‘Tis the season for all the holiday things. Our gift guides and pro tips celebrate local small businesses you can support during what’s been a whirlwind of a year.

We’ve got two new holiday videos to share! First, we take a trip to a Christmas tree farm in Indiana, PA to cut down a fresh tree. And don’t miss the second episode of the Yinzer Shopping Network where we share some of our favorite treats that make great gifts.

Selima Dawson of Blakbird Jewelry is a visual artist who’s locally-made line of hand-cut metal jewelry is an expression of her life experiences. We also rounded up some Pittsburgh-area LGBTQIA+ orgs who could use your love and support this Holiday season.

If you’re in the mood for some holiday light peeping, our social-distance friendly ‘drive-thru light display roundup’ has several ways you can feel festive from the comfort of your car.

Our Pittsburgh diner story peeks into five local diners who are all worth revisiting AND will accept takeout orders. Finally, speaking of winter comfort food, our guide to finding Vietnamese pho in Pittsburgh shouts out 16 spots with this hearty, soup noodle treat.

Get to know Darren Myers of From These Woods

We’re shining a spotlight on local makers this month on our podcast, “ The Slaw: Staying on Top of Pittsburgh.” This week, we are joined by Darren Myers of From These Woods. A woodworker by trade, Myers walks us through how he uses his hands to craft some truly stunning products from wood, including custom-made furniture, mugs, cutting boards, bottle openers and more. 

With folks generally spending more time at home during the pandemic, Myers has seen an uptick in sales of his wooden dice shakers – a great gift idea for folks who play board games.

🎧 You can download this episode or listen via iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher. Join the conversation in our Facebook group for The Slaw.