We’re entering that magical time of the year — the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas.

That will either warm your heart or strike fear in it.

Typically for me, it’s fear. While I love Thanksgiving, Christmas for me is anxiety-filled. I wait too late to start shopping. Spend way too much money. Make impulse purchases. Always forget someone important.

I lose sight of the fact that the gifts I give aren’t meant to be in any kind of direct correlation to how much I love or value a friend of family member. If that were the case, I would never be able to adequately give any gift to a loved one. I just could not afford to do it. Take my baby sister, Anna, for instance. I can never give her a gift that is representative of how much I love and value her, even though I would love to be able to do that.

This year, I’m going to approach Christmas gift-giving differently.

I’m going to shop small, and shop locally. Fortunately, Vicksburg offers an abundance of opportunities for me to do just that.

I’m going to make a list, as usual, but my aim is going to be finding something unique, interesting and locally created.

This week, on an impulse, I wandered into an amazing business here: The Tomato Place. If you’ve been in Vicksburg any amount of time, surely you know the place. I’ve been here almost three months now and I’m wondering why it took me so long to stop.

From homemade jams and jellies to breads and fruits and vegetables and plants, gift giving potential from The Tomato Place is almost unlimited.

And the tomato sandwiches are to die for!

The Tomato Place is but one of the truly unique, homegrown, creative, artistic places we can explore when searching for Christmas gifts for others — or ourselves — this year.

Vicksburg’s downtown business district is simply bustling, and I look forward to taking this Christmas season to explore it fully and look for those unique gifts created by local artists and crafters.

Whatever your budget is for Christmas, consider shopping small and locally. Local business owners are typically leaders of the community in volunteering and contributions to local non-profit organizations. Spending money with local businesses means your money stays right here in our community.

Saturday, Nov. 28, is the date for this year’s Small Business Saturday, founded by American Express in 2010. Plan now to do the bulk of your holiday shopping here at home in our small, locally owned businesses.

Remember, shopping at home not only benefits the business owner. It benefits our entire community.

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Jan Griffey is editor of The Vicksburg Post.