Category: Shop Local

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New Website for Tahoe Gifting Co.

April 25, 2023 | Member Submitted

“Customized” shouldn’t mean complicated. That’s why we’re bringing you artisan gifts with just a couple clicks on our *new* website. Now you can place individual custom orders, shop our curated collections, and kick off big orders for weddings, events and more at tahoegiftingco.com

We also have a showroom at 800 Southwood Blvd, Suite 104 if you’d like to visit us in person to help you pick out and package the perfect gift. We may be out delivering gift sets so give us a call or text at 775-237-2318 before stopping by 775.237.2318.

We’ll never stop saying it: we’re so lucky to be a part of this community! Let’s get gifting!

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Winter is Off With a Bang in IV/CB… Here are Some Places to Sip and Shop

December 7, 2022 | Kayla Anderson

Photo by Lora Wagner

Wow, we are in the throes of winter with the promise of a white Christmas up ahead. Diamond Peak opened early with a crazy amount of natural snow (check out current weather conditions from its live webcams here), shops are fully stocked with goods, and Santa Claus has been making his rounds. The holiday season is arguably our favorite time of the year as it allows us to celebrate our Incline Village/Crystal Bay businesses. 

Hopefully you’ve had a chance to enjoy Giving Tuesday, Small Business Saturday, and the past Northern Lights sip and shop events at the Village Center and Country Club Center, but if not, that’s okay because there is still more to come. 

There will be another Sip & Shop event at Christmas Tree Village on December 10th with Village Interiors, Karma Tahoe Consignment, Crosby’s Pub, Village Ski Loft, Mofo’s Pizza, Thania’s Juice Bar, Monaco Nails, Koi Sushi, High Sierra Gardens, and the new Happy Tiers Café participating, allowing one to shop local while having fun.  Tahoe Gifting Co will also be participating. They just opened a new retail location at 800 Southwood (at Mays Blvd). for all things locally made (and they ship and deliver!)

Other businesses that offer unique and special items in IV/CB shopping centers include: 

Tahoe Time Plaza – Rainbow Printing, a good place to print out family pictures and purchase art supplies for those blustery winter days) and save 20 percent on gift cards for Clearly Tahoe kayak tours through December 31st. 

Across from the Raley’s Shopping Center on Tahoe Boulevard in what we call the Bite Building – Bridget Giroux Design (this mother/daughter team makes amazing Tahoe-scented candles and promotes local artists), Drink Coffee Do Stuff, Frederick’s Fusion Bistro, The Local, Bite American Tapas.

Village Toys in the Starbucks Plaza is also offering a 20% discount on the purchase of new, unwrapped toys that are being donated to Toys for Tots and other local charities. For a list of all Incline Village/Crystal Bay businesses and a map of where they are located, visit our Northern Lights Shopping page. 

Personally, the week I moved to Incline Village the first event I ever attended was the IVCBA’s Sip & Shop at the Christmas Tree Village in December of 2006. Santa Claus was taking photos with kids, the shops were warm and inviting, and people were gathered around barrel bonfires in the parking lot. Everyone was so friendly, so merry, and it was a great way to meet my neighbors and future employers… a few who have since become my lifelong friends. And with all the snow we were getting at the time, I felt assured that Incline Village/Crystal Bay was the perfect place to be for the holidays.

Therefore, let it snow!

