Gift Giving Guide 2020 Vol. 1 - Shop Small!

With the Thanksgiving holiday officially over, everyone now is in full holiday shopping mode as we countdown the final days to the various upcoming holiday’s and the New Year.

This year, I am putting together lists for all of you with gift ideas that would be a fit for just about anyone in your life. With tomorrow being “Small Business Saturday” today’s list is full of small businesses that you can support as you do your holiday shopping this season who offer amazing products that I have given as gifts myself over the last couple of years.

This is my favorite time of year because I thoroughly enjoy spending hours browsing the internet or window shopping in stores to find the perfect gifts for my friends and family. I love coming across that one item that you would have never thought to buy, but know it will make the best gift for someone special that you’re shopping for.

Although holiday shopping and the way we are spending our holiday’s with family and friends looks a little different this year, many are still planning on doing something or giving someone a special gift this season. This year, I want to help my follower’s out, so I am putting together lists with all of my favorite finds and personalized gifts just for you! Each list will encompass something different; tech gifts, stocking stuffers, skincare/beauty products, small businesses, and more. Today’s list is focused specifically on small businesses in support of Small Business Saturday taking place tomorrow November 28th. One of these items is guaranteed to make a perfect gift for someone on your list, but if not, that’s OK! Hopefully it spurred an idea for a gift for someone, or maybe one of my other lists will have exactly what you’re looking for. Happy Shopping!

My Favorite Small Business Shops

1.) Knasty Knits - Etsy Shop - New Gloucester, ME. I linked this shop in last year’s blog post, and I am linking it again, mainly because I am obsessed with their hats. This shop had a booth at the Fryeburg Fair in 2019 and I purchased a hat from them at the fair and was so in love, I purchased a second one afterwards from their online shop. The material is soft, they keep your head and ears warm, and they wear and wash well. They have a ton of styles to choose from and various sizes in all of the styles, along with knit scarves and shawls to shop from too. All of their items are named after towns in Maine which is pretty cool too!

2.) Devin Michaels - Etsy Shop - Salt Lake City, Utah. This shop specializes in making jewelry, but specifically Morse Code jewelry. I received my first item from them as a gift from one of my best friends after I had brain surgery that said “You Got This” in Morse Code. When my neurosurgery nurse practitioner of two years told me she was leaving the practice and moving out of the area, I decided to put together a small “thank you” package (she’s seen me through a LOT) and purchased one of these necklaces. The quality is great, and the options are endless for what you want your necklace to say. Definitely a great gift idea for a nurses, teachers, moms, grandmothers, friends, etc.

3.) Veronica Holiday Skin - Etsy Shop - Bridgton, ME. Not going to lie, but I have tried a TON of body scrubs over the years and none of them really left my skin feeling great. A lot of times it did a great job of getting rid of dead skin, but my skin was left irritated, red, and dried out requiring me to use a lot of lotion when I got out of the shower. Enter - Veronica Holiday’s body scrubs - and it was a game changer. With all essential oils and good for your skin ingredients, this scrub changed the game. I will use this in the shower as an all over body scrub to exfoliate and moisturize my skin. The oils used leave my skin feel supple, soft, smooth, and hydrated. There are a variety of fragrances to choose from, and you get a solid amount of product for the price you pay. Not to be bias, but these are actually my mom’s scrubs too!

4.) Mugsby - Etsy Shop - San Marcos, TX. This shop specializes in personalized goodies from mugs, glasses, cosmetic bags, etc. I purchased a customizable bag from here as part of the gift for my nurse practitioner. The order shipped to me quickly, the options were really pretty, and when the bag arrived I was blown away by how great the quality was. The bag I ordered had a silky lining to it, was a nice canvas material, and the printed customization on the front was true to the colors and style you saw on the computer, no gimmicks! I loved the bag, and this is a gift that will be great for those young pre-teens, teenagers in your life who are just starting to use make-up or carry around personal hygiene items, for your bridesmaids if you are getting married, or for a friend who is always on the go and needs something chic but functional to carry their personal belongings with them.

5.) PNWCustomGifts - Etsy Shop - Bellingham, WA: My brother and I went in on a gift for my dad for Father’s Day this past spring and ordered him a personalized cutting board from this shop. My dad really enjoys cooking and had mentioned that he didn’t have any good cutting boards or enough cutting boards for grilling and cooking in the kitchen. The shop was really easy to communicate with, they proofed everything and sent it to us to finalize before it went into production. They were quick with their responses, putting it into production, and shipping it out. When we got the gift and I packed it up to give to my dad I was blown away by the quality, it was an incredible cutting board and better than anything I would have bought in a store. Oh, and dad really loved it too! Definitely a great gift for that guy in your life. This shop specifically does customized cutting boards or wood ornaments - but they are all amazing quality gifts.

6.) DaniqueTrends - Etsy Shop - Boston, MA. I ordered a friend a personalized leather key ring as a gift from this shop. They were transitioning jobs and had been a part of my support system at work while I was facing my health challenges. Since this person is constantly on the go and would be in their new position as well, I felt a key ring was a good gift idea to carry around all of their important keys and other items with them. Of course, I got this one customized with their initials and a quote that they used to say all the time. The shop was really great with responding to any inquiries I had, and again, the quality of the product when I received it was outstanding. This is a great gift idea for moms, dads, college students, etc. who are constantly lugging around tons of keys, ID cards, etc.

7.) LKClays - Instagram Shop - Boston, MA. Shameless plug for my sister, but her stuff is pretty cool! She makes clay earrings and clay and metal beaded earrings in a variety of colors, styles, and shapes. I’m still waiting for the pair she made me, but apparently they are a Christmas gift - so I have to wait…patiently! She takes her orders through DM’s on her shop’s Instagram. I’ve linked her Instagram page below. Definitely take a peak if you have a friend or family member who likes jewelry!

8.) Renys Department Store - Maine Based company: This is for my Maine followers! This store literally has something for everyone. While they have some items available to order on their website from local Maine vendors, you really need to shop in store to get the full experience. I always find great stocking stuffers or last minute gift finds for my friends and family here. Specifically, their selection of wool socks is incredible. My siblings and I, being that we live in Maine, wear wool socks often in the winter when it gets below freezing. Their variety is endless and their price points hit the mark for everyone, from $2.99 and up. They also have toys, games, candles, Maine Made gift ideas like mugs, keychains, etc. And if you have a guy or gal who likes Carhartt, then this is the place to go. The options are endless here when it comes to finding that perfect gift for someone on your shopping list. Website link is below where you can shop what’s available from their local Maine vendors online, and find a Maine store nearest you!

While this is only a small sampling of different gift ideas, I am hoping that you find something for someone or EVERYONE on your list through the shops I’ve linked today. Many of the links are right to the item that I ordered, but feel free to browse around their website and see what else they have to offer that might be a better fit for that certain someone you are shopping for. Again, these are all US Based Etsy shops or stores, so you’re supporting someone’s small business no matter where you are shopping from!

Have a favorite item that you have ordered off Etsy as a gift? Please feel free to drop a comment below and share the Etsy shop link in your comments! Happy Small Business Saturday and happy shopping everyone!