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You Can Find Great Valentine Gifts Locally

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There are lots of wonderful and unique Valentine gifts for sale right here in Templeton

I discovered this when I went to Farmers Market to buy produce today. As I walked from booth to booth, I saw a lot of craft items that would make great gifts. I had just finished writing my other lens Share Some Valentine Love with Lonely Seniors, where I had shared some ideas for great mail-order gifts, but it hit me that a lot of comparable and even better gifts are available right here in my home town of Templeton. After leaving Farmers Market, I walked over to Main Street to Explore and found a lot of unique gifts at very reasonable prices. This was especially true of flowers.

In this lens I will share some of my specific discoveries that may help those who live in Templeton. But if you live somewhere else, there are still suggestions that may help you. I've never been in a town yet that did not have its specialty stores away from the malls where you can find gifts out of the ordinary. Maybe you have a Farmers Market in your area where local craftspeople display their creations. Trader Joe's is also a good place to look. I will be sharing some of what I found at ours.

Shopping locally is good for your local economy because it helps your friends and neighbors keep their jobs. Shopping on line may save you gasoline, but those who deliver your gifts still use it, so it doesn't help all that much in reducing carbon emissions. Chances are, if you think ahead, you can find what you need on the routes you take often anyway. One other advantage of shopping locally for presents you will give locally is that you will know the quality of what the recipient is getting and you will be adding the gift of your presence when you deliver your gift in person. I

These roses were available at Farmers Market this morning. What they lack in a fancy display area probably saves you money. You can find a lovely vase to put them in if the recipient doesn't already have one, and then that becomes a permanent gift.

I have used many photo galleries in this lens. Be sure to click on each picture in a gallery to not only enlarge it, but also to read the commentary on each one.

Men, especially. Remember to shop early.

You need to think ahead. I sold Valentines for ten years. The women started buying them by the handful weeks ahead of time. Most men came in the night before or even the night of Valentine's Day on their way home from work. That won't work in 2010, since Valentine's Day falls on Sunday. Shop early. The selection is better and the crowds thinner if you think ahead.

How much of your shopping is done locally?

Some things are easier to find online, such as non-best-selling, used, and rare books such as you can find at www.tomfolio.com (You can read more about tomfolio a> Some things almost everyone buys close to home, such as food. you can support your local farmers by shopping at Farmers Markets in your town. Clothes, gifts, appliances, and other useful items are often purchased in big box stores because many items can be found in one place and because there is a perception of better prices, a perception that is not always true. I have found, for example, that I have received excellent service and prices at my locally owned appliance store. Where do you do most of your shopping?

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Valentine Gifts at Farmers Market

Mostly fresh flowers

I saw lots of roses in just about every color. I mostly took pictures of the roses, but you see one of the other floral displays on the right. The flower vendors have just about any flower in season.

I saw lots of roses in just about every color. I mostly took pictures of the roses, but you see one of the other floral displays on the right. The flower vendors have just about any flower in season.

I saw lots of roses in just about every color. I mostly took pictures of the roses, but you see one of the other floral displays on the right. The flower vendors have just about any flower in season.
Here are more roses in a variety of colors. You can see the prices are very reasonable.
The other pictures are all from the same booth. He sells a lot of succulents, though he does have other types. His arrangements are unique because of the props or planters he uses. His plants are living and potted, so they will be around for a while.
I loved this Victorian House planter. Items in this booth are definitely unique and unlikely to be duplicated anywhere else.
I took this picture when I first arrived, on the way in. Someone else must have thought it would make a great gift for someone, because it was gone when I came back at the end to take pictures. By next week he will probably have a different assortment, and as Valentine's Day approaches, he will probably design some arrangements with that in mind.

Jewelry by Anita Marie Schwebel

This was also available at Farmers Market

Silver Heart Amethyst Pearls Necklace #1: Anita Schwebel

I saw several items in her booth that would have been appropriate Valentine gifts, and we even photographed them. Unfortunately, the picture did not do her pieces justice. The find details in the hearts didn't show up and delicate pink tones in some of the pieces didn't show. It's best to go and see them in person. To get to the product displays you have to be logged in or take a multi-step path from a home page. I could not link directly to Anita's jewelry. So the best way to see it is TO SHOP LOCALLY at Farmers Market in Templeton. Here are a couple of new pictures Anita just sent me.

Jewelry necklace heart

Jewelry necklace heart

What I found at Trader Joe"s

There were some great values.