Other events coming up this month:

December 9- Nativities from Around the World at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church and a ski season kickoff party at Alibi Incline Public House

December 10- Tahoe Family Solutions’ Brunch With Santa at The Chateau

December 11- TOCATTA Messiah Concert at the Cornerstone Church

December 15- Starbucks Plaza Santa Party

December 17- Wreaths Across America

December 17- Raley’s Incline Center Sip & Shop Event

December 18- Hannukah begins- North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation Party

December 20-22- Deck the Halls Lighting Judging

December 21- Hannukah Celebration at the UNR at Lake Tahoe Prim Library

December 25-26- Diamond Pete and Santa ski at Diamond Peak

December 31- New Year’s Eve Parties at Glasses Wine Bar, Alibi, Crystal Bay Casino, and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe

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Local Shopping Guide

December 7, 2022 | Kayla Anderson

Shop Local, Shop Small

Tis the season for holiday shopping, and what better way to celebrate your loved ones than by getting them something unique, original, and made or sourced in your own town. And from now until Christmas, there are dozens of events, shops, and promotions within Incline Village and Crystal Bay that are worth checking out. Here are a few options for finding gifts close to your holiday home:

Panache (930 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 204, Incline Village) next to Raley’s in Incline Village carries home décor items such as nice-smelling candles, Tahoe-centric coffee table books, and warm women’s clothing, everything from stylish activewear to Emu boots and slippers.

You can also scoop up comfortable, warm second hand clothing at the Village Christian Thrift Shop (799 Southwood Blvd., Incline Village), Pet Network Thrift Store (760 Mays Blvd. Ste 9, Incline Village), and Tahoe Family Solutions (774 Mays Blvd. #13, Incline Village) all in and around Mays Boulevard. All these thrift stores have kitchen appliances, furniture, sports equipment, greeting cards, and an abundance of other good finds, so you can really stock up on gifts while saving money and supporting worthy causes. Tahoe Forest Hospice Gift & Thrift (893 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 1500, Incline Village) also has an amazing assortment of items, and its staff is super friendly. 

Karma Tahoe (868 Tahoe Blvd. Ste. 12, Incline Village) in Christmas Tree Village started out as a women’s clothing boutique but expanded to include children and men’s clothing. Find gently used boots, shoes, purses, and jewelry too.

Speaking of jewelry…if you’re thinking of taking your relationship to the next level, consider checking out specially sourced turquoise, stone, and metallic necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings at family generational business The Potlatch (930 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 401, Incline Village), or the glimmering Forever Rox jewelry store (930 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) to find priceless diamonds, also located in the Raley’s Shopping Center.

For things exclusively made in Lake Tahoe, Handmade at the Lake (865 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 104, Incline Village) sells quilts, kitchen and bath accessories, Lake Tahoe ornaments, bath sets, and pottery made right here in Tahoe. 

FOR THE FOODIE IN YOUR LIFE:

Raley’s (930 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) and Happy Tiers Bakery (Christmas Tree Village, Incline Village) has you covered, with sweets, specialty breakfasts, and more. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe’s Tahoe Provisions (111 Country Club Dr., Incline Village) also has Tahoe made snacks and to-go treats that are made right here at the lake, and you may get to catch a glimpse of its impressive holiday gingerbread display. Sunshine Deli (919 Incline Way, Incline Village) sells delectable pastries, specialty donuts made inhouse, and other belly-filling yet healthy breakfast and lunch items.  

Alcohol makes a good gift for those ages 21 and older, and there’s no better place to find it than at Incline Spirits & Cigars (120 Country Club Dr. Unit 25, Incline Village). If you’re looking for more of a laidback wine night, head over to Glasses Wine Bar (760 Mays Blvd. Ste. 8, Incline Village) to grab a bottle to share with friends or pour your own glass our of one of its many wine dispensers.

A great idea for hostess and holiday gifts with a Tahoe flair, the thoughtfully curated Tahoe Welcome Basket are chock full of unique locally crafted food and artisan products.

FOR THE KIDS:

If you are shopping for young ones, The Potlatch has an entire kids books and games section. And while you’re so close, it’s worth meandering across the parking lot about two hundred yards away to cuddle up with the soft plush toys at Panache. To find a whole shop dedicated to kids, venture over to Village Toys (899 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) that’s now located next to Starbucks on the corner of Highway 28 and Village Boulevard. Buy an unwrapped gift for charity (Toys for Tots and others) and receive a 20 percent discount through the holiday season.

