This is the first in a series of holiday gift guides for various Newton residents and lifestyles. Stay tuned throughout this week and next week for more!

Every year at this time, the joy of the season and the excitement of the upcoming holiday are overshadowed by that looming question: What am I going to buy for everyone?  So if you're struggling to come up with presents and want to stay local (and really, who doesn't? Newton is full of wonderful places to shop), this is a good place to start shopping for the women, men and children on your list.

For the Working Mom:

From Sign of the Dove:  Cambridge artist Ann Brady has crafted some adorable, handmade porcelain earrings (stud or dangling) and pins with stick figure images of small children on them. This way, even if your working mom has to spend the day away from the kids, she can still wear them on her lapel or in your ears. $32 - $35

From La Residencia Spa: She works hard for the money, so you'd better treat her right! Jane Aransky and the staff at La Residencia will pamper your working girl from head to toe with the Solo Para Ti spa package. A massage, facial and manicure are tailored just for her. $215

From Create-a-Cook: Give your gal a night off with benefits that will last well past the holidays by giving her a gift certificate for a Date Night Couples' Cooking Class.  Classes offered include Steakhouse, French Bistro and A Night in Italy. If you really want to score points, you do the cooking after you've both taken the class. - $160

For the Sports Enthusiast:

From Whole Foods: Get your weekend warrior some tasty, healthy, energy-giving treats like trail mix and beef jerky -from $5.99. Or order a gift box online (The Gift of Grub- $60).

From Eastern Mountain Sports: If your athlete prefers the sidelines to the playing field, make sure s/he can see all the action up close by buying him/her a pair of binoculars.  Try the Nikon Sportstar lightweight binoculars that are water-resistant (so when the Sox play in the rain, your gift won't be ruined) and have a wide field of vision. $89.95

From Modell's: The Pats are doing really well this season, so commemorate their winning season with Patriots' t-shirts and jerseys. Women's fitted, long-sleeved logo t-shirts from Reebok – from $29.99; men's player jerseys (Brady, Welker, Hernandez and Mayo) from On Field for $80 (and Moss is discounted to $20… if you want to remember him).

For the 0 – 3 year old:

From BostonBeanies: Get your little cutie a just-as-cute hand-knit baby hat in the shape of a flower, a pumpkin, a ladybug or a cupcake. Newton artist Rebecca Kinney's hats cost around $28; see website for pricing

From the New England Mobile Book Fair: Board books are a wonderful way to start your little one loving to read (and they are pretty good baby chew toys, too).  NEMBF offers a huge selection, from Sandra Boynton's delightful tales about hippos, piggies and birdies to classics like Bill Martin and Eric Carle's Bear series (Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Panda Bear, Baby Bear…What do You See?) and Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. $6.95 - $11.95

From Natural Sense:  Get your little one a soft lovey made from all organic materials.  Jellycat makes a large, orange stuffed aardvark - $24.00,  and a small, blue stuffed doggy $13.00 (and each of these are also available in the other size in case big brother or sister wants his/her own).