Day 7

If you’ve ever had Get More Organized or Plan Ahead as goals, this shop small challenge is for you. This is taking some serious planning!

Since the kids went back to school today, I tackled cleaning my whole house. Rarely is the whole house clean at once, so I feel a ridiculous (if not slightly pathetic) amount of satisfaction.

But, during the process I noticed many of my cleaning supplies are running low. I’m definitely a purist when it comes to cleaning: vinegar, tea tree oil, and Bon Ami do the trick for pretty much everything. But, even those items are running low (probably should have stocked up before the New Year!). I know Bon Ami is 89 cents at Target. But, that’s not an option. Where am I going to find it- hopefully for close to the same price? Hmmm.

Dinner ended up being “Tapas.” 4 giant scallops, 1/2 a bag of edemame, bacon & swiss dip (leftover bacon from Sunday morning), and gnocchi. Basically a “leftover” and “what the hell is in the freezer.” So, it’s not only cleaning basics but freezer essentials that need to be replenished.

My wallet had a reprieve today (sort of), my only purchase was gas. Per day 1, it’s an exception to the shop small rule since we have no independent gas stations. I avoid BP at all costs- so it was Shell.

Waiting for an exciting delivery- hope it comes tomorrow & it’s as cool as I think it will be so I can share!

Day 6

So this last day of winter break led us to a little family fun & me finding a very cool indie online store.

Apparently we weren’t the only family that decided on bowling today. We hit the local Pioneer Lanes for three games. It’s not fancy: they manually lift gutter bumpers, no fancy lights, but at $1 a game the place was packed ($1 beers probably helped too!).

I may be a little late to the game since I’m finally catching up on old magazines, but I found an article in December 2012 Entrepreneur about Fashioning Change. Californian, Adriana Herrera, started her site to help shoppers find eco-friendly alternatives to their favorite styles. Essentially, you answer a few questions: style preferences, average amount spent on given articles/accessories, personality traits, then it gives you alternative choices that are made by eco-conscious companies or independent designers/artists. The suggestions were spot-on with choices I would select. There’s even a “Wear This, Not That” page that compares chain store outfit (Banana Republic, Anthropologie, Ralph Lauren, etc.) with a comparable eco-aware designer. You’ll be amazed how they match up. I ordered an organic-cotton blouse that was under $30 ($8 shipping), can’t wait for it to arrive. Next step, finding local stores carrying these amazing indie brands.

Looking for suggestions: My 11-year-old needs some new clothes. Commiserating with parents of girls her same age, the selections are slim. Where are you shopping for daughters who can already wear your shoes and tops? They’ve outgrown “kids clothes” but aren’t ready for high school “teen apparel”. Most boutiques are too grown up, or too little girl, for this age group. Ideas?

Day 5

Okay, here’s something I probably should have thought of before.

What constitutes a small business?

The mom-pop shops & indie restaurants are obvious. But, since my small business is predominately online, internet based businesses aren’t ruled out. But, what’s the criteria?

I received an email from Shutterfly today offering free photo cards. Sounded appealing. But are they really a small business? Thanks, Lori, for the interesting Shutterfly article that sealed my decision.

So, here’s a new criteria I added, if it’s publically traded…it’s not small.

No free photo cards for me.

My wallet was happy today- $30- all day! Back to Salon Giovanni for my son’s haircut. It’s about $10 more for a kids cut with him than we paid a few times at Sports Clips. But, he needed a haircut every 5-6 weeks when we went there, his last cut at Giovanni’s lasted 3 months. Sounds like a win to me.

One more day before the kids head back to school. 18 days of 0 time without kids (minus one 10 minute drive to the rink). Any recommendations for a local massage therapist?!

Day 4…

Finally Friday!

The last weekend before the kids head back to school. To me, that means the official end of the holiday season. Time to bring some sort of order back to our lives.

A relatively low-key day today, but we still managed to support a few small businesses along the way.

First stop, a much-needed haircut. Giovanni at Salon Giovanni in our small downtown turned my tired locks (yeah, it’s been almost a year since my last haircut, oops!) silky & refreshed!

Next stop… a few doors down to our local library. Total disclaimer, I’m a library junkie. I would love the job of reshelving books- though they’d probably end up coming home with me instead of going on the shelves. For several years I’ve had a goal to read 50 books in one year. 47 is my high. Maybe this year. Hence the reason I love the library, I could never buy all of the books I read (though I do buy anything by Jen Lancaster, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and Jenny Lawson). I don’t know my credit card number, drivers license number, or my bank account number- but I do know my library card number!

