A Little Holiday Shopping

Michael and I had our engagement photos taken this weekend and for the life of me I could not decide on what to wear. It was a super silly, basic problem to have. I can honestly say it was harder than choosing my wedding dress. I think it was because there were more options and combinations and colors, etc. Whatever the reason, and with all of the Pinterest suggestions, it was quite the challenge.

When I finally did decide on our outfits, there were a few finishing pieces I wanted to find, so the Wednesday before Thanksgiving I ventured out for some shopping. I am not a fan of Black Friday and try to avoid it at all costs, but Wednesday was a day off of work, had a lot of the same sales and less of the crowds.

I'll be sure to share the official photos and outfits once we have them, but for now I thought it would be fun to share some of the cute things I stumbled across while browsing. There are so many cute holiday pieces out!

The earring selection this year has been right up my alley. There are a ton of great dainty options along with a few gorgeous statement pieces.

I am a dress girl through and through and LOVE picking a stylish outfit for Christmas day or a holiday party. Pair any of these beauties with a pair of black tights and you have a super chic look. (Plus, I am convinced that dresses with tights are warmer than pants and top.)
And what completes a holiday look better than a beautiful pair of shoes? Whether sparkly, velvet, plaid or plain, there are so many ways to elevate your look.

I sincerely enjoyed browsing through the winter goodies available and hope you get some outfit inspiration if the cold weather is getting you down.

The gloomier the day, the more reason to dress it up!

What's your favorite find this season? I'd love to know!

Peace,
Sarah

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Small Business Saturday Guide

Y'all, I am not a fan of Black Friday. If shopping the day after Thanksgiving is your jam, that's fine, but between the crazy lines in stores and the fleeting carts online, I just can't get into it.

I much prefer the lesser known Small Business Saturday, where you have the opportunity to support small and local businesses as opposed to the typical big-box retail. I posted about it back when I first heard about it in 2015.

This year I'm shopping small online with some of my favorite Etsy shops and other businesses that I love and I thought I'd share some of my favorite items here - many of them are running special sales today only!

Blessed Is She

Many of you know that I am a devotion writer over at Blessed Is She and that this ministry holds a dear place in my heart. BIS centers on creating intentional community among Catholic Women, and also focuses on the goodness of beauty - thus sharing some AMAZING products that would make wonderful Christmas gifts.

Blessed is She is running some great flash sales throughout the day, including 30% off of their 2018 Liturgical Planner if you order between 5 and 6pm EST. I already have my copy and cannot wait to dive come January!

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A Meaningful Holiday Gift Guide

Can you believe there are only 6 days until Christmas?! That's right, 6. Less than a week! And if you're anything like me, you probably still have a lot that needs to get done.

A few of my friends from college organized a challenge through The Living Person inviting everyone to have all of their shopping and wrapping done 10 days before Christmas in order to be present during the holiday. But between traveling home to Ohio and finals week, there was no way I was going to have it done. Plus, the majority of my gifts are cards with IOU's (the classiest of course) until I get back from my trip to the Holy Land - only just over 2 weeks until we leave!!! - and that just seemed like cheating.

So now it's my second day home and I am searching the web for those last few presents as I attempt to recover from almost pulling an all-nighter to finish a research paper (#youwinagainprocrastination #imtoooldforthis). There are so many beautifully put-together posts out there: what to get for him, what to get for the book-lover, what to get your in-laws, etc. and they all have really great options that I would never have thought of (and some that are pretty obvious). But I haven't really seen a meaningful gift guide.

We get so wrapped up (pun intended) in the glitz and glam of the season that we can forget that it's not about the biggest or best present, but about those we spend time with.

Giving gifts to those we love can be very meaningful and a ton of fun. I absolutely love carefully selecting presents that I know someone will enjoy. So rather than be unrealistic by scrapping the whole gift-giving thing entirely, why not try to make your gifts more meaningful this year with gifts that give back?

Here are just a few suggestions.

