Cue up the Russian dance song from The Nutcracker— the race to Christmas has officially begun! And if visions of empty stockings are dancing in your head, fear not: The Tannenbaum Trifecta is located in the heart of Oakley Square. Conveniently lined up for an efficient shopping experience, these three locally-owned stores have everything we Santas need to make magic this Christmas.

Take a walk with us down Madison Road as we fill our stockings with festive finds from King Arthur’s Court, Aglemesis Bro’s, and The Spotted Goose.

King Arthur’s Court

Our first stop is King Arthur’s Court, a well-stocked toy store with a 40-year history in Cincinnati. Per their website, their mission is to “provide the most unique items in the most unique atmosphere,” and they make that clear in the entryway. Heavy, hardware-adorned castle doors set the tone for the experience; imagination is welcome here. Here’s what we’d pack in our sleigh:

Fubbles Scented Bubbles (ages 3+)

Story Cubes (ages 6+)

Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty (ages 3+)

Name Trains

Mud Rescue (ages 3+)

Crocodile Creek 100-Piece Puzzle (ages 5+)

playableART Ball (ages 3+)

Sleeping Queens (ages 8+)

Trash Pandas (ages 8+)

Rat a Tat Cat (ages 6+)

Schleich figurines (ages 3+)

HeyClay Starter Set (ages 5+)

Smencils (ages 3+)

Smelly Gellies (ages 3+)

Calico Critter twins (ages 3+)

Oombee Cube (ages 1+)

Dimpl (ages 3+)

pipSquigz (ages 6 months+)

Pokemon cards (ages 6+)

Aglamesis Bro’s

Ohio is home to several standouts in the ice cream space— Graeter’s and Jeni’s come to mind— but Aglamesis’ appeal is in its simplicity. Dressed in pink, black and white, this nostalgic ice cream parlor delivers more than chocolate-coated treats; it makes us feel like kids, ourselves. Stuff your stockings with:

Mini Chocolate Santas

Mini Chocolate Stars

Chocolate Foil Santas and Trees

Doscher’s Candy Canes (Another local favorite!)

Christmas DeLights

Nonpareils

Chocolate Gold Coins

The Spotted Goose, Co.

Known for carrying gender-neutral, designer children’s clothing, The Spotted Goose delivers on curated cuteness. But you’ll find more than clothing and accessories in this shop. From pens and stickers to games and books, they’re stocked with tiny trinkets to fit any sized stocking. We’d toss these in our Santa sack:

Classic eeBoo games, like Go Fish and Old Maid (ages 3+)

Ooly Pens

Play Again Reusable Sticker Fun (ages 3+)

Tattoo-Palooza Non-Toxic Temporary Tattoos (ages 3+)

Candylab Wooden Cars (ages 4+)

Wee Gallery Stroller Cards (ages 3 months+)

Rockahula Ring Set (ages 4+)

Little Lady Nail Polish (ages 5+)

Little Miss Zoe Necklaces (ages 4+)

Roxy Grace Bath Bomb Gumdrops (ages 4+)

Quincy Mae Knit Hats

We love it when the best thing is also the easiest thing— our stockings are sufficiently stuffed, and we’re ready to enjoy the holidays.

And to every magic-maker reading this blog post, the Hunny team salutes you. With every bow tied and ribbon curled, you are creating memories that will be locked lovingly away in little hearts for a lifetime. It’s a lot but my goodness, it’s worth it.