"Don't mind me while I shout from my soapbox for a hot sec: okay so
christmas is coming, yeah? I so, so, so urge you to try and shop local,
or on etsy, or through friends who sell products. Let me use myself as
an example. When you become an oil client of mine, that's a grocery bill
paid. When you put an oil order in, that's a baseball bat for Henry.
When you support locals and working mamas with etsy businesses, oil
businesses, jamberry, etc. your money is going directly to a family. Think about that before forking over 300 bucks at Walmart .
I'm planing on getting all of my kids stocking stuff from etsy- wooden
cameras, play food, dolls, teethers (Rosie), animal masks for Stella,
jewelry for Maeve, wooden pirate stuff for henry; the list goes on and
on. If you're interested in specific shops I'm buying from I'd be more
than happy to share! . Let's support each other this season and keep our money local. . -off soapbox-"
Trust me, I get it; I know kids want electronics and plastic crap, but (shhh) I let my parents and grandma get that stuff. :)
I prefer to give my kids handmade, one of a kind items. Some are huge hits, some aren't. But something that I think we can all take away from holiday shopping is this; let's stop throwing money at big companies for that piece of plastic crap that will break in two days, and start investing in our friends, family and neighbors.
Etsy and Instagram are HUGE havens for homemade gifts. I bought quite a bit last year off of Etsy, and I plan to do even more this year.
I had a lot of people asking "What are your favorite Etsy shops?" And as I started to list them on facebook, it occurred to me, there are just TOO many. Ask my husband.... we have packages delivered here every day. I have discovered an incredible amount of talented people who pour their heart and soul into their work.
It gives me goosebumps to think of hands being used, instead of machines. One of my favorite artists, Jack Johnson sings a song about this whole thing. A lyric goes,
"Future complications
In the strings between the cans
But no prints can come from fingers
If machines become our hands
In the strings between the cans
But no prints can come from fingers
If machines become our hands
And then our feet become the wheels
And then the wheels become the cars
And then the rigs begin to drill
Until the drilling goes too far"
And then the wheels become the cars
And then the rigs begin to drill
Until the drilling goes too far"
(The Horizon has Been Defeated)
Anyways, I thought I'd put together a little shopping catalog/guide for anyone who wants to participate in buying locally, paying a little extra for fingerprints.
Here's my shopping list:
KID SHOPS (toys, teethers, rattles)
KID CLOTHING
BIG PEOPLE STUFF (for sisters, moms, dads, etc)
These are the stores I've ordered from within the past year or so and I can tell you, they're all so wonderful.
Step outside the Walmart aisle and see how you can support a family AND get something great for yourself.
Treasure those fingerprints.
xoxo Ash
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