Although what I found at Trader Joe's was not as unique a selection as I found at Farmer's Market, I did find an excellent floral department that seemed to be gearing up for Valentine's Day. The flowers looked good and were very reasonably priced. Compare to Pro-Flowers. For another lens I was going to suggest a Pro-flowers arrangement from Amazon -- until I read the reviews. Evidently the quality and service are not consistently good, and several people said it was a rip-off and not as advertised. I suppose the quality is only as good as the local shops which deliver the goods -- if that's' show it's done. Most local shops will also deliver, if need be, without the price of a commission to someone hiking up the price you pay. I will take you to one of the local shops in another module. I personally think it's best if you deliver your own flowers in person on such a day, with one exception. If your loved one will be working in an office environment (unlikely this year, since Valentine's Day is on a Sunday when most offices are closed), getting flowers delivered at work can make one the center of attention from co-workers, a nice plus.

Although what I found at Trader Joe's was not as unique a selection as I found at Farmer's Market, I did find an excellent floral department that seemed to be gearing up for Valentine's Day. The flowers looked good and were very reasonably priced. Compare to Pro-Flowers. For another lens I was going to suggest a Pro-flowers arrangement from Amazon -- until I read the reviews. Evidently the quality and service are not consistently good, and several people said it was a rip-off and not as advertised. I suppose the quality is only as good as the local shops which deliver the goods -- if that's' show it's done. Most local shops will also deliver, if need be, without the price of a commission to someone hiking up the price you pay. I will take you to one of the local shops in another module. I personally think it's best if you deliver your own flowers in person on such a day, with one exception. If your loved one will be working in an office environment (unlikely this year, since Valentine's Day is on a Sunday when most offices are closed), getting flowers delivered at work can make one the center of attention from co-workers, a nice plus.

Although what I found at Trader Joe's was not as unique a selection as I found at Farmer's Market, I did find an excellent floral department that seemed to be gearing up for Valentine's Day. The flowers looked good and were very reasonably priced. Compare to Pro-Flowers. For another lens I was going to suggest a Pro-flowers arrangement from Amazon -- until I read the reviews. Evidently the quality and service are not consistently good, and several people said it was a rip-off and not as advertised. I suppose the quality is only as good as the local shops which deliver the goods -- if that's' show it's done. Most local shops will also deliver, if need be, without the price of a commission to someone hiking up the price you pay. I will take you to one of the local shops in another module. I personally think it's best if you deliver your own flowers in person on such a day, with one exception. If your loved one will be working in an office environment (unlikely this year, since Valentine's Day is on a Sunday when most offices are closed), getting flowers delivered at work can make one the center of attention from co-workers, a nice plus.
One thing you many not have yet discovered about Trader Joe's is that they have their own line of blank and greeting cards. I was a card buyer in a very competitive Los Angeles (Westwood) environment for ten years, and our store was a Mecca for those who wanted quality and uniqueness in their cards. What Trader Joe's offers is comparable to the best lines and you can't beat the price at 99 cents each (as of this writing in January 2010.) They do not have designated Valentines, but they do have some suitable blank cards where you can make your sentiments known.
Here is a selection of living roses that would score points with those who are able to care for them.
If roses are too ordinary for your loved one, try orchids. Trader Joe's has quite a few orchid arrangements in a variety of colors.
This rose assortment is called Perfect Harmony
clock Don't wait until the last minute. Do your shopping early for best selection.

Countdown to Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day: February 14, 2013

Main Street

(or part of it)

My first stop on Main Street, Adelaide Floral, is one of my favorites. They always have something new to display, and I loved their assortment of small stuffed animals. This module won't accept links, so I will link to this shop in another module.

My first stop on Main Street, Adelaide Floral, is one of my favorites. They always have something new to display, and I loved their assortment of small stuffed animals. This module won't accept links, so I will link to this shop in another module.

