If you love the smiles that greet those holiday presents you give but you dread the 8.9 Richter scale aftershock to your bank account, then think creatively. Substitute care for cost.
Lake County and environs are rich in specialty stores, including some choice outlets that are stocked with reasonably priced treasures.
Here are just a few of the places where for $25 or less you can find inexpensive, quality items or tailor a thoughtful gift box to the recipients’ tastes.
Because most area residents already know about obvious shopping meccas such as Long Grove’s charming boutiques and the discount malls, the focus here is on stores that are locally popular but might not be well known in other parts of the county.
Happy holiday shopping!
– Lake Forest Food & Wine Specialties store (opposite the Metra train station on the southeastern side of Lake Forest’s Market Square) boasts enough mix-and-match choices to make up 50 different kinds of gourmet holiday boxes, all tailored to individual tastes. By putting together the gift yourself, you fit not only the recipient but also your budget.
Owner Laura Schwarzbach knows which cheeses ship well, saying, for example, “no” to brie and “yes” to cheddar, particularly the aged Vermont cheddar, which costs about $5 for 8 ounces. And she knows which accompanying snacks will wow the taste buds, such as Partners’ sweet onion crackers at $2.99.
Schwarzbach also has a list of gift box possibilities for people who need a starting point. Ideas include the pairing of coffee mugs and beans, wines and cheeses, Mexican sauces and chips, and pastas and herbed oils.
But if choosing a wine, don’t look for special sales. The wines are already competitively priced. Typically, a bottle of Kendall Jackson chardonnay that would run about $11 elsewhere is priced at about $9.50 here.
Sturdy gift boxes cost $1.50 and $1.75.
Lake Forest Food & Wine Specialties, 672 N. Western Ave, Lake Forest, is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m Sunday. Phone 708-234-0620.
– To find unique gifts at pocket-book-pleasing prices, take a look at two shops on the east side of downtown Highland Park: the very feminine Hearts Desire and The Male Room.
The biggest problem with Hearts Desire is losing track of time. Even though the store is tiny, the place is crammed with such treasures as sterling silver chains and charms adorning Victorian girl cutouts at $18, barrettes made from antique silverware at $24 and miniature antique-styled brass and silver picture frames ranging from $10 to $24. A Victorian 1995 calendar sells for $9.95, and stationery is priced around $12.50.
Hearts Desire, 456 Central Ave, Highland Park, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-433-4242.
A few doors east is The Male Room. Even though the name promises to be only a guys’ thing, in reality the shop carries many items that appeal to both sexes, such as working mini versions of old-styled radios priced at $24 and portable clocks with sports and professional themes such as The Golfer and The Lawyer at $20.
The Male Room, 440 Central Ave., Highland Park, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Phone 708-432-6253.
– To satisfy those nature lovers on the list, pop around the corner into Wild Birds Unlimited on St. Johns Avenue. The shop is worth a stop just to take a soothing break from the frenetic world.
While checking out an A-frame bird house at $14 and the window bird feeders priced mostly from $12 to $21, let the bubbling fountain in the center of the store and the background nature sounds calm the nerves. Better yet, pass along the soothing sounds. Tapes are $9.95, CDs are $15.95.
Wild Birds Unlimited, 1783 St. Johns, Highland Park, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-432-3384.
– Farther west in Highland Park’s Crossroads Shopping Center, Chef’s Catalog sells professional kitchen equipment, often 20 percent to 30 percent below suggested retail prices. For example, a three-piece gift set of Henckels Eversharp knives that retail at $38 are priced at $24.99, and a Calphalon non-stick 7-inch omelet pan that regularly retails at $30 is priced at $19.99.
Notice the fun kitchen gadgets for the gourmet who has almost everything, such as the cheese machine that stores and slices. Its $19.99 price, which is $5 below retail, leaves money for adding a block of cheese. Or pair a $12 garlic slicer, priced here at $6.99, with a $9.99 terra cotta garlic baker.
Chef’s Catalogue, 151 Skokie Blvd. in the Crossroads Shopping Center, Highland Park, is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, until 7 p.m. Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call 708-831-1100 for extended holiday hours.
– To find the perfect gift for the gardening enthusiasts on the list and then unwind from holiday stress among tropical trees, head for the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Gift Shop on Lake-Cook Road in Glencoe.
Gift-packaged bulbs, such as paperwhites and amaryllis, come with containers at $6.50. Attractively packaged tea gardens and aromatic herb gardens range from $14.50 to $17.50. There are many more items, such as books, trivets and mugs, all under $25. In addition, purchases benefit the Chicago Horticultural Society. There is a parking fee of $4 a car for non-members.
