More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
The game was afoot at the Wellesley Merchants’ Association Holiday Stroll Scavenger Hunt, as dozens of families searched for QR-coded snowflakes at participating stops throughout Wellesley Square for the chance to win $800 in gift cards from 32 stores. After the Hunt was completed, four winners were picked at random. The holidays are shaping up to be extra happy for the families pictured below, shown collecting their prizes at London Harness.
It may be the first time ever that an inflatable igloo has been set up in a Wellesley shopping area, but that’s the kind of magic that was happening at the the Linden Square Holiday Stroll on Sunday. The Courtyard was crowded with families looking to meet characters from Frozen, sip hot chocolate, enjoy carolers from the Wellesley High School choral program, and more. After the event shoppers went from store to store, knocking a few more items off their holiday shopping list. There’s still a good cushion of time until last-minute panic sets in, so shop local now in Wonderful Wellesley. Waiting will lead only to woe.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Are you ready to find the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list? Great! Because Wellesley and Newton’s local, independently owned stores are ready to help you get across the shopping finish line with good cheer to spare. You can expect extra-special service, unique offerings, and a festive retail experience at every business in Swellesley’s Holiday Gift Guides. This is the year that holiday shopping becomes fun again.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Whether you prefer the convenience of online shopping, or you enjoy the experience of finding just the right gift at just the right store, discover the latest offerings from Wellesley’s locally owned tastemakers. Luxury and beauty are the watchwords for this holiday season’s perfect gifts. “Shopping should be fun,” is the mantra. So shop from home, leave home to shop, or do a little of each—every business in Swellesley’s Holiday Gift Guides is ready to help you delight all the recipients on your list.
After the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club took a pandemic-forced two-year hiatus from its annual full-scale Wellesley Marketplace event, the volunteer organization came roaring back to the WHS cafeteria last weekend, bringing in over 200 vendors and artisans who sold everything from gourmet foods to handmade jewelry. The place was packed with 2,000+ excited shoppers who purchased entrance tickets to the juried show ahead of time, in addition to hundreds who showed up the day of the event. We knocked a bunch of lucky gift recipients off our holiday shopping list, all in the name of supporting the WHJWC’s mission of providing impactful scholarships and grants to support those in need in our community.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Help the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) welcome back the 44th annual Wellesley Marketplace holiday fair at Wellesley High School on Saturday, November 19 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). It’s been three years since the WHJWC has been able to bring more than 200 local artists and craftspeople to town, so this year’s Marketplace is a special homecoming of sorts! Artisans are excited to set up their booths with a full range of goods including fine art, gourmet foods, hostess and teacher gifts, jewelry and clothing, home accessories, ornaments and children’s clothes.
Instagram: @wellesleymarketplace
Facebook: @Wellesley-Marketplace
SPONSORED CONTENT: You don’t have to leave Wonderful Wellesley to get yourself healthy, fit, and looking fabulous. Here there is every option imaginable for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
At Pure Barre in Linden Square, owner Katie Matsunaka notes an often overlooked aspect of getting into the studio is the social side. “Clients start coming here for the strength and wellness benefits, but before long they’ve found community at the barre. Real friendships develop when you’re working out with people who share your self-care goals.”
If your muscles are aching or just feeling stiff, there’s help at StretchMED Studios in Wellesley Square and StretchLab in Linden Square. “Movement is such an essential part of a healthy lifestyle,” says Bonnie Levy of StretchMed.
After all that working out, treat yourself to Bella Santé spa and salon, a gorgeous color and cut from Lisa James Salon or Atelier, or a make-up consult at Beauty and Main or Bluemercury. And for that all-year round summer glow, there’s Pure Glow to keep you looking sun-kissed and relaxed.
For the outdoor enthusiast, Papa Wheelies has a wide selection of bikes—from road to cruiser to electric—plus, you’ll find all the accessories like shoes, helmets and more. You can also get connected with the outdoors at Orvis, which just opened in Linden Square. “Our staff can help customers find great clothes for any outdoor activity, plus the gear they need,” store general manager Shannon Berry said.
Pippi the Black Lab and author of picture book Tails with Gig isn’t a slacker. She just has a short attention span for drudge work, especially when she knows she can count on her human friend, Gig Babson, to manage administrative tasks. Sure enough, the day before Pippi was scheduled to make a very important author’s appearance at Wellesley Books, it was Gig who was putting together doggy treat bags to gift to Pippi’s fans.
“I don’t mind,” Gig said. “Tomorrow we’re going to set up a table outside the store, sign books, give away dog treats. It’s going to be fun.”