My first stop on Main Street, Adelaide Floral, is one of my favorites. They always have something new to display, and I loved their assortment of small stuffed animals. This module won't accept links, so I will link to this shop in another module.
I liked these cute animals including the skunks displaying heart signs that say "Love stinks."
The little animal that stole my heart is the masked one who displays the heart that says "Thief of Hearts."
This shop carries the Leanin' Tree card line which I've always liked. While everyone else is at Walmart, the drug stores, and the markets pawing through the racks supplied by the big companies, enjoy a more pleasant shopping experience in this friendly shop.
This was taken on the inside of the window, so the light messed the picture up a bit. But there are some more fun things here. It's worth a visit whenever you need a special gift that speaks of love. Parking never seems to be a problem on Main Street.
My next stop was Last Stop Antiques. Since all their merchandise is one-of-a-kind, it's all unique. The downside is that they can't just order a lot of Valentine stuff in seasonally. That means it's always a fun place to browse and that if you see something a friend or relative would like, you'd better grab it right away or it might be gone when you really need to buy it.
I was shown this red necklace as an item that would be a suitable Valentine, but the truth is that all Valentine gifts don't need to be red and white. The other necklace might make some recipient just as happy.The most important part of gift giving is knowing the recipient well enough to know what she might like. That comes from paying attention every day to what she says and does and what she is interested in. If you don't do that, the Valentine won't make up for it.
My last stop was a bit disappointing, since I expected Herrmann's Chocolate Lab to have a lot of Valentine treats. All I found was on box of chocolate roses. I was told their Valentine stuff isn't in yet. I'm afraid this picture didn't do the roses justice because the flash reflected on the packaging. One problem with taking pictures inside stores is that you don't feel free to change the arrangements to make the merchandise easier to photograph. But I imagine a lot of people would prefer chocolate roses to real ones. Again, you need to know the person you are giving the gift to. If it's a Valentine gift, I would hope you do.

Adelaide Floral

I have taken you through a lot of the Valentine displays in my photo gallery, but I wasn't able to to link to the shop there. I will do it here. If you need to order flowers or have them delivered, using the web site might save you some browsing time.
Floral Valentines at Adelaide Floral in Templeton, California
If you are trying to buy a gift for someone in Templeton and you live somewhere else, this shop will be able to help you. Order ahead so they will have enough, and remember that they don't deliver on Sundays unless they decide to make an exception this year. Check the web site or call them. They have been in business in this area for years, and their reputation and existence is dependent upon their quality and service. You can probably trust them to deliver for you as expected.

Shopping Locally Can Offer Great Value

You help your local economy by keeping sales tax money at home to help your own community pay its bills. You also see the quality of what you are giving, and you will probably find something that is unique.

I hope this lens has made you think about doing more local shopping

Though I've shown you what is available in my very small community of Templeton, you probably have just as much, if not more, available where you are. I hope you will consider the treasures in your own backyard before driving more than 15 miles away or shopping on line. (Unless you want to buy books, of course, or teaching resources, and I'm happy to sell those to you locally here as well.)

Do you think you might consider more local options now? Do you have have an especially wonderful place to buy unique gifts in your home town? Maybe you could tell us about it here and tell us where it is and why you like it. I will enable you to put links in your comments, but spam -- links that don't relate to information asked for, will be deleted. I will check all links for relevance before approving

If you just want to let me know you were here, that's fine, too. It's always fun to see who comes to visit.

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  • Reply
    sandyspider Jan 18, 2010 @ 10:02 pm | delete
    The floral shop looks very interesting. This has made me think about shopping locally. Thanks for adding it to http://www.squidoo.com/valentines-zazzle I'm showing it. It would be nice to see you sign the guestbook.
  • Reply
    Evelyn_Saenz Jan 17, 2010 @ 7:32 pm | delete
    When in Vermont I always try to shop in my own town but here in Florida there doesn't seem to be any local businesses. Every shop is a chain store. Here in Florida I shop online in order to be able to buy unique handmade items.
  • Reply
    Heather426 Jan 17, 2010 @ 5:21 pm | delete
    great job!
  • Reply
    bethd821 Jan 17, 2010 @ 5:12 pm | delete
    Barbara, this is a great local shopping lens. You need to find out if these businesses have websites and ask them to post this on them. Write a letter to your local editorial page and post the link there. You should get a lot of traffic for them and for your lens. 5* and angel blessed.
  • Reply
    Susan52 Jan 17, 2010 @ 5:09 pm | delete
    What a beautiful town you live in! Ours is small and we don't have many choices, and no farmer's market this time of year, but I will be looking around at things that I've missed and new shopping opportunities. Nice lens!
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More about BarbRad

She has lived and worked (from home) in Templeton for over 15 years, and loves it.
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BarbRad

In my life I've been student, public library clerk, English teacher in public school, elementary teacher in private schools,card buyer for Logos Bookstore... more »

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