Chicago Botanic Garden Gift Shop, Lake-Cook Road, a half mile east of the Edens Expressway, Glencoe, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Monday, when the shop opens at 11 a.m. 708-835-5440.
– When unique is more important than discounts, The Museum Company in Northbrook Court on Lake-Cook Road has much to offer. But the store carries several items such as jewelry and stationery for $25 and under. Plus the gifts appeal to such special interests as art.
Examples include a double deck of Russian folk art playing cards at $12.95, and handsome lacquer boxes and trivets at $19.
The Museum Company, 1236 Northbrook Court Mall, Northbrook, is open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 5:30 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call 708-559-8311 for expanded holiday hours.
– Three stores at Lake-Cook and Waukegan Roads in Deerfield-Mikasa, Kaehler Outlet and Bed Bath & Beyond-will have shoppers thinking they have gone to discount heaven. The shops carry gift items ranging from 20 percent to 60 percent below retail.
The china and glass prices at the Mikasa factory outlet in the Cadwell Corners shopping mall would satisfy Scrooge and the bank balance.
For example, a pair of 6 1/4-inch German crystal candlestick holders found in retail stores at $17.50 are sold here at $9.99, and a $37.50 crystal candy dish is priced at $24.99.
Also, $20 covered crystal boxes are priced at $9.99, $33 holiday platters are $15.99, $35 glass picture frames cost $16.99, and $45 glass clocks are $24.99.
And that doesn’t begin to tell the story of this two-level, 25,000-square-foot china and crystal outlet. More gift items, including place mats and napkins, overflow the tables and shelves upstairs.
Mikasa, 35 N. Waukegan Rd. in Cadwell Corners, Deerfield, is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-940-7885.
– As the name suggests, Bed Bath & Beyond (located kitty-corner from Cadwell Corners across Lake-Cook and Waukegan Roads in the Deerbrook Mall), offers a wide range of household gifts, and though the store will box purchased items free, there are sturdy, decorative holiday boxes on sale at $4.99 that could be used for those do-it-yourself gourmet holiday food gifts.
A couple of suggestions in the $25 or less category: Mix and match place mats and napkins that range from 99 cents to $9.99, or group designer cat mugs at $4.99 or famous artist picture mugs (Picasso, Seurat) at $5.99 into a set of four. Also, a pair of mugs might be accompanied by coffee or tea accessories.
Bed Bath & Beyond, Deerbrook Mall (outside entrance), Lake-Cook and Waukegan Roads, Deerfield, is open 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-205-1500.
– Also at Deerbrook Mall but with an inside entrance, Kaehler Outlet carries a selection of those old holiday standbys-wallets, key holders and card cases, at well below retail.
Wallet-on-a-strap purses are particularly popular this year. A $25 Rolf wallet purse sells at $19.90, and a $27 Capezio is priced at $22.90.
Kaehler Outlet, Deerbrook Mall, Lake-Cook and Waukegan Roads, Deerfield, is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-498-1888.
– To satisfy the chocoholics and sweet tooths on the list or to pick up a hostess gift for a holiday party, stop in at the Long Grove Confectionery Co. Outlet Store in Buffalo Grove.
You will find the same high quality and great taste that built the company’s reputation, but at prices about 50 percent below retail.
A 2.5-pound solid chocolate Santa that retails at $19.95 is priced here at $10. A cute reindeer tin of white chocolate-covered pretzels that retails for $14.95 sells here at $7.50, and a specially made up “Yes Virginia” tin filled with fudge trees and meltaways costs $9.95.
Or make up your own selection. Tins are available from $1 to about $3.50.
There are lots of chocolate molded specialty items under $25, including a green wire practice bucket of solid white and milk chocolate golf balls priced $5 below retail at $19.95.
Long Grove Confectionery Co. Outlet Store, 333 Lexington Drive (a mile west of Milwaukee Avenue and three blocks north of Lake-Cook Road), Buffalo Grove, has the following extended holiday schedule: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-459-0269.
– Farther west on Lake-Cook Road at Northwest Highway in Barrington, shoppers can take a load off their tired feet at Caffe Espresso.
A shopper might perch on a barstool and sip a cup of caffe latte while figuring out which of the 100 kinds of coffee beans might be best for a gift package. Most beans are in the $9- to $11-a-pound range. Selecting a couple of half pounds for variety is a possibility.
Accessories might include a mug priced at $6 to $7, a box of chocolate-covered beans at $9.99 or a couple of demitasse spoons at $2.99 and $3.45.
