Cape May Thank You Basket

We have great neighbors! They are always willing to grab our mail, water our garden and take care of our kitty Milo when we are at our Cape May house. We are, of course, always willing to reciprocate, but frankly it is pretty much one sided at this point.  So what do you do to truly express how much you appreciate them? How do you let them know how grateful you are? Make your own Cape May Thank You Basket! That’s how! Spoiler alert – it was a huge hit.

There are several container options such as: an actual basket, a large beach bag, kid’s sand bucket or even just a lovely gift bag. I went with the gift bag options and put all my money in the stuff inside!

Saltwater Taffy

I chose a box of saltwater taffy from Fralinger’s on Washington Mall—classic right? There are so many things that you can add from this sweet shop including fudge, macaroons and more. The kids used to love the gummy lobsters too. In the same vein, The Original Fudge Kitchen (on Washington Mall and on Beach Drive) would be another awesome place to grab some treats to add.

Rubber Duck and Handmade Soap

Who doesn’t love a rubber duck? This super fun scuba ducky came from Bath Time on Washington Mall (the blue doors!) A quick peak in the window let you know they have an impressive duck collection. The Sea Breeze premium handmade soap from the Cape May Soap Company (shown in lower right) also came from Bath Time. I am absolutely obsessed with the Cape May Soap Company’s Bath Soaks myself. It is super hard to resist buying a little something for yourself while you are there. So glad that I did…

Cat Toy

Our neighbors also have a cat so it was a natural addition to grab a cat toy from Dog Days of Cape May. Yes, 95% of the store in Washington Commons is devoted for doggie paraphernalia of all types, but there is a cat section too. The dog treats and toys from here are some of our dog Lance’s favorites. They even have a little bakery case with super fancy pup cookies. It is definitely worth stopping in and grabbing a little something.

Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

The selection of fantastic olive oil and balsamic at Cape May Olive Oil on Carpenter Lane has to be seen to be believed. We chose a white peach balsamic paired with a lovely garlic olive oil. These two are just some of our favorites, so it was a extremely tough choice. The shop also has great spices and blends at The Spice Cellar on the right side as you walk in the building. Check that out too! I would be remiss if I failed to add that the same folks have Cape May Peanut Butter right down the street. We literally hoard their peanut butter for our entire family. It is so darn good. They are opening a cheese shop on Washington Mall that is super exciting!

Soy Candle

The Cape May Ocean Breeze soy candle was a no brainer when I spotted it in Whales Tale. Like many of the shops on my list, there were so many great options I could have added from unique and inexpensive seashells, to jewelry, to housewares and more. You an even find a lovely card to add to your basket in the very back of the store. Their companion shop Splash is right down Carpenter Mall and another option for gift basket items. Like virtually every place in Cape May, the folks behind the counter could not be nicer, more helpful, or gracious.

Fun Cocktail Napkins

In keeping with the beach theme, I grabbed fun cocktail napkins from Love the Cook—again on Washington Mall. My hand hovered over the coffee with beachy names like Sufer Blend, Lighthouse Blend and Mermaid Blend. I hesitated because in my opinion, coffee is very personal. Bold? Mild? Blended? I was like a deer in headlights. The specialty foods, kitchen and houseware items are almost overwhelming—it is hard to pick. So, I went for a super safe option of napkins, but if you have a cook on your list this is the place to go.

Shark beach t-shirt

Our neighbors have the most adorable daughter, so I could not resist grabbing this cute shark t-shirt. It’s a Breeze is on Washington Mall like many of the others on my list. There are so many shops with fabulous options for Cape May clothing: sweatshirts, hats, tanks… If you have been to town even once, I am sure you have seen them. I did pop into many of them during my search for the perfect shirt, including many right on Beach Avenue. This shirt spoke to me, and I found out later that she is a huge shark fan and loves all things sharks. I had no idea! I guess the gift fairies were whispering in my ear.

I had such a blast filling this basket for them. The options of things to buy are literally endless. I could have added a Christmas ornament, a beachy mug, Cape May wine, Cape May beer or spirits. They were so pleased to get the thank you gift and we were thrilled to have a very tangible way to show our deep appreciation.

What do you think you would put in a Cape May thank you basket? Let me know your ideas! Now that we started, this is going to be a go to gift idea for us for years to come.

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