Have you checked out the new Bowl Incline (920 Southwood Blvd., Incline Village)? If not, consider buying a bowling session for your family for an experience you’ll never forget in the newly renovated building. There is something for everyone here, including three pool tables, a state-of-the-art arcade, cornhole boards in an outside enclosed patio area, and a fancy cocktail menu for adults. Learn more about the business’s reinvention in the Winter 2022 edition of Live Work Play magazine. 

FOR THE GARDENER/INTERIOR DESIGNER IN YOUR LIFE:

If you have that special person who takes pride in their yard and home, check out High Sierra Gardens (866 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) for a lovely variety of plants and their holders, or put together a nice fresh flower bouquet to bring to your party host. For a gift that lasts a bit longer, head over to ACE Hardware (910 Tahoe Blvd. Unit 103, Incline Village) for tools, hoses, paint, appliances, barbeques, and other garden equipment.

For more interior decorating, Village Interiors (868 Tahoe Blvd. Ste. 9, Incline Village) sells furniture, art, and will even design your space for you, and the new Bridget Giroux Design (Above Drink Coffee Do Stuff in Incline Village) mother/daughter team brings a fresh, modern take on how to design a mountain rustic home with aesthetic tastes close to the Holly Hunt brand. Every month, the design studio also hosts exhibits featuring local artists in its pop-up gallery and hosts a holiday shopping event open to the public in late November/early December. 

FOR THE SKIER OR SNOWBOARDER:

For all things outdoor-related, visit the Village Ski Loft (800 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) for socks, skis, snowboards, goggles, jackets, pants, and more. It also carries mountain bike and hiking accessories for the summer aficionado. If you have a four-legged that you like to explore the outdoors with, pick up some stocking stuffer treats for them at the newly expanded Pet Station (800 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village) located underneath VSL.

Speaking of skis, check out the line of Praxis sticks made right here in Incline Village (848 Tanager St. Unit J, Incline Village). Take them up to our local, community-owned Diamond Peak Ski Resort (1210 Ski Way, Incline Village) and pick up a signature DP gift item at its shop within the base lodge. 

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Local Small Business Saturday Deals!

November 23, 2022 | Grace Hubrig

Shop local! Shop small. Visit the retailers and locally owned businesses in Incline Village and Crystal Bay for your holiday shopping!

Check out the local deals happening on Small Business Saturday, November 26:

SHOPPING / GIFTS

Tahoe Gifting Co.:

• November 26: 15% off in-store shopping (excludes bulk ordering for events)

Potlatch:

• November 25: 20% off all Holiday items and 20% off all clothing

• November 26: 10% off Storewide

Village Toys:

• November 25 – 27: 20% on Lake Tahoe-Opoly or Lake Tahoe 1000pc Puzzle OR save 30% if you buy them both!

• All Holiday Season: 20% discount on all charitable purchases (including Toys for Tots & all church fundraisers that are providing toys to needy children)

• Free gift-wrapping

Elevated Water Sports Boat Club:

• Until December 31: $1000 off initiation

Karma:

• November 25 – 26: Sale, stop in to check it out

Panache:

• November 26: 10% off storewide

FOOD / DRINK

Cool Mess Ice Cream & Coffee:

• November 26: 25% off online orders at coffeetahoe.com using code “COOLMESS25”

Glasses Wine Bar:

• November 25 – 26: Biggest wine sale in their 6-year history, over 80 wines are up to 50% off retail prices, quantities are limited

Susie Scoops:

• November 26: 10% off entire purchase

Nevada Jane:

• November 25 – 26: half off late night menu appetizers from 5pm – midnight (every Friday and Saturday)

Alibi Ale Works:

• November 26: First beer is half price with an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots

Additionally, TALBOT Fine Art Gallery will be open this weekend and will have Tahoe Flags, Stickers and Fine Art Available.