When the big day came, crowds of people and pets lined up outside Wellesley Books to buy Pippi’s book and meet the star author, along with Gig (who provides dictation for Pippi in the book, and on Pippi’s blog); and Kathy Macdonald, the book’s illustrator.
Tails with Gig, follows Pippi’s escapades during the pandemic as she grows from a puppy to a young dog. There are food adventures, of course—tuna fish somehow goes missing (tasty, but Pippi would like to try out the packed-in-oil variety next time). Shoes are chewed. Messes are made. Important household items go missing. Just another day in the life of a young dog trying hard to be a very good girl, without losing her natural vivacity or lust for life (or for Moose, her boyfriend.)
Not that Pippi is letting success go to her head, but her book is currently in its third printing. The project is almost entirely a local affair. Watson Printing on Cedar Street handled the publication of the story. “They did a great job,” Kathy said. “The paper look and feel was essential, and when we got it back, the book looked really nice.”
An initial printing of 50 copies sold out almost immediately. Wellesley Books snapped up 10 to sell on consignment in the store. The rest were purchased by family, friends, and those who closely watch literary trends. After the first batch of books was gone, Pippi suggested they think bigger. Gig and Kathy agreed and put in an order for 200 more. Then another 200. “Welcome to the world of self-publishing,” Kathy laughed.
Pippi is currently trying to earn her Canine Good Citizen Certificate from the American Kennel Club. It’s a goal that so far has remained out of reach, much to Pippi’s mystification. “After you read my book, will you help me understand why I don’t yet have that Certificate?” she asks in her official promotional brochure.
Proceeds from Tails with Gig are donated to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. If such generosity doesn’t get Pippi her coveted Canine Good Citizen Certificate, well then, that piece of paper is simply not worth chewing to bits. Pippi darling, you are such a good girl.
An avid hiker and life-long dog owner, “Gig” finds her life full of adventure with her pandemic puppy, Pippi, by her side. A retired attorney, a former Wellesley Select Board member and Town Moderator, Gig has served in Wellesley town government for over 50 years.
Gig is a graduate of Wellesley High School and received her AB from Vassar College, her MBA from Babson College, her JD from Boston College Law School, and an Honorary Doctor of Law from Babson College. Pippi’s adventures are chronicled on Facebook at @KatherineBabson.
Outdoors woman, animal lover, and artist, Kathy enjoyed illustrating Pippi’s mischief. Kathy received her BA from Central Connecticut College, with a major in English and a minor in art. She received her MBA from Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. She is primarily an oil painter and recently exhibited at PAAM in Provincetown, MA.
The Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC), an 80-member non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to community service, is accepting applications for the 2023 awards cycle. The deadline for submitting applications is Feb, 1, 2023. You can find a link to the application under the Grants tab at whjwc.org
The goal of the WHJWC grants program is to fully fund concrete programs and make a measurable impact on communities in the MetroWest region. Last year the Club donated $70,500 in grants to 27 Wellesley-area community groups, making it one of the largest grant-making organizations in the area.
If you have any questions, contact the WHJWC at their NEW email address, grants@whjwc.org.
Help the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club (WHJWC) welcome back the 44th annual Wellesley Marketplace holiday fair at Wellesley High School on Saturday, November 19 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). It’s been three years since the WHJWC has been able to bring more than 200 local artists and craftspeople to town, so this year’s Marketplace is a special homecoming of sorts! Artisans are excited to set up their booths with a full range of goods including fine art, gourmet foods, hostess and teacher gifts, jewelry and clothing, home accessories, ornaments and children’s clothes.
The Wellesley Village Church at 2 Central Street in Church Square will host its 79th annual Rummage Sale on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, 9am – 1pm. Each year savvy shoppers flock to this bargain haul to search for women’s clothing and accessories, jewelry, furniture, menswear, kitchenware, antiques and treasures, children’s, toys, and more. Admission is $2. Masks are required.
The Chic Boutique is a big favorite, specializing in higher-end women’s designer clothing, purses and shoes. Past finds have included labels from Prada, Armani, D & G, Michael Kors, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Stuart Weitzman, Vera Bradley, Bottega Venita, Tory Burch, Ann Taylor, and many more.
More than 100 volunteers work tirelessly to make this sale phenomenal. Yearly proceeds top $18,000 and benefit local charities such as Family Promise Metrowest, Hoops and Homework, Inc., Wellesley Food Pantry, Wellesley ABC House, and more.
Doors open at 9am on Saturday, but the early-birds get there before that to be among the first in line.
WHAT: Wellesley Village Church Rummage Sale
DATE: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022
TIME: 9am – 1pm
WHERE: 2 Central Street, Wellesley
ADMISSION: $2
Support Swellesley: Here’s how to Advertise and/or Donate to support our independent journalism venture
