Holiday Shopping with Heart Challenge

I know! I know! Halloween has not yet arrived and I'm talking about the holidays. However, experience tells me to start early-especially if you are holiday shopping with heart.

Every year I challenge myself when it comes to the holiday shopping, gift giving, and season of cheer. I'm one of those people who LOVE giving gifts and often struggle with keeping them secret until the day of. It's actually genetic, my Mom is the same way!

I try my best to be conscious with my purchases. I do this year round but the holidays are especially hard. It is easy to shop for the big ticket items and big box retailers like Walmart but those dollars don't always keep giving. So, I present to you holiday shopping with heart.

I have made some modifications to my goals and came up with a new guide to share with you all. I grade myself on percentage of items bought that fall within the following categories. So If I bought 12 items total and 6 of them fit then I got a 50%. I have graded myself on amount spent in the past but the Made with Love category skews that number. My goal this year is 85% of my purchases being in these categories.

Holiday Shopping with Heart Categories:

Made with Love

Gifts made for someone you love are always well received. I use my talents to make gifts for family and friends on a regular basis and will always prefer to do so. I plan on doing a love of made with love gifts this year.

Get crafty and make jewelry, home decor, embellish picture frames, custom portraits, art, ornaments, themed photographs of family, mini scrapbooks of memories, wreaths...there are many things you can make that will be special. You can even upcycle materials! Got a dress with beading that needs to be retired? Take the beads off to use in jewelry. Pinterest is a great resource for ideas.

In this category you may buy supplies from major retailers. This category may also be budget friendly if you make gifts in bulk with design variations or use coupons.

Shop Small

I can't stress the importance of this category enough. When you buy from a small business you could be putting food on the table for a family, even pay for their kid's dance lessons, and keep business in your neighborhood.

If the small business you shop with is local EVEN BETTER. An easy way to shop in this category is to use Etsy and to visit surrounding towns in your area, browse boutiques, and buy gift cards from local mom-and-pop restaurants.

Some personal favorites of mine are:

Rare Bath and Body: Buffalo Based and on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/shop/RareBathandBody

End of the Road Boutique: Lewiston, NY
https://www.facebook.com/TheEndOfTheRoadBoutique/

Shoppe on Main: Newfane, NY (Support Yours Truly)
https://www.facebook.com/Shoppe-On-Main-167891739894020/?fref=ts

Cheri Amour: Lewiston, NY
http://www.cheriamourgifts.com/

There is the Black Friday madness at all the big box stores. Then there is Small Business Saturday in the same weekend. This year it is November 26th, 2016. A lot of small business will participate and offer discounts. With sites like Etsy you may get twice the opportunity because some will also participate in Cyber Monday.

Made in the USA

In a market flooded with tags reading "Made in China" it can be tough to find products made in the USA. There is the actual Made in America store to shop with and then there are companies that are based in the USA and handle their production here as well.

A personal favorite for my family is Yankee Candle. Companies like Lush, Crayola, Harley Davidson, Kitchenaid, and Burt's Bees area also great places to buy from to achieve this category.

For more info check out these links:
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8153-brands-made-in-america.html

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/18/ng-brands-that-are-made-in-america.html?slide=1

Proceeds to Charity Products

When shopping pay attention to products that give a percentage of proceeds to charity. Sometimes big brands that are cosmetics, apparel, and sports gear may have products that do this.

A famous product is Charity Pot first introduced by lush in 2007. 100% of proceeds benefit a variety of charities.

http://www.lushusa.com/article_charitable-giving-at-lush.html

Another company that comes to mind with special cause products is Avon. I know they have several items all year long that benefit certain organizations. Shopping with a consultant also helps get that Shop Small goal done too.

Donate in Honor

There is always that friend or relative that may have everything. What do you give, another trinket that collects dust?

Someone on your gift list may love a donation to an organization or charity that means something to them in lieu of a gift. You can write a little note letting them know you made the donation and have it wrapped in a box like any other gift.

The moment of realization on their face may make your heart swell a little. Not gonna lie. Your heart may grow 3 sizes in one day.

We donated in honor of a family member to Niagara Hospice in the past. It was emotional and perfect.

I was dismayed to not use Amazon but learned a little life hack today. I checked it out and it seemed legit. Someone can let me know if it is as awesome as it sounds. 

If you would like to support this small business artisan, please see my contact me page for pet portraits. I have only 1 to complete by Christmas so the waiting time is short. 

http://wildatheartillustration.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

Also, feel free to contact me through Facebook or email if you would like a stamp piece made with your favorite breed or different animal. With enough notice I can make it happen. They are $18 custom if I have to special order an individual stamp. Otherwise, they are $12 each.

There are many ways to make the holidays happy and full of heart. I hope that this post has inspired someone out there to try it out. Wish me luck on my goal of 85%!!! I will write up my report after Christmas. Until then, happy shopping!