Yesterday morning I decorated the outside of my home with Christmas lights. In the afternoon, my wife Jenna and our two children went to Swan’s Quality Christmas Trees, the pop-up Christmas Tree lot off of Ogden and Royal St. George, to pick out the perfect tree! Tonight we’ll listen to Christmas records and decorate the tree, now that it’s had a day to acclimate to the indoor weather. The holidays are most definitely here!
By early November in years past, every single holiday gift/toy/candy order we placed would already be in-store and ready to merchandise. A lot of it would already be on the shelves! This year, things are once again a little topsy-turvy. Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard some iteration of ‘supply chain issues’ or ‘COVID-19 related shipping delays’. Because of issues like those, we’re still receiving new holiday shipments each and every day!
If you visited the store during November and didn’t see items you were expecting, swing by again and see if it’s arrived yet! For example, our chocolate advent calendars arrived weeks later than expected. I talked to Justin, the manager at Trader Joe’s, and when our calendars arrived, TJ’s had already sold out! So he’s sending people on the hunt for advent calendars our way. If you’re late to the chocolate advent calendar game this year, we should have them well into December. You may have to play catch up and enjoy a handful of chocolates to start!
Christmas Gifts at Oswald’s
While we’re expecting a few holiday orders to trickle in over the next week or two, we’ve received plenty of exciting items that are already out on the shelves! I helped find some unique items I’m excited to share with you, as I’ve been more involved in product buying this past year. These gifts are perfect for those in the family that are hard to shop for, don’t want anything (but you’re going to get them something anyway!), or if it’s just too late to order online and you need to find something special.
To start with, an item my family uses regularly that I think would make a great stocking stuffer; a bamboo toothbrush! Move aside plastic, this sustainable toothbrush option is the real deal. They come in both kids and adult sizes and are 100% biodegradable! Another great eco-friendly category I’ve been a huge fan of for years is our ‘wet shaving’ items. These are razors that will last a lifetime! We carry a nice selection from Parker & Rockwell Razors, and a ton of different razor blade styles to choose from.
My favorite new line is from Nautilus Puzzles. I bought one for my dad (Ozzie’s 5th generation owner Bill!) last Christmas and we both loved it. If you’re an avid puzzle builder, you need to try an old-school wooden jigsaw puzzle. They’re a totally different experience than the cardboard puzzles of today. Heirloom-quality and made in the USA.
For an allergy-friendly twist on holiday, favorites check out our No Whey! Chocolates selection. Milk-less chocolate advent calendars, peppermint No-No’s (think M&M’s), peppermint bark, chocolate Santa pops, and chocolate fudge. Free of the top 8 common allergens including dairy, gluten, and soy. With 1-in-12 kids having food allergies, perhaps this will make the perfect gift for someone you know?
Stocking Stuffers & More
In early December we’ll set up our annual ‘stocking stuffer’ display near the front of the store. We promise you’ll find some fun stuffers to delight your family and friends this year. Behind the stocking stuffers, you’ll find our holiday gift selection where you’re sure to find the perfect gift for friends & family.
While so many items are just a click away online, we hope you consider supporting local retailers like Oswald’s this holiday season. We promise that if you buy it off our shelves, there won’t be any shipping delays whatsoever—it’s already in your hands!
Beyond our carefully-curated gift and toy selection, don’t forget Ozzie’s for all of your USPS holiday mailing needs. Our full-service USPS counter is ready to help you get your packages delivered. We have a great selection of holiday stamps as well.
We just received a large shipment of at-home Covid-19 antigen tests. A great item to have on hand as we enter December. For any travel needs, we’re also continuing to offer our 2-hour expedited COVID-19 PCR tests. Visit oswaldspharmacy.com/covid-19-testing for more information.
From the Oswald’s family to yours, we wish you a wonderful Holiday season, however, you celebrate. We hope to see you sometime in December. Stop by and say hello! Next time you hear from me it will be 2022. Where does the time go?! ℞
