2020 Holiday Gift Guide: Small Business Style
November 23, 2020
I don’t think I need to stress how important small businesses are to the eco-system of this world. To America. To the states, cities, and towns we call home.
Small businesses make this world go ’round (99.9% of businesses in the U.S. are classified as small businesses). They always have. And I pray they always will.
The Amazon robots don’t happy dance when you place an order.
But Michelle of MamaSuds does. Julia and Wayne of Whispering Willow do. Meg Sutton of Belle & Union Co. does. Alicia of Slightly Stationery does.
The humans behind these small businesses literally LIGHT THE HECK UP and happy dance their boo-tays off when they see an order come through.
I’ll spare you the saga of how hard this year has been for us all. We all know that. We are living it after all, right?
But, please, for the sake of the places we love and call home, for the sake of the eco-system of this country, for the sake of the hardworking, happy-dancing humans all around us – let’s shop small as much as we can this holiday season, okay?
Every single business below is a Verb House Creative clientfriend, which means these are the best gosh darn businesses around. And while I may just be a tiny bit biased, each brand and product below comes tried and tested and beloved.
Let’s go make ’em happy dance, and long live small business!
SMALL BUSINESS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
1.) MamaSuds
It’s 2020, and by now most of us are aware of how harmful the chemicals that surround us every day are. MamaSuds is on a mission to rid our household cleaning and laundry products of the junk – and she’s doing a dang good job of it.
Michelle, the mama behind MamaSuds, makes THE best natural, clean, and safe Laundry Soap ever. It’s the only thing we wash our babies clothes and sheets with. And her All-Purpose Cleaner? Again, THE best.
Every single person on your list could use a good ole dose of MamaSuds – from the Laundry Soap to the Castile Soap Hand Wash to the Toilet Bombs (yes, fo’ real), to that almighty All-Purpose Cleaner spray, you seriously can’t go wrong here.
Plus, Michelle is one of the funniest people I know. Bonus points!
2.) Rustic MAKA
When Rustic MAKA first became a clientfriend, I was so excited for a few reasons, the first being that I loved their mission and believed in their products so much.
This love only cemented the more I tried their products, including their natural deodorant. Ho-ly. Cow.
I’ll never ever ever go back to regular commercial deodorant ever again.
Just trust my word here and get every single person on your list a bottle of their deo – any scent. Trust me.
You can’t go wrong with their lotions, hand soap (it’s my mama’s new fave), or their new bath bombs.
Shop Rustic MAKA
3.) Goobie Baby
Again, these are some of the only baby + toddler products we use in our house.
If you’re starting to notice a theme here, your hunch would be correct – we only work with brands that we believe hugely in, that we use ourselves, and that we stand by 100%.
Goobie Baby is one of those – especially their bamboo & silicone dinnerware lines for babies + toddlers. We own no other dinnerware in our house for our two-year-old twins but Goobie Baby.
Perfect for any pregnant or new mama or their toddlers and bigger kiddos. Go getcha some ASAP!
And be sure to keep a close eye on Goobie Baby in the coming weeks and months. There is some GOOOOOOOD stuff coming soon! eep!
Shop Goobie Baby
4.) Whispering Willow
Bespoke Content Club member, Whispering Willow, is a company that makes me instantly feel relaxed. And I don’t think that’s an easy thing to do – ha!
Made from the highest quality ingredients, Whispering Willow’s lotions, bath soaks, salve, and more, smell the best and feel so gosh darn rejuvenating from the very first second you open the packaging.
I’m especially fond of their eye and neck pillows. When I’m feeling a little tight or tense at the studio, I’ll pull out the Lavender Neck Pillow, place it around my shoulders, and immediately feel a little bit calmer.
In the year of 2020, I think we could all use one of these, eh?
Check out their beautiful gift boxes, as well. I know anyone would be delighted to receive anything from WW!
5.) Slightly Stationery
If you wanna make someone (or yourself) laugh, just head over to Slightly Stationery ASAP.
The most clever greeting cards, adorable calendars, best t-shirt (I’m trying my best over here, okay?), awesome key-rings, and more, I could get every single one of my friends and biz besties something from Slightly.
Take a peek at her 2020 Holiday Cards… you’ll find a few that will make you lol and immediately want to get on the snail mail train. AND save the USPS while you’re at it. Win win for all!
6.) Smart Glass Jewelry
K, get ready to be amazed… Are you ready?
Every single beautiful piece of jewelry from Smart Glass is made from old thrown away bottles. Ranging from beer and wine bottles, to rum and Coca-Cola bottles, to more, Kathleen takes these discarded glass bottles and turns them into stunning glass jewelry.
I’m already planning on gifting my mama a pair of her earrings (which are so lightweight that you don’t even notice you’re wearing anything), and also love her cocktail rings, necklaces… okay, actually, I love it all. Don’t make me choose!
One of my favorite things about Kathleen’s jewelry is the story it all tells (you’ll know which type of bottle your jewelry is made from when ordering – just check out the handy guide!), and the way the light changes the colors of almost every single piece when it catches it… The beautiful amber rings glow, the bright blue pieces become even brighter. I love it. And so will your peeps.
7.) KateMaxStock
Alright, is this a shameless plug right here? Yes, yes, perhaps it is. Okay, it definitely is.
If you’re a small business owner, service provider or product based, KateMaxStock can be your secret life saver when it comes to your online marketing needs.
I don’t think I need to remind you of all the imagery that’s needed to market well these days – Instagram, Facebook, email newsletters, Pinterest, now TikTok (LAWDY!), your website and blogs… Tired yet?
The KMS styled stock images help small businesses instantly level up with high-quality, gorgeous photos. Just go ahead and join and stop searching for good images all the time, mmmkay? We’ve got you.
8.) The Purple Sage
Sandy, another, Bespoke Content Club member, makes me smile every time I think about her. Rocking the purple hair and inspiration behind her brand, she creates fun bath soaks (Bubbleaux!), lotions, and soaps out of her Louisiana studio.
Every time I open the door to the VHC studio, I’m hit with the best smell ever, and it’s 99% attributed to her line of products that are tucked away in their specific corner of the studio. Seriously, it all smells so good.
She’s got another fan favorite on this list, too… Michelle of MamaSuds loves her Bubbelaux, too!
Check out the different lines – Wisdom, Courage, etc., – and her available gift boxes, as well. We all need a little sage in our lives.
9.) Belle & Union Co.
B&U will always be on my gift list, any time, any day, any month, always.
Meg has curated the most beautiful gifting experience ever. If you’re local to San Antonio, you can experience it for yourself in her brick & mortar shop located in The Quarry. If you’re anywhere outside of San Antone, just scurry over to the B&U website where you can shop most everything online.
I personally love her hand-torn and letterpressed greeting cards, an art form in their own right, any of the candles she curates and carries, and her own notepads, following the same torn paper work of art.
If you’re in need of a hostess gift, her illustrated tea-towels couldn’t be any more perfect.
Shop Belle & Union Co – you’ll find so many little delights, I promise.
