Presenting the 2018 Smarty Holiday Hostess Giveaway!

* Giveaway is closed. All winners have been notified.

Smarty girlfriends – we are about to embark on what we call the “fund the babysitter” season – AKA – Holiday Party Time! Festivities kick off tomorrow night, then we’re on a non-stop roller coaster from there on out. After you secure the babysitter, pick out your fab attire, and whip up something amazing to take to the party, don’t forget that one important thing – a little something something for the hostess! Certainly, there’s the old standby bottle of wine (the usual, totally uncreative gift-of-choice), but we’ve put together a few suggestions that will hopefully stand out in the crowd. P.S. There’s also a super fun giveaway – one of each item will be given away to some extremely lucky CSP readers. Merry, merry!

Ella B Candles

It started out as a summer project with her daughters in 2011. After working for years in the stationery and personalized gifts industry, Julie Tassy wanted to teach her children how to develop a product line. Ella B. Candles was established to personalize a line of candles for her local customers. Each of the beautifully fragranced, hand-poured, pure soy candles was named after a Charlotte neighborhood, landmark or street. Now, as a full-service custom candle company, they serve about 1,000 stores across the country.

Team Smarty’s go-to gift this season is Ella B. Candle’s new holiday candle collection. Perfectly giftable, you can stock the gift closet and be ready for your Christmas gatherings! And our lucky Smarty gets her pick of three amazing new fragrances.

Want to buy Ella B. Candles in your neighborhood? You can find them at:
Cotswold Marketplace
200 N. Sharon Amity Road
Charlotte NC 28211

You can also design your own candles online to give as holiday gifts, party favors, or to create a signature candle for your home.

Get Social with Ella B Candles!

Website: EllaBCandles.com
Instagram: @ellabcandles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellabcandles/

Click here to listen to our chat with the oh-so-amazing Julie Tassy in our Smarty Podcast – we adore her:-)

Poinsettia Groves

In Smartyland, we have been waiting patiently for the Indian River Citrus season to begin and we are excited to report it is peak season right NOW! This is a local favorite to Smarties Jenni Strazzulla and Jen Plym. Growing up in Vero Beach, Florida, we can’t think of a more hospitable gift than a box of Indian River Citrus. Poinsettia Grove Citrus is sunshine in a box. The most delicious oranges EVER! “Hand picked and sunny sweet – grove fresh from our packing house to your door.”

One lucky smarty will win the Good Friends Pack with Navel Oranges. Value $52.00 (includes shipping)

Navel Oranges are Florida’s Most Popular Orange!

Join in the great tradition of sending Navels for the holidays! For this special time of year, there’s no sweeter gift. Just wait until that first delicious bite of the full of sun-drenched flavor Navel. And they’re so easy to peel and seedless. This famous favorite that many call the ‘Holiday Orange’ is guaranteed to spread cheer.
Click here for their Catalog.

Get Social with Poinsettia Groves

Website: https://poinsettiagroves.com/
Facebook: @IndianRiverCitrus
Instagram: @poinsettiagrovesverobeach
Pinterest: @PoinsettiaGroves
Twitter: @poinsettiagrove

Queen B. Booch

We recently discovered Queen B. Booch at a local Pop-Up. It was love at “first taste.” Next time you are headed to a holiday cocktail party or spend the weekend at a friend’s house, you are going to want to show up with a 64 oz. growler full of one of their signature Kombucha flavors. I promise, you will be the hit of the party!

Queen B. Booch is handcrafted right here in Charlotte. This local company was started by two middle school teachers as a grassroots passion project. Their signature flavors are lemon lime, mandarin orange, grapefruit mint, and pineapple jalapeño. Right now they also have two winter seasonal flavors: gingerbread and spice cranberry apple.

One lucky smarty will win a 64 oz growler of their winter flavor: gingerbread. Value range $20 – $30.00

Get Social with Queen B. Booch

Website: https://queenbbooch.com/
Click here for local locations where you can purchase small bottles.
Facebook:@queenbbooch
Instagram: @queenbbooch

Kurier

Beautifully Crafted. Thoughtfully Constructed. A Statement in Quality.
Cut and sewn by hand in Maine by designer, Jasmine Clayton.

Kurier offers Handmade items from the finest Italian and American leathers, industrial strength thread, and premium antique brass and steel hardware. Well known for their amazing handbags, I first came across the Kurier brand while ordering coffee at a small coffee shop. Sitting on the counter were several mason jars wrapped in leather with a handle. I was instantly sold! I needed to investigate. I learned they were called “Camp Mugs.” I am the proud owner of at least 6 of them now. The lid, the leather wrap, the size.. everything about it is pure function and not to mention super cute .

