I see recommendations for using chicken wire instead of foam. Have you thought of using peppermint liqueur - or schnapps, etc instead of extract? The amount of alcohol would be negligible (probably similar to extract).

I can't edit my post to add this: https://www.pinterest.com/thomaslower/alternatives-to-floral-foam/

Walmart online has both, shows 3 day shipping (to my zip code). Target too, but delivery of the foam not until Dec 22. I've ordered for my mother from both and they are surprisingly efficient.

I found that last item on my list yesterday, and it had become silly. I wanted a couple of packages of frozen recipe ready pearl onions, one of those for my Christmas burgundy beef. I'd looked for a month (in three cities) and no one had them. I'd put a netted bag from the produce department into my cart yesterday, realizing I could have trimmed and peeled my own in less time than I'd spent looking. DH walked up to me with two of the frozen in his hand, asking if that's what I'd been looking for. They'd gotten some into stock - and I wasn't even going to go down the frozen vegetable aisle :)

Have to be careful how much liquid I add to marshmallows, but I just bought a bottle of peppermint schnapps for our Christmas morning coffee/hot chocolate bar. I'll have to research adding liquer to marshmallows. We started the coffee/hot chocolate bar when our kids were of age. Coffee liquer, Bailleys, Jamieson's, peppermint schnapps. Cocoa mix, coffee, marshamllows, candy canes, cinnamon sticks, chocolate shavings. It has become very popular. We make coffee and decaff, set out our snowman mugs.

Did you have HomeGoods/HomeSense, Marshalls or TJ Maxx? A couple of years ago I found a bottle of Nielsen Massey peppermint extract at one of those stores. If you have Joann Fabric anywhere near, they sell Wilton peppermint extract. Good luck!

If you can get your hands on fresh mint, you can also make your own extract from fresh.

I think there's a lot more alcohol in peppermint extract than there is in schnapps, but I don't know about the intensity of flavor. You can always evaporate out some of the alcohol. I like the flavor of schnapps better than extract, and fresh (in vodka and sugar) best of all.

If the alternatives to oasis don't suit, you might try a local florist for just enough to get you through.

Plllog - a local florist would be great but we don't have such a thing. Very small, rural town - hence the kilometers on my vehicle.

Wondering how fast these folks are? They say it's 2 days behind their regular schedule:

https://www.frontiercoop.com/search/www_frontiercoop_com?search=peppermint&type=1

I buy a lot of their excellent quality products at local natural foods stores. I haven't ordered from their website recently, tho...

Perhaps you could make vanilla marshmallows and top them or make a base with crushed candy canes or peppermint candies?

Melt down a couple candy canes---break them with a rolling pin in a zip-lock. Double boiler. A small stainless bowl over a sauce pan of hot water. Might need a 1/4 cup of water with the canes. That is, if you can get candy canes. 😬

Small towns are being invaded by all sorts of 'dollar' this or thats...here they always have a stash of floral foam. I learned the hard way last year, a few essentials ya gotta get EARLY. Peppermint I can see would be one of those!

Great suggestions here. KT is so good! Hope you get what you need one way or another, neko….

Do you have a Joann fabrics near you? They would have both I believe.

No Joann fabrics near by. A friend just told me that natural peppermint essential oil is ingestible - I'll have to research that. As for the floral foam, since my arrangment will be mostly everygreens I should be okay with a chicken wire form and then can add some flowers last minute. Thanks for all the suggestions.