I need MI-made gift suggestions

My brother Timothy Young who lives in Norhtern Michigan owns a company Food for Thought.  The website is www.foodforthought.net.  Following is a description of his company.  He LOVES Michigan.  The gift boxes are beautiful and they ship anywhere.  I may be prejudices but they are phenomenal!

Food For Thought was founded on a mission to raise awareness around just and sustainable food in 1995.  They are based on an organic farm outside Traverse City and housed in a green built building utilizing solar energy. Their preserves are out of this world, touting flavors like Blueberry Lavender, Cherry Cabernet, Apricot Chardonnay and Strawberry Basil. All are certified organic as well as the first and only Fair Trade certified preserves in the country. Their Cherry Salsa Atento was featured on the Food Network this year and was chosen "Best Salsa" by Vegetarian Times Magazine. Most impressively is that they have a "local at any cost" purchasing policy which assures that local and Michigan farmers are supported first. So if you are looking to find the most healthy, sustainable and just gifts that also support Michigan's economy, there's likely no better choice in the state. 

My brother Timothy Young has a business in Northern Michigan called Food for Thought.  The website is www.foodforthought.net.  They are based on an organic farm in a green built building utilizing solar energy.  Their preserves are out of this world touting flavors like Blueberry Lavender, Cherry Cabernet, Apricot Chardonnay and Strawberry Basil.  All are certified organic as well as the first and only Fair Trade certified preserves in the country.  Their Cherry Salsa Atento was featured on the Food Network. 

I may be prejudiced, but they are phenomonal.  My favorite is Cherry-Raspberry!

First of all, full disclosure: this post is about a product I created. But, it's a home-grown product that makes a great holiday gift, so I'd like to tell you about it.

Stop & Kiss: A Card Game for Couples is (as the name suggests!) a card game for couples and a fun way for 2 people in love to celebrate their relationship. It makes a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer from one person in a couple to another. Some people also buy it to give to a special couple in their life.

It's available at www.stopandkisscardgame.com.

OK, I may be a little biased, but my wife's hand-crafted, Euro-inspired jewelry - as seen at www.eurokraftjewelry.com - offers several unique and affordable gift options.

See it up close at this upcoming EuroKraft Jewelry Holiday Trunk Show.

Friday, December 5th and Saturday, December 6th from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Featuring handmade European-style jewelry by local artist Melissa Kamm. Melissa specializes in highly unique wire-wrapped designs featuring Swarovski crystals and pearls. Most items are under $20. Preview styles at www.eurokraftjewelry.com.

Location:
Rima's Hair Salon, 4600 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Telephone: (734) 572-2588.

Furnace Hot Glass in Dearborn.  Chris Nordin and Michelle Plucinsky have been broadly recognized for their talent and creativity for many years.  Their annual Christmas Bazaar, in fact, is being held this weekend at their Dearborn studio.  Fun for all.

My apologies if this suggestion has already been given, I do not have time to go through all the posts right now.  But what about pewabic pottery, a Detroit relic?  Or Pure Detroit, a clothing company?  They are both fantastic products!  You can find both with a simple google search, but the website addresses are www.pewabic.org and www.puredetroit.com.

Hope this helps!

Lisa,

I just had another idea. For the archer on your list, the Darton Archery Co. is located in Hale Michigan.

Hello everyone, I have another furniture Idea. I represent haworth commercial furnishings based in Holland Michigan. What better in this economy than to support a farmington hills business that sells a Holland,Mi product. I have a product that gears itself to People with a bad back. The ZODY Chair. Zody is the only chair to have PAL^TM, a patent pending user selected asymmetrical lumbar support system and a passive pelvic support.  The back support system was developed with the help of the Human Performance Institute at Western Michigan University.  As a result of this research, Zody earned the first ever task chair endorsement by the American Physical Therapy association. 

So if anyone on your list has back issues, or just wants a darn good chair, contact me at AIREA

Sreside@Aireainc.com

Hi Everyone,

I just went to my first MCC Live event in Ann Arbor (it was great!) and Terry told me about this awesome discussion that was going on.  The cool thing is that two people (unrelated to each other or anyone in MCC) sent along the buymichigannow.com link.  I'm trying to add my company to the site (having a little technical glitch - but it should be up soon!).

I wanted to take the opportunity though to share with MCC my Michigan based company.  RealKidz is a specialty children's clothing retailer selling age-appropriate, trendy clothing to above average and hard-to-fit girls ages 5-12.  We design the clothing and it is manufactured right here in the State of Michigan through the Michigan State Industries program.

Hopefully, you'll see our listing on buymichigannow.com soon, but until then you can check us out at www.realkidzclothing.com.

Warmly,

Merrill

There's going to be a new wave of newly engaged couples coming from the holidays and there's not a better gift to give to a newly engaged couple than the gift of wedding memories. 

http://www.seeyouthen.com allows brides and grooms to collect and share wedding photos.  Every friend, family and guest can contribute their personal high-res digital images from every event. Our couples are averaging 700 photos from 35 guests!

The couple can sign up for free and, the guest (you) can upgrade them to an unlimited package at anytime.  Imagine you being responsible for them collecting between 500-1000 photos from friends, family and guests that they will remember and cherish for their lifetime. 

Tips on how to give it as a give are listed in our Member's lounge.  http://members.seeyouthen.com and a "gift" card is also provided that you can print out and give to the newly engaged couple.

Its a wonderful engagement gift and it will be a gift that they will remember forever.

We are proudly headquartered in Brighton, MI.  Thanks for you support!

Well not to toot my own horn, but TOOT!  You can order a very personal gift of art with a whimsical touch at www.goofyfaces.com.  But you would need to order it before Friday to get it in time for Christmas!

Hello, everyone!

I'm a first-time business owner in Berkley, Michigan, and last week I officially opened the "doors" to my Culinary Blog & Marketplace.  If you'd like gifts for anyone who's interested in food, cooking, and culture, please drop by my e-kitchen.  You can find me at:  www.theculturedcook.com.  And while you're there, feel free to browse through my 100+ articles on recipes, ingredients, herbs, unusual fruits & vegetables, kitchen ideas...you get the idea.  The goal of theculturedcook.com is to help all of us become more knowledgeable nibblers--in the Marketplace, you'll find Healthy Substitutions and Pantry Essentials cards, reusable boutique shopping bags, a 2009 calendar showing what's in season when ("Produce in its Prime"), and my cookbook, "Discover, Explore, Cook:  Culinary Adventures in Your Own Kitchen."

Happy holidays!