CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Last-minute shoppers will find many gift options on the U. of I. campus, including books on the wildlife of Illinois, a charming set of Nutcracker characters, Fighting Illini bobbleheads and a Star Wars-themed coffee mug. Below is a sampling of items to give that say “Illini” in their own unique ways. Happy shopping!
Wild Illinois
Nature lovers can find plenty of books and field guides of interest from the surveys of the Prairie Research Institute. The Illinois Natural History Survey offers sets of waterproof cards ($5 each) – the size of a deck of cards – featuring Illinois amphibians and reptiles (one set for turtles, one set for snakes and lizards). The sets have color photos, descriptions and range maps for species likely to be encountered in Illinois.
These waterproof card sets from the Illinois Natural History Survey help identify reptiles and amphibians living in Illinois.
The Natural History Survey also offers its Photo Guide Series – booklets with gorgeous photographs of native Illinois insects ($3) and plants ($5).
Budding geologists might like the “Guide for Beginning Fossil Hunters” ($5) or the “Guide to Rocks and Minerals of Illinois” ($7), from the Illinois State Geological Survey. Get the set for $10.
For antique lovers and history buffs, consider “Bottled in Illinois: Embossed Bottles and Bottled Products of Early Illinois Merchants from Chicago to Cairo 1840-1880” ($125). This book describes and illustrates embossed bottles used by merchants throughout the state – some unique to one small town or one merchant – as well as histories of Illinois bottlers.
Check out more publications from the Prairie Research Institute at https://shop.inrs.illinois.edu/PRIGifts.html.
“The Good Guys,” from the Illinois Natural History Survey can help gardeners identify insects and other organisms that are beneficial their gardens.
Gardeners will find informative the “The Good Guys” and “The Bad Guys” card sets from the Natural History Survey ($5 each). “The Good Guys” features photos and descriptions of insects and other organisms beneficial to gardens, while “The Bad Guys” offers two card sets featuring garden pests and landscape pests.
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences offers a guide for nearly any type of gardening issue. One example: “Identifying Weeds in Midwestern Turf and Landscapes” ($8.50), a booklet identifying 37 common weeds and comparing them with look-alikes.
Check out https://pubsplus.illinois.edu/ to see the many publications of the College of ACES.
For animal lovers, the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic has a 2016 wall calendar with photos of wildlife patients and clinic staff. The $10 calendar is available at the Small Animal Clinic admissions desk.
May the Illini force be with you
The Illini Union Bookstore has Star Wars-themed items that include a coffee mug featuring Chewbacca ($12.99), a Darth Vader pint glass ($12.99) and an Illinois School of Jedi Training T-shirt ($24.99). Quantities are limited.
Need something to wear to a holiday party? The Illini Union Bookstore has Illini-themed ugly Christmas sweaters in several colors and patterns.
The bookstore also has Illinois-themed ugly Christmas sweaters ($34.99).
If you want to buy a gift book for an Illini, consider “Illini Loyalty: The University of Illinois” by Larry Kanfer and Alaina Kanfer. The book features more than 200 photos of the U. of I. campus – including campus events, iconic buildings and architectural details – taken by Illinois alumnus Larry Kanfer. It is published by the University of Illinois Press.
Order online from the Illini Union Bookstore at http://uofibookstore.illinois.edu/.
‘Tis the season
Promenade, the gift store at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, has a wide variety of gifts that include jewelry, notecards, toys, picture frames, decorative boxes and scarves. Among the loveliest holiday-themed items are small, brightly colored wooden reindeer ($5) and abstract trees in a variety of sizes (from $1.25 to $14) that fold flat for storage. The shop also sells a Nutcracker stage setting ($40) and sets of figurines to go with it, including Clara and The Nutcracker, toy soldiers, mice, and a Christmas tree and gifts ($12-$17), as well as individual ballerinas ($2.50 each).
“A Selection of the Common, Unusual, and Rare Plants of Illinois,” features beautiful photographs of Illinois plants.
If you’d like to give someone the gift of a performance but you aren’t sure what he or she would like to see, Krannert Center sells CenterCheck gift certificates that can be used at the ticket office, as well as Promenade, the Intermezzo café and the Stage 5 bar. You can buy CenterChecks at Krannert Center’s ticket office, Promenade and online at http://krannertcenter.com/.
Go team!
For the sports fans in your family, the Fighting Illini online store has gifts in a variety of price ranges, from a $2,390 Illinois foosball table to a $5 foam finger. If you didn’t get a bobblehead during last year’s basketball season giveaways, you can buy a Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head or Roger Powell figure for your collection ($24.99 each). And for the Fighting Illini fan who has
everything, there are … Illinois Zombie Dolls. They’re on sale for $9.99 each for a girl doll or boy doll, or $15.99 for a pair. Order online at http://store.fightingillini.com/.
This t-shirt for Illini Jedis-in-training is available at the Illini Union Bookstore.
DIY
Consider making rather than buying. The CU Community Fab Lab on the U. of I. campus is open until Dec. 22, with limited evening hours on Dec. 21 and 22. Use the 3-D printer, laser engraver or other tools to create a unique gift of your own design. Learn more about the Fab Lab at http://cucfablab.org/.
Tea time
Japan House has matcha (green) tea and tea whisks, if you have a tea lover on your list. The cost is $20 each for 40 grams of matcha tea, imported from Japan, and for the whisk. Japan House also has a few items for sale that were left from its holiday bazaar, including strands of origami cranes. The bazaar items will be on sale through Dec. 18 at noon. Hours may be limited just before Christmas, so call first (217-244-9934) to ensure a staff person is there.
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