It’s that time of year friends! If you’re like me you always scramble to come up with gifts for friends and family they will actually love! Kids are the easiest to shop for, in my opinion, they love virtually anything wrapped with a bow. This year you’ll see more focus on supporting small businesses due to the pandemic. Small businesses make up our communities and are always there for us supporting sports leagues, charities, festivals, and the like – so I’m going to show up for them this year and I hope you’ll consider supporting them as well.
Now, this doesn’t mean I won’t shop Amazon and other major retailers too, but just want to give extra love to those small businesses. If you do shop on Amazon, try to support the small business vendors on there.
I’ll start with some local Chicago shops and virtual small businesses I love. Then I’ll share some other fun finds!
Building Blocks Chicago is one of our favorite local stores. Building Blocks Toy Store offers a great selection of well-curated toys, books, and products for kids and adults to bring play into their lives. They take pride in their play expertise and their joy in serving their customers to the highest satisfaction. They also gift wrap if you’d like and offer curbside pick up. We’ve been shopping here for years and they are the best. Some our favorites are:
Let’s move on to another favorite shop of mine. This one is virtual and ships anywhere! Fashion X Faith. Fashion X Faith started with a mission to inspire kids to express their faith and share a message of love and hope through what they wear. They have some amazing deals AND are giving back this season. Check out their website to see more. Below are some of my fave!
Looking for something homemade? I love Maddie & Me. Kelley, the creator, started her business in 2015 and creates handmade bow ties, girls’ bows, and facemasks. Check out her site for all these cute custom made items.
Next up, if you love subscription boxes for the kids, Green Explorers Club is AH-MAZING! Green Explorers Club teaches kids the tools of sustainability while building a healthy curiosity for life sciences and the environment. They explore sustainability through hands-on experiments and activities that demonstrate the importance of taking care of our planet.
Last up for some local love:
Kido Chicago South Loop. Ships and offers curbside pick up too! Here are some finds:
Timeless Toys Only for Chicagoans. Located in Lincoln Park area. Ships locally and has curbside pick up. Here are some finds:
The Red Balloon Chicago Located in Roscoe Village / Lakeview area. Such a darling boutique with the cutest offerings. Chicago’s go-to source for a wide selection of high-quality, specialty children’s clothing, books, toys, and gifts. How cute are these outfits?
On to some favorite picks for older kiddos. Here are some great gift ideas from Target and Amazon. Scroll and click on the pictures for the link.
Here’s to a seamless holiday shopping season! My next guide is for the women in your life (or for yourself). See you on the next post!
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