Fa la la la la la la local for the holidays (and all year round)!
‘Tis the season as they say, and supporting a local Mom and Pop won’t make you say, “Bah Humbug!” Best of all, you’ll find some of the most perfect holiday gifts or stocking stuffers to give or receive. I asked a few local moms in business to showcase what they had to offer for my readers – and boy did they deliver by gifting me with some amazing items to share with you. So many wonderful small business to support and many will have my repeat business.
1) For the person who is alway uptight or just needs to be pampered. A perfect massage by KJ Heath and Wellness will do. Whether its a stocking stuffers or gift under the tree, this Certificate presented on its own is wonderful.
Best of all, your loved one will be able to unwind from the stress of the holidays and enjoy the many health benefits of a massage, including:
2) Juice Plus by Amy Murphy says eating your fruits and veggies never tasted so good! Did you know that Juice Plus has been published in more than 20 prestigious medical and scientific journals?
What is Juice Plus? I am so glad you asked because I was curious as well.
Juice Plus+ products are made from the juice powder concentrates and oils from 45 different fruits, vegetables and grains. While Juice Plus+ isn’t a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables, our whole food-based products support a healthy diet by offering a much wider variety of naturally occurring vitamins, along with antioxidants and phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables. Every Juice Plus+ product is made from quality ingredients grown farm fresh, providing the natural nutrients your body needs.
I mean who wouldn’t want the gift of good health this year? And as an added bonus, I was told that with every adult purchase, you receive Kids Gummies at no cost. Contact Amy for more information.
So guess what I got my hubby for Christmas? Shh! Don’t tell him!
3) Do the holidays have you going bananas? Well who says that has to be a bad thing? Rachael bakes and delivers fresh nut-free banana bread and bite-size buttercream frosted sugar cookies. Rachael operates under the Texas Cottage Food Law. Looking for something sweet this holiday season? She’s Gone Bananas has you covered.
Rachel has an amazing story, so let’s hear it in her own words:
“Ever since I was a child I’ve had a passion for food, cooking and making people happy. I am so passionate about it that I have a Bachelors Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. I have had the opportunity to work for some of the largest hotel and restaurant companies, such as Johnny Rockets, Marriott and Lettuce Entertain You. Fast forward to 2013 and we moved from Chicago to Dallas, Texas. Missing the comforts of home and family I baked a whole bunch of banana bread. I shared it with one of my friends and she said “Rachel, you need to sell this!” I shrugged it off, and continued to share. Over and over I heard the same thing. So, after multiple samples, taste tests and feedback I decided to take the leap. Now I am selling banana bread and following my passion. I hope one day to have my own little store front selling all sorts of sweet treats.”
4) Don’t forget about your fur babies this holiday season. Furry Chic Boutique specializes in cute holiday decor and pet supplies including stockings, toys and outfits to make sure your furry one will be in the holiday spirit. Best of all, these are all handmade. In addition to her website, she also has a space at the Lonestar Mercantile, so be sure to check it out.
Furry Chic Boutiques goal is to bring you the most fabulous accessories and goods for your pet. Whether your pet is big or small, cat or dog, they will find the perfect items for them to be pampered and spoiled!!! #JoyTheDog was certainly spoiled and she loved her football and fall gluten free cookies, hand made especially for her.
5) I’ll be home for the holidays, but you can bet that I’ll be spending some time planning my next trip, which I’ll be sure to book with Vincent Vacations Dallas. I am My husband is planning my surprise 40th birthday getaway to Italy. In aprox 13 months I will be the ripe golden age of 40. I wanted to spend it swimming in the Adriatica; my namesake. I’ll work with Vincent Vacations Dallas to develop the itinerary, and I promise my hubby that I’ll act surprised.
(A picture of the sea is boring, so here’s one of the Vatican)
Another reason to do business with Vincent Vacations Dallas is that the owner Leah supports a non-profit in our town. Its an organization that helps feed high risk kids when school is out, ensuring that they get three meals and one snack a day.
Anyone who gives back to her community is worth supporting. Should you feel inclined to help you can find out more info here; LovePacs Little Elm
6) Hosting or attending a holiday party? Need a hostess gift or a last minute gift idea? Instead of whining just wine! with Scout and Cellar! This is an amazing company, and Kristy took the time to share their story.
For example, did you know that Scout & Cellar offers clean-crafted wines from across the globe, produced with no added chemicals, pesticides or sugars? And best of all, because these wines are produced from naturally grown grapes, not only are they are healthier, but the low sulfites allows drinkers to enjoy a great tasting wine without the fear of a pre-dawn headache the following morning. Wine can be purchased online and delivered to your door. Buy a bottle- or buy a membership! Either way, experience wine like you never have before!
