This Week in My Haven: Shop Small
This week in my haven I've been thinking a lot about supporting small and local businesses. This isn't really that out of the ordinary, but I have a few extra reasons to be thinking about it right now. So, since I love a good list, here are 5 reasons why I've been thinking about shopping at and supporting small businesses this week:
Reason #1: Haven 1890
Haven 1890, a new shop in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago opened recently and is carrying Haven Handmade products. They are having a Grand Opening celebration this Saturday, November 13th. I not only feel honored to be chosen as a vendor for their amazing store, I am also looking forward to shopping there for gifts for my own family and friends.
Reason #2: The Made Shop
The Made Shop in the Jefferson Park neighborhood was featured on Thursday in the local news outlet Block Club Chicago. I love seeing other small businesses being given the chance to tell their story to a broader audience. The Made Shop also carries Haven Handmade products along with many other talented makers. Bonus: You can shop their products in store and online!
Reason #3: Raw Edge Shop
I am going to be dropping off a selection of holiday items at the Raw Edge Shop in Wicker Park later today. I'm excited to be in another shop in another part of Chicago. It gives me a boost of confidence when shop owners see the quality of my products and want them in their stores.
An array of holiday goodness headed for Raw Edge Shop in Wicker Park
Reason #4: Meaningful Gifts
I love giving a meaningful gift and shopping at small businesses doubles the meaningfulness of my gifts. I get to choose something for my recipient that is more unique and special and every single purchase matters to small business owners. It's a win-win-win. (Let me know if you understand that pop culture reference or not!) As I started my own holiday shopping this week, this was a thought I kept returning to. It's also good motivation to get my gifts picked out early!
Reason #5: More Joy
As I begin choosing Christmas gifts for everyone on my list this year, I am noticing that I am enjoying the process a lot more than in past years when I have picked gifts from large retailers. Finding something unique that makes me think of a certain loved one is a lot more fun than just picking a generic item that thousands of other people have too. Shopping for gifts should be enjoyable, not stressful! Selecting something special from a small shop also makes me excited to give that person their gift and see their reaction when they open it. Like I said above, win-win-win!
Do you have any favorite small businesses that you love to support? I'd love to hear about them in the comments! And if you're in the mood for an extra dose of kindness this Friday, head over to my Instagram and tell someone that you think they're kind. You never know when a simple gesture like this will make someone's day.
I hope your weekend gets off to a great start! I've got a little more work to do before mine officially begins, but I'm looking forward to a pretty relaxing couple of days once it does.
(Transparency: I do not receive any type of compensation when you click on links. All opinions are my own.)
