockefeller Center, designed the Art Deco-style limestone carillon, and the Olmsted Brothers, founding members of the American Society of Landscape Architects and instrumental in the creation of the National Park Service, laid out Carillon Park’s landscape.

Deeds Carillon’s first concert was on Christmas Eve 1941. Just over two weeks earlier, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor had thrust the nation into World War II, and Daytonians gathered at the carillon to take comfort in the sound of bells ringing out a program of carols that began with “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” Even the carillon’s bronze doors lent poignancy to that inaugural performance. At Mrs. Deeds’ direction, they were inscribed with lines from “Christmas Bells,” a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem that features the hopeful refrain “peace on Earth, goodwill to men.”

“A Carillon Christmas” lasts from Thanksgiving week until December 30, and Deeds Carillon serves as the event’s time-honored centerpiece. It not only turns into a spectacular Tree of Light every evening, but also provides the soundtrack for the event, delighting visitors with the tintinnabulations of automated Christmas songs as well as live concerts. “On certain dates,” says Heckman, “our carillonneur plays holiday music on a keyboard that sits 80 feet above the ground.” Not surprisingly, the musical selections include “Jingle Bells” and “Silver Bells.”

With the entire park decked out for the holidays, visitors often arrive early enough in the day to enjoy the festive campus and explore step-back-in-time buildings and exhibits that cover everything from a Shaker community and canals to world-changing Dayton inventions such as the cash register, the automobile self-starter, and the airplane. Dayton bicycle mechanics Orville and Wilbur Wright used their knowledge of machinery to invent the airplane, and Carillon Park displays its greatest treasure — the 1905 Wright Flyer III — inside its Wright Brothers National Museum complex. The Flyer III was the world’s first practical airplane, and, notes Heckman, “It’s the only airplane designated a National Historic Landmark.”

To see the park at its merry-and-bright best, take a ride on the Carillon Park Railroad, a narrow-gauge train whose locomotive mimics the steam engine that pulled Dayton’s first passenger train in 1851. “The railroad is a wonderful experience for families,” says Heckman. “It makes a mile-long loop around the park, and when the Christmas lights are twinkling, everything looks special.” Another fun ride awaits inside the park’s Heritage Center, where the Carousel of Dayton Innovation lets riders go for a spin on a cash register, a pop-top soda can, and other novel seats.

Although the Heritage Center’s large exhibit of locally manufactured antique toys provides the perfect setting for visits with Santa, little ones also can write letters to the jolly old elf inside the Newcom Tavern, a 1796 log structure that was once a post office and an inn. In addition, the park’s one-room schoolhouse hosts nightly puppet shows based on The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter, which was published in 1903, shortly before the Wright Brothers achieved their first flight at Kitty Hawk.

While the aroma of hearth-baked gingerbread cookies entices everyone to the Morris & Hetzel Bakery’s circa 1815 stone cottage, it’s the smell of ink and the clatter of a linotype machine that fascinates visitors at Gem City Letterpress. Carillon Park is the nation’s only museum with a fully operational 1930s printing shop, and you can watch workers demonstrate the equipment they use to print recipes for the bakery’s cookies; the tavern’s letters to Santa; and charming Christmas cards whose greetings range from “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” verses to the Yuletide message that the Wright Brothers and their sister Katharine sent in 1911.

The very mention of Christmas, the Wrights reflected, “sets our hearts aglow” and “prompts the feeling of goodwill within us.” Those sentiments, like the bells of Deeds Carillon, still ring true.

Carillon Historical Park, 1000 Carillon Blvd, Dayton, OH 45409. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas cards and other Gem City Letterpress products are available for purchase at the Carillon Historical Park Museum Store. For hours, admission fees, and holiday activities, call 937-293-2841 or visit www.daytonhistory.org.

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Toy story

sbradford — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 15:10:53 +0000

Toy story

December 1, 2022

Margie Wuebker

Darke Rural Electric Cooperative

Santa’s elves come to Ansonia Lumber each December bearing wooden toys they fashioned for underprivileged children throughout Darke County.

The 29th annual wooden toy contest will be Dec. 10, according to organizer Mitch McCabe, sales and marketing manager for the lumber company.

In 2021, woodworkers entered 27 projects for judging in adult and youth divisions. Scott Phillips, host of the popular PBS program American Woodshop, looks forward to judging the annual competition. Top entries are judged on precision, detail, craftsmanship, and “overall fun” of the toy.

“This is like Christmas to me,” Phillips says. “People get so carried away with presents as the holiday season approaches. Those in need do not have the luxury of buying or receiving lots of gifts. These woodworkers — old and young alike — give of their time and talent to make sure some youngsters don’t go without a gift under the tree.”

According to McCabe, the lumber company started sponsoring the wooden toy contest in 1993 as a means of making sure underprivileged children received holiday gifts while giving area woodworkers an opportunity to showcase their handiwork.

