If I can be vulnerable here for a second, I have an admission to make – I retired from Black Friday. True story, you can read about it here, but the bottom line is that I wound up face down in a box of generic snuggies contemplating my life choices. I decided that being assaulted for a knock off As Seen on TV item in a popular hardware store (you can save BIG money there) was not my idea of holiday spirit. It was then that I decided to retire from any in person Black Friday shopping.
In the meantime, I have shifted my focus to Small Business Saturday. I’m a big fan of local shops and businesses – and while some are bigger than others, I put together a short list of three fun ones to visit.
My Happy Pak: Bring on the Happy
In full disclosure, I am a partner with My Happy Pak, but let me explain to you what it is and why. Some of my happiest moments in college were visiting the mailroom and finding out that I had received a package. The cool thing about these packages was that 1. someone remembered me and 2. it was usually personalized in some way. Once you become a “grown-up” these occasions become fewer and far between. My Happy Pak is a local business run by two mothers (both named Karen) who want people to share and experience the fun of getting that care package in the mail. As a happy bonus they are donating a portion of all November sales to Gleaners’ Food Bank. They have an assortment of options from a personalized box to themed boxes. Check out their story and order up some happy for someone – https://happypak.com/pages/about-us
Clothes with a Cause
What could be better than shopping a trendy and fun local boutique? What if I told you that 100% of their profits go to a cause? That’s right, Clothes with a Cause is an online and physical clothing boutique that donates their profits to a different cause each month. For all of November, their money goes to Gleaners’ Food Bank. They offer a myriad of items from stickers and hats to wine, sweaters, mugs, scrunchies, and much much more. Check them out online here or visit their store in person at Clay Terrace.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
This a local business that means a lot to our community and to me personally. In many ways, TCIM introduced me into fatherhood. It was (and still is) a safe place for exploration, growth, and discovery. One of the first things that I trumpet to people considering visiting Indy is that we have the world’s largest and coolest children’s museum. If you are considering purchasing a membership for your family or for another family, Saturday will be the best day to do so. My friends at TCIM have given me a link and code for you to use to get the best discount. This code is the best rate they offer ever and it is only good for ONE day (Small Business Saturday) At checkout please use this code: SBSCREED
How about a bonus one?
Gleaners. Yep, this last one is a charitable one. This year has been hard for a lot of people. If you are able, any contribution would be appreciated. If you don’t know much about Gleaners’ Food Bank, please take the time to check out their website https://www.gleaners.org/. Gleaners serves 21 different counties in Indiana and for every dollar that you donate they are able to serve 5 meals. They provide over 5.8 million meals each year.
What Would You Add
I would like local businesses to continue to get attention even after Small Business Saturday. As I mentioned, I offered a very short list – intentionally. I would love to hear from you – what are some of your favorite family friendly small/local businesses? Email me at [email protected] . Thanks for reading. Be safe and healthy.