Or a $3.50 tin of Celsea tea might be paired with a $14.99 covered china tea cup with infuser.
Caffe Espresso, 101 S. Northwest Highway (southeast corner of U.S. Highway 14 and Main Street) is open 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-382-0777.
– Located in The Foundry shopping center, a few miles north of Lake-Cook Road on Northwest Highway, G. Whiz carries inexpensive artisan jewelry, wearable art and crafts.
Owner Jan Cunningham makes the shopping task easier by displaying items in categories such as male, music and teachers.
And the shop caters to the budget-minded. “Almost everything here is $25 or less. We try to find things under $25 that are unique and quality, not just cheap,” Cunningham said.
G. Whiz, 724 W. Northwest Highway, The Foundry, Barrington, is open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, until 7 p.m. Thursday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-304-0255.
– A short distance farther north on Northwest Highway, Pasquesi Home and Farm Suppliers offers one-stop shopping that sells everything from infant clothes to tableware to nature items.
Some suggestions: a couple of floating glass candle tubes at $5.99 each, plus a couple of colorful votive candles at $4.99 each-with a sprig of holly or ivy to float. The recipient just adds water for an interesting table decoration.
Shoppers also might wish to check out the chimes, feeders and birdhouses, particularly the bark birdhouses at $16.99 and $20.99.
Pasquesi Home and Farm Suppliers, 900 W. Northwest Highway, Barrington, is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-381-5511. Also located at 1045 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, open 8 a.m.to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 708-234-6776.
– In central Lake County, shoppers can treat themselves while shopping for others at Quig’s Orchards, a Mundelein apple orchard cum country store, bakery, gift shop and greenhouse.
Browsers can have a cup of hot apple cider and a cider-based doughnut while Pam Berek, daughter of founder Bob Quig, and her country store helpers guide them through a host of gift box ideas-from jams, jellies and candies to sausages and cheeses.
Popular pairings include sausages at $2.95 and a pound of 4-year-old aged Wisconsin cheddar at $5.75.
Or try coupling Quig’s own 5-ounce orange marmalades at $1.30, a 10-ounce Slack’s strawberry rhubarb jam at $2.75, a 12-ounce Apple Acres apple butter at $1.95 with a couple of half pounds of house fudge at $5.75 per pound.
Quig’s also carries sugar-free preserves for diabetics. “I often go that way because there is no sugar and they taste just as good,” Berek said.
The adjoining Garden Gift Shop and Greenhouse overflows with holiday decorations and gifts, most under $25.
Quig’s, 300 S. Illinois Highway 83, just north of Midlothian Road, Mundelein, is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Phone 708-566-4520.
– From wearable art and dolls to pottery and woodcrafts, Crafters Gallery in downtown Grayslake showcases the crafts of more than 100 artisans; most of the crafts are priced under $25.
Women’s pants and shirt outfits can be bought for as little as $20. Cute baby onesies (snapped one-piece outfits) sell for $19.75.
For anyone who is into dolls, the shop carries dozens ranging from $5 to $25, some stuffed to cuddle; others decorative shelf-sitters and door-draft stoppers.
Crafters Gallery, 136 Center St., Grayslake, is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Phone 708-548-2203.
– Billed as a shop for grandparents, Mueller-Wood Kraft Inc. in Lake Villa is also a place for parents, aunts, uncles or anyone searching for the kind of solid workmanship in toys that has all but disappeared in this mass-produced plastic world.
In his shop in back of the store, retired businessman Duane “Woody” Wood handcrafts beautiful, hardwood toy trucks, doll cribs, sectioned collector boxes and home accessories at bargain prices.
A shopper could put together a brigade of trucks at $9.95 each-or pick up larger, more detailed two-piece tankers and semis from $14.95 to $19.95. Or pair a $6.95 helicopter with a $17.95 firetruck.
Explaining their low prices, Wood’s wife, Shirley said, “We make them here and sell them here. There is no one in between, so there is no markup, and we haven’t raised our prices from last Christmas.”
Mueller-Wood Kraft Inc., 23425 W. Wall St. at Illinois Highway 83, Lake Villa, is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Phone 708-395-0005.
– Undetectable flaws are the reason Pickard Outlet Store in Antioch sells the 100-year-old company’s fine china at amazingly low prices.
Aside from offering regular lines at 40 percent to 50 percent below suggested retail, the store also sells decorative pieces not found in retail stores.
Decorative plates include a gold-rimmed pattern at $25 and flower and holiday patterns at $10.75 and $11.75.
Pickard Outlet Store, 782 Pickard Ave., Antioch, is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Phone 708-395-3800, ext. 32.
