Four Corners Gift Guide

Package procrastinators rejoice. The Four Corners is full of local holiday shopping options to keep your loved ones happy. So if you missed the deadline to guarantee delivery from online retailers, there's no need to panic. You are watching "The Local News Roundup," brought to you by Kroegers Ace Hardware, and Sky Ute Casino. I'm Connor Shreve. From individual proprietors to local artists to a wide array of secondhand and consignment shops, our local economy has plenty of options for even the most difficult person to shop for on your list. Shopping local highlights the unique origin stories of proprietors like Claire West, who used extra lavender from her parents' Cortez farm for her yoga practice well before the creation of Claire West studio.

So I started making lavender eye pillows, and meditation cushions, and things like that just to use the bud, and have an excuse to make stuff. And then people really liked the eye pillows, so I started to try to make beeswax candles 'cause my parents also have a couple bees on the farm.

Her products are evolving, and West says she's still exploring how to use lavender. Her products range from mist to candles to pillows and more. You can find Claire West Studios online, Etsy, and Instagram, as well as at Durango Sustainable Goods and Cliffrose on Market in Cortez. If you want something more outside the box, shopping at one of our many secondhand or consignment stores might uncover something unique.

An affordable option in town for good. We have some great other local places, but, you know, for college kids and people who are on a budget, and just people who love that search for the the right thing, you know, a lot of people just really dig that and are into just the hunt and it's really fun for people.

Melissa Stein of Second Time Around in Durango says shopping secondhand can offer an alternative sustainable experience, and gift cards provide a do it yourself experience for those who do enjoy the experience of the hunt.

That's kind of our biggest push for the holidays is that we do gift cards and those never expire, so that's kind of fun. And then also we have a lot of new items and you wouldn't think that, but we have a lot of items new with tags on, and you're getting it at least a third of the price, so it's a big value for people.

And if you need some help hauling your secondhand swag or are shopping for someone who could use a cool new bag, look to Mancos based Thread + Metal + Stone for a twist on the traditional tote.

I work for the fire department in Durango, and every year we are testing hose, and every year we were throwing hose away, and so I just started hoarding hose, not knowing what I was going to do with it, and we started making our firewood slings.

From there the fire hose tote was a natural progression. The husband and wife team has been at the helm of Thread + Metal + Stone since 2016, and Kate Nickols has been making jewelry full-time for the company since 2018. Well, upon first glance, it might not seem like Kate Nickols' jewelry fits with McGrath's utilitarian bags. They say the offerings are complimentary.

The jewelry also is built to wear, more active people, so Kate builds the jewelry to accommodate active people, mountain bikers, and hikers, and runners, so a lot of the jewelry is done that way as well.

Yeah, lightweight, durable.

The company does offer local pickup for any products you purchase online. These three examples scratch the surface of what the Four Corners offers local holiday shoppers this season. Whether you gift an experience like a trip to the local hot springs or some gourmet coffee from a local roaster, our region provides plenty of presents to pick from. You may have waited until the last minute, but you are not out of luck. Learn more about this and other stories at durangolocal.news. Thanks for watching this edition of "The Local News Network." I'm Connor Shreve.