Shopping in Manchester

Inside a sea-foam green shingled house nestled on a verdant, wooded property, A Pot of Gold Gift Shop hoards more than 5,000 European beads and charms. Owner Laurette Baenziger leads jewelry-making classes where guests can craft bracelets using their favorites from a selection of more than 2,000 shiny charm beads that would drive a magpie to madness. In addition to premade jewelry and handbags, the shop stocks natural shea-butter skin lotion from Dolce Mia and Swanky Sweet Pea bath products shaped like cupcakes and cookies that soothe and smoothen skin with cocoa butter or sweet almond oil.

Andy’s Sport Shop draws upon four generations of expertise in peddling and maintaining gear for skiers, snowboarders, and scuba divers. During the winter seasons, the staff buffs and waxes snowboards and skis, reducing friction that can melt the snow surface and limit traction while careening downhill. The shop also stocks aqua-ready gear, including scuba fins and weight belts, which provide a useful dive-descent alternative to cement shoes. Outfitted explorers can enroll in a vast offering of scuba courses to pursue sundry certifications ranging from open-water diving to wreck diving to ice diving.

Today's side deal gets a lush Christmas tree into your house while simultaneously getting your family out of it. For $38, you get a pre-cut Christmas tree, up to eight feet tall, from Smolak Farms (up to a $75 value). Located just 45 minutes outside of Boston, this picturesque 300-year-old New England farm lets you and your family enjoy the Christmas tradition of taking your pick of hundreds of pre-cut trees. Because purchasing a Christmas tree after Christmas is considered something of a faux pas, this side deal understandably expires on Christmas Eve. This deal covers the tree only—rope is not included.

For over 25 years, Franklin Block Opticians' two resident eye doctors have pored over eyes, expeditiously filling precise prescriptions in their onsite lab. The staff, meanwhile, curates their frame selection with a keen eye for style, featuring designs from Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Armani that keep vision blur-free and adept at Italian accents.

Artisan clayworkers toil over Great Bay Pottery's ever-ready kilns crafting one-of-a-kind stoneware pottery, including sturdy floor vases, convenient serving dishes, and all manner of saucers for UFO hoaxing. Patient clients can watch as potters spin their new piece of practical decoration into existence and finish the piece to their specifications with painted and glazed designs in nautical, arboreal, or impressionistic themes, among many other options. For a small fee, the potters will inscribe any piece with a message for personalized gift giving.

Southern Art & Framing offers much more than its name implies—aside from custom-framing projects and ready-to-hang art, the store also boasts an eclectic gift shop stocked with goods made by local and national artisans. Shoppers can peruse a selection that includes everything from handbags and scented candles to barbecue tools and home decor designed for fans of popular college sports teams. Local artists also host onsite art classes, teaching skills such as impressionist painting and converting your boring sedan into an exciting police cruiser.