Nessa D

Hey y’all!

Well it’s so hard to believe that we are in December. In fact, in a couple of weeks will be the new year! Honestly, this year has flown by so fast that I can’t believe it. So much has happened. 2020 has honestly been on hell of a ride with lots of uncertainty. Alot of people have lost their jobs and small businesses are being affeted big time.

I have decided to compile a list of small businesses that you can support. I’m not really compiling this list for Christmas (I mean, Christmas, at the time I’m writing this, is next Friday). I’m doing this list because I want to help support these businesses. Alot of the businesses that I will list are women owned. In fact, the majority of those listed ae owned by women. Only one is owned by males.

This is just a fraction of the amounts of places you can shop from but this list is a start. From jewelry to desserts to clothes and teacher gifts to cards to candles…there’s a (though small) variety to choose from! They’re not paying me for this at all (in fact, I doubt they even know about this post ha ha). These are just brands that I know, trust, and love. Hopefully you’ll order from them and love them too! Some are brands that I’ve mentioned before on my blog; others are just ones that I just love. Again, don’t just shop for the holidays, shop all year long and support these small businesses.

Teacher Gifts

• Berteau & Co. – Y’all know how much I love this brand. If you don’t, check out my post here. This brand is owned by a married couple down in Texas (one is a dentist, the other is a former teacher), Jose Cortez and Shawn Peck. This shop offers lots of treats for teachers like shirts, planners, teacher totes and much more! As of this year, they started offering planners for people who aren’t teachers. Honestly, I use their Go-Planner for blogging and it’s simplified my life. Right now, they have an insane sale. Their planners are sold out at the moment but they are their most popular products. They offer something for every budget. There’s no gift too small for that teacher in your life (or if you’re a teacher like me, get yourself a little something.) As mentioned, I love my go planner and I love my teacher planner and the stickers. You or the teacher in your life will love what they have to offer. They ship to 48 states and internationally.
• East Nash Teacher – I love the teacher tees she offers. She is a teacher herself so this is a side hustle for her (you know us teachers don’t make that much). Technically, you don’t have to be a teacher to enjoy these shirts. I mean here and there she has teacher specific apparel but for the most part anyone can wear her shirts. I have the “Mental Health Matters” shirt which I love wearing. Each time I wear it, I get compliments. Right now, prices for shirts and sweatshirts range from $16 to $25. The cool thing about her is that if she notices something wrong with your order, she’ll replace it free of charge. She currently ships nationwide.
• MissFairchildCreates – Megan is an English teacher as well. Her shop is on Etsy! She not only sells apparel but also stickers, key chains, and pins as well. She is very passionate for social justice and a lot of her products reflects that! She also have some teacher themed stickers as well but lots of fandom gear!I first started out by buying some stickers from her (they were Harry Potter themed of course). Her shop opens for a limited time throughout the year (in fact right now it’s on a break) so every time her shop would open and I wanted a shirt, either it was sold out or I didn’t have the money for it. My most recent purchase, I paid $35 for it and man was it worth it! I got a surprise book with it and a couple of stickers as well. You can follow her on Instagram @missfairchildcreates to stay up to date on when she opens up shop! I know for a fact she ships nationally.
• The Cutesy Class – I love this shop. Brittanie offers lots of options for everyone. She is also a teacher, she teaches elementary. She offers shirts, mugs, pillows and hats that range from $21 – $42. A lot are teaching specific but again, some are for the generally public. I got my super cute “Teacher & Cat Mom” shirt from her (I really appreciate her fur mom merch). Her shirts run true to size. The styles are super feminine. She also sells Young Living Essential Oils, so if essential oils are your jam, she’s your girl! She used to sell outfits like rompers and dresses. Who knows when she’ll bring those back. She does ship within the U.S.