Winners receive tools or gift certificates, but no one goes home empty-handed. Frank Miller Lumber of Union City, Ind., sends home hardwood with each participant for the next contest.

Arcanum resident Harry Niswonger has been entering handcrafted toys since the early 1990s — earning numerous awards in the process. The 97-year-old finished third last year with an Abrams tank that featured workable tread, a moving turret, and machine guns that swivel.

Niswonger, like other contestants, says he doesn’t track the time he spends on contest entries. “If I knew the time involved, I might not start in the first place,” he says.

Cathy Liening of Osgood, a member of Darke Rural Electric and a teacher by trade, swept top honors in the adult division with her unique American folk art entry last year. She created blocks depicting a circus Big Top, ringmaster, and exotic animals, and used woodburning for detail.

“There is no pattern,” she says. “It’s educational with numbers and words on the back of each piece.”

Her husband, Roger, also enjoys woodworking, and talent apparently runs in the family; grandsons Owen and Gavin Frey of Defiance took second-place honors in the youth division with their Plinko board.

Brad Lentz, a teacher from Rossburg, submitted a Connect Four gameboard. The Darke County Rural Electric member has been entering the past four years. His son, 11-year-old Max Lentz, seems to have inherited dad’s penchant for woodworking. He started three years ago using discarded wood for practice, and his colorful safari animals earned fourth place this time. “I look forward to the contest each year,” McCabe says. “It is so much fun seeing what these people come up with, and it’s all for a good cause.”

For more information about Ansonia Lumber or the wood toy contest, visit www.ansonialumber.com or call McCabe at 937-337-3111. Phillips also posts contest details and photos online at www.facebook.com/theamericanwoodshop.

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crafting

woodworking

Teddy's bear

sbradford — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 15:04:10 +0000

Teddy's bear

December 1, 2022

W.H. Chip Gross

Woods, Waters & Wildlife

Teddy bears will be purchased in untold numbers this Christmas season as gifts for children, both around the country and around the world. Ever stop and wonder why? There’s a story behind this ubiquitous bear that few people know; it’s a true-life bear-hunting tale with a happy ending for all involved — including the bear.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), America’s 26th president, was our most natural-resources-minded chief executive — and an avid big-game hunter. It was in December 1902, early in his first term as president, that “Teddy,” as he was sometimes called, happened to be on a bear-hunting trip to Mississippi.

Guiding the president for several days was Holt Collier, the most famous bear hunter in the state. Born a slave, Collier was now a freed man who made much of his living by bear hunting. He and his pack of top-notch hounds were said to have taken more than 3,000 black bears.

Theodore Roosevelt, America’s 26th president

But even as talented a hunter as Collier was, he was having trouble finding a bear for Roosevelt, and no doubt feeling the pressure to produce. After several days, Collier’s hounds finally cornered a large male bear and the guide blew his hunting horn, an audible signal for Roosevelt to come to Collier’s location as quickly as possible.

Before Roosevelt could arrive, though, the bear killed one of Collier’s hounds. Collier normally would have shot and killed the bear at that point during a hunt, but wanting to keep it alive for the president, he lassoed the bear and secured the rope to a tree. When Roosevelt arrived and discovered that the bear was tied, however, he refused to shoot it, stating that it would be “unsportsmanlike to do so.” He said that such an act would violate his belief in a newly evolving hunting ethic at the time known as Fair Chase.

"Drawing the Line in Mississippi," a cartoon featured in the Washington Post

The press quickly picked up the story, which found its way to the Washington Post and other large Eastern newspapers. Accompanying the story was a black-and-white cartoon sketch titled “Drawing the Line in Mississippi,” picturing Roosevelt refusing to shoot a cub bear being restrained with a rope around its neck.

The account was read by tens of thousands of Americans, likely helping them form a positive opinion of their new president. The story also gave Morris Michtom, a candymaker from Brooklyn, New York, an idea. Michtom asked his wife, a seamstress, to fashion a stuffed toy bear that children might like. His idea was to name the bear in honor of the president — Teddy’s Bear — and sell replicas of the bear in his candy shop.

But first, he wanted to get permission from Roosevelt to use his name, so he wrote him a letter.

The president responded that he was flattered and had no objections to the proposal. But he added that he didn’t think associating his name with the bear would make much difference. Roosevelt couldn’t have been more wrong. Sales quickly took off, with Michtom eventually founding the Ideal Toy Company as a result.

Demand has remained strong ever since, and in 2002, a century after the bear’s creation, Mississippi named the teddy bear its official state toy. An interesting side note is that in 2004, a 2,200-acre National Wildlife Refuge within the Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Mississippi was named for Holt Collier.

So, if you plan on giving a teddy bear to a young person this Christmas, don’t forget to tell the backstory.