“Crisp cold air, an oversized sweater and hands wrapped around hot cup of coffee overlooking the sun rising between the trees. Keep your drinks hot and your hands warm with this handmade leather wrapped camp mug.”

One lucky smarty will win a Classic Camp Mug. Value $26.00

Get Social with Kurier

Website: https://shopkurier.com/
Facebook: @Kurierbags
Instagram: @shopkurier

Bixby & Co.

Smarties, I feel like I need to apologize. I have been holding back on you. I have known about Bixby & Co.’s Drinking Chocolate for three years now and have kept it to myself. I was first introduced to Bixby & Co.’s signature line of Drinking Chocolate over the holidays while visiting my parents’ house in Maine. Bixby & Co.’s chocolate is a local favorite and I definitely can see why —> It is the BEST hot chocolate I have EVER had!

There are several flavors to choose from Rich Dark Chocolate, Creamy Milk Chocolate, Mayan Spiced Dark Chocolate and Smooth White Chocolate. *My favorite is Organic Creamy Milk & Dark Drinking Chocolate: A delicious blend of our Rainforest Alliance Certified Milk and Dark Chocolates with a Dash of Cinnamon. It is suggested to combine with your choice of “milk” for a warming drinking chocolate experience in the European fashion.

*Certifications: Gluten-Free Certified, Kosher, USDA Certified Organic, Rain Forest Alliance Certified

One lucky smarty will win a bag of Bixby & Co.’s Drinking Chocolate. Valued at $12.00

Local stores where you can find Bixby & Co.: The Fresh Market

Get Social with Bixby & Co.

Website: https://bixbyco.com/
Facebook:@BixbyChocolate
Instagram:@bixbyco

Poppy Hand-crafted Popcorn

Poppy Hand-crafted Popcorn is a small batch, all natural popcorn company in Asheville, NC. Every batch is made from scratch using real ingredients (nothing artificial ever) in our kitchen. The holiday flavors are amazing & in the most beautiful packaging yet. Your host will love you for popping by with these delicious treats! Seriously, this is the best popcorn we have ever tasted and we are huge popcorn fans. Check out all of their flavors online that range from pimento cheese to cotton candy to chocolate peanut butter to chocolate peppermint bark.

You can order online, but also can find Poppy locally at Reid’s, The Fresh Market, Blis Gift Boutique Uptown, & Eliza B’s.

One lucky CSP winner will receive a holiday cylinder of the Reindeer Crunch and one of the Chocolate Peppermint Bark. Value of $39.45.

Get Social with Poppy Hand-crafted Popcorn!

Wesbite: https://www.poppyhandcraftedpopcorn.com/
Facebook: @poppyhandcraftedpopcorn
Instagram: @poppyhandcraftedpopcorn
Twitter: @lovepoppyofavl

Cannizzaro Sauces

Looking for a different kind of hostess gift? You can’t go wrong with anything from Cannizzaro Sauces. They are a locally owned business making fresh, Italian sauces by hand. They are a husband & wife team and use only the freshest ingredients. Once you’ve tasted the sauces by Cannizzaro, there is no going back. You’ll be in love!

One lucky Smarty wins 3 Sauce Pack in a Cute Gift Pack. Marinara, Mushroom Marinara,& Arrabbiata Sauces. valued at $20.

All sauces & gift baskets are available for purchase in their online store or by phone – 704-968-2734 – or by email – melaniecannizzaro@hotmail.com

They deliver within Charlotte area or can be picked up in Dilworth at Bonterra.

Milk Mustache

You can never go wrong with giving the gift of homemade cookies!
We are excited to introduce you to Milk Mustache Cookies. Local to Charlotte.

🍪Popup Cookie Shop
🥛Cookie Catering

🍪Cookie shop in Nostalgia Hollow
📍Kannapolis, NC
🎉Now open and serving Friday-Sunday🎉

Smarties, Meet Raleigh! She is the owner of Milk Mustache Cookies. We think she is super smarty for following her dream. Here’s her story:

It was a somewhat wandering road that led me to my cookie dreams. After a few years in the entertainment industry and dabbling in elementary education, my weekend passion for baking began to take over. While I always enjoyed baking, it wasn’t until 2017 that I really thought to make those dreams a reality! After a lifetime of sampling and several months of testing, I found what I considered an amazing cookie recipe. And others seemed to agree! Thus, Milk Mustache Cookies was born. I love doing what I do, and I hope you enjoy eating them as much as I do baking them!

One lucky smarty will win a chocolate chip cookie mix mason jar. Valued at $15.00.

Click here to see the different cookie flavors.

