Christmas is a time for friends, family, togetherness. Gift buying doesn’t have to be seen as the opposite of that. When care and thought go into your gifts the person knows that you were thinking of them when you bought it. It doesn’t have to be big; a gift with a story can be a gift from the heart.

That’s one of the reasons why it just so much more rewarding to shop local at Christmas. With the unique selection of gifts on your doorstep, it makes finding that perfect gift so much simpler.

Fun Junction

Toys make great gifts, as do games, puzzles, craft kits, books… The list goes on, and whether you’re buying for the very young, the not so young (or simply the young at heart), you’ll find something at Fun Junction. Whether it's the latest toy or a gift with a story attached, they've got lots to explore at Fun Junction.

What’s more, every year Fun Junction runs a Christmas Club/ layaway service in store, it’s a simple way to spread the cost of Christmas and reduce the hassle.

This year they have added an extra service for Christmas Club customers; if you finish paying up your account before the end of November they’ll wrap the items from your Christmas club too. They will also store them for a while as well (but don’t wait too late to pick them up, they close a little early on Christmas eve. As one Fun Junction ‘elf’ noted ‘it would be horrible if gifts weren’t picked up on time’). Contact them via their Facebook Page for more details. (If you’re a Christmas Club customer don’t delay, you only have a couple of days left to make use of their Christmas gift-wrapping service).

McCash's Country Store

Sometimes you need to get a gift for a friend who has four legs instead of two. You couldn’t do much better than checking the selection of treats available at McCash’s. What’s more, they sell everything you need to make a perfectly festive fire with logs, coal, and burning peat (definitely a must as it’s a brilliant fuel and the smell is fantastic). A great way to dry off after a cold, wet, dog walk.

You’ll also find an excellent selection of clothing and accessories for us bipedal types as well. They’ve got a lot of gift options stowed away at McCash’s. Pop over to their Facebook Page for some gift ideas.

Tayberry Gallery

Tayberry Gallery always does something special for Christmas, and aim to offer something really different. This year is no exception. As they explained to us, they have some absolutely brilliant new lines to show you for those Christmas gift ideas. You can expect to see as much as eighty percent in some of their new ranges for winter will highlight artists that are entirely new to the gallery. All of these offer you the chance to give a gift with a story, ask any of the staff at the Tayberry Gallery about the artist and their designs. They know their stock and they can give you all the details needed to add something special to your gift.

Their new ranges should make for exciting viewing. You can stay up to date by liking their Facebook page but for the real experience, we thoroughly recommend popping in for a visit.

T. Paterson Jeweller

Jewellery makes a fantastic gift. Timeless, beautiful and, thanks to the care and attention and custom design at T. Patterson Jeweller, you’ll be spoilt for choice when buying gifts this Christmas. Their workshop has been very busy making many limited-edition and one-of-a-kind pieces in preparation of Christmas gift buying. You can get gift ideas by popping by their Facebook Page.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, T. Paterson Jeweller will be running promotions on that very same Facebook page in the run-up to Christmas. With some amazing prizes planned, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on their page.

Boo Vake

Many of the artists that Boo Vake deal with are working on special lines for Christmas/winter. These pieces will give you the chance to give gifts with a real story behind them. Stories that will show that what you have chosen comes from the heart. There is a selection of ceramic and screen-printed decorations on the way, as are a selection of special seasonal cards. Pop along to their Facebook page to see a selection of their new additions.

Want to make it even more rewarding?

Every business listed above wants to give you something extra back for choosing to shop with them this Christmas (and all year through). That’s why they all provide Mi Points for all registered Mi Rewards members. On top of this, we make sure you see the benefits in other ways too with regular prize draws and other perks. It costs nothing to become a Mi Rewards member and registering is easy, simply click here to find out more.