Last Updated on December 12, 2021 by Marybeth
While 86% of our nation’s gift givers are busy ordering the latest trendy frigid-weather presents – Portable campfires? Baby alpaca throw blankets? (Do those baby alpacas enjoy being shorn??) we who live with summer in our souls – or summer still streaming through our windows – remain in a sunshine state of mind when it comes to giving gifts.
This year we’re focusing more on experiences, and consumables, rather than stuff. Most of us have too much stuff! Instead let’s give the gift of consuming a great magazine cover-to-cover, or skin-saving reef-safe sunscreen, or the experience of having someone else create the perfect beach set-up for a special occasion – or just because you deserve to relax and let someone else handle it.
Here at Triple-B we only recommend independently owned places to stay, dine, and shop. Places where families, moms and pops, and small business owners put their creative spin and hard work into giving you a singular experience or product. We believe Small Business Saturday should be every day of the year! Support local, shop independent, shop small.
There may be some “stuff” on our list (things we love and that don’t take up much of a footprint around our bungalow). Make note we do not receive any compensation for our recommendations: we do this just because of the above paragraph. If you do make a purchase, tell them Beaches, Bars and Bungalows sent you!
Flamingo Magazine made our gift guide list in 2019 (we didn’t do a guide in 2020, because it was 2020, sigh) and will continue to be at the forefront of an experience we recommend to everyone who lives here and everyone who just loves Florida. Written for Floridians by Floridians, full of vibrant, informative articles covering travel, food, style, art, Florida-made goods, musicians, notable Floridians, and our environment. For those of you who love the tactile heft of a gorgeous glossy, subscribe for yourself! (You can lend or give away later.) There is nothing like the pure pleasure of your favorite magazine arriving in the mail. I pour myself a celebratory glass of wine and settle in. My husband says my face is like that of a child on the first day of summer vacation.
Designed in Florida (yay!) and handmade by artists in the US, Coast + Cove bracelets are not only uniquely gorgeous, they are BABY BUTT APPROVED! After the (momentous, heart-singing) birth of our first grandchild, I was no longer able to wear my beloved chunky bracelets. For the past year and a half my left forearm has had a baby butt on it so often (and so happily) that I almost said “No more bracelets for me.” But the soft, flat-lay aspect of these bracelets changed all that. Check out their peaceful neutrals as well as my colorful favorite, “Breeze.”
Sleepy Seahorse Seashell Art & Photography
This born-and-raised Floridian moved away for her career for a bit, but of course was longing to move back, and did. We’re so glad! While there are so many amazing photographers here in our sunshine state, Cindy’s enchanting, atmospheric, yet simple photographs make us pause our scroll on Instagram. Try to choose just one to adorn your wall! Visit the Etsy shop by clicking the name, above, and her website, Sleepy Seahorse, here. We’re working on turning a guest bedroom into our granddaughter’s room for when she’s old enough to spend the night, and I guarantee there is already a Sleepy Seahorse print (or 3) in the design plan.
If the name alone doesn’t gleefully say “SUMMER” I’m not sure what will. The owners have lived in Oahu and the east coast of Florida, and feel that even though it’s not always possible to get to the beach, Hello Poolside can bring reminders into your daily routines. These quick-to-dry soft Turkish towels brighten up a beach trip, your poolside, and also our Endless Summer towel is being used in our current kid’s bedroom renovation! Check them out on Instagram to see the fun prints and take-you-away-to-warm-weather photos.
Rest your weary bones! How many of us have done that trudge to the beach from the parking lot – chairs, umbrellas, coolers, toys, towels, the latest John Grisham (his books are so heavy ), beach bag full of snacks… Imagine someone else setting your premium chair, umbrella, and table (complete with little inserts to keep your drink from toppling) in place! Offering various bundles to suit your needs for your beach days in the Flagler Beach area, click their name above to begin your reservation, and relax for a change!
Occasions big and small all deserve festive attention! Let A Picnic Affair style your pop-up picnic experience: birthdays, anniversaries, proposals – the possibilities are endless and the work, the clean-up, and the creativity are all taken care of for you in Brevard County. Florida’s original pop-up picnic company is licensed and insured, and offers multiple add-ons including a boho teepee tent, wooden beverage cart, overhead structure (pictured below), corn hole game and lots more.
Not only are these family member owners native Floridians (which, as you can see by now, we love) also their ethos “Humans were made to thrive in the sun. Join us,” almost brings tears with its joyful simplicity. Organic, safe, effective, and rated #1 by the Environmental Working Group, Waxhead sun protective products do not use harmful ingredients. Read the extensive description of what they do and do not include in their products, here. Waxhead products are also ocean and reef safe. In addition to their sunscreens, you’ll find skincare and eco-smart sun protection apparel. All Waxhead products are safe for your baby’s skin, using the only FDA-approved ingredients for children under the age of 6 months. They won the Best Baby Sunscreen from The Bump!
Artistic Visions Outdoor Lighting
Give the gift (to yourself perhaps!) of beautifying those neglected outdoor spaces. Softly amplify your landscape with low-voltage outdoor lighting systems that will enhance your home and your neighborhood. Artistic Visions offers deck & patio lighting, Bluetooth LED, wireless APP/Google Play, architectural lighting, 3D CAD, path lighting, holiday lighting, and more. Considering themselves the “geeks” in the business, their technicians will troubleshoot and repair any lighting issues you may have, even ones they didn’t install. Click on their name, above, to request your complimentary estimate performed by professionally trained landscape designers in the Cape Coral/Naples/Fort Myers area.
Certified clean, cruelty-free, vegan, and Made in the USA – we’re all in for this brand of perfumes and cologne! Designed with skin health in mind, and curated with the highest quality, skin-safe and natural essential oils, this brand is IFRA compliant and supports and partners with various non-profits including the Fight to End Exploitation (FEE), with a portion of each sale donated to their cause. Because of everything they stand for including using minimal packaging, with ingredients sourced from the USA, we were impressed from the beginning but also THE SCENTS! I am a self-confessed scent weirdo: I easily get headaches from other people’s perfumes, and I will only buy one scent of laundry detergent. But these soft essences are designed to be nothing like traditional perfumes, and the aromas range from light-to-medium, and are made to mingle with each wearer’s unique body chemistry. Choose from various scents including Rebel, Boho, and Moroccan. Visit their Instagram to view their only holiday sale: 25% off everything thru 11/28.
A longtime favorite maker of ours, Wendy Barnes designs planet-friendly accessories created with original pen and ink prints on fabrics where each purchase gives back to wildlife conservation. So not only are you getting a useful / super cute product that helps reduce disposables, you’re donating 10% to one of 26 conservation partners. Go to her website by clicking her name above, and see how you can shop a certain conservation group that may be close to your heart – Marine Discovery Center, Save the Manatee Club, Sea Turtle Conservancy – to name a few. So many fun ideas to choose from for gifts or for yourself! Pictured in the Guide above are her Utility Towels, which caught our attention (because our kitchen linens drawer is full of disreputable tatters.) Another great gift idea is the Wildlife Oracle Card of the Day Deck, or how about a dog bandana for Gizmo or Miss Furbulous? The Reindeer pattern’s (pictured below) donation can be split among all 26 partners, or you can choose your favorite partner in a note at checkout.
