American-Made Gifts for Holiday Traditions

Here are five American-made gifts for some memorable holiday traditions:

American-Made Gifts for City Babies

Here are five American-made gifts for the city babies in your life:

Honor Thy President

In honor of President's Day, here are some fun American-made presidential things.

Back to School!

It's that time of the year: back-to-school season. Over a million NYC public school students start classes today. A happy time for some and a dreaded time for others. Either way, it's been the signal for stocking up on school supplies and new clothes. I decided to get some American-made things for my three-and-a-half-year-old nephew who is in preschool. With some help from his mom (my sister) and my husband, I think I've got quite the back-to-school care package for him.

Thinking Outside the (Cigar) Box

Are you on the hunt for a gift for the main man in your life: a father, a brother, a husband, or a friend? Lucky for you Cloak & Dapper, an online men's general store carrying quality items made in the USA, is putting together these gift boxes that are just a bit different while still paying homage to the classics. Their cigar box gift boxes are just in time for Father's Day (but I really think this would be a great gift for any man on any occasion). They've made it easy by thinking of everything while still providing each customer with the chance to choose some of the individual details so that you really can tailor it to the liking of your gift recipient. It's a new spin on the "traditional" while at the same time offering an exclusive experience.

Holding All the Cards

Besides your run-of-the-mill playing cards, there are lots of different card games available nowadays. I found these four card games at my local drug store, some of which are adaptations of popular games that many would recognize. Card games like these are great because they are portable, easy to play, and fun for all ages.

Crayola Colors

Crayola Markers

What kid doesn't love coloring, drawing, or painting in a rainbow of bright colors? Thankfully, Crayola produces some of its line of crayons, markers, and paints in the USA. Their website conveniently has a link to their products made in America. Appropriate for kids age 3 to 103.

Christmas Jigsaw Puzzle

I am not sure when it started, but my mom and I have a tradition of doing a jigsaw puzzle on Christmas. Sometimes they are new and sometimes they are used, found from various places. A second-hand puzzle can be a bit of risk. I like, however, to live dangerously. This year's puzzle was a four-sided 550-piece one from Ceaco (Newton, MA) entitled "Boudoir." It was surprisingly fun and quick, only taking about one glass of wine to finish. Thankfully, no missing or duplicate pieces for this year's Christmas puzzle.

Other companies that make jigsaw puzzles in the USA:

Buffalo Games (Buffalo, NY)
Channel Craft (Charleroi, PA)
Serendipity Puzzles (Milwaukee, WI)
Springbok (Kansas City, MO)
SunsOut (Costa Mesa, CA)
TDC Games (Itasca, IL)
White Mountain Puzzles (Jackson, NH)

In the Cards

In high school, I used to play cards with my friends almost every night. Don't worry... this was after I finished my homework. Or, at least, that's my official story and I'm sticking to it. Although I don't play as often as I used to, there's something that I just love about a round or ten with friends or family. No computer can match the feel of the cards in your hand.

Bee Playing Cards are just one of the iconic brands made by the United States Playing Card Company. They have that classic diamond design, are available in both red and blue, and even come in a jumbo index version. For just a few bucks at most drugstores, it's an easy way to keep a group entertained.

Tip: I often make to sure to have at least one deck with me on any long trip. I can occupy myself for quite a while with One-Handed Solitaire and it can be played almost anywhere.

Stacking the Cubes

I saw these Dado Cubes in the window of the adorable toy store G. Willikers Toys in Saratoga Springs, NY and knew that it was the perfect gift for my oldest nephew.