Get Social with Milk Mustache

Website: https://www.milkmustachecookies.com/
Facebook:@MilkMustacheCookies
Instagram:@milkmustachecookies

Ogre Sauce

Locally made Ogre Sauce is an awesome gift for the friend who loves to grill. Who doesn’t love something that makes cooking tastier? Ogre Sauce is an all-purpose BBQ sauce created in Charlotte. We call it “all-purpose” because it is great on everything – not just traditional barbecue. You can slather it on ribs, wings, salmon, pizza, chicken, burgers, tofu, oysters, pretzels, steak, pineapple, grilled veggies, tunafish, eggs and more. They have something new this year also with the addition of Ogre Sauce Hot! We are so excited to give this a try too. Gift either one or both to your neighbor, your hubby, your in-laws. Everyone will thank you. It’s that good. You can find Ogre Sauce locally at their location in Southend or at Whole Foods, Reid’s, Peoples Market, & BlackHawk hardware.

One lucky CSP winner will receive the Ogre Sauce 2 Pack of Original Ogre Sauce and Ogre Sauce HOT both in 16 oz sizes & Ogre sauce Coozie. Value $25

Get social with Ogre Sauce

Website: https://www.ogresauce.com/
Instagram: @ogresauce
Facebook: @OgreSauce
Twitter: @ogresauce

Sunflour Baking Company

Sunfour Baking Company is one of our FAVE places for a sweet treat, a coffee or lunch date with a friend, or a delicious cake for a party. Bring a Sunflour creation to your next holiday party, or pick up something for the hostess and you will be deemed a favorite guest – we promise. We count on Sunflour as our go to for all our holiday baking needs. Sunflour specializes in cakes for all occasions and will create custom designs. We’ve tried many of these and they are the best in town! Need a cookie tray or any other breads or baked goods? Sunflour has you covered.

One lucky Smarty wins a $50 gift card.

Get Social with Sunflour Baking Company

from scratch. small batch. local.
Website: wwww.sunflourbakingcompany.com
Email: sunflour@sunflourbakingcompany.com
Facebook:@sunflourbakingballantyne

Locations:

Elizabeth:
2001 East 7th Street, Suite H
Charlotte, NC 28204
Tel: 704-900-5268

Dilworth:
220 East Boulevard, Suite 100
Charlotte NC 28203
Tel: 704-332-5222

Harrisburg:
5040 Highway 49 South
Harrisburg, NC 28075
Tel: 980-258-8000

Ballantyne:
14021 Conlan Circle, B-9
Charlotte, NC 28277
Tel: 980-237-8881

Savory Spice

Savory Spice offers high quality, fresh ground herbs, spices, and seasonings that are hand bottled and bagged daily. They strive to remain innovative and provide a fun, inspiring, and educational environment for customers. Whether you are in need of everyday essentials, a hard to find ingredient, or a gift- they have you covered. Live Life Full. They have the best items for those that love to cook, grill, & bake. We love dropping by there to pick up a few things because any item from Savory Spice is always a big hit!

Giveaway: One lucky smarty will win a Taste of Charlotte Spice Pack valued at $24.95. This includes 4 spice jars: South End specific South End Grillin’ Blend & Queen City Bread Dip & Dressing Blend, and recipe card.

Get Social with Savory Spice

Instagram: @savoryspicesouthend
Facebook: Savory Spice Shop (Charlotte, NC)

Sweet’s Elderberry Syrup

Smarties, are you one of those people that likes to give thoughtful out of the box gifts to your friends? We think Sweet’s Elderberry Syrup is just that gift. This little bottle is filled with a SUPER immune booster and effective natural remedy for coughs, colds, the flu and seasonal allergies. It is recommended to take it daily during the flu season to help prevent getting sick and every 3-4 hours when symptomatic. Sweet’s Elderberry Syrup is organic, local and delicious kid approved flavor!

One lucky Smarty will win a 16 oz. bottle of Sweet’s Elderberry Syrup. Prices vary.

Get Social with Sweet’s Elderberry Syrup

Website: www.sweetssyrup.com
Facebook: @sweetssyrup
Instagram: @sweetssyrup

Farm Fresh Carolinas

One of my favorite things to do is stroll the all the fresh produce at a Farmer’s Market. But, little smarty demands often get in the way and I am not able to go! That is what I love about Farm Fresh Carolinas’, they bring all the goodies directly to you! In their boxes, Farm Fresh Carolinas provides all Organic Produce. No harmful chemicals coating your delicious foods. Their veggies aren’t coated in wax to make them look prettier. Organic agriculture is not only healthier for the consumer, but it’s healthier for the farmers, the surrounding communities and our planet’s resources.

