Look Local for Last-Minute Gift Ideas

For shoppers scrambling for last-minute gift ideas, Plymouth merchants offer a wide array of solutions.

Doug Fopma of has several suggestions for those shopping for home and kitchen items.

A slow juicer made by Huron, he says, is a popular choice this holiday. The device extracts juice from fruits and vegetables using a process that creates a higher-quality final product, he said.

Another choice is the SodaStream soda maker. This accessory uses its included carbon dioxide tank and users' own tap water supply to create carbonated water. A sample pack of flavored syrups is included to create flavored sodas, or users can try to be creative and mix a variety of fruit juices to the carbonated water for their own creations. The store also stocks a variety of flavors. Once the carbon dioxide tank is empty, the store offers tank exchanges for a fraction of the price of buying a new tank outright.

For other kitchen needs, Fopma points to the extra-sharp and strong paring knives he sells, and an electric pepper grinder, which makes garnishing a meal require much less effort.

At , fans of snow sports have plenty of gifts to keep them occupied on the slopes this winter.

The store offers stocking stuffer packages, which include a variety of snow sport accessories and a $5 service certificate for ski and snowboard maintenance. The store also stocks Peapack mittens, handmade in Michigan with recycled sweaters, along with traditional earmuffs, odor-resistant merino wool attire and fuzzy footies to ensure warmth this winter.

Aspiring extreme athletes might enjoy the GoPro digital video camera, which records broadcast-quality HD video in a rugged, compact device mountable on helmets, snowboards and handlebars.

The store also sells accessories, including Haiku women's accessories, made from recycled water bottles, and resuable bags for toting one's belongings. Safety also is a priority on the slopes, and Sun & Snow carries Oakley goggles and a variety of safety gear.

Sun & Snow also has several brands of earbuds, including one set that allows users to connect with up to three other people to share their favorite music playlist.

For the beer fan in the family, in Old Village offers year-long Mug Club memberships, which give a 20 percent discount on all beer purchases. The brewery also sells growlers of craft beer to go (be sure to buy it close to Christmas, as it can go flat after a few days), and boxed gift sets containing a growler and two souvenir Liberty Street Brewing Company glasses. Fans of the establishment also can buy a Liberty Street t-shirt.

A great way to draw gift recipients downtown at a relatively low cost is giving movie passes for the nonprofit . The historic movie house shows recent and classic films in a recently renovated auditorium. Movie passes are available for $3 and can be bought on evenings when movies are screened (today and Friday this week, Thursday-Sunday most other weeks).

In addition to serving up many flavors of dog treats, in downtown Plymouth sells elk antler, which creates a durable chew toy for dogs that Camille Atkinson from the store says lasts longer than rawhide and bone.

The store also stocks team apparel such as leashes, collars, dog beds, toys and bandanas representing the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Detroit's pro sports teams.

Three Dog Bakery's primary focus, however, is its tasty treats and Atkinson said both the Grande Yappuccino treat packages and carbon-dipped peanut butter biscuits have been a hit with Plymouth's pooches.