I can scarcely believe that we are creeping into December… I think we can all agree that 2020 hasn’t been a great year! Save for a few notable events for us, personally, the year has been arduous and one to forget.
We are firmly into Christmas mode here now, and despite my usual desire to stem the excitement so it becomes more manageable with the children, I have admitted that we need to have something fun so it’s full steam ahead to Christmas here for us.
I am quite pleased that I have most of the Christmas gift shopping completed now, save for a few small items and a couple of family gifts. We also have a couple of birthdays around the November, December and January time so I also have an eye on there.
Whilst we know that the opportunity to shop at local businesses has been reduced, it doesn’t mean we have to resort to a certain online retailer for all our Christmas gift shopping. I’ve shared here in this post a selection of independent online shops that I have either personally shopped with or have long admired their work.
First up is my lovely friend’s business. I have written before about my Love of Neal’s Yard Remedies products, having been introduced to them by my friend, Tracey. She has been fabulous over lockdowns organising online pamper parties and the such, and I’ve purchased some Christmas gifts from her this year too. If you’re local to Tracey (she’s in Bury, Greater Manchester) she can deliver to you – and will even wrap the items beautifully, You can shop with Tracey via her site here.
I love the bath salts from Neals Yard and the aromatic range smells lovely. It’s a real treat using these products and it’s become a staple of my Saturday evenings to have a long hot soak in the bath with these products.
An online maker that I’ve long admired is The Mountain and Me. I first saw her work at Levenshulme market a few years ago, and the items look fab. I really like her necklaces and I very nearly bought one a few years back. There are some beautiful hand-painted earrings (the bird ones are stunning) and the brooches are beautiful. How gorgeous is this fox one below? I love this and the bird ones too. Guaranteed to brighten an outfit!
Another Etsy store that I came across recently is Alyesas World. I ordered a Starfell inspired pin badge for Em from here and look forward to it arriving. The pin badges are beautifully made and are a nice thoughtful and unusual gift for a bookish friend.
If you’re looking for an item of clothing I can recommend Clare over at The Princess and The Frock. Friends will know that H lives almost exclusively in the leggings Clare makes and I have a matching sweater for one pair of leggings. I’ve just placed my latest order with Clare for two new leggings for Christmas for H and a matching sweater for me. The material used are vibrant and lots of fab designs. Clare has even custom made to my children’s sizing in the past.
H absolutely loves his leggings and I can’t wait to see his face when he realises that his new hedgehog leggings at Christmas will match my new sweater! I’m happy to twin with him, whilst he still thinks it’s cool!
And finally, for a crafty type gift then checking out Hawthorn Handmade. I love their embroidery kits and have my eye on the lovely robin embroidery kit. The kits are really good quality and contain everything you need. They’re great for beginners and below is an image of my own first embroidery project using a Hawthorn Handmade Kit.
Are there any other independent traders that you can recommend? Leave me a comment or get in touch on social media.
