I don’t get up on this soap box often. Usually this site is just for my thoughts and opinions of my own life: faith, relationships, grief, discernment. But I saw a post on Instagram this morning that made me want to say something else more. We talk a lot around the holidays about shopping and gifts. We have Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. It’s a lot. But to me I am thinking differently this year (honestly, Ive been thinking differently for much of 2020). Christmas for me will be different this year, I am committing myself to that. (And I put Christmas in quotes in the title because I recognize not everyone celebrates this holiday…but this applies to anyone making purchases for themselves or others over the next few months).

I commit to shopping local exclusively this Christmas. All of my gifts will be from small businesses in Indiana. I live and work in two different cities so I think it’s unfair to just say “Indianapolis”. I want to be intentional about supporting businesses that I love and that add to my community. I don’t want integral businesses to disappear. I want them to thrive. I want to be a part of the solution, I want to hold others up. I want our communities to remain strong and to remember we are a support for each other. Below I am dropping links to some of my favorite businesses, restaurants, and non-profits. Do with it what you will.

Restaurants

• Ash and Elm
• Cafe Patachou
• Coat Check Coffee
• First Watch
• Garden Table
• Ichiban
• Iron Skillet
• Revery
• Thai Recipes
• Wild Eggs

Small Businesses

• Crimson Tate
• Global Gifts
• Kids Ink
• Nashville Spice Company
• Salon Honey
• Silver in the City
• United State of Indiana
• Wild Olive

Non-Profits (Not all Local)

• Appalachia Service Project
• The Journey
• The Refuge
• Rippling Hope
• Tapestry Church
• Trinity Haven
• Your School District’s Education Foundation