By BECCA LOWRY
The holiday season is fast upon us! It’s time to get all your gift shopping done for your parents, siblings, friends and, of course, your pets.
Mashpee Commons teems with differing sorts of shops for you to explore. One shop that always has something new to offer is Hot Diggity.
Hot Diggity always has more than enough dog toys, dog treats, bandanas and some cute dog sweaters to give your dog exactly what it likes. And for all the cat owners out there, they have you covered with a selection of cat toys and treats to choose from. The last time I went to Hot Diggity, the first thing I saw was an adorable plush stuffed turkey toy, with little Thanksgiving food stuffed toys on the side—because it’s not really Thanksgiving unless your dog can enjoy her own turkey! When it comes to the holiday season, the wonderful ladies at Hot Diggity will have everything you need for your furry friend! Every December, there is a plethora of Christmas-and Hanukkah-related toys for you to choose from.
Another of my favorite shops in the Commons is the Wampanoag Trading Post. The Trading Post has a very wide assortment of beautiful gifts. They have Native American jewelry, books, clothing, musical instruments, art from all over the country and much more. If you are passionate about supporting small businesses and Native American culture, check out their shop and explore more that this great shop has to offer.
Let’s move on to Buzzards Bay. If you are the sort who likes biking, then Buzzards Bay has just what you need! Buzzards Bay Bikes has everything you could possibly need, from new and used bike gear to bike rentals and even windsurfing gear. They also have a number of 
specialized bikes for you to choose from, such as mountain bikes, electric bikes and road bikes. and if you would like to surprise the biking enthusiast in your life, you can even order a gift certificate from its official website.
In Sandwich, I can’t wait to tell you about one of my new favorite shops on Cape Cod. Wish Gift Co. had just about everything I could have wanted to shop for, from shirts to politically active washcloths to a book that had me bursting out laughing called “Dog Therapy.” This book is an 
illustrated collection of 40 sweet, silly and supportive dogs. If you are trying to find the perfect gift for the dog or cat lover in your life, I promise you that Wish Gift Co. will have something that suits your needs. Besides “Dog Therapy,” they also had an animal power deck of cards that was 75 animals to awaken your inner magic!
Next door is the clothing store Sundance Clothing. A store filled with a lovely assortment of clothing and accessories that I am sure will hit the jackpot for the fashionista in your life.
Before we leave Sandwich, I wanted to fill you in on one more adventure that I think the art lovers out there will very much enjoy. Create a Splash, I recently visited, is some of the most fun I have had in a long time. Create a Splash is a very immersive experience. You are given a medium-sized canvas, on which you then get to splash paint in a glow in the dark room. You are encouraged to get as messy and crazy as you wish to create your own art work, and I must say I found this to be one of the most therapeutic and just fun ventures I have had for some time, you get to keep your own artwork, getting to have a lot of fun with paint—what more could you ask for?
For the last leg of our trip, we move on to Falmouth. The shop Homespun Garden, on Main Street in Falmouth, has attained a spot on my list of favorite shops on Cape Cod. They have oodles of ornaments, jewelry, art, home goods and much more. Many of the items in the store are from small businesses around New England, and many are just a cute reminder of Cape Cod to put up on your Christmas tree. So, it’s really a win-win. If you shop here, you get to support a small business and you also get to put an adorable little blue whale or mermaid ornament on your tree. Here in Falmouth, I want to tell you about the Gilded Oyster, a jewelry shop has quite the tale to 
tell. In each of the oyster shell, whale tail or wave jewelry options, you will see a little story behind the pieces of jewelry. I personally love whales, and in the case of the Whale Tail-inspired jewelry, you will see written that four species of whales call the waters of Cape Cod home and that 10 percent of proceeds from all whale jewelry will go to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for research into the protection of these endangered species. Now if that is not the perfect holiday gift, what is? You not only get to again support a small business, but you can also be a small part of helping to save our precious whales! Happy Holidays!
I hope I gave you some useful information for where to get all of your holiday shopping done. I wish you all a very happy holiday season!