2022 Holiday Gift Guides: Local Picks

Our final gift guide includes just a few of our favorite local spots for those last minute gifts. This category was extra difficult to narrow down because we have access to SO many great stores, restaurants and theaters in Northern Westchester and Fairfield counties.

As we did last year, we’ll be gifting someone a little something from one of the guides. All you have to do is comment below (or better yet, comment on our Instagram or Facebook posts) and tell us what item you have your eyes on this season.

---

Truck - Bedford, NY

We love giving restaurant gift certificates to clients and friends and Truck is always on the top of the list. Truck is a casual restaurant serving dishes from “Northern New Mexico”. We love all the tacos and old school inspired desserts.

---

Breads N Bakes - Pound Ridge, NY

New to Scott’s Corners, this bakery has the best meringues & croissants in Westchester.

---

O2 Living - Cross River, NY

This is your one stop shop for all things wellness. Take a yoga class (hot yoga too), grab a juice, get a holistic facial, massage or reiki treatment, participate in a sound bath and have a yummy vegan lunch. Gift certificates are available!

---

The Angel Cooperative - Ridgefield, CT

This metaphysical store has a great collection of crystals, candles, jewelry, books and other unique gifts. At the back of the store you’ll find their Shungite Room (the only shungite room in the US) where you can book various services like tarot readings. Across the parking lot is The Angel Wing, where they offer many classes & events like yoga, sound healing and various certification courses.

---

Design Solutions - Pound Ridge, NY

We always find unique gifts at this fun shop in Scotts Corners. They sell our FAVORITE incense and candles and have a great selection of coffee table books and greeting cards. 

---

Rosie - New Canaan, CT

This is truly our second home. You can find us there on our free weekends, having meetings or grabbing lunch between jobs.  Rosie has the very best brunch, lovely staff and the LARGEST muffins on the planet.

---

The Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT

And this is Jared’s second home…the playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center with a mission to entertain, enrich and educate the surrounding areas. They have extensive programming so you’re guaranteed to find a show for everyone on your list.

---

Ace Hardware - Ridgefield, CT

This is a very special gem in Ridgefield because the staff is SO helpful. The second you walk in there’s someone ready to help (and not in an annoying way). Not only do they have the standard hardware supplies, they have a great selection of housewares, candles, and kitchen decor if you’re looking for some last minute gifts.

---

Scout - Pound Ridge, NY

If you can’t find Shannon, she’s probably at Scout. Scout has an incredibly thoughtful curated collection of clean beauty products and a great selection of candles. The staff is super friendly and helpful which makes shopping for beauty products so much more enjoyable.

---

Reminder to comment below (or better yet, comment on our Instagram or Facebook posts) and tell us what item you have your eyes on this season. You’ll be entered to win s little something from one of our guides.

disclaimer:

If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.

Here’s What The Tidy Nest Co-Founders Have Been Up To

We've been busy working with many of you to prepare for moves, to manage your moves, and to introduce better organization into your lives. A lot has happened this year so we're sharing some relevant updates with you…

---

SHANNON

After working with many types of clients over the years, we found that people struggle with disorganization for very different reasons. I recently completed coursework with NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals)  to develop a foundational knowledge for working with clients experiencing symptoms or having diagnoses of brain based conditions (defined by NAPO as anything that causes a person to have ongoing difficulty or challenging differences with cognition, emotion, socialization, or behavior). During my coursework I learned how to identify physical, mental, emotional and environmental challenges  and how to implement organizational and productivity strategies to empower clients in their daily lives. I am excited to say that I now officially hold a Brain-Based Conditions Specialist Certificate from NAPO!

In case you didn’t know, I believe that all spaces and items hold energy. As a professional organizer, I'm constantly touching a lot of items, and I'm in a lot of spaces. Some spaces are neutral, some spaces are dense with neglect and some spaces are just…full of busy energy.  Over time I started to feel affected by the spaces and the amount of items that passed through my hands. I wanted to find a way to protect myself from the energy I was absorbing. Since I’ve always been interested in reiki and knew about its healing power, I enrolled in my first reiki course at my local metaphysical shop (or “Hogwarts” as Jared would call it) and before I knew it, I had completed all three certifications and I am now a Reiki Master.

As a Reiki Master, I now have the ability to clear the energy in a room or home or clear a person’s energy (with their permission of course). Questions about reiki? Have no idea what it is? Send me a note and I’ll be happy to share what I know!

And one final thing to share… I just completed my exam, and I’m on my way to being a Certified Professional Organizer®.

In order to sit for the exam you must be a NAPO member in good standing, have completed prerequisite courses through NAPO and have logged at least 1,500 hours of on-site work (which was a piece of cake for me).

---

Head over to Instagram to see more updates from the team

Tidy Nest Featured Press: Get to Know Shannon Krause....

Thank you to Hello Fairfield County Guide for helping our community get to know Shannon a little bit better.

How long have you had your business?

I started Tidy Nest with my business (and life partner) in early 2019 so Tidy Nest is three years old. But I have been organizing for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I would find enjoyment organizing my mom’s coupons, my barbie doll clothes, tupperware containers, etc. In highschool and college, I was super active and had to juggle a demanding schedule so I really honed my time management skills at that stage of my life. Right out of college I started my career in PR and Marketing for real estate brokers in New York City - at my busiest I was coordinating PR and marketing efforts for 85 brokers at one of the top real estate firms in NYC, needless to say I needed to be incredibly organized. As a hobby, I would help my friends and family move, organize their closets, plan their vacations, etc. Order, productivity and organization have always been part of my life. 

If you could have any celebrity client, who would it be?I think it would be Martha Stewart - she's the queen of all things organization so if I could get her stamp of approval that's like receiving the highest honor.

What’s your favorite dish at a local restaurant?
I'd say the sole or mussels at Luc's. I order either at least once a week.

What is your favorite splurge?

I tend to justify many "splurges" when traveling. If I can pay extra to cut a line, have a private tour or board a flight first, I will!

Do you have a favorite “hidden gem”?

I don't think I can call this a hidden gem anymore since it has won "best breakfast in CT" but Kitchen Little in Mystic, CT is one of my favorite places. We've been going there for years and no matter how long we're away Jimmy (the owner) still welcomes us with a giant hug.

What is your favorite way to spend a Sunday?

We are usually with clients on Sundays but if I have the day off then it usually starts with breakfast at Rosie in New Canaan followed by spending time at home with our three kitties...inevitably I'm organizing some space in my home, working on a puzzle or spending time in my garden.

What makes you happy?

It sounds cliche but my work makes me happy. There’s real joy in helping to eliminate stress and chaos for our clients - especially since there’s so much of that going around these days. I particularly like the challenge of meeting each of their unique needs with systems that work for their specific lives. We are able to give our clients back their time and create a sense of peace in their spaces - that makes me very happy.  
On a non-work level, spending time outdoors with friends and family and traveling as much as possible brings me a lot of joy.