Handmade at the Lake has knitted hand warmers and headbands ready for the cold season and holiday gifts!

Send a North Lake Tahoe eGift Card and support local businesses! The eGift Card can be used at participating locations throughout North Lake Tahoe. The Incline Village/Crystal Bay locations are: IVGID Rec Center, Nina Photography, The Grille at The Chateau, Village Toys, and Diamond Peak Ski Resort.

Support Toys for Tots at any of the locations below:

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North Lake Tahoe eGift Card Supports Local Businesses!

November 21, 2022 | Member Submitted

Gift local this holiday season. Supporting local businesses in North Lake Tahoe has never been easier. Send a North Lake Tahoe eGift Card and support local businesses! The North Lake Tahoe Gift Card is accepted at 46 (and counting) North Lake Tahoe retailers, restaurants, services and entertainment providers. It’s a simple but effective way to demonstrate your love for the community.

The Incline Village/Crystal Bay locations are: IVGID Rec Center, Nina Photography, The Grille at The Chateau, Village Toys, and Diamond Peak Ski Resort.

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Holiday Shopping for a Cause! Annual Incline Village Thrift Stores Holiday Open House

October 29, 2022 | Member Submitted

Kick off your holiday shopping while supporting all the local non-profit thrift stores in Incline Village at our annual Christmas Comes to Incline event. It will be a day filled with fabulous finds, fun and festivity with the proceeds benefiting the following thrift stores:

Village Christian Thrift Shop, 799 Southwood Blvd,  775.831.3902

Tahoe Family Solutions, 797 Southwood Blvd,  775.833.4414

Tahoe Forest Hospice, 893 Tahoe Blvd, Suite 1500,  775.298.7901

Pet Network, 760 Mays Blvd, Suites 9 & 10,  775.548.5049

The event gets underway on Saturday, November 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In addition to great shopping, there will be live music, a visit from Santa and treats. We’ll see you there!

Contact: Vickie Twichell, Manager of the Village Christian Thrift Shop & Open House event at 775.434.5830.

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Local Resources for Building or Reconstructing a Home in Tahoe

May 17, 2022 | Kayla Anderson

As we get into the summer building season, you may be thinking about how to begin that bathroom or kitchen remodel you’ve been dreaming about, or that deck or chimney you need to get rebuilt after last winter’s wet and heavy snowstorms. Or maybe you just bought a plot of land that you want to build a custom home on or are planning a full renovation. 

Therefore, if you need an excellent architect, engineer, or building company to help you get started (or even accompanying services such as a commercial cleaning/sanitizing crew), one that understands what works and doesn’t in the North Lake Tahoe environment, we have some recommendations of prestigious firms that are right here close to home: 

Greenwood Homes

Licensed to build homes in California, Nevada, and Hawaii, Greenwood Homes is an award-winning general contractor that specializes in creating gorgeous custom homes all around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond. Just look at its 6,000-sq.-ft. “Fairway Modern” home in Incline Village that won the 2019 Tahoe Quarterly Mountain Home Award with its light-filled simple beauty, and you’ll see what sets Greenwood Homes apart from the rest. 

James Costalupes General Contractor, Inc. 

James “Jim” Costalupes and his team have been conceptualizing and building homes in Lake Tahoe for more than three decades, all while keeping its stellar reputation for maintaining honest communication and giving forthright advice to its clients as it meets local and regional regulations down to the final walk-through. Headquartered in Incline Village, Jim prides himself on keeping a company that provides utmost craftsmanship and knowledge while keeping budget in mind. View James Costalupes’ portfolio online.

Smith Design Group

Based in Incline Village right on Country Club Boulevard, the Smith Design Group is an architecture and planning firm that has worked on everything from the Jack Rabbit Moon building to the Incline Skate Park. Along with dedicating themselves to enhancing and enriching the local environment for all of the community to enjoy, Smith Design Group has worked on the architectural projects for residential homes including “Pinecone” featuring knotted polished floor-to-ceiling wood finishings and sleek stone fireplaces to the interior bathroom remodel of a Mays Boulevard location that has a contemporary stand-alone bathtub, double sinks, and glass encased shower like what you would find at a five-star resort. Visit the Smith Design Group online.

