If you’re looking for a most unusual gift, be sure to stop in at the Spiritual Beauty Center at 130 Bay Avenue in Highlands between now and Christmas Eve. The shop is only open Tuesdays through Saturdays from about 11a.m. to 5 p.m. but it’s worth a stop. Lisa is terrific, and there are two rooms of gift ideas, from incense and room scents to candles, jewelry and even a Witch’s calendar. There are plenty of gemstones available, each with the story of the qualities it represents, and even some pretty unusual chocolates.
This weekend, during the Magical Market and Open House hosted at the shop, Spiritual Beauty also featured Monique Arcand, a spiritual advisor and teacher who deals in both spirit knowledge and psychic wisdom, and offers alternative ways of thinking, feeling and living, all of which make you feel pretty good in practice. She will not be there during the week, but you can check out her webpage at www.moniquearcand.com or email her at moniquearcand95@gmail.com to set up an inexpensive reading. She even does them via ZOOM so it’s an idea for an unusual gift for sure.
Back to Lisa, though, the gifts in the shop range in price from a couple of dollars to very expensive, and she’s great at helping you select something special and unusual. Even if you are not buying, stop in and say hello. Lisa and her crew would love to meet you. There is always a lot of holiday cheer inside the door as well as gift ideas from all over the world. She even suggests that not only should you stop in at her shop, but also stay and enjoy one of Highlands’ great restaurants.
Understand there is a brand new one there that specializes in Portuguese fare for dinner! The menu looks sensational. And Bahrs Restaurant has great gift cards for giving as well.
Love the Bingo idea in Atlantic Highlands to encourage supporting all the great businesses there, from all the restaurants to Renaissance on First Avenue where the little shops inside have some unique ideas for gift giving. Worth a stop just to see everything that’s offered. And Bayshore Pharmacy, once again, has a vast variety of gift ideas for every occasion. They wrap them for you, free, as well!
But there are so many ways to have your gift worth twice as much, when you purchase online or in the gift shops from the non-profit groups who can always use some extra funds for keeping up their missions. The Twin Lights Museum has some great ideas for every lighthouse lover, every historian, and everybody who simply loves Highlands. Great jewelry and books by local authors as well, lots of ideas for youngsters.
The Sandy Hook Foundation has plenty of cap and sweatshirt/tee shirt varieties. Membership in any of the local historical societies is always a welcome gift for individuals or families. Middletown, Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, Shrewsbury and the Twin Lights are all wonderful historic societies that offer so much local history. Membership in any of them is particularly thoughtful for new residents.
And since the soon to be commissioned sub New Jersey will be commissioned right here at the Naval Weapons Station Earle pier in Leonardo, visiting their online gift shop is also a great idea. They list a $17 shipping and handling charge for whatever you purchase online. And if that more than covers the actual mailing costs, the rest of that is considered a donation to the friends group supporting the Navy’s newest addition to its mighty fleet.
At the same time, the Battleship New Jersey is going to be hauled out of the water in a couple of months to get a refreshing and restoration she needs badly, so purchasing from the ship’s museum store is another great idea. Actually, giving gifts, say tree ornaments, from both New Jerseys is a neat idea as well for all those who love both history and the 21st century.
With all the gift giving, none of us should overlook the opportunity to help others as well. There are Giving Trees at both Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Agnes churches, as well as several other churches and wonderful agencies and groups in the area. Seek them out, make a donation, and think of how you will help make a stranger’s Christmas a little better because of your own generosity. Makes you feel good
