support small: direct sales

well, are you having any success shopping small this Christmas? i really hope that the ideas Stef, Marci and i have offered, plus the small businesses we've featured, have helped you think outside the big box store when it comes to doing your Christmas shopping.

another way to support small this Christmas is to consider buying specialty products from direct sales representatives - someone that works from a home-based office selling products from a larger retail company. you have probably seen the catalogs or have been invited to a home party. like any small business, direct sales representatives would really appreciate your business this Christmas. here are a few ideas...

Mary Kay

my sweet friend Jeanne sells Mary Kay. i love that i can buy specialty lotions and skin care products as gifts while also supporting Jeanne's small business. if you don't already have a Mary Kay Consultant, i recommend Jeanne! Jeanne's website is http://www.marykay.com/jspare.

Celebrating Home

Independent Designers, like my friend Kathy, sell Celebrating Home's quality entertaining and decorating products. browse the online catalog to see the beautiful home accents, florals, wall decor, servingware, and gifts. then, place your order with Kathy or a Celebrating Home Independent Designer in your area. Kathy's website is http://kathyboltin.mycelebratinghome.com.   

Scentsy

if you've ever been to my home you know i love love love Scentsy. my friend Trisha sells Scentsy and she is programmed into my cell phone contacts as "My Scentsy Girl." a full-size Warmer with a Scentsy Brick, or a Room Spray with a Plug-in Warmer would make a very nice Christmas gift! Trisha's website is https://trishaobregon.scentsy.us/Buy. 

Pampered Chef

Pampered Chef is high-quality kitchen essentials and deluxe accessories. my friend Jorja is a Pampered Chef Consultant and i've hosted a party with her before. there are so many neat gadgets in the Pampered Chef catalog that make my time in the kitchen more pleasant. ask your Pampered Chef Consultant to help you choose a gift for someone on your list. or email Jorja! http://www.pamperedchef.biz/jorjabriggs

  

these are just a few ideas for supporting small businesses by contacting direct sales representatives. i hope you will consider shopping small this Christmas!  

Marci at Overcoming Busy, Stef Layton, and i are featuring small businesses on our sites every Tuesday until Christmas to encourage others to shop small. follow us on Twitter using #shopsmall.

Let us help one another to do good works.

Hebrews 10:24 NIRV

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support small: prints

i am having so much fun seeking out ways to shop small this Christmas. being creative in where i shop is definitely forcing me to put more thought into gift-giving. i am excited about the small and local businesses that i've discovered!

another idea for supporting small this Christmas is to think prints: photographs, e-books, and printables! there are a lot of small businesses that make printed products that you could gift quickly and affordably. do your printing at home or have your printing done by a locally owned copy and print shop. 

photography 

we like to have our family pictures taken professionally every year in the fall or wintertime by a local photographer. this year, Casey from Ellie Layne Images took our pictures, and i LOVE them! she did fantastic!

this is what was happening in between the posed shots

 now, i can print the photo, put it in a nice frame (from a local shop) and wha-la! a gift Granny and Grandma will adore! consider giving your business to a smaller, local photographer instead of a commercial/retail photo studio. it's sure to be a fun experience!     

e-books

e-books are the hot new thing. while the author may not get a lot of money from each sale, purchasing an e-book could contribute to the seller's goal of increasing their site traffic which, in turn produces income, if that is how it is set up. other authors sell their e-books to reach a smaller financial goal or to raise money for a greater cause. whatever the case, you could probably find an e-book on just about any topic for any recipient on your Christmas list. just print it out, staple together, tie a ribbon around it, and the e-book makes a thoughtful and unique gift. there are SO MANY good ones out there...but some of my favorites are...

Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys by Brooke L. McGlothlin - i love this e-book and think any mom who has a son would, too. it's only 99 cents right now! 

Savoring Living Water by Katie Orr and Laura Williams - "how to have an effective quiet time" - beautiful, practical, tips for making the most of your QT with JC. in printable, Nook, and Kindle versions for $5.49 and also available hardbound for $10. $2 of every sale of this book is donated to One Verse. what a sweet gift idea.  

Christmas Recipes from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures -this book is 54 pages of Lynn's favorite and most popular easy Christmas recipes that contain regular everyday ingredients. i get a lot of my recipes from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures, so i completely trust that this e-book is full of awesome recipes. it is FREE when you subscribe to her blog! what a fun gift idea!