Elise Fett Architect 

Integrating aesthetics, site characteristics, sustainable housing methods, and structural integrity in every project that it engages in, Crystal Bay’s Elise Fett & Associates specializes in architecture, engineering, and TRPA consulting for residential homes in the Lake Tahoe area. Along with building new homes, Elise Fett can provide cost-effective blueprints for home remodels that reflect their inhabitants’ personalities and lifestyles. “The construction process can be intimidating and full of unexpected surprises, but if you work with us, the one thing you know for sure is that we will listen to you and design a space that truly reflects your style,” the company proclaims. Learn more about Elise Fett.

Other Accompanying Services

After building or remodeling your custom Tahoe home, you may need some final additions like a keyless entry system or a cleaning company to help keep your Tahoe haven peaceful and secure. Here are some Incline Village/Crystal Bay property services that are great to work with: 

North Lake Tahoe Cleaning 

Whether you own one property or several, North Lake Tahoe Cleaning group is a professional commercial cleaning business that handles carpets, linen service, and sanitizing spaces so that you don’t have to. Working with property management companies, second homeowners, and short-term rentals as well, North Lake Tahoe Cleaning has spiffed up more than 2400 homes in its 38 years of business. As it says on its website, “You live and work in North Tahoe to ski the slopes of Northstar and paddle the beaches of Incline Village- not to hang out after work cleaning your office. Leave that to us.” 

Lake Tahoe Lockshop

Based right there in the Christmas Tree Village sandwiched between Crosby’s and the new Happy Tiers Bakery, Lake Tahoe Lockshop is your one-stop-shop for everything security-related. Padlocks, latches, key blanks, store-a-key lockboxes, and miscellaneous key accessories can be found in the store, along with high-security ASSA locks, keyless entry systems, and Schlage/Kwikset/Baldwin combination code keypads. If they don’t have it, they’ll order it, and you can install it yourself or Lake Tahoe Lockshop can do it for you. It’s open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm. Visit Lake Tahoe Lockshop online. 

Sierra Mobile Storage

Many homeowners find they need extra storage as they approach a building or renovation. Luke and Staci Stevenson’s Sierra Mobile Storage offer portable, attractive weatherproof storage and moving containers in two sizes and two styles, including a Tahoe-forest themed wrap. Storage containers can be delivered to remain onsite so you can access all your belongings and materials during the project or moved to their secure storage yard until you are ready to have them delivered back to your project. Think Inside the Box! Call Sierra Mobile Storage at 775-549-3333. Visit online to see the Tahoe wrapped version.

Additional Information About North Lake Tahoe Construction Season

To help preserve Tahoe’s natural environment, there are regulations and restrictions about new construction projects and upgrading existing homes. Along with going through the usual procedure of getting permits through the building department, the TRPA (Tahoe Regional Planning Association) decides if you can even build a home and if so, how big it can be. Permits to build a new house from the ground up can cost $25,000-$35,000 alone for a 1500-3000 square foot space, so that’s something to consider when launching your project. The window to complete new construction (because of weather) is between May 1-October 15. For more information about this process, click here.

Happy Building!

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Business Profile: Rockwood Tree Service 

May 4, 2022 | Kayla Anderson

In business since 1986, Rockwood is a full-service tree care and removal company specializing in stump grinding,

tree trimming/pruning, tree removal, and defensible space compliance. Owner Beth Moxley says that there has been a lot going on lately with wildfire danger which is why collaborating with people on their defensible space is a priority for them. 

“The most important thing is to rake all your pine needles once a year in the spring for defensible space and contact the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and have a defensible space inspection done. There’s a $1,000 rebate available, and each year they choose a specific area. Each homeowner is eligible for that $1,000 rebate in that area,” Moxley explains. Inspections through the NLTFPD are free, and the fire department is very helpful and accommodating. 

Moxley says it’s also important to clear any dead or diseased trees, as Incline Village has a big bark beetle problem right now. 

“The red turpentine bark beetle is aggressive. The top of the pine tree goes first, and if you don’t take care of that, then you’ll lose all your other pines around it. 

She adds that there’s a lot to do in the spring, and the best way to get your property ready is to get a jump on those pine needles and consider talking to your neighbors and ordering a 30-cubic-yard dropbox from Empire Contractors. You want to rake your entire property and keep a 30-ft. clearance around your home year-round. 

“I believe it’s $565 for a dropbox, and they drop it off in your neighborhood. All your neighbors can rake and load the dropbox and share the cost and they come to pick it up, and they take it to the dump. It’s a very cost-effective way and encourages your neighbors to get compliant with defensible space. The more neighbors that comply the safer your neighborhood will be. 

“We want people to take the opportunity to educate themselves about wildfire danger, especially when it comes to bonfires and firepits,” Moxley adds. 

Visit Rockwood Tree Service online: www.rockwoodtreeserviceca.com

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Business Profile: Ninja Tree Care

April 27, 2022 | Kayla Anderson

In 2016, Kathrine “Sunshine” Rieger started Ninja Tree Care in Incline Village and has been helping residents with their tree removal and yard cleanups in the IV/CB community ever since. Living in Incline for 17 years, she has experience in firefighting, working for other local tree companies, and climbing towers with NV Energy to get more climbing experience before opening her own business. 

Sunshine likes showing people how to take care of their own trees and creating defensible space to keep things more affordable for them, stepping in and doing a job only when necessary. 

“I explain to people what the fire department is exactly looking for on taking care of those trees and how to remove branches safely without damaging them. You’re looking to create defensible space in the first 30 feet next to your house. Pine needles can be done year-round; keep in mind that the fire department is looking for that fine flammable forest fuel next to your home to be cleared. It’s about protecting your house from the forest and protecting the forest from your house.”

She says it’s ideal to look at the property when the snow is melted out, especially for new homeowners because they may not know what’s underneath. The North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District is also a valuable resource for how to create defensible space. 

“The more houses we get in compliance then the better it is for all of us. It doesn’t matter if you use us or another tree company, the most important thing is we’re getting defensible space done on every house in the community,” she says. 

For more information on Ninja Tree Care, call 775-629-2687 or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ninjatreecare.

*This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 issue of LIVE.WORK.PLAY.* Read all issues here: https://inclinevillagecrystalbay.com/about-us/communications

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Business Profile: High Community Gardens Nursery

April 27, 2022 | Kayla Anderson

With more than three decades of experience in landscape design, High Sierra Gardens owner Dan Yori has learned a thing or two about helping people freshen up their homes, yards, and gardens to impress their friends and neighbors and keep things blooming regularly throughout the summer. He has worked on more than a thousand homes in Incline Village over the years, from Lakeshore Boulevard up to Upper Tyner. 

Yori bought High Sierra Gardens in 1984 and when asked what his advice is for people getting their home ready for summer, he replies, “Number one: don’t do anything until the snow melts. Heavy snowstorms this past winter caused a lot of small bushes and shrubbery to break. You want to evaluate what you’ll need to do to fix that but, in the meantime, anticipate more storms.”

His main advice is to just be patient. 

“I’ve had the nursery for 39 years and people are coming in asking when we’ll get things in. I learned my lesson by bringing things in too early and having to move all plants inside when temperatures drop, or it snows again. There are so many new people here who come in and want to buy plants now, but they don’t know the mountain climate; what grows when, where, why, and how.”

Visit High Sierra Gardens Nursery at 866 Tahoe Boulevard or online: https://www.highsierragardens.net

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