Giveaway Items:
Farmer’s First Coffee

Corn Muffin Mix

Fruit with Honey Wreath
Fruit & NC Honey Wreaths! Perfect hostess, neighbor or teacher gift

One Smarty Winner will win Farmer’s First Ana’s Dark Roast (whole bean); Corn Muffin Mix and an Apple Wreath with honey. Total Value: $29.00

Get Social with Farm Fresh Carolinas

Website: www.farmfreshcarolinas.com
Facebook: @FarmFreshCarolinas
Instagram: @FarmFreshCarolinas

Get Social with Farmers First Coffee

Website: www.farmersfirstcoffee.com
Facebook: @Farmersfirstcoffeeco
Instagram: @Farmersfirstcoffee

100 Days of Real Food

Local celeb foodie Smarty Mom, Lisa Leake, made a pledge in 2010 to cut out processed food for her family for 100 Days. What started as a quest to help her family eat healthy and most importantly, understand what they were eating, turned into a worldwide movement. We are lucky to claim Lisa and her family as our own and we hang on her every word in all of her cookbooks and daily blog!

Lucky for us, two Smarties will win one of her penned prizes: 100 Days of Real Food: How We Did It, What We Learned and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love:

OR 100 Days of Real Food on a budget:

You can also read our Smarty Interview with Lisa here, her family is adorable!

Get Social with 100 Days of Real Food:
Website: 100DaysofRealFood.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100daysofrealfood/
Instagram: @100daysofrealfood
Twitter: @100DaysRealFood

Fresh Market

Did you now The Fresh Market’s first store was in Greensboro, NC?
On a crisp North Carolina spring day, back in 1982, a new kind of grocery store was created. Our founders took their life savings and put it all into their dream: a fresh take on grocery shopping. They wanted to bring back the old-world charm of the local market and on March 5, they opened The Fresh Market for business.

Smarties, whether you’re looking for delicious deserts or thinking of shaking up your holiday with something unexpected, The Fresh Market has got you covered! From wine to chocolate, flowers to holiday specials, visit The Fresh Market for you holiday hostess needs!

Click here for the Fresh Market Holiday Gifts & Hostess Guide.
Click here for the Very Merry Holiday Wine Selection.
Click here for Holiday Meal Ordering

One lucky smarty will win a $50.00 gift card to The Fresh Market.

Get Social with The Fresh Market

Website: https://www.thefreshmarket.com/
Facebook:@TheFreshMarket
Instagram:@TheFreshMarket

Charlotte Locations:

The Fresh Market
4207 Providence Rd.

The Fresh Market
10828 Providence Rd

The Fresh Market
1408 East Blvd

The Fresh Market
7625 Pineville Matthews Rd

Buttercup Stationery & Gifts

Recently rebranded and now 2nd generation Charlotte family-owned, the Buttercup is a Charlotte icon tucked right in the heart of Myers Park and has been a Charlotte icon for over 40 years. The Buttercup is hands down the best spot to shop for gifts this holiday season – from candles, to jewelry, to art, and stationery, now offering in-house monogramming – you’ll find something for everyone on your holiday list, especially your hostess! This year, Buttercup is sharing a very special, autographed copy of the newly released book, George and Barbara Bush A Great American Love Story written by Ellie LeBlond Sosa, with our Smarty audience.

“To begin with I was in love and I am in love so that’s not hard,” Barbara Bush told her granddaughter Ellie LeBlond Sosa on her porch in Kennebunkport, Maine.

One lucky Smarty will win a copy of George and Barbara Bush A Great American Love Story, written by granddaughter Ellie LeBlond Sosa.

Get Social with Buttercup Stationery & Gifts

Address:
343 Providence Rd
Charlotte, North Carolina

Phone:
704.332.5329

Facebook:@buttercup.charlotte
Instagram: @thebuttercupshopclt

Entering our Smarty Hostess Giveaway is easy!

Simply do the following:
1. Subscribe to our newsletter.
2. Follow @charlotesmartypants & our Smarty Hostess Business partners on Instagram:
@ellabcandles
@poinsettiagrovesverobeach
@thebuttercupshopclt
@TheFreshMarket
@100daysofrealfood
@FarmFreshCarolinas
@sweetssyrup
@savoryspicesouthend
@ogresauce
@milkmoustachecookies
@poppyhandcraftedpopcorn
@bixbyco
@shopkurier
@queenbbooch
@farmersfirstcoffee

3. In the comments below, tell us where your favorite light display is in the QC.

That’s it! A winner for each item will be picked at random. Giveaway closes on November 29th at midnight. Winners announced on December 3rd. Happy Holidays!