7) Thinking that the holiday season is for the dogs? Well you could be right. #JoyTheDog was gifted by Allen Dog Company, which is run by a 15 year old and an 8 year old (with some help from their mother). They are homeschooled, and the business is part of a business, economics, public speaking class project for them. Together, they make dog treats, upcycled dog toys ( made from t-shirts that the mom makes mistakes on from her screen printing business), and handcrafted dog beds, made by her husband and her son, who learns woodworking. What a terrific family experience – and what a great education they are receiving. WOW! Joy and I were impressed.
8) Have a sweet tooth? Who doesn’t??? WonderFulls has you covered from smile to tastebuds with custom cookies and more, plated with love and ready to present to your littles, or at holiday party, or for Santa himself. I am getting little personalized elves for my family and I can’t wait. They’ll even do custom orders – like the cookies they are making for me due to my son’s allergy to red dye. WonderFulls has been so wonderful to work with. The cookies look so delicious that we can’t wait to try them. This is the perfect treat for any holiday or event.
9) Holiday traditions create lasting memories for families, and Thoughtful Traditions can help. Thoughtful Traditions is a subscription box that cultivates traditions and a legacy of thoughtfulness. Each box contains items for you and your family create a craft, make a treat, read a book or deliver a gift. Chelsey does an amazing job in creating these boxes, and I can’t wait to get started on building memories with my family here in Texas, and watching my boys pass these traditions down to their family.
10) Recently I had to head out of town for a week which meant that I needed to manage the house from afar. Now I am not shaming my husband, but I needed to make sure I had meals ready for my family. My hubby works long days – sometimes 12 hours or more – and leaving him to prepare meals for himself and the boys had the potential of becoming a disaster, so I was super excited to hear about the Italian Cowboy Catering. They couldn’t wait to try the famous lasagna (pictured below) that put his business on the map.
That got them hooked, and not only did my children eat all the meals, so did my whole30 eating hubby. He especially loved the grilled chicken and spaghetti squash. Now my children keep asking me when I’m going out of town again. Of course I remind I them that I don’t have to go out of town to order fresh, delicious and affordable meals from Chef David.
Both my hubby and I are Italian, and we have struggled to find good Italian food during the year since we moved to Frisco, Texas, but the search is over. As my grandmother would said; Mangia!
11) Posh Pretzels of Frisco is all the crave! Have you checked them out yet? This business began when Kimberly donated desserts for a concession table at her daughter’s musical production. One of the flavors that was featured was the caramel wrapped pretzels designed to look like tiger tails. They were obviously a big hit, and Posh Pretzels of Frisco was born. Since then Kimberly a crew of 8 passionate posh pretzel professionals approve and/or suggest new flavors. Best part they get to taste test. I need to put in an application to become lucky number 9!
12) The gift of imagination never gets old! A book can take you anywhere you allow it. This next boss mom is Leslie. She is an independent consultant with Usborne Books & More. With all this technology its nice to give a gift that doesn’t require a charger, so let Leslie help you gift your children the gift of reading. They offer some of the most exciting, engaging and educational books on the market today, so let this be a page changer! I am super excited to see my children lose themselves in a world of reading.
13) Michelle is the owner and creator from Fresh From My Oven. From her oven to yours she specializes in creating delicious, quality baked goods from her commercial kitchen located in Gunter, Texas. From catering to special events, to delivering meals via their Casa-rolls! menu (Get it? Casa Rolls! LOL), they have you covered. Use them for your family meals, to deliver something to a sick friend, or to cater a full blown party. They are on a roll!
14) Not that I like to kiss and tell, but I do enjoy kissing my hubby under the mistletoe and LipSense lets me do that without smudging my perfectly placed lip color. My facebook page is; Getting Lippy with Moi. I am a LipSense girl because I believe in their products. I love to smile, and I love having color on my lips and not having to reapply every few hours. It makes me feel glamourous and I’d love to help you feel the same!
15) And finally, if I can throw in an extra bit of advice, Texas Monkey Business is hands down our favorite place to visit in McKinney (and probably Texas overall). They offer a wide variety of college and professional sports merchandise, along with toys and collectables. I can’t tell you how many Saturdays our boys have woken up and asked if we could go to visit “Mr. Jim” and their rooms are full of items that we’ve purchased there – all of which they cherish. The owners are among the kindest people we’ve ever known, so we are always happy to accommodate the boys by paying a visit. If you’re in the area, do yourself a favor and visit the store – and if you’re not then plan to make the trip. You won’t be disappointed.
So support our community by staying local for the holidays!
1 Comment
Always love your blog. I wish I didn’t have to maneuver my first 8 years here without it!