Here’s an early preview of the much-anticipated Local Wishlist, our 10th annual buy-local gift guide, filled with gift ideas that are made by and sold at independently owned businesses in Nova Scotia. The Local Wishlist is curated from hundreds of gift submissions from across the province. It’s free for local vendors to apply, thanks to the  amazing local businesses and organizations who help to sponsor the project. Now take a look!

Vanilla Rum Cake

Or spice rum cake, or chocolate… Lunenburg Rum Cakes is, as you might have guessed, kind of an expert on rum cakes. And rum cakes might just be the tastiest gift of the season. We’ll take two of each.

Woodland e.Reader Pouches

Padded little zipper pouches in adorable woodland fabrics, to protect your e.Reader while you’re on the go. Michele Faulkner has always had a knack for making practical items that bring a smile to your face, and she’s done it again.

Needle Felting Starter Kit for Beginners

If you know someone who’s curious about felting but doesn’t know where to begin, The Lunenburg Makery has your back. Not only do they have the best felting kits around, they also offer this beginner’s kit, with complete instructions and everything needed to make a sweet little mouse.

Maple Magic Package

It’s not winter until you’ve licked maple sugar off snow, and you can have (and gift) that experience at Sugar Moon Farm in Earltown, as part of their two hour tour of the sugar camp. The tour also includes selections from their maple-themed brunch, and you’ll definitely want to hit the gift shop afterwards, to keep that maple high going as long as you can.

Boston Tree Gin

A limited-edition gin from the fine folks at Compass Distillers, harvested from the boughs of the very Christmas tree Nova Scotia sends to Boston every year. It’s a unique celebration of a classic tradition, and we don’t expect this to be around long. Snap up a bottle soon, if you can.

Van Gogh’s Cat with Sunflowers Print

What life would have been like for Van Gogh if he had a cat in his studio, as imagined by local artist Lillian Crump. You can find this playful print at one of Nova Scotia’s best little art galleries, Argyle Fine Art.

Mini Bucket Tab

Mindfully Made Leather Goods that are made by hand, one at a time. That’s the motto of TABITHA + CO, a Pictou-based business that’s part of the slow fashion movement.  One of our favourite pieces is this catch-all, designed to hold just about anything in style. You can even get it monogrammed.

Thrive Fern Pendant

Laura Gibson of Laura Lotus Love designs her jewelry to be empowering, and this pendant features a green aventurine stone, a powerful crystal for renewal. It symbolizes growth, resilience, abundance and strength. All mighty good things.

Harbour Coat

A sustainable fashion brand that’s also a local success story, fairechild makes classic outerwear that lasts. And fortunately for the grownups on your list, they make more than just the durable kids’ clothing they’re known for. This raincoat will be on a lot of personal wishlists this holiday season.

Handmade Dog Collars

Whether your pup wants something simple or prefers a little bling, Kite & Anchor has it. Gorgeous collars and leashes made from soft and durable biothane, with careful attention to detail. Charlie and Bella (or Max, or Luna) are going to love these.

Shubie Tree Ornament

Ornament maker Jampy knew what we’d all want to hang on our tree this year, and that’s…THE tree. A memorial to the mighty oak, felled by Fiona. Let it live on as part of our holiday tradition.

Custom Wooded Paddleboard

Did you think Toy Maker of Lunenburg just made great little toys? Well, this luxurious custom paddleboard is anything but little, and it’s definitely more than a toy. If Santa’s feeling extra generous, he might want to consider putting something extra special under the tree that the whole family can enjoy.

That’s it for our sneak peek, but we can’t wait to show you the full list! Watch for it on November 12th.