Shop Till You Drop: 7 Small Businesses with Cooler Gifts in Grand Forks

If you’re anything like me, the cooler weather and seasonal decor has got you thinking of the quickly approaching holiday season. Gift giving is really big in our family, we enjoy spreading smiles and seeing the excitement when someone opens a thoughtful and unique gift during the holiday season. However, the list of people to shop for never gets shorter, so each year we start our holiday shopping earlier and earlier. I know I’m not alone in my search for the perfect gift, so I’m sharing a few of my favorite local businesses in the Grand Forks region that make for well thought out, one-of-a-kind gifts to celebrate the individuality of the recipient.

Flippin’ Happy is by far one of my absolute favorite places to shop for gifts. They are a shared marketplace that sells a variety of handcrafted items from local artists and creators. They have so many colorful, empowering, and quirky home décor items, furniture, jewelry, art, and more.  As an artist myself, I have such a high appreciation for those who take time to channel their creativity into something that anyone can enjoy.  The inventory is always stocked with something new and has a huge selection of one-of-a-kind gifts to wow a friend and make them feel special. There’s such a wide variety of artists’ work sold at Flippin’ Happy, it’s genuinely hard not to find something perfectly suited for your loved one. Not to mention the added bonus of supporting a local artists’ craft!

As a mom who has had 3 kids in 3 years, I can assure you, if you have a momma in your life who you want to spoil (no matter the number of kids), a gift for a beauty treatment and time to sow into her self-care will not go underappreciated. Bloom Beauty Bar is highly rated for their quality services and friendly environment. They offer an assortment of beauty treatments such as waxing, skin care, makeup, and lashes to list a few.  Their goal is to help you feel well taken care of and promote highlighting your beauty to make you feel like the best version of you.  For the holidays, they will be offering Image Skincare products for retail, gift certificates, and a prize tree for the chance to win free or discounted services. If you’re like me and are new to the beauty bar game, you might consider checking them out for their Holiday Open House on December 1^st from 5-7pm. They share lots of information on their socials, so check them out!

Larimore Flower & Gift, located just outside the city of Grand Forks, offers a diverse inventory of fresh, silk, and dry flowers for all occasions. Their talented staff are ready to help you pick the perfect bouquet paired with an equally beautiful vase, basket, or holiday centerpiece. Additionally, they offer fruit and gift baskets for purchase in store or delivery for ease.

This one-stop shop for the cutest gifts made its debut during some local summer markets but will now be housed in Midtown Marketplace. The Cute Gifts LLC booth is a collection of seasonal gifts, Mommy & Me sets, graphic tees, hoodies, and sweatshirts perfect for friends, family, or yourself! You can also find handsewn children’s clothes by Relax Creative Designs, handmade jewelry by Kelsey Tries Art, and snarky feminist home decor, stickers, and clothes by Pretty Prickly. For early Christmas shopping follow @KelseyTriesArt @CuteGiftsByCourt and @RelaxCreativeDesigns on Instagram and Facebook!

If you’re a local or you’ve been around Grand Forks a while, you’re guaranteed to hear about Widman’s. They’re known for their delicious chippers (chocolate covered potato chips). If you’ve never tried them, stop what you’re doing and go grab a free sample, but just know, after you try something, you won’t leave empty handed. They have so many sweet treats both classic and new, definitely a great way to sweeten up someone’s day and the prices are great! They offer cute gift boxes and bags to make your gift giving much easier.

The Grand Forks Gift shop, located in the Visit Greater Grand Forks Visitor Center has some “cooler” essentials, everything from outerwear, mugs, postcards, totes, you name it! Or check out the Cooler store to find a fun way to gift a piece of home, and to just simply promote one simple truth, Grand Forks is cooler.