31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae "Having a Martha House the Mary Way" -and to be clear, that's Martha as in Bible Martha not Martha Stewart. this book is perfect for the start of the year as it offers practical daily challenges for cleaning your home. but even better, each day there is also a challenge for spiritual cleansing of the heart, and a reminder of why housekeeping is important and how it honors the Lord. this timeless resource is a great gift. it's only $4.99.

printables

i am a sucker for printables. give me a sweet quote printed on pretty paper and stick it in a picture frame and i am happy as a lark. why not get creative and find a personal printable for your friends and family? there are a lot of bloggers that make a business of producing printables. most printables are free or available for a few dollars. just download and print, frame and gift! here are some links of where i like to get printables:

Jones Design Company -art, lists, tags, craftables

A Holy Experience -devotionals, calendars, encouragement, art

Word Candy Quotes -art, quotes

My Posh Designs -art, quotes

Naptime Diaries -art, quotes

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there are a lot of ideas for supporting small business by gifting prints! i hope you will consider shopping small in this way. 

Marci at Overcoming Busy, Stef Layton, and i are featuring small businesses on our sites every Tuesday until Christmas to encourage others to shop small. follow us on Twitter using #shopsmall.

Let us help one another to do good works.

Hebrews 10:24 NIRV

support small: boutiques

in an effort to support small businesses this Christmas, i am shopping Etsy and Artfire shops, and local boutiques. so many of these small businesses are owned and operated by stay-at-home Moms just like me, who are putting good use to their God-given talents. just a few clicks in the search function on Etsy or Artfire, and i quickly found unique gifts to complete my Christmas shopping list. and what a blessing to be able to support small business shop owners while giving a unique and thoughtful gift. 

here are some of my favorite small business boutiques:

the lovely accessories in this Etsy shop are handmade with love by my friend Ashley, a homeschooling SAHM of three in Baltimore. i know a very special someone that will love these pretty rosette earrings.

 

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my friend Nidia makes super adorable custom hairbows and headbands, wipe case covers, burp cloths and bibs, onesies, tutus and t-shirts for boys and girls. Nidia is a SAHM to two children ages 1 and 3, making these beautiful creations in her "spare time." 

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the pleated poppy has been one of my favorite e-boutiques for quite some time now. Lindsey does amazing things with beautiful fabrics and frilly ruffles. i'm loving the scarves, bags, wristlet clutches, and of course her signature petal pushers. anything from this small business boutique would make a nice gift.

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this is a local toy boutique that opened a few years ago and has completely won me over. i have never been a big fan of the big box toy store- i get very overwhelmed in there and avoid it at all costs. KidCore Toystore, on the other hand, is a fun shopping experience because the store is small, the service is personal, and the toys are top quality.  KidCore Toystore carries brands i know and love like Melissa & Doug, KidCraft, Alex Toys, Usborne, and many others. 

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i could spend hours and hours in this little boutique. don't let the logo fool you - Ruffled Rebelles is a shop in Mansfield that carries one-of-a-kind designed clothing for little girls and boys. i'm talking adorably hip kids clothes and accessories, like the kind of digs celebrity's kids wear. the best part is, it's all locally handmade. wonderful!

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what about you? what small businesses do you like to support? Marci at Overcoming Busy, Stef Layton, and i are featuring small businesses on our sites every Tuesday until Christmas to encourage others to shop small. follow us on Twitter using #shopsmall.

Let us help one another to do good works.

Hebrews 10:24 NIRV

a smaller Christmas

this Christmas i'm going small. 

not smaller in the celebrating, not smaller in the giving, not smaller in the loving...   

smaller in the shopping. small businesses are getting my support this Christmas. this year i'm doing my Christmas shopping on Etsy, at local mom-and-pop shops, and from local consultant's online catalogs. 

we are in a season when more and more people are turning their hobbies and talents into income for their families. these are our friends, our family members, and our neighbors, all doing their part to support themselves and their families financially. 

what can i do to help? if i'm shopping for goods and services anyway, why not shop the local and small businesses? almost every gift i plan on buying can be bought at the big box store down the street. doing that takes very little effort and produces little to no joy. 

shopping smaller businesses, on the other hand, takes a little more effort but it is incredibly joyous! 

seeking out a small and local business can be fun. think about your friend that sells skin care products, or homemade soaps, or the family that just moved to town and opened a coffee shop. what fun to seek them out and make a decision to support them this year! and now think about the gift recipient- how much more meaningful is a gift that is personalized, or handmade, or made locally, or supports a greater cause, or is simply not straight off the big box store shelves. 

supporting small businesses blesses the shop owners, and giving unique gifts blesses the recipients.

if it truly is the thought that counts, then let's pledge to put more thought into it. let's support small this Christmas.

join me, Marci at Overcoming Busy, and Stef Layton as we feature and support small businesses each Tuesday until Christmas. follow the chatter on Twitter by searching #shopsmall.

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