Or, on second thought, maybe not. I can remember receiving a teddy bear when I was a young boy, many, many years ago. Had I heard the story then, I probably would have spent the rest of the day stalking Teddy and shooting at him with my new Red Ryder BB gun — an activity my mom would definitely not have approved.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, and all the best in your 2023 outdoor adventures.

W.H. “Chip” Gross is Ohio Cooperative Living’s outdoors editor. Send him an email at whchipgross@gmail.com.

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Season of giving

sbradford — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:10:37 +0000

Season of giving

December 1, 2022

Pat O'Loughlin

Up Front

This past year seems to have gone by in a blur. Families and businesses have been faced with many challenges here in the U.S. — primarily from much higher costs for many of the things we need most in our daily lives but also from the challenges of simply getting what we need, when we need it because of supply chain snarls that stretch around the world.

Conflict has raged on in Ukraine for most of the year, giving us a daily glimpse at the horror that is war. The side effects for the rest of the world are just beginning to show themselves, causing many countries to worry about the availability of food and energy as winter begins to set in.

Here in Ohio, we can consider ourselves rather fortunate. While we have been touched by these broad trends, we also remain relatively insulated from the worst of their effects. Ohio’s electric cooperatives were able to complete the purchase of AEP’s share of the Cardinal generating station in 2022, which promises to provide us a stable source of reliable and affordable electricity for years to come. We have seen increases in the cost to produce and deliver electricity to you this year, but have been able to hold cost increases to about 5%. This contrasts with increases in electricity prices that have averaged 15% for Ohioans that are customers of the large investor-owned utilities — which is similar to what electricity customers have seen in much of the rest of the country.

Your electric cooperative remains committed to serving you every day, and to being a positive force in your community. We remain focused on doing whatever we can to keep your costs down and your service quality second to none.

Electric cooperatives also support the financial needs of the communities we serve, of course through the local taxes we pay but also (in many communities) through “round up” programs as described in the Neighbor Helping Neighbor article. Christmas is at the heart of the season of giving — but of course that doesn’t just mean gifts among family and friends; it also inspires a sense of community obligation to share with those less fortunate, or otherwise in need. We are pleased to be able to be part of the support network every community needs.

Good tidings and blessings on you and your family. We pray for peace on Earth and good will toward all!

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Ohio Cooperative Living's 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

sbradford — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 14:05:30 +0000

Ohio Cooperative Living's 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

November 1, 2022

Damaine Vonada

Granted, Santa’s workshop is at the North Pole. But we think his helpers must live in Ohio. Why? The state is chock-full of artisans, crafters, and makers who create unique and useful items that are sure to bring comfort and joy — plus plenty of smiles — during the holidays.

Bess Paper Goods & Gifts, Cincinnati

At her West Benson Street shop, Kristin Joiner not only designs the artwork and composes witty messages — for example, “Happy Ugly Sweater Season” — for her Christmas and Hanukkah cards, but she also prints them one at a time on an 1882 letterpress named Bess. Joiner uses paper sustainably made from recycled cotton, and her repertoire of handmade goods includes ornaments and miniature paper trees.
kristin@besspapergoods.com; 513-748-6955

Boston Stoker Coffee Co., Vandalia

Owned and operated by members of the Dean family for nearly 50 years, Boston Stoker sources directly from farmers, then roasts and packages its coffees at the company’s roastery in Vandalia. Its Original Grogg is a perennial favorite among flavored coffee lovers, but Boston Stoker also produces Spiced Grogg for fall and Minted Grogg for the holidays. Tip: Boston Stoker’s sample packs and subscriptions make excellent gifts.
customerservice@bostonstoker.com; 937-890-6401

Cassie’s Country Cupboard, Celina

Since Cassie Menchhofer refuses to use ingredients that she wouldn’t feed to her own family, her baking and soup mixes never have preservatives, MSG, or artificial colors and flavors. Although her bestsellers include Garlic & Herb Beer Bread Mix and Sweet Corn Bread Mix, she also makes seasonal products — including Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie Mix, Pumpkin Cranberry Bread Mix, and a unique Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili Mix — that are delicious and easy to prepare.
cassie@cassiescountrycupboard.com; 419-852-0839

Chocolats Latour, Cincinnati

Shalini Latour uses natural ingredients — think chocolate from Colombia and local dairy products, fruits, and herbs — for the artisan sweets that she crafts at the Chocolate Bee, the production and retail space she shares with Bee Haven Honey. Latour specializes in hand-painted chocolates with adventurous flavors such as mint julep and pistachio matcha, and her ingeniously shaped Christmas confections include pretty Peanut Butter Ornaments and boozy Sloshed Snowmen.
513-591-0085