Sweet

• Better Than Your Mother’s – BTYM offers a luxury dining experience. These cookies are beautiful and super delicious. Personally, I went to high school with the owner, Inam Kawa. She is a strong independent Arab-American. Her cookies have been loved by celebs and regular folks alike. She lives in both Miami and in New York, so depending on the time of year, is where you can order from as she ships locally. At the time of this blog’s release, she’s in New York City. Recently, she’s collaborated with local New York City restaurants to create the ultimate takeout experience, which has lately been sold out. Y’all…her stuff is just that good. Her prices range from $10 for a box of 10 cookies to $96 for the ultimate fine dining experience. Check out her site and if you’re local, consider ordering a few boxes for yourself or for your loved ones. Tell her Lola sent you. My favorite that she has is the King Jorge Remix, which is currently sold out unfortunately. Again, she’s just that good.
• Berrydise – Okay, so y’all know I’m all about super cute finds! Berrydise offers some beautiful strawberries and I mean beautiful. The unicorn one is sooo cute! When I get married, I’ll book them for catering because their Tiffany’s box (I mean duh) is just that cute! They offer delivery and pick up services in Miami, Fl, so if you’re a local South Florida resident, you should make your way over and pick up some strawberries. Right now, they have a Christmas box for $6 for 12 strawberries and a Hanukkah box for $20. Prices range from $20 to $73 for boxes. I believe at their pop up shops, you can order one at a time. Be sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on their pop up locations!

Jewelry

• Taudrey – Of course I couldn’t leave Taudrey off this list. I found this brand from style blogger Kelly Saks. I’ve known her since high school and have been following her for years so I trust her when she promotes a brand that seems like would be my style (she’s a fellow Libra too btw). Anyway, she works with the Miami-based brand and even have collaborations with them. I have personally bought a couple of pieces from them, my love hoop earrings and a lovely dainty bracelet. They have pieces for special occasions and for everyday wear. It’s all made on site and they package it and deliver in such beautiful package. It’s handcrafted with love. They have items ranging between $25 to $428 so that’s a pretty big range for various budgets. What’s also cool is that if an item breaks within a year of you purchasing, they will fix it for a fee of $15, instead of you buying a whole new item, unless it’s broken beyond repair. If thats the case you can repurchase that item at 50% off! Psst…if you join my troop, we both get awesome deals and swag! To join, click here. They do ship nationwide!
• Shop the WM – I’ve bought a couple of pieces from this brand. This brand is of Mariel Swan and Whitney Dillon, bestfriend duo and wives of NASCAR drivers Austin Dillon and Paul Swan. Again, the pieces can be worn everyday or for special occasions. I bought their everyday hoop which are sort of big but I’m not sure if its because I’m so small but like they’re totally cute to wear all the time. I also got their “Whit to my Mariel” necklace which I wore everyday until it broke lol. I loved it! Their collections are just amazing and the brand exudes luxury. Their goal is to make everybody feel like somebody and I just love that. They are women of faith so of course that’s a plus for me! Their prices range from $35 to $120. They do ship internationally!
• Published_Clay – This shop is from a fellow teacher! Her name is Meg and she started making jewelry to help fund her classroom library and to give to students who may not have access to books at home, which is definitely a cause I stand behind. The earrings have very unique names (she even has a pair named after and arrive with library checkout cards! She makes clay earrings and recently she also started adding pins to her collection. They are beautiful. She sells on Etsy usually but if you’re in the Tampa area, she sells them at markets outside. Her prices for earrings are around $13-$16, which isn’t bad at all! The thing is, from time to time, her shop does go on break (it just opened back up today). To stay up to date on when her shop is open, just give her a follow on Instagram @published_clay! She does ship nationwide!

