It's Okay to Opt Out of the Holiday Shopping Season
But if you're itching to participate in Black Friday, remember to support small businesses
Hi, friend. Just popping into your inbox on the busiest shopping day of the year to remind you: It’s okay to choose presence over the frantic holiday rush. On a day when every e-mail in your inbox is telling you to buy more ‘stuff’, it’s okay to want more for yourself…more coffee with a good book (always!), more time to bake cookies or play games with loved ones, more leftovers and holiday hikes. More peace.
It’s okay to opt out of the holiday shopping season entirely. If that feels good for you today, go ahead and close out of today’s newsletter— I’ll be back with some more thoughts about staying present in our lives next week.
But also— maybe you really do enjoy making the holidays feel magical for loved ones, and part of that magic… for you… involves gifts. That’s okay too. And this week, especially, with every corporation and every retailer competing for your attention, I just want to send a quick reminder that small businesses need your dollars more than large corporations. Not just on Small Business Saturday, but everyday. Mom-and-pop shops and momma’s-side-gig shops and been-in-the-family-3-generations shops are counting on us as consumers choosing them. Even when it’s a little more expensive, even when the shipping isn’t “free,” even when it’s not the latest TikTok trend.
Small business owners are the ones who do a little happy dance when an order comes across their screen. They are the ones who work tirelessly for a dream that props up their families and communities, but can crumble under the pressure of factors outside of their control, like rising shipping costs or inflation.
I’m not here to tell you to buy anything. You can have a magical, joy-filled holiday with nothing but hand-me-downs or homemade presents, or even with absolutely nothing under the tree.
But all the well-intentioned ‘gift guides’ floating all across the inter-webs seem to be missing small businesses. So if you were going to buy something anyway— I’m here to interrupt you before you clear out all the Amazon door busters. If you want to be more intentional with your dollars, try supporting a small business. Literally, any small business. If you’re looking for suggestions, below you will find just a few small businesses I love and support. (Two quick things to note: 1. Some of these businesses may not ship outside the USA or Canada— I’m so sorry to my other international readers. 2. A few of these links— like literally maybe 3, all denoted with an asterisk*— are affiliate links. I’ve never made any affiliate revenue before, and I’m not particularly itching to start now, but it’s one way this week to support my writing at no extra cost to you).
For Your Favorite Little Ones
Wooden puzzles, rattles, and more from Bannor Toys*. We especially love gifting their silicone blocks.
Organic cotton dolls (with corn fiber filling!) from Apple Park Kids. They are oh-so-cuddly, and even have matching doll & kid clothing sets. (If you’re looking for doll-sized accessories, Le Toy Van has adorable wooden pretend play items, including this baby-care set).
My toddler is really into Petit Collage puzzles right now. They are sturdy (at least as cardboard puzzles go) and printed on recycled/ FSC-certified paper with vegetable inks.
The hands-down best, non-toxic Play Dough we’ve found is from Whimsical Dough.
Books, books, and more books. Youngna Park has an excellent gift guide for kids’ books here, and I have some recommendations on Bookshop.*
For Your Favorite Not-So-Little Tweens and Teens
I’ve been out of the teen-gifting game for so long it’s not even funny— but again, books, books, and more books. Bushel & Peck Books* has lots of great titles for older elementary kiddos and tweens.
Also! Eco-friendly accessories: Biodegradable hair ties from TerraTies (seriously the best!) or, for teens, organic make-up (such as Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques, Axiology balmies, or Zerra & Co.).
Etsy and Uncommon Goods both have plenty of options to meet your teen’s interests while supporting independent makers.
For Your Favorite Not-Little-At-All Ones (also known as Adults)
I’m told that I’m incredibly difficult to gift to, because of some variation of I hate stuff. But really, I think that most adults are difficult to gift to! Once you get out of the frantic college/ first apartment phase of life, chances are, you are already buying *most* of what you might need or want for yourself. So I always always always default to asking loved ones what they might want. But here’s a few other (mostly consumable) small business ideas:
Experience gifts: Museum memberships or tickets, local coffee shop gift cards, a day at the botanical gardens… any of these support local businesses or community arts, and are generally much appreciated by anyone who likes to leave the house. (If your loved one is a self-appointed hermit, maybe look for something else on the list though…).
Edible gifts: Yummy snacks are the best! If you have a coffee lover in your life, Driftaway Coffee is fantastic (tea folks— I like my caffeine just a little stronger than you, but Arbor Teas is a great choice that rocks compostable packaging).
A paid subscription to their favorite Substack (or, one you think they would enjoy!). I’m super totally stoked if that happens to be me (excuse me for just a moment while I go do a happy dance…), but a few of my other favorites right now are Laura Kennedy’s Peak Notions, Erin Boyle’s Tea Notes, and Laura Fenton’s Living Small. Also, Alex Dobrenko of Both Are True is way funnier than I will ever be.
If you have an eco-minded candle lover in your life, these refillable candles from Arbor Made smell delicious, and are zero waste. Their Spiced Timber scent is especially great for the holidays.
Give the gift of happy bums with Who Gives a Crap. The most exciting package I receive every year is toilet paper. Specifically, colorfully-wrapped, 100% recycled toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap. This certified B-Corp ships plastic free and donates 50% of its profits to build toilets in high-need communities around the world. Plus, their joke-filled toilet-paper wrapping is literally begging you to give them as a gift.
Gift a tree with One Tree Planted. While I’m 100% okay with you literally gifting a tree (because who doesn’t need more to take care of in their life?!), you can also support reforestation efforts in your loved one’s name with One Tree Planted. This non-profit organization planted more than 52 million trees across 74 countries in 2022 alone. Every dollar donated plants a tree. (But if you do decide to gift an actual physical tree for your loved one to take care of, maybe at least make it an Easy Plant? I’m pretty sure they will thank you for the thoughtful realization that caring for a plant is actually a super hard thing to remember to do— unlike children, plants don’t scream when they aren’t fed). Or, find a charity to support their favorite causes. ❤️
What are your favorite small businesses? Please share in the comments!