Team Recs – Holiday Gift Guide

Recommended by: Katie Rand, Structural Project Engineer

Why I love it: The Made in Washington Store has great holiday gift boxes. We gifted our parents a few last year and they loved them! We chose the Pasta Night and Happy Hour boxes, and they were both hits. The store has so many options and fun themes: Movie Night, Pasta Night, Breakfast in a Box, Happy Hour in a Box, etc. They also have great handmade ceramics and an excellent coffee selection.

Pro Tip: They have a variety of local food options, so if none of the premade boxes have what you want, create your own custom box to make a unique and thoughtful gift. They also ship directly to the recipient and pricing is pretty reasonable. It’s a huge help during the busy holiday season!

Image Credit: Made in Washington Store

Recommended by: Constance Fox, Human Resources Generalist

Why I love it: “It’s difficult to find the right gift for someone that has everything” is a cliché expression but very true! In cases like these, I always default to the memory of an experience. No one will ever tell you that they already have one, there are no gift receipts to fret over, and no re-gifted fruit baskets. Memories tend to be our favorite possession as humans, and try as you might, they cannot be repeated. They’re what make us who we are!

There isn’t a bad seat in the house at the historic ACT theater. The tickets are reasonably priced as far as holiday productions are concerned, and “A Christmas Carol” is a timeless, wonderful story.

Pro Tip: If you have the time, take a stroll down to the market and visit the White Horse Tavern for a glass of wine before or after the show. You have to look for it – it’s in Post Alley next to Kells Irish Restaurant + Bar, but if you didn’t know it was there, you’d never find it. It’s a home to locals in a sea of tourists. And if you are there after Piroshky Piroshky closes, they give all the patrons of the White Horse complimentary pastries. It’s a nice treat before the show!

Recommended by: Tom Newton, Civil Project Engineer

Why I love it: If your family prefers dining and experiences to things, Delaurenti’s is a great stop. It’s a Pike Place staple that’s part gift shop, part grocer. It has really great cured meats, cheeses, pastas and other Italian/international fare. They do gift packages and have a nice website if you want to pre-order, but I recommend popping in because it’s fun to wander and browse.

Pro Tip: Get lunch while you’re there!

Image Credit: DeLaurenti Food & Wine

Recommended by: Joel Hills, Technology Specialist

Why I love it: The Missing Piece is a local game store. It’s great for finding (and learning how to play!) unique, family-friendly board games that you won’t find in large retail stores. When I’m not at work or at home, you’ll most likely find me there. It’s my favorite place to meet people, drink coffee, and play games. Board games like Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, or Azul are great gift ideas. Or you could even rent out a room for a holiday party.

Pro Tip: If you play board games in the store on Sundays, they have a “Piecing it Together” event where you can earn resource cards just by playing games and drinking coffee. These cards represent missing pieces from various tabletop games, and you can win prizes by collecting certain combos of them.