8 Reasons Why I Love Small Shops
If you follow me on social media, you’ll not be shocked to read that I adore small shops and makers. Over the past few years my family has repped for some amazing makers, and we’ve focused on buying locally as much as possible! I’d love to share with you my reasoning behind this, so read on for some cute images of my kids wearing/playing with handmade items and our top 8 reasons for shopping small businesses.
1.) Handmade. Every single handmade item is crafted with time and love. You can FEEL that radiating from the items and it makes me all tingly inside. It’s like I’m getting to hang out with the maker’s energy, and I dig that.
2.) Ethics. If it’s not handmade, then its sourced ethically and with care for the people who produce the item. There is nothing better than knowing a small shop is taking care to ensure they provide items that aren’t produced at the cost of human and environmental wellbeing.
3.) Organic fabrics made in the US. I really appreciate handmade clothing for my children, and its important to me that the fabric treats their skin and the planet well. So many small makers source their fabrics in the US from reputable, organic companies - so buying from a mama-owned shop means you are also supporting the small fabric producers in the US!
4.) One of a kind pieces. Yes, I really love knowing that much of the clothing my children wear are completely unique pieces, lovingly sewed by hands that are being well paid for their time and craft.
5.) Quality. When it comes to buying items or food for my family’s needs, I’ll seek out quality hands-down. I acknowledge that for many folks spending extra on quality is all too often inaccessible, and I feel that budget. I’ve also learned that putting my dollars into a quality item means I’m spending less in the long run, and my budget loves that so much! Especially when I get to turn around and hand down quality items to our friends and family after we have loved them, because they’ve held up so damn well. Seeing my smallest nieces and nephews rocking a handmade hoodie that’s been worn by three of my kids and still looks as good as it does the day it arrived? That’s satisfying, and I’ll happily pay a little extra for a gender neutral hoodie that all of my kids will wear.
6.) Getting Personal. The farm we buy our weekly veggies from? We are friends. The mamas who make the clothes my kids wear? Friends. The shop we take our bikes to for repairs and new tubes? They have the friendliest staff around, and my kids love helping them change the tire tubes. The gal we buy our soaps from? She has the sweetest goats around and my kiddos love to pet them. The small yarn shop I visit for my yarn needs? The owner knows my name and lets my kids sort a giant bowl of colorful buttons while I shop. The small Etsy shop where I buy handmade pom poms? She sends me a handwritten note with every order.
I love the PEOPLE behind small businesses, and you can’t get that connection anywhere else.
7.) Local Economy. Any time I shop a local business or maker, it brings me so much joy to know that my hard earned dollars are going into the hands of our community. Every time I bite into a dinner made with locally raised veggies and meats, I can visualize the love and commitment that went into the raising of them. Its beautiful.
8.) Values. So many of the small businesses and makers that I shop put an emphasis on values that mean so much to me as a consumer: ethics, quality, community, relationship, and community. Supporting these folks means that I can also shop true to my own values and feel GOOD about where my money goes. In a world where consumerism is largely focused on fast and easy, understanding where and how the items I consume were made and came from helps me teach my children how to consume responsibly.
Outfits made with love by: Sew Beautiful
Wood Spinning Tops: Blackberry Moon Creations