OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — It's the holiday season and if you're like me finding the perfect gift for all the special people in your life can be a little tricky. I'm Molly Hudson your downtown and central Omaha neighborhood reporter and I went to a few local shops in the area for some inspiration this season starting with this plant story in Little Bohemia.
THE GREEN HOUSE – LITTLE BOHEMIA
"My focus is plants and pots and I also do some floral work for events and then I offer floral arrangement pre-orders every month as well," said Christina Mainelli, owner of The Green House.
Along 13th Street just south of Pacific Street -- is home to The Green House.
"This time of year, I am doing a lot of wreaths, wreath classes, I do wreath kits in store," Mainelli said.
Mainelli is offering 3 wreath making workshops this year -- the one on December 4th, at The Fig, is the only one left with open spots though. But you can pick up a kit to make it on your own.
"It’s essentially just a smaller version of the workshop itself, it's just an instruction booklet as well as some greenery, a hoop and materials that you need to kind of build your wreath," Mainelli said.
Mainelli says the candles are always popular as well as gardening tools and books, but of course the plants too.
OAK & ACORN - 18th AND HOWARD
“We really encourage kids to play while they are here, and also for the parents to touch and feel and play as well, in fact I think parents play more than the kids sometimes," said Danielle Montes, owner of Oak & Acorn.
Tucked away near 18th and Howard Streets sits Oak & Acorn.
"We are a special needs family, so I have three beautiful autistic children, and our play looks a little different than other families play," Montes said.
It's what sparked Montes to open her toy shop to meet the needs of her kids and others.
"We sell everything from sensory rice to play doughs to wood toys, we love toys that are going to be durable and last a long time," Montes said.
The top seller: non - toxic play doughs.
"It's just kind of fun to see adults reminiscent about their childhood too because we do have a lot of the nostalgic toys, like jack in the boxes and disappearing milk bottles," Montes said.
THE NEXT CHAPTER - 25th AND FARNAM
“So here we've got kind of like non-fiction and history and here is probably my biggest and most popular section which is fiction."
Following in her parent's footsteps, Shelly Mutum opened the next chapter bookstore just over 5 years ago.
"I always ask you know is it for, you know like, your sister, your brother, your mom your dad, and what have they read before, you know, I always start there because then you get a feel as to what those people like," Mutum said.
And she has a little bit of everything.
"We have a lot of new releases, we have journals, we have puzzles, we have candles, we have gifts," Mutum said.
The most popular right now? The cookbooks, puzzles and new releases.
"I love when people purchase a book and just sit up by the fireplace and you catch the sun and I don't know you just get that just cozy experience here," Mutum said.
Whether it's finding the perfect book for the reader in your family, a new house plant or an exciting toy for the kiddos, these are just a few of the local spots in the downtown area gearing up for the holiday season.
