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Shopping Small This Christmas... II

As a little reminder..,

This year (and last actually) I aim to be more sustainable, thoughtful and I also aim to enjoy the experience a little more.

When purchasing gifts (which I do actually love to do) I am trying to shop small or local. Local where possible but sometimes you just can't find a specific thing locally and have to put out a wider search, but in those instances I want to find small businesses where your purchase makes a difference to those selling as well as receiving.

I am going to start sharing local gift guides, businesses and ideas with you over the next few weeks. If you know of anywhere then please do let me know as I would love to have a nose and perhaps share any secret gems that we find along the way.

So on to my second installment...

First up is not a business that is local to me but one I stumbled across on Facebook and one I have already shopped from for my children's Christmas stockings this year. Potionfizz...  The business is run by a lovely lady called Molly and she handmakes all of the beautiful bath products that you can find over on her etsy page. Handmade bath bombs are the most beautiful, thoughtful gift, they can be used and loved and can make that person feel special whilst using. No waste and vegan!

All images belong to Molly:



handmade vegan bath products

Next up is again a business I have had the pleasure of meeting, trying and buying from. And That is Shire Gin, The Shropshire Distillery.

My mum has a Shropshire mobile bar business and as part of that and some events we have attended we have met the lovely owners Emma and Gareth and got to have a good look at their products. The Distillery is a family run business with with the gin all made in-house with no third party involvement with every batch and bottle hand numbered and signed.


Shropshire Gin, Shire Gin
Image: Shire Gin

So there you go, 2 more small "local" businesses to feast your eyes on this Christmas. One being very local to myself.

I would be very content receiving gifts from either and I know that my friends and family would be the same! 

Again if you know of any small businesses that you think I should take a look at then please do let me know!

Hayley x

Shopping Small & Local This Christmas

Christmas is a time when we all inevitably go out and purchase more than our usual monthly spends. Those of you that are well organised and prepared do so in advance and a lot of thought goes into finding the right gift for the right person, on the other hand some of us rush about in panic mode finding a gift for someone that may not necessarily be the right gift for that person.

This year (and last actually) I aim to be more sustainable, thoughtful and I also aim to enjoy the experience a little more. Last year I tried to do as much as I could that would give that person an experience in some way. Think theatre tickets, spa breaks, afternoon tea etc. Creating memories rather that giving goods. I probably achieved this in about 25% of the cases but i do want to work on that this year again.

When purchasing gifts (which I do actually love to do) I am trying to shop small or local. Local where possible but sometimes you just can't find a specific thing locally and have to put out a wider search, but in those instances I want to find small businesses where your purchase makes a difference to those selling as well as receiving.

I am going to start sharing local gift guides, businesses and ideas with you over the next few weeks. If you know of anywhere then please do let me know as I would love to have a nose and perhaps share any secret gems that we find along the way.

Most of you will know I am from Shropshire and so my search will begin here but then as I go it will go wider.

First up has to be this gem that I found earlier on Instagram: Primrose And Lily. Offering beautiful, luxury tweed clothing handmade in Shropshire. I will share a couple of images because their items are really beautiful, all images featured on their Instagram page as tagged above.

Tweed gifts shropshire, shop locally, shop small business, local shrewsbury business

Tweed gifts shropshire, shop locally, shop small business, local shrewsbury business


Next up for today's post is