Dancing Bee Market and Studio, Mount Vernon

Although Energy Cooperative member Jami Ingledue makes all-natural soaps and body products at her studio and retail store in Mount Vernon, ingredients like the pumpkin in her Pumpkin Spice Soap often come from her farm just outside of Gambier. Containing essential oils of frankincense and myrrh, Ingledue’s gold-and-black Three Kings Soap is ideal for Christmas gifting, and the daily surprises in her Advent Calendar include body butters, lip balms, and scrubs.
740-398-0795

Klingshirn Winery, Avon Lake

Toast your near ones and dear ones with customized labels on wines that Lee Klingshirn produces and bottles on the farm where his family has been growing grapes since the 1920s. The labels come in a variety of designs, can be personalized with your own message, and are available on Klingshirn wines: Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Country Blush, Golden Chablis, and Vin Rosé.
info@klingshirnwine.com; 440-933-6666

Meg’s Makeshop, Kelleys Island and Medina

Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative member Megan Pucek makes wonderfully fragrant, imaginatively embellished candles that she retails at her Kelleys Island storefront during the summer and online throughout the year. Her signature cereal candles — Fruity Loops, Cap’n Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and more — look good enough to eat, while the hard-to-find scents in her Gentleman’s Collection include Leather Jacket and Fresh Cut Grass.
megsmakeshop@gmail.com; 419-504-1562

Milligan’s Maple Syrup, Athens and Columbus

Customers often say that Milligan’s is the best maple syrup they’ve ever tasted. Kevin Milligan uses sap sourced from his family’s tree farm near Athens to make Grade A pure maple syrup as well as Grade A bourbon barrel-aged pure maple syrup. Both varieties have been featured on the Food Network and are available in a gift box that includes pancake mix.
kevin@milligansmaple.com; 614-562-7739

Miloray, Columbus

Sara Powers hand-crochets a menagerie of cute and cuddly stuffed toy animals that include bunnies, teddy bears, pandas, a unicorn, and even a platypus. A stay-at-home mother of two, she also takes orders for custom animals and makes newborn knit beanies and blankets using her own patterns.
milorayco@gmail.com

Ohio Is Home, Athens

Tim Martin’s store in uptown Athens may be small, but it carries a mighty nice selection of Christmas ornaments made from locally sourced cherry wood. Martin designs, engraves, and hand-sands the baubles in-house, and his Ohio-shaped ornaments vary from snowflakes to state symbols such as a cardinal.
740-249-4421

Ohio Till Farmstead, Marysville

First-generation farmers and Union Rural Electric Cooperative members Tim and Michelle Schacht use organic and regenerative practices on their small farm near Marysville. Their first product — Avalon Ruby Red Popcorn — was named for Marysville’s recently renovated Avalon Theatre, while their Henry’s Yellow Dynamite Popcorn is an heirloom variety bursting with big, buttery-tasting kernels.
tim@ohiotillfarmstead.net; 330-416-2140

River City Leather, Gallipolis

River City Leather began in a backyard shed where Aaron Buckley made a leather tote bag for his wife Erin’s birthday. Eleven years later, they not only produce leather handbags, backpacks, briefcases, and more in a 5,000-square-foot building but also have 15 employees. Made of domestic hides tanned in North America, River City Leather’s goods are so sturdy that they come with a lifetime guarantee.
chris@rivercityleather.com; 740-446-4172

Toledo Lamp Company, Toledo

At their combination showroom, studio, and lighting store at the Erie Street Market, Mitchell and Scott Antesky design and construct eye-catching, conversation-starting, one-of-a-kind lamps out of upcycled items ranging from Toledo scales to vintage blenders. Their quirky gumball machine lamps are filled with colorful orbs, and their heart-shaped pipe lamps will surely light up the life of someone you love.
cbgventuresllc@gmail.com; 419-913-1815

Ultimate Sack, Hudson

Owned and operated by members of a local family, Ultimate Sack produces foam bean bag chairs that offer a comfy alternative to conventional seating. The company makes several models sized for both children and adults, and customers can choose their own covers from multiple fabric and covers options.
877-871-7159

Water Dog Woodworking, Medina

Self-taught woodworker Jonathan Schodowski made furniture for his own home before starting a home décor company. Schodowski uses lumber exclusively from Medina County, and because he favors natural finishes, the beauty of the wood grain shows through on his popular live edge charcuterie boards, three-wick candle holders, and beer flight boards.
waterdogwoodworking@gmail.com

Wax + Wane Handmade, Circleville

South Central Power Company member Katie Mallow’s durable, lightweight, and comfortable-to-wear jewelry is made from moldable polymer clay and features her own custom-mixed color palette. Mallow fashions each piece in her home studio, and her bestselling earrings sport geometric shapes and hoop-style ear wires.
waxandwanehandmade@gmail.com

Tags

Merry and bright

sbradford — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 13:59:28 +0000

Merry and bright

November 1, 2022

Damaine Vonada