Co-owner of Greenwood Happy Haunts Cory Steenbergen stands next to some of her spooky Christmas decorations. Waylon O’Donnell | Daily Journal
This holiday season, the Daily Journal traversed Johnson County in search of some of the most unique Christmas gift ideas.
Our seasonal venture started in the south at Not Just Popcorn in Edinburgh, which offers treats to satisfy Santa’s sweet tooth. They have a multitude of traditional and unique flavors that could put a smile even on the Grinch’s face.
Owner Hayley Roberts spoke about their cool kernels.
“We offer over 80 different flavors,” Roberts said. “We can do up to 400 different flavors. We have Christmas flavors too, and one that we are offering this year is our Grinch popcorn.”
The Grinch popcorn features green apple popcorn, mini marshmallows and one red M&M chocolate representing his heart.
Caramel popcorn is the business’ best-selling treat, but they offer some unique flavors as well including dill pickle and creamsicle popcorn. Consumers can utilize their holiday tin program, which allows buyers to bring back their tin for a discounted refill, Roberts said.
Not Just Popcorn offers sample bags so customers can easily find a favorite flavor if they are not sure what kind of popcorn to buy.
Next, we took our sleigh northward to Greenwood to visit Happy Haunts.
Festive in an entirely different way, this unique business features a plethora of spooky decorations and candlelit furniture fit for the family Krampus.
The owners, Cory and Scott Steenbergen said that the holiday season is the perfect time to bring good tidings to that bewitching friend.
“We are spooky all year,” Cory Steenbergen said. “We make a lot of our stuff here and we just want to bring smiles to people’s faces. Forget everything outside when you come in here and just be happy — that is why we are Happy Haunts. It’s the gift-giving season, so think outside of the box. If you want something that is a little unusual and one-of-a-kind, come see us.”
They offer holiday tiles, jewelry, furniture, Halloween decorations and large animatronics as well.
In Trafalgar, we visited The Outpost, a staple store in the community.
We walked through the western wear wonderland and witnessed a myriad of trinkets and stocking stuffers throughout the store.
That’s where we met Richard Stiffler, the owner of the business.
“Most of our customers come in here and say that we are a lot bigger than we look.” Stiffler said. “That became our motto. We are a complete western wear store.”
The Outpost specializes in cowboy hats, boots and tack.
“The fact is, we are one of the last mom-and-pop western wear stores in the state,” Stiffler said. “We’ve been here a long time.”
The business supplies cowboy wear enthusiasts of all ages and students involved in local 4-H programs, he said.
For kids and the young at heart, Franklin’s Toodleydoo Toys features a wide array of holiday goodies for kids and kids-at-heart in the community.
Owner Debi Pierson was eager to show off some of the classic holiday toys sold in the store.
“We’ve got lots of nostalgia here,” Pierson said. “We feel like when you want to play with toys, your kids are going to want to play with toys. If you think your kids don’t play as much as they should, you should consider getting something that you loved from your own childhood.”
Some of the old-school toys that were prominently displayed at the business were spirographs, Tonka trucks, Evil Knievels, My Little Ponies and toy soldiers.
The store also features family activities like board games and puzzles. They even offer free holiday gift wrapping with every purchase.
The final stop on our yuletide journey was at Little Bit of Everything in Whiteland.
All of the items sold in the store are brand new, but cannot be sold at larger businesses like Target or Walmart because they were either discontinued or the box was slightly damaged.
They have Christmas trees, ornaments, wreaths and a multitude of other holiday items for sale. Owner Rebecca Boyko and employee Laura Combs discussed their merchandise, which frequently changes.
“We have a little bit of everything for that special someone in your life,” Combs said. “Everything we have is new and discounted to fantastic prices. If you still need to spruce up your home for those family get-togethers, we have plenty of Christmas trees and decorations.”
Boyko mentioned that their children’s ride-on toys were very popular with the community.
Santa Claus is visiting the business on Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
