Merry Gifting

Still need gift ideas this holiday season? Check out this list.

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Photo by Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty

Whether they snuck up on you or you've been planning for months, the holidays are here. And with all the festive celebration comes plenty of gift-giving for a wide range of folks — need ideas?

From high-tech gadgets to spirits guaranteed to make you feel merry and bright, all the best presents are right here. You might even finish your shopping early this year, which is perhaps the best present of all.

Garrison Brothers bourbon Photo courtesy of Garrison Brothers Distillery

Garrison Brothers Distillery Texas Small Batch Bourbon
Give the holiday gift of hand-crafted boldness. Garrison Brothers bourbon is rich, smooth, and overflowing with quality, and always makes a great holiday gift for friends and family — or yourself.

Located in the Texas Hill Country, Garrison Brothers is the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas history and is one of the first distilleries in America outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handmade bourbon whiskey — and only bourbon whiskey. They currently have a waitlist of more than 15,000 just to volunteer on bottling days, and their Cowboy Bourbon normally sells out within hours of its release.

Every expression of Garrison Brothers bourbon is made from a sweet mash bill and barrel-aged in the intense Texas climate. The extreme heat creates multiple aging seasons in a year, resulting in a darker, richer, and fuller bourbon — bolder than almost any other bourbon on the market.

Beef Loving Texans gifts Photo courtesy of Beef Loving Texans

Beef Loving Texans
Celebrate one of the most delicious aspects of being Texan: our unequivocal love for beef. Whether it's through our rustic cattle heritage or our love for the perfectly smoked brisket, Texans are proud to tout their love for beef. This holiday season, Beef Loving Texans curated a selection of Texan-inspired merchandise, from barbecue essentials to cheeky apparel, that showcases the Lone Star State's rich heritage and its deep-rooted love for all things beef.

Find unique holiday gifts, including beefy T-shirts, hats, barbecue supplies, and more. Mugs and tumblers are Yeti brand and made from durable, kitchen-grade stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation to protect your hot or cold beverages. Perfect for keeping your cocoa warm while ice skating or your drink cold while smoking your holiday roast! They're also puncture/rust resistant and dishwasher safe. The Brisket Trucker Hat is more than just an accessory; it's a declaration of love for the finest Texan barbecue. With its classic design, your gift recipient will wear their Texan pride front and center.

Beef Loving Texans is the consumer-facing brand of the Texas Beef Council, which supports the state’s beef industry through promotion, research, and education. Don't miss the opportunity to celebrate like a Texan this holiday season and share the Texas spirit with your loved ones.

Eiseman Jewels bracelet Photo courtesy of Eiseman Jewels

Pomellato jewelry from Eiseman Jewels
Just in time for the holidays, Eiseman Jewels welcomes the addition of the Pomellato collection. “Pomellato adds the best of artistic, wearable, bold, luxury Italian design to our collection,” remarks Richard D. Eiseman Jr, CEO of Eiseman Jewels. “The range of size, color palette, and form, along with exclusivity, complements our current offerings and aligns with our vision of the best of the best in jewelry and timepiece collections.”

The Pomellato collection at Eiseman includes the brand’s Iconica and Sabbia collections, as well as the brand’s signature Nudo collection, featuring an almost limitless combination of colored gemstones in an ever-growing rainbow array of hues. Visit us Monday – Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm at NorthPark Center to view the full collection.

Fort Worth Zoo cheetah holiday adoption Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Zoo

Fort Worth Zoo membership and adoption package
Dreaming of a wild Christmas? Gift a Zoo membership or Holiday Adoption package from the Fort Worth Zoo. Members enjoy unlimited admission, free parking, access to member-only events, discounted programs, and half-price admission to more than 100 zoos and aquariums across the country.

Celebrate the “meow-st” wonderful time of the year with a gift that gives back: adopting a member of the Zoo’s new Predators of Asia & Africahabitat, the cheetah. This cute and cuddly gift is the purrrfect surprise for under the tree and includes a cheetah plush, a photo of the animal, a personalized adoption certificate, a holiday-themed coloring kit, and more, all packaged in a festive animal carrier box that’s ready to gift.

Not only does this unique present spread holiday cheer and celebrate the return of this fan-favorite species at the Zoo, but it also directly supports the care and feeding of the animals, including the cheetahs.

Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West
After a day of high-end holiday shopping at Legacy West, kick up your feet and put down your wares at the luxurious Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West, where guests are fully immersed in the hotel’s “West of Zen” culture.

Gorgeous artifacts are hidden away in every public corner, and the menus for both food and beverage offer a bold take on Asian fusion. Save on your stay this holiday season with packages available on the hotel’s website.

shopping holidays promoted

Death Penalty

Tarrant County man gets death for murder of convenience store owner

Tarrant County Sheriff's Office

Christopher Turner

A man received the death penalty for his 2020 cold-blooded execution of a convenience store owner.

According to a release from the office of Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a Tarrant County jury sentenced Christopher Karon Turner, 48, to death on November 20 for executing convenience store owner Anwar Ali during a robbery. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Charles Boulware and Allenna Bangs represented the state.

On March 27, 2020, at around 6:15 am, Turner, a convicted felon, wore a surgical mask and a glove and entered the Super Big Country Mart in an unincorporated area of Tarrant County south of Fort Worth. There, he held a gun to the back of Anwar Ali, the 62-year-old store owner, and walked him through the store.

Ali did everything Turner demanded, including opening the cash register to give him money. And yet Turner forced Ali into the bathroom and onto his knees, and shot him in the neck. Ali was discovered, dead in the bathroom, about an hour later.

Turner fled the store in Ali's Toyota minivan with the money from the register and Ali's wallet. In the van, he found more than $50,000 cash in a black bag. Over the next few days, Turner went on a shopping spree, buying cars, jewelry, drugs, clothes, and more. He and others used cash and a credit card that belonged to Ali.

Turner fled to Colorado where U.S. Marshals arrested him. On his body they found a firearm which was determined to be the murder weapon.

"This was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder," Boulware told the jury. "From the moment he was charged with this crime, he has tried to escape responsibility."

Bangs noted that before this trial began, Turner obtained the names of jurors and their telephone numbers, and gave them to an inmate charged with murder. At the trial on November 20, as Bangs addressed the jury, Turner tried to hold up a sign to the jury but was handcuffed by Sheriff's deputies who removed him from the courtroom, while he yelled out "she lied."

Ali came to the United States from Pakistan decades ago to pursue the American dream. Ali's son, Hussein, spoke in the courtroom after the death penalty was announced. "Thank you for giving us justice," Ali said. "I hope there are no more devils like this person."