Need to fix…We all have our vices, mine is Steaz Berry Energy Drink. I swear it is better than any vitamin supplement I’ve ever taken and I love the energy without jittery side-effects. Acai, green tea, and yerba mate, yum. It’s about a third of the price of Starbucks and it makes me “happy, happy, happy.” But, I forgot my delivery was coming from Amazon until it arrived on the porch. So, I need to cancel my “Subscribe & Save” and find someone else who carries it (besides Whole Foods/Paycheck too). Any ideas?

Which small shops are you supporting this weekend?

Day 3…

It isn’t often that I get one-on-one time with either of my kids. So, when it does happen, they tend to get a little spoiled.

Since my son was at hockey camp all day, my daughter had me to herself.

I promised at the start of winter break that she could get her ears double pierced. Today was the big day.

For the past couple days I searched for an independent store that does piercings, our local tatoo shop was the only option. My 11-year-old vehemently opposed. I offered to get another tat if she said yes, but even that wouldn’t persuade her.

Merle Norman it was. Did I break my shop small pledge already? Maybe? We did have to buy their earrings (they refused to use the ones she brought), but we didn’t buy any of the “special gifts” the sales lady tried to upsell. I think we made up for local shopping the rest of the day.

Time for lunch. Her choice? Sushi. We hit our favorite, Wild Tuna. Love that the owner, Susan, greeted us by name and asked where my son was. She could have placed our order for us: Godzilla & Snow Mountain maki, but I think she believes one day we’ll actually try something different. A little pricy for lunch, but so delicious, and a fabulous special mom/daughter lunch (though my son is going to be crazy jealous!).

Next stop, our town meat market, Tischlers. I’m not a big red meat eater, but needed a few dinner options & lunch meat/cheese for the start-up of school. Their pork chops are always delicious (2 are big enough for the four of us) and I like their commitment to quality, local- antibiotic and hormone-free meats. Deli meat & cheese was a little more expensive than our regular grocery store- but I bought a little less than I normally would- confident we’ll have less waste. Side note, their slogan cracks me up: Friends don’t let friends buy grocery store meat!

Next stop (and next door to the meat market) is my favorite produce shop: Peter Rubi’s. Unfortunately we don’t have year round farmers markets & I can’t go in my back yard for an avocado or orange, Peter Ruby’s is the next best thing. I love their wooden crate displays, old-fashion market feel, and amazingly fresh produce. Every item states where it’s from (many from midwest) and their prices are incredible. The owner, Brandon, is only 24 but incredibly knowledgeable & helpful with suggestions. Must be from working at farmstands as a teenager!

Although today was a relatively expensive day, I still think we did pretty well. Between the dairy delivery yesterday, and meat & produce markets today- I spent less than $100 on (hopefully) a weeks worth of groceries. I feel really good about what I bought & am even happier that even shopping with a kid in tow the only extras that went into my cart were a few additional apples and “love juice” (a blend of beets, carrots, & apples)- I think she was drawn to the color & name, fine with me!

Day 1

Several years ago I challenged myself to avoid buying anything made in China.

My kids were small (5 & 6) and news of toxins in toys and plates was prevalent. My challenge lasted 6 months until my son needed a new skateboarding helmet & one made in the States was nowhere to be found. So, safety won. And, I started shopping at Target again (I’m still dumbfounded that the majority of their products are made in China).

That experience eventually led to me opening my own company.

As a small business owner, I’m increasingly aware of our need to support the small mom & pop shops, especially in a town surrounded by chain restaurants & big box stores. So, I’ve created a new challenge for myself- 1 year of shopping small.

No more running out to Target for forgotten tape, kids are starving- no more Subway, I’m in need of a coffee fix- sorry Starbucks- not this year.

There are a few exceptions, though…

1- Gas. If you’ve heard of a non-chain gas station- let me know!
2- Contact Solution. I’m one of the few people in the world who still wears gas permeable contacts- I’m lucky anywhere I can find it!
3- Invites. If someone is kind enough to take me to dinner, I certainly won’t dictate the plans.
4- Trader Joes. No produce, deli, meat, or seafood- just occasional basics.
5- My husband. Considering I do 90% of the household shopping, and it is my challenge, I’ll ignore what he picks up for himself.

So, we’ll see how this challenge goes. We’ll see if shopping small in the suburbs can last a full year, rather than just one day in November. I’ll keep you posted on great small stores I find, let me know your favorites too.