Miscellaneous

• ForThaMasses – This one right here is really special for me because it is my very best friend in the whole world, Nkem Isi-Warner. She specializes in lettering (so if you’re in the Knoxville area and need her for your services, hit her up!). She sells on Etsy as well and she is almost done with her first book on how to start lettering yourself (I’m so proud of her)! Anyway, she sells her handmade prints for $12 and they are beautiful and inspiring (I look at mine daily as a reminder to keep going). She puts love behind everything that she does. If you have a special request, I’m sure she would be happy to help you out with your needs and services. These items ship nationwide.
• Lublu Scents – This brand offers coconut soy scented candles. The owner, Emilee, is a young woman from south Florida. I found her brand from my other bff, Karina. They went to school together. She bought a couple of them and when I went to visit her for Thanksgiving, I fell in love. My favorite scent is “Sleigh the Day” which literally smells like Christmas. The names of the candles are so fun and cheeky. For example, one of her holiday scents is called “Santa’s Favorite Ho” and another one is called “JollyAF” (which…c’mon!).I bought two of them and gave them out as gifts. When you order her candles, she sends a sample scented candle with it as well. I am telling you, they smell amazing, okay? I seriously am a sucker for candles and if you are too, you’ll love these scents. They are ethically made. Her prices range from $18-$22 (on clearance, her prices go as low as $15). They ship within the U.S. except for Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Personal Development

• Sarah Ordo – One of my faves, I mean I just love her. She is a badass business babe and now a mom to be. She has lots of merch and books and courses. I’ve bought a lot of her books. She has a podcast, mastermind course, writing masterminds, and much more. Her books and workbooks can be bought on Amazon and they range from $14- $20 and they are totally worth it. She’s sober so if you or anyone in your life is newly sober, they will benefit from several of her books and workbooks. Now depending on your budget, she has a variety of courses to choose from. For example, I’ve taken several of her courses and I loved them all. My favorite of course are the writing and self-publishing courses, which are both $50. Her courses range from as little as $13 and can cost as much as $1,495. Her merch (which includes mugs, shirts, pillows, and Pullovers) can range from $5-$37, so again depending on your budget, you can find anything for yourself or as a gift to someone. Also, if you’re in the Detroit area, she’s recently opened up the beauty bar (they have been booked and busy since opening), which is the flagship of her business, 24Luxe Hair & Makeup. She does ship internationally.
• Cara Alwill – She is just the queen to me. I first found her from Adrienne Bosh’s Instagram and I have fallen in love ever since. She planted the seed to my self-improvement journey. I started out by reading her earlier books like “The Champagne Diet” and “Sparkle”. I love her podcast and I love the fact that no matter your budget, you can either work with her in one way shape or form or buy any of her products. First of all, she is the author of 9 books, including her best-seller, “Girl Code”. She also has digital workbooks for women who want to raise the bar in their life and business at the affordable price of $22. She also has a boutique called Dagmar Rose Vintage, which is where she sells specially curated items exclusively. Generally, once she sells out of something, like that’s it! Prices for these items will run you anywhere from $60-$350. She has recently opened up her Girl On Fire Mastermind and a select women can work more one on one with her for an investment of $2,500. If that’s way out of your budget (which I totally get), she has a group that she meets with for $19 a month called the Girl On Fire Collective, which offers virtual meet-ups and exclusivities like workbooks, 3 live calls a month, special guest speakers, and a private Facebook group. She ships internationally.
• The Pink Pill – I found out about Christelyn Karazin from my aunt because she knew that I was interested in dating interracially. I love her message. It’s for black women who want to level up in life and snag a high value man in the process. I loved her book “Swirling” and I’ve purchased two of her courses “Online Dating: Decoded” and “Beyond Black & White Lifestyle”. Right now, she’s running a special of where if you buy a course, you can give a course of equal or lesser value to a friend, which I think is pretty awesome. Her message is for any woman from a young girl in college to an older adult in her 40’s and 50’s. She offers courses that range from $20-$999.

I hope that this list will help you discover new stores and services to choose from. Only two of the businesses listed sells to local buyers but the rest are nationwide and can ship international as well! What are some of your favorite small businesses? Give them a shoutout and let’s help some folks out.

Hope you all are safe and well!

XOXO,

LolaDasher