LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Gabi Defreitas organizes freeze dried candies at It Is What It Is Sweet Shop.

LOCK HAVEN — It Is What It Is and It Is What It Is Sweet Shop are here to provide unique gifts, candies and more for your loved ones.

It Is What It Is has rolled into its sixth year in business and continues to expand its inventory to offer unique products from cooking items, jewelry, clothing, accessories, baby products and much more.

It Is What It Is, 109 E. Main St., opened in 2018, a second business for Main Street staple Art Sanders — owner of Sanders Window Fashion — and offers a large variety of gift items to treat yourself or a loved one.

With Art often busy with his window fashion business — providing high quality, custom order Hunter Douglas drapes and more for customers throughout the county and beyond — he leaves the operation of the gift shop and candy store to his daughter, Fabre, and son-in-law Larry.

Fabre and Larry continue to look high and low for unique and interesting gifts, and specialty candies for both locations.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Erin Engle is pictured with the popular tracking bracelets at It Is What It Is.

Some new inventory at the gift shop includes animal tracking bracelets from Fahlo. Fahlo started in 2018 and partners with nonprofits to foster curiosity for wildlife and excitement for conservation.

Each bracelet tracks a specific animal through a wide range of species including elephants, gorillas, sea turtles, penguins, polar bears, sharks and more.

“Those are great gifts for almost anybody,” Fabre said.

The tracking bracelets have proven to be a big hit amongst customers since they first brought them out over the summer, Larry said.

And most recently, they were able to announce the addition of the newest animal bracelet — one to track sloths.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS Wares are pictured at It Is What It Is in downtown Lock Haven.

The store is also expanding its bath and body section with JukeBox, a sister line of products to Dr. Squach. According to the pair, the men’s product is already popular and they’re looking forward to getting Juke Box on the shelves as well.

“We’ll be the first in the area to carry this product,” Fabre said. “It’s great, it’s all music themed and I think it will be a lot of fun.”

The shop has also expanded its cooking and specialty food section with Stonewall Kitchen brand products.

A few doors down at the candy store, 105 E. Main St., Fabre and Larry said there’s something for everyone to help with their sweet tooth.

According to the pair, freeze dried candy is becoming a popular staple — with the store carrying three different brands.

LAURA JAMESON/THE EXPRESS It Is What It Is Sweet Shop offers a wide range of treats.

“They are freeze drying anything you can think of… from fruit to Skittles,” Larry said.

According to Fabre, the freeze dried candies offer a sweet alternative for kids, such as those with braces, who can’t enjoy the treats in their chewy form. Instead, the freeze dried process adds a light and airy crunch to the product.

Outside of freeze dried candies, Fabre said the store is always providing a wide range of fudge — with roughly 15 to 20 flavors in the case at a time.

“We’re always bringing new stuff into the candy case and always looking for new and interesting candies on the market to sell,” she said.

Keeping the community in mind, It Is What It Is and its sister store have launched fundraising opportunities for local groups.

According to Larry, It Is What It Is offers fundraising with its soup mixes and the sweet shop can offer candy fundraisers.

“It’s really great for school groups, sports teams and others like them,” he said. “It can be tailored to each group… they can choose the product and they get a pretty nice percentage out of it.”

He noted they recently conducted a successful fundraiser with the Lock Haven Catholic School.

All in all, It Is What It Is and It Is What It Is Sweet Shop continue to search high and low for new products to help fit your gift giving needs.