Somehow, some way, the holidays are here.

It feels like just last week, we were dreading the triple-digit weather and celebrating the first day of fall, but now we’re thinking about gifts for our loved ones.

This should come as no surprise, but we love our local makers and small businesses.

According to Local First Arizona, if a city the size of Tucson shifted 10% of its spending from chains to local businesses, it would lead to 1,600 new jobs, $53 million in new wages and more than $130 million in total economic impact.

“When you spend here, your money stays here,” Local First Arizona says, adding that $43 of every $100 spent at a local business stays in the economy. That’s compared to $13 for every $100 spent at a chain.

To encourage the community to shop local, the Arizona Daily Star’s sister site #ThisIsTucson collaborated with three Tucson shops to curate gift boxes for the holidays. They’re packed with all kinds of fun finds, from monsoon-scented perfume to hand-poured candles.

Hold up this soap made by Mama Bare AZ and watch as the light shines through the desert scenery.

Di Luna Candles

When the #ThisIsTucson team of three walked around Di Luna Candles, tossing items into shopping baskets and gathering together after making our rounds, we realized the majority of our picks were perfect for a cozy day at home. Here’s what you’ll get in this gift box:

  • 4.4-ounce candle by Di Luna in the scent Midnight Driftwood. The scent is clean, but still reminiscent of the holidays. We all agreed: we want our homes to smell like this all the time.
  • Di Luna might be known for their candles, but they also make herbal bath salts. Toss these salts into the bathtub and unwind after a long day.
  • Coyote Shea Butter Soap by Mama Bare AZ — this was probably our most obvious pick. Tucson maker Mama Bare AZ creates gorgeous bars of soap decorated with desert scenery. The best part? Hold the soap up to the light and see how it shines through.
  • When we stumbled upon a saguaro-shaped bottle stopper, we knew it belonged in the gift box. The one we chose is made by LeadingWare, based in Sacramento.
  • Sport your love of the desert this winter with a cozy beanie featuring an embroidered prickly pear. The beanie comes from Squidly Designs, an art shop in Albuquerque.

Price: $65. The box is valued at $78.50.

How to get it: Visit dilunacandles.com to order for shipping or in-store pickup. You can also visit the store in person and ask for the #ThisIsTucson gift box. It comes in a holiday-themed reusable tin! Di Luna is located at 3061 N. Campbell Ave., open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

#ThisIsTucson’s gift box with Pop Cycle is $60.

Pop Cycle

Pop Cycle is one of Tucson’s OG maker shops, filled with hundreds of items made by many of our favorite local artists and small businesses. Somehow, the three of us picked out items that ended up being very Tucson-themed and we couldn’t be happier about it. Many of these items have several variations, so treat it like somewhat of a mystery box! Here’s what you’ll get:

  • A Tucson-themed wooden plaque, measuring 3 by 5 inches, made by Pop Cycle’s in-house brand DDco Design. Place it anywhere in your house, whether that’s on a shelf or on the wall courtesy the recycled soda tab on the back. Your design will be picked at random, but rest assured, it will be Tucson-themed!
  • Trust us when we say this: Artemesia’s 10-milliliter roll-on fragrance scented like creosote smells exactly like monsoon rain. These are made by Tracy Conklin of Tucson’s Artemesia Soaps, Salts, & Scrubs.
  • An adorable canvas zipper pouch, measuring 5 by 8 inches, featuring two stamped desert critters (one on each side of the pouch). You’ll get one zipper pouch at random and truthfully, all the desert critters are adorable. These were designed by Aall Forms of Life, headed by biologist and illustrator Nathalie Aall.
  • A 3-inch handmade ceramic ornament made by local artist Colleen Conlin of Crooked Tree Ceramics that you can put on your tree during the holidays and hang up elsewhere when the season comes to a close. Each ornament features a different Sonoran Desert animal — you’ll get one at random.
  • A very Tucson-themed magnet made by DDco Design, complete with a copper border.
  • We all agree: we always want more stickers. We chose a super rad sticker designed by Tucson artist Jos Par, which features a Gila monster on a skateboard. There’s really nothing cooler than that.

Price: $60. Valued at $74.25.

How to get it: Visit popcycleshop.com to order for shipping or in-store pickup. You can also visit the store in person and ask for the #ThisIsTucson gift box. Pop Cycle is located at 422 N. Fourth Ave., open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Yōlia Botánica’s Xochipilli spray is known for promoting optimism and joy with scents of geranium rose, eucalyptus and grapefruit.

Yōlia Botánica

Going into this holiday season, we knew we needed a bruja box. We worked with Yōlia Botánica last year to put together a box filled with metaphysical and witchy items, and we’re at it again this year. Here’s what you’ll get in this gift box:

  • 🌵 Yōlia Botánica crafts gorgeous floral bundles for smoke cleansing, and we knew before even visiting the shop that we’d want to include one in the box. At the suggestion of owner Lulu Tineo and retail manager Debbie Federico, we included the eucalyptus bundle, which promotes emotional balance, protects mental health, uplifts energy and clears fatigue and sluggishness.
  • As we head into the New Year, a limpia mist was a crucial pick. We selected Yōlia Botánica’s Xochipilli spray, known for promoting optimism and joy with scents of geranium rose, eucalyptus and grapefruit.
  • Local maker Honest Bars collaborated with Yōlia Botánica to craft limpia soap bars. We love the smell of the Sacred Abundance soap, which promotes manifestation and success.
  • A mini bag of Dirty T Tamarindo candy, made right here in Tucson. Dirty T Tamarindo was founded by Alana Solis who uses her tía’s chamoy recipe that dates back to the ‘80s.
  • A small multi-purpose cloth handwoven by indigenous Mayan artisans, which you can use to wrap tortillas or place on an altar. Each cloth is different, but they’re all vibrant and colorful.
  • If you’re getting a floral bundle for the holidays, you’ll also need matches. We picked out 50 extra-long matches that are tucked inside a cactus-themed box.
    • Local artist Turtle’s Soup is known around Tucson for their bubbly stickers and cutesy designs that wrap the streetcar. In your Yōlia Botánica box, you’ll get one random desert-themed sticker from Turtle’s Soup.

    Price: $65. Valued at $84.

    How to get it: Visit yoliabotanica.com to order for shipping or in-store pickup. You can also visit the store in person and ask for the #ThisIsTucson gift box. It comes in a cute starry box, ready for placing under the tree. Yōlia Botánica is located at 1307 W. Saint Marys Road, open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

    Where else to shop this holiday season

    There’s an endless amount of shops we love — if we could have curated 100 different gift boxes, we would have. Though we don’t have gift boxes at the following shops, here’s just a handful of places to find incredible gifts this holiday season and year-round:

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Gloria was born and raised in Tucson and is a 2018 University of Arizona grad. From wildflowers to wildlife, she loves all things Tucson and hopes to share her love of the city with readers ✨