Celebrate the Season
in Old Town Seal Beach
(Part One of a
Two-Part Story)
Sunny
Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to the following copyrighted
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One of the most anticipated and joyful parts of Christmas is hanging up your stocking and waiting to see what surprises Santa leaves inside.
If you’re planning to help Santa this year by finding
some stocking stuffers for the special people on your list, SurfWriter Girls Sunny
Magdaug and Patti Kishel know just where to look – Seal Beach.
We checked out the shops on Main Street and found lots of inexpensive, fun and whimsical presents
to fill everyone’s stockings – toys, ornaments, kitchen items, clothes,
jewelry, soaps, candles, and more – many with beach themes.
Some were as little as 99-cents. So, they won’t break your budget…and shopping on Main is a great way to escape the crowded shopping malls.
Some were as little as 99-cents. So, they won’t break your budget…and shopping on Main is a great way to escape the crowded shopping malls.
A good place to start browsing is Up, Up & Away Kites (139 ½ Main Street). The shop has a wide
assortment of toys to tempt and delight.
Among the gifts we found for under $5 were: sparking
wheels to spin, handheld arcade games, wooden tops…
Jacob’s ladders, gymnastic monkeys, bird whistles for
99-cents…
and diving submarines (like the ones that used to come in
cereal boxes).
”I always get the fun stuff that my parents put in my
stocking. It’s the old fashioned toys we love,” shop owner Melissa Natanson told SurfWriter Girls.
The California
Seashell Company (125 Main) has an amazing collection of beach ornaments to
give your Christmas tree a tropical look – mermaids, sail boats, beach shacks, Santa
in a hammock…
and even surfing starfish wearing sunglasses – priced
from $3.99 to $6.99.
Sales associate Ryan
Entis said, “The Christmas ornaments are one of our staples. It’s a
tradition for people to come in every year and grab an ornament for their tree.”
Other finds include beach snow globes and toy metal cars
– woodies and beach vans.
If you’re looking for candles, The California Cottage (118 Main) has beautiful candles in tins
that won’t need to be wrapped for $12.50.
And the shop’s mineral necklace pendants are just $12.99.
At the Harvey
Girls Gallery (130 ½ Main) we saw decorated ceramic boxes for $10 – one
with a sunbather lounging on top – that are just the thing to put on a dresser
or shelf.
And there are
woven cosmetic bags for $26 to pack in a suitcase.
Store owner Mary
Ann Harvey explained that she looks for “affordable and whimsical things”
that people won’t find in other places.
If someone on your list likes purple, then Purple Galore (220 Main) is the place
to go. Practically everything there is purple from clothing to accessories.
And don’t miss the $2.99 bargain table. You’ll find a
potpourri of gifts from fans, coin purses, and hair clips to nail polish and
pins.
A T-shirt makes a good stocking stuffer, too. For that,
head over to the SB Shoppe (116 Main). There’s a wide selection of tees
and tanks for men and women – some priced as low as $12.99.
And, when you’re ready to take a break, stop in Javatini (148 Main) and enjoy a taste
of the holidays – pumpkin chai, gingerbread latte and candy cane white mocha.
They have gingerbread men cookies for $3.25. So, you can
get one to eat while you’re there and more to put in stockings.
To
be continued…
Merry Christmas!
SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti
Who knew there was a Purple Galore store hiding there. I think you are having too much fun doing "research". Thanks Ladies for exploring Old Town Seal Beach for me.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas,
Barbara