1. FEED - Voyager Tote - With the purchase of this stylish tote, you provide 35 school meals for children around the world. Each item purchased through FEED is a fight against world hunger and every item includes just how many people you are helping to feed.

2. Ornaments for Orphans - Stuffed Elephant - There are over 150 million orphans worldwide and the purchase of these handcrafted, Fair Trade ornaments helps to employ local artisans and provide them with fair wages.

3. Mata Traders - Afternoon Allure Dress - This is one of my favorite Fair Trade clothing lines. I almost bought this exact dress on Small Business Saturday, but they did not have my size. Mata Traders and their beautiful goods ared geared toward empowering women, and "merge uncommonly vibrant style with fair trade practices to make an impact on global poverty - bringing living wages to artisans in India and Nepal."

4. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Black Plaid Scarf - St. Jude's is an organization near and dear to my family's heart so every year we try to give back by direct donation, purchasing from their gift shop, or both. They have beautiful gifts - especially around Christmas time where you can find ornaments and other items decorated with the artwork of some of their patients. 

5. Ten Thousand Villages - Peace Lotus Candleholder - Ten Thousand Villages is a Fair Trade store that can be found across the country and their products can also be found in other stores as well. They always have beautiful, unique items for any time of year and shopping fair trade is an easy way to ensure your gifts are providing fair wages to those who make them.

6. Unlock Hope - Human Kind Be Both Long Sleeve Tee- Unlock Hope is an organization dedicated to giving girls in Uganda the same opportunities as boys. Partnered with Think Humanity, they provide health care, good food, and a safe place to live as they earn better education. When you purchase one of their products, you are directly providing funds for housing, food, educators, etc.

There are SO many organizations trying to make a difference in the world and many receive a lot of the funding they need from products like these. If you want an even more direct option of giving, Catholic Relief Services offers the Gift of Hope through your purchase of on-the-ground needs, like a sewing machine for young entrepreneurs, or uniforms and tuition for students to receive an education.

Another great option would be for you and your loved one to spend an evening working at a local shelter or perhaps visiting those in a nursing home without family to spend the holidays with.

The options are limitless. What are your favorite ways to give back this season?

Peace,
Sarah

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Small Business Saturday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the most known shopping days of the year, but there is another Thanksgiving weekend holiday that you may not have heard of:

Small Business Saturday.

There are so many reasons why it is a good idea to support small businesses in your neighborhood - and it can go beyond just buying food locally (though I do love me a good farmer's market)!

Here are just a few I can think of off the top of my head:

1) It boosts your local economy.

2) You often have a better idea of exactly where the money you are spending is going - especially if the store carries fair trade items.

3) It's a great way to build community. You'll often meet the owner of the establishment who may share with you the idea behind the store and why they began their journey in entrepreneurship.

4) Local stores can have more unique pieces that you won't have to worry about duplicating gifts.

This holiday season, why not make it an effort to shop locally where you can?

And just like any other shopping holiday around this time, many of your local businesses are offering great sales today!

For my Ohio/Cleveland friends, one of my favorite Fair Trade Stores, Revive, is offering 15% off of any purchase with the code:SHOPSMALL from now until Monday! I already have these beautiful earrings in my cart and this stunning dress might just have to come too.

If you're in the Berkeley area, there are tons of adorable boutiques and shops. My mom and I picked up a delicious smelling candle from The Old Yak Bazaar (another Fair Trade store!) on our walk around town yesterday. I'm already considering wandering back down the hill to snag this ring and this scarf.

Fourth Street in Berkeley is an adorable part of town with lots of local shops nestled amongst the bigger names. Mom treated me to a new calligraphy pen and ink from Castle in the Air. It's a shop you should venture into simply because of the marvelous decorations and amazing stationary pieces!

Not sure where to find a local business in your area? Try Yelp and Shift Your Shopping. And, as always, Google is a great help!

Think big. Shop Small.

Peace,
Sarah

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