Christmas Present Ideas from ShopIowa.com

If you're looking for a unique gift for your loved ones this holiday season, here are some ideas I love which you can get from ShopIowa.com. I'm on this year's "Shop Iowa Squad" and I received most of these items for FREE as part of that program--thanks Shop Iowa!! But some of them I bought myself, and the ones I received as a gift, I would definitely buy. I've written before about how much I love Shop Iowa, which is an Etsy-style marketplace website for Iowa makers, brands and stores. And I think it's so fun that they sent their squad these great gifts so we can see for ourselves how awesome they are. So without further ado, here are some great Christmas presents that I would buy for my friends and family (or for myself), all available on ShopIowa.com:

Magnetic Bookmarks from Iowa Paper Farm

These cute bookmarks are great for the readers in your life. How fun would it be to pair one or more of these bookmarks with a great book by an Iowa writer??

Iowa Paper Farm is based in Albia, Iowa

Summer Sausage and Cheese from Purple Ribbon Beef

One of my personal favorite things to do over the holidays is to make charcuterie/meat and cheese and cracker trays and snack from those all day long. If that's your kind of holiday too, Purple Ribbon Beef has you covered! They sent me one of their beef summer sausages, plus two delicious varieties of cheese from WW Homestead Dairy in Waukon, Iowa. And they packaged it with some crackers and a cute Christmas ornament, which was so sweet of them. I'm honestly saving this one for New Year's Eve and it's going to make my day!

They also sent some honey oat beef tallow soap, and I'm so excited about it. I get really dry skin in winter, and I feel like this is going to be super helpful, because it is so gentle and doesn't strip the moisture the way most soaps do. And it has a very soft but pleasant smell. I think it's really cool that they try to use as much of the cow as they can, producing not just delicious meat but also items like this soap, and beautiful cowskin accessories as well. 

Purple Ribbon Beef is based in Britt, Iowa.

Earrings from Jewelry By Jen

I love these lightweight leather snowflake earrings for winter, and I think the wood and leather pair are so cool for all year round. Both pairs are comfortable and so wearable and giftable! I'm excited to check out her earrings for other seasons too. For example, she has some pink bow earrings that I think would be so darling as a Valentine's Day look (or for everyday wear.) And as a writer I love her library book earrings!

Jewelry by Jen is based in Dubuque, Iowa

Mug Cake and Beer Bread Mixes from Molly & You

Just add water to the cake single mix in a mug, put it in the microwave, and you'll have a treat in minutes. Or add a can of your favorite carbonated beverage to the beer bread mix and watch it turn into a delicious quickbread. I loved the chocolate chip cookie dough cake single and the cinnamon crumble bread they sent. It was so easy to whip up a quick loaf, and it was really good. I think a Molly & You cinnamon crumble beer bread loaf would be a great thing to make for a holiday morning like Christmas or New Year's Day, because it was so quick and easy to make, but looked and tasted like something really special. It makes a whole loaf, but I will probably buy them in pairs in the future because my family ate it so quickly!

Molly & You is based in Sac City, Iowa

Dark chocolate + orange premium dessert sauce from Sunday Night Foods

This sauce is like if a dark chocolate hot fudge sauce and a chocolate orange had a baby made of premium, fresh ingredients. I love it on vanilla ice cream, and I want to try it on some chocolate cake sometime. And the gift set with the golden spoon is so fun, and very giftable. It'd be especially cute paired with some ice cream dishes, I think! I've previously bought the dark chocolate flavor, and I love that one too, and the flavor I want to try most in the future is probably their dark chocolate + peppermint. 

Sunday Night Foods is based in Des Moines, Iowa

Iowa Candle and Freshie Kit from Candle Creek Farms

Brighten the holidays with stunning candles in creative yet cozy scents. The Iowa-scented, wood-wick candle they sent me was so pretty, and I love the creative "car freshie" kit as well. I think it'd be a great present for anyone with a car, but as a parent of a teen, I especially think it'd be a fun present for a teen to keep their car smelling nice despite gym clothes and such. This also seems like a useful gift to keep on hand for when you end up needing something at the last minute as a gift for someone, or for a white elephant gift exchange. 

Candle Creek Farm is based in Mallard, Iowa

Coasters from RS Home Design

Add some glam to your table with these gorgeous coasters! I feel like white marble with gold is such a classic combo and goes with almost any decor. It definitely looks good with mine, and I'm excited to use these lots. These are lovely on their own, but would also make a great gift paired with some of the beautiful mugs available from RS Home & Design.

RS Home & Design is based in Whittemore, Iowa

Popcorn from Almost Famous

Yum! We actually have a relative who sends us some popcorn from Almost Famous every year, so I already knew that I love their popcorn before Shop Iowa sent me some this holiday season. And then that relative sent us some too, so we actually got to enjoy four different flavors this holiday season! Their caramel corn is my favorite ever, but I also love their Holly Jolly popcorn (coated in red and green candy) and their cheesy popcorn. And the jalapeno cheddar is my husband's favorite! One flavor of theirs that I'd love to try in the future is "Puppy Chow." 

Almost Famous Popcorn is based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Meat from In't Veld's Meat Market

This meat store sent some Pella bologna (one of their specialties!) and some beef sticks, and both were delicious. I especially enjoyed the bologna chopped and fried with some macaroni. (It was very similar to a very good sausage, in case you are unfamiliar with Pella bologna like I was until I tried this!) and I thought the beef stick was very good too, and my teen absolutely loved it. This is another teen-approved present idea from Shop Iowa!

In't Veld's Meat Market is based in Pella, Iowa

Ornaments from Donna Rae Designs

I bought these ornaments for several people as gifts and also got one for myself, because they're just too cute! I especially love the variety of numbers of family members that are options. She added eyelashes to all the girls, and her handwriting was tidy and tiny and cute. I'm so excited to see what my relatives think of the ones I got them too!

Donna Rae Designs is based in Council Bluffs, Iowa

How to get your own gifts from Shop Iowa

To buy any of these gifts, plus hundreds of other amazing presents from Iowa makers, brands, and shops, visit ShopIowa.com. And in great news for last minute shoppers, many of these stores even offer free local pickup options, so you can still get the perfect gift even if you're short on time! Shop Iowa often has sales and specials, and you can use my code LINDSAY10 to get 10% off your order if there's not a better coupon code available on the site already that day!