OHventures Gift Guide

The holiday season is upon us, and the Big Day is just under two weeks away! No matter how meticulously you have planned your holiday shopping this year, you undoubtedly have a few folks left on your list that you still need to buy for. If you're anything like me, you take joy in giving gifts that are unique, meaningful and thoughtful, even if they are last minute (shh, they don't need to know that). Below you'll find gift ideas perfect for the Ohio lover, the adventurous soul, or those who have a passion for an active lifestyle. In other words, "OHventurous" gift ideas!

1. OHventures T-Shirts: We might be biased, but we are pretty sure that the best gift on this list is the brand new OHventures t-shirts! If you have anyone on your gift list who loves to run, hike, bike, jog, or walk competitively or just for fun in Ohio, then this is the shirt for you. Or, if you are a supporter of the blog, an Ohio fanatic, or just like a good graphic tee when you see one, order one NOW! Simply email mike@ohventures.org to get the order placed. You will need to include your gender and size (or the gender and size of who you are buying for). You can pay with check or through PayPal!

2. Celebrate Local: You can probably get ALL of your Ohio-centric shopping done in one stop! Over 170 vendors from all corners of the Buckeye state have brought their Ohio-made products to one centralized location: Celebrate Local, a shop found at Easton Town Center!  Shelves and shelves of goodies honey, cupcakes, beauty products, handmade bags, popcorn, dips, tea, coffee, jewelry, aprons, clothing, candies, produce, pasta, and MORE. Some of my favorite local Ohio vendors previously featured on OHventures also have their goods for sale at Celebrate Local: The Candle Lab, Camelot Cellars, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, and Brother's Drake Mead. 

3. Food Tour Tickets: If you are stumped as to what to ge certain people this holiday season, consider the one thing that we ALL have in common: FOOD. Everyone loves food. It's what brings us together. I don't know anyone who doesn't like food. OHventures likes to make food adventurous to of course go along with our adventurous lifestyles! Perhaps consider getting that difficult person on your list a ticket to a food tour in Ohio? There are plenty of good ones to choose from thanks to our friends at Columbus Food Adventures, Columbus Brew Adventures, Canton Food Tours, and Wooster Food Tours!

4. BeachBody Products: I am a huge advocate for a healthy lifestyle...after all, if we live longer, we have more time to explore Ohio and check things off of our Buckeye Bucket List, right?! Back in 2012, I started using BeachBody products to coincide with my running and hiking. I gained strength in my legs, as well as balance, stability and felt better overall! Using the P90X workout, my transformation was rather noticeable! In 2013, I became a BeachBody Coach and I highly recommend its products for anyone who is looking to fulfill a New Years Resolution of a healthier lifestyle in 2014. Try any of the workout programs, such as Insanity, Body Beast, Hip Hop Abs, or my favorite P90X! Or, incorporate Shakeology into your diet to have more energy, lose weight, become more regular and feel awesome!

5. Ohio Apparel: If the aforementioned OHventurs shirts somehow don't seem to be the right shirt for the loved one in your life (we forgive you, kind of), then there are still a lot of great Ohio-themed shirts to choose from! Snag yourself anything Akro-American at Rubber City Clothing in Akron, Cleveland apparel at Fresh Brewed Tees, or shirts for pretty much any other city in Ohio at Homage in Columbus! Homage is definitely the star of the show here, as their t-shirts are pretty much famous across the nation. They are vintage and nostalgic, yet very stylish and comfortable. I have a number of shirts from here! You can even read my Yelp review on Homage if you need more convincing.

6. Ohio-Made Wood Carvings: Just in time for the holidays, OHventures is selling original solid wood (maple) hand carved and hand painted decorative Santa Claus pieces, pictured above. The Santa pieces stand at approximately 42 inches or 44 inches tall and stand on their own. It can be displayed indoors or outdoors during the holidays. In addition, we are selling his tiki man sculpture that stands at 36 inches exactly and is made out of quaking aspen. All pieces are carved using a chainsaw, chisel, and other hand tools! They are being sold for $150 a piece (or best offer). Shoot us an email at mike@ohventures.org and we can chat! Personalized orders can also be made! Made in Youngstown with pride!

7.  Running Gear: It's no secret that OHventures focuses heavily on running! That said, we know the importance of having the right gear for when we hit the pavement. Many other runners probably also have that same need! Running shoes wear out quickly, and there is always a need for more running clothes because of the ever-changing weather in Ohio! My store of choice is Fleet Feet, which has locations in Cincinnati, Lewis Center, and Northfield Center. Here, they can even give you a one-on-one diagnosis so you get the perfect shoe for your very individualized food. For complete listing of stores in Ohio where you can get specially fitted running shoes, visit OhioOutside. The runner in your life will thank you!!

8. Extreme Gift Certificate: If you follow the blog, you would know there are endless ideas of things to do in Ohio. Some of the more extreme activities will make the best Christmas gifts! Consider getting a friend or family member a gift certificate to take them out of their comfort zone and try something new! Ideas are: Paintballing at Splatterpark Paintball in Mt. Gilead, Horseback Riding at Faith Ranch in Jewett, Parasailing at Put-In-Bay Parasail, Paddleboarding with Projeect 908 in Columbus, Ziplining at Ozone Zipline Adventures in Lebanon, Caving at Ohio Caverns, and the list goes on and on and on.

9. Race Entry: For Christmas each year, my brother and his wife purchase for me an entry to run in the Warrior Dash! This is actually a pretty awesome gift because it generally costs about $60 or more to enter into the race! Try doing the same for a runner on your list to save them the trouble of entering themselves? Perhaps you can buy a ticket for yourself too so you can run together? Ideas of races that are usually on the pricy side of things (and therefore make a great gift) are: Foam Fest, Mud Ninja, Glo Run, and Color Run!

10. Books From Ohio Authors: Last but not least, I thought I might plug some books from Ohio authors who are friends of OHventures. They have fun books on the market that would be a great stocking stuffer! I have all of these books myself, so I can personally recommend them! Breakfast With Nick (a review of some of the best places to eat breakfast in Columbus by Nick Dekker), Home Sweet Homes (tips on moving from Diane Laney Fitzpatrick who has moved many many times), and The Winners Manual by Jim Tressel (okay, so he isn't my "friend" but he did sign my copy!).