Here it is—Your Maynard Holiday Shopping List!

I can't possibly know what you have on your Holiday list, but I'm guessing that you may have overlooked a few of your Maynard shops. Here is a list that's going to keep you out of the stress of the mall and mere minutes from your front door. This is by no means a complete list, but I'm sure that as you go, you'll discover more than you imagined. If you have a great find could you post it in the comments here?



• Christmas ornaments and decorations - Summer St. Fine Consign, 6 Bridges Gallery, Denault Studios, The Paper Store, Sugar Snap, Video Signals/Art Signals Studio
• All things Maynard, sweatshirts, hats, personalization - CSA graphics
• Vintage toys (G.I. Joe?) - Collector's Paradise, Summer St. Fine Consign
• Red Sox or Patriots items - The Paper Store, Maynard Outdoor Store
• A Swiss army knife - The Maynard Outdoor Store
• Toys - The Paper Store, Collector's Paradise, Summer Street Fine Consign
• A decorative candle - The Paper Store, Denault Studio
• A beautiful hand-made mug - 6 Bridges Gallery, Earth Changes Pottery
• A Jewelry Box - 6 Bridges Gallery, Summer Street Fine Consign, Denault Studio
• A season subscription for local theater (plays) - ACME Theater
• A hand-glazed platter from the kids - Video Signals/Art Signals
• A pair of gold earrings - Richard Goddard, jeweler
• Snow shoes - The Maynard Outdoor Store
• Vintage kitchen gear - Summer St. Fine Consign
• Harry Potter merchandise, wands - Charmed
• A custom piece of jewelry - Richard Goddard, jeweler
• Multipack movie passes - Fine Arts Theatre
• Knitting or crochet classes - Island Yarn Company
• Kids art supplies - The Paper Store
• A pair of sunglasses - LOOK Optical, The Maynard Outdoor Store
• A bicycle helmet, water bottle, and bike bell - Ray and Sons
• A manicure - Crystal Nail and Spa, Royal Nails, Toast 'n Shine
• A piece of local, one of a kind art - 6 Bridges Gallery, Denault Studio, Gallery 7, Earth Changes Pottery
• Learning to work with art glass class gift certificate - Denault Studio
• A pair of warm gloves - The Maynard Outdoor Store, Corner Closet, Raspberry Beret
• A cyclists tire repair kit - Ray and Sons
• A cast iron pan - Collector's Paradise
• Therapeutic dance lessons - Two Left Feet, newdreamco@gmail.com
• Ice skates - The Maynard Outdoor Store
• A pair of jeans - The Corner Closet, The Maynard Outdoor Store, Raspberry Beret
• Tools - Butler Lumber, Parker Hardware
• Semi-precious stones, pretty stones - Charmed
• Wreaths -  The Flower Pot, Hawes Florist
• Some lovely handmade jewelry - 6 Bridges Gallery, Denault Studio
• A facial - Flawless
• Handmade soap - 6 Bridges Gallery
• Poinsettias - The Flower Pot
• Spa day for your pooch - Scrub-a-Dog, Wags to Whiskers, Dirty Paws
• Matchbox cars - Collector's Paradise
• Martial Arts lessons - Metro West Kung Fu, the Concord School of Taekwon-do
• Artistic eyeglass frames - LOOK Optical
• A really cozy woman's sweater - Raspberry Beret
• Stocking stuffers galore - Sugar Snap, The Maynard Outdoor Store
• Handmade handbags - 6 Bridges Gallery
• A tan - Toast 'n Shine Tan and Spa
• A pair of pajamas - The Maynard Outdoor Store
• Collector's coins - Collector's Paradise, Summer Street Fine Consign
• A pair of binoculars - The Outdoor Store
• Collector's memorabilia - Collector's Paradise
• A special memento or photo framed - Gallery Seven
• A new coat - The Maynard Outdoor Store
• Drop-in kids play membership - SmARTroom
• Comic Books - Excelsior Comics, Legends
• Legos - The Paper Store
• Action Figures - Excelsior Comics
• A pile of books - Video/Art Signals, The Paper Store, Library's ongoing book sale
• A new bicycle - Ray and Sons
• Kids' books - Video Signals, The Paper Store, Library's ongoing book sale
• Gift certificate for a personal trainer - Aim for Fitness
• Gift certificate for a massage - Pathways to Wellness, Bailey's Therapeutic Massage, Massage Visits
• Health club Membership - Anytime Fitness
• And of course, plenty of gift certificates to any of Maynard's great restaurants

Start your shopping day with some friends, coffee, cinnamon buns or muffins from Serendipity Café or the Boston Bean House, and make your way around town. Then grab some lunch , finish up your shopping, and pat yourself on the back. You'll have avoided the mall and put money back into your own community, which makes more of a difference than you can imagine.

I didn't know that business was in trouble!

When a business here in Maynard closes, and we're left with an empty store front, we find ourselves saying to each other, "If I had known they were in trouble, I would have shopped there more." Our local businesses can't wait for you to find out they're struggling for you to decide to shop locally. And if you went in to any of the businesses, they're not likely to complain to you—it's the same in so many other places, not just Maynard. Nobody wants to be a dark cloud, and they're all waiting for this economy to turn around, so they'll shrug and tell you they're fine.

We have lots of wonderful little shops here in Maynard. All you have to do is take the time to visit them. In the next few days, I'm going to try to do a post that is a holiday shopping list that you don't have to leave Maynard to fulfill.

If we all recognize how important making our purchases within our zip code is, both during the holidays and beyond, our communities will feel the benefit. And our businesses deserve it because having a vibrant downtown is a big part of what makes Maynard so great.

Recognize how much you matter to your community. I encourage you to give a gift back this holiday season—do as much of your shopping as possible right here in Maynard. It's what Maynard needs.

We Made Our Goal!

Not only did we make our goal, we surpassed it. Some contributed through the site, others sent us checks, but more than one hundred and thirty-nine people, from Maynard and beyond, helped fund our project. Thank you so much. 

As we move forward with the project, I'll try to post updates here.  

Support the Maynard Honeybee Meadow!

Many of you know that I have been working with my friend Melissa to establish a Honeybee Meadow on an old empty lot at ArtSpace. More than a hundred of you have stepped up to pitch in in one way or another, and we truly appreciate it. This has been a really wonderful example of the community pulling together to make something happen, which always makes me happy. If you go to our Facebook Page you can learn more about what we've been up to.

If you were interested in giving but haven't had a chance yet, we have five days left in our Patronicity campaign.  If you prefer not to give online, but want to contribute to the project, you can write a check to the Maynard Honeybee Meadow Project and send it to 63 Summer St., Maynard.

Thanks again. I'll update you if we make our goal.