"Locally owned independent
businesses are an important part of the fabric of our community," said
Joe Grafton, the executive director of Somerville Local First. " They
contribute more to non-profits, they bring the community together and
contribute significantly more economic value to our local economy."

The following are some local gift ideas:

A
frequent gift among friends and coworkers are chocolates from well
known Swiss and Belgium makers. However, before you purchase the golden
box or the well known bag of truffles, remember the local option: Taza.
It's the only 100 percent stone ground, organic and eco-friendly
chocolate in the U.S., and it's produced in Somerville. The products
are available online (www.tazachocolate.com) and at local stores.

Somerville
is known for having world class artists, which makes purchasing local
artwork a wonderful gift idea. You can purchase art from local artisans
and find unique gift ideas from a variety of stores including Magpie (416 Highland Ave), Davis Squared (409 Highland Ave.), or Blue Cloud Gallery
in Ball Square (713 Broadway). These types of stores are perfect if
you're having trouble finding the right gift as they carry an
assortment of items.

The Blue Cloud Gallery carries wonderful
handmade pieces that are unique as well as interesting. They also sell
handmade jewelry, hand-blown glass doorknobs, and paper lampshades by
Somerville artist Lyn Brown. If you're looking for an artistic hand
crafted stain glass piece or just a distinctive gift, Daniel Maher's stained glass will please anyone on your holiday list.

Avoid
arriving empty handed or with yet another fruit cake at parties this
year by stopping in at local bakeries. If you're in Davis Square, try
the wide variety of flavors at Kickass Cupcakes
(378 Highland Ave.), including Cinnamon Chai Pecan Sticky and their
limited edition Apple Cider-tini. If you would rather bring a fresh
baked pie or cookies, stop in at Petsi Pies. They use apples from local orchards and all natural ingredients to make their famous treats.

If sparing your host extra calories is part of your holiday strategy, Ricky's Flower Market (238 Washington St .) has unique center pieces and wreaths. You can also purchase your Christmas tree there.

If
you're looking for a sentimental holiday gift, enlarging a photo and
having it professionally framed is the perfect way to go. After you've
selected the photo, bring it to local vendors such as Camera Inc. (267 Elm St.), where they will enlarge the photo and frame it for you.

If you have a tea lover on your list this holiday season, Tea Zone
(15 A Elm St.) is the just the store to purchase gourmet teas, tea ware
and accessories. They carry popular teas such as English breakfast, to
more exotic teas such as Japanese premium Gyokuru green. They have
fruit blends, herbal, and organic teas to choose from as well as
specialized gift sets. If you don't know much about teas, stop into
this family-owned business where knowledgeable staff are eager to help.

Don't forget about your furry friends. Bring them to Stinky's Kittens and Doggies Too
(110 Bristol Rd.) for professional grooming so they will look their
best for holiday gatherings. If you're worried about Fido's behavior
with guests in your house, bring him to Diggity Dog
(321 Somerville Ave.) for some holiday training. This is also a great
present for you as the training's benefits will last well beyond the
holidays.