That Special Gift

I think we can all agree that Amazon has its place. They have just about anything you can ever imagine. With a little effort, you can usually find what you’re looking for and have it delivered in a couple days.

But what if you’re looking for that one special gift for that one special person and you have no idea yet what it is? You know you want it to be unique. You want it to be memorable. You want it to be special.

Oh, I suppose, for example, you could type “special gifts for kids” in the Amazon search bar, but be prepared for an onslaught of literally millions of products, each one as confounding as the next. You can’t really tell the quality. Or the size. Or the value. Sometimes so much is just too darn much.

And sometimes, if you’re like me, you want to touch something before you buy it. How does it feel? How does it smell? Will it fit? You can’t really do that on Amazon, now can you?

Luckily, there’s The Gift Shoppe now open in the Rome Town Center next door to Papa Bear’s Mini Golf. The straight-forward name tells you just about everything you need to know. It’s all about gifts. Nothing but gifts.

As you walk in the front door, you’ll find yourself pausing for a minute to take it all in. The presentation is alluring. It invites you to engage. To touch. To smell. To enjoy. Creatively organized to make your browsing not only easier, but a whole lot of fun.

The Gift Shoppe has gifts for kids. All kinds of kids - big kids, little kids, grand kids, good kids, and even naughty kids. They have gifts for moms, dads, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, co-workers, teachers, friends, and neighbors. You get the idea.

And yes, they have gifts for you too.

Everything in the store is hand-picked by Gayle Gabriel, the owner. Staying true to her original business plan, Gayle works hard to curate products you most likely won’t find at Walmart or Target. She does the searching, so you don’t have to. Being incredibly selective, she favors products that are American made. Better yet, locally made.

Her small batch candles are hand-poured in Waunakee, Wisconsin. Coffee is roasted in Door County. Hand-painted signs from Eau Claire. And toys from a small company in Milwaukee where, by the way, Gayle used to be an elementary school teacher. That experience definitely comes into play when you see the wide variety of toys, puzzles, books, and games she knows your kids will love.

And you will too.

With a huge selection of “lake life” gifts, you’re sure to find something that your limnophile (real word, look it up) will treasure. Choose from the area’s best selection of custom t-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, cutting boards, and fun and clever painted wood signs, just to name a few.

Don’t worry. There’s a lot more than just lake stuff. Rest assured, Gayle didn’t forget the golfer, the skier, the camper, the hiker, the chef. Again, you get the idea.

Whether you’re local to the area, a seasonal visitor, or just passing through, be sure to check out The Gift Shoppe. Otherwise, you might find yourself hunched on the sofa, scrolling mindlessly on the internet, and settling on some uninspired, run-of-the-mill gift. Good news, I guess, is you might get it in a couple of days.

The Gift Shoppe is located at 268 Matterhorn Trail, Nekoosa, Wisconsin 54457.

They can be reached at 715-325-3500.

Written By: Lydell Capritta