shopping local

As a small business owner, I like to practice what I preach and shop local. I realize not everyone has that luxury due to location, health, travel limitations or a myriad of other obstacles. However, I live in a thriving city filled with small business and makers and I love supporting them when I can. After all, I want these businesses to thrive and stick around. All but three of my Christmas gifts came from small businesses and trust me, I really tried to find those three presents at small shops too.

top left to right: image from @soapdistillery image from @bitter.ex image from @katherineanneconfections
middle left to right: image from @sixpointpet image from @themodernastrologer image from @midwestniceshop
bottom left to right: image from @maplewoodbrew image from @afavoritedesign (candle collab with @thescentqueenscandleco) image from @shophazelray

Every year the Mr. and I take a National Park adventure vacation around our anniversary. This year we traveled to Alaska. It was epic and amazing and while there we shopped in each city we visited. I love finding gifts on vacation! My aunt and I have a tradition of buying each other socks for Christmas. I got a really cute pair of Alaska socks just outside of Denali National Park. Another Alaska gift purchase was a cribbage score board made from an artists, out of walrus bone. I found it at Craft Market. This store was a treasure trove of vintage craft supplies, postcards, travel souvenirs, handcrafted items and native art, think fossilized whale bone made into bowls, animal vertebrae bone with hand carved soapstone crafted into Inuit dancers, really stunning pieces. My closest friend plays a lot of cribbage and I spent a good 20 minutes comparing all the handcrafted cribbage boards to find which was THE one. All were crafted from bones of local animals, nothing goes to waste in the Inuit culture. Definitely a gift that will not be duplicated! One of the many bonus' of shopping local.

Other places and gifts I shopped for this holiday season
Third Man Records - got the Mr. a pedal and a Father John Misty Album
Timeless Toys - shopped for games for the families in my life
Ruff Haus Pets - always my go to for dog toys and treats, we have three amazing pups in our life to shop for, I'm so fortunate!
Neighborly - such a gem! I got ornaments, tea towels and gifts for my employees
Six Point Pet - every year I get Scooby a new collar, this year I got him one that reminded me of the Mystery Machine!
Katherine Anne Confections - the most amazing drinking chocolate and marshmallows, they make perfect host gifts and pair well with games for families with kids
Bitter Ex - our favorite cocktail bitters, this year they've added syrups and I got one for us, one for a gift
Transit Tees - Chicago Transit Bar Mat for the Mr.'s kegorator
Soap Distillery - only the best small batch soaps ever made! These are my go to socking stuffers every year, my personal fav is Beer & Cigarettes
Maplewood Brewery - vanilla bourbon!
Midwest Nice - the perfect Ope! beanie
Hazel Ray - stunning clutch
WaGiCo - concrete hands to hold crystal collection
The Modern Astrologer - 2025 Moon Ritual Workbook for a friend who's exploring astrology
The Scent Queens Candle Co. - not only did I collaborate with SQ to create two custom holiday scents inspired by stationery, I also shop their local storefront. I got a beautiful fluorite crystal cluster and an oracle deck for my friend and got myself an herb book too and I shared both Letters to Santa and Christmas Cards with friends an family too

A huge bonus of shopping local is getting to know the makers and shop owners. Oftentimes you get the opportunity to meet makers at shows. It's a pretty great feeling knowing you're investing in a real human when you shop small. I encourage you all to give it a try. Shop a little more intentionally. Decide what sorts of businesses you'd like to keep in your neighborhood, your city, your state, on the internet. Because that's exactly what you're doing when you make a small business purchase, you're investing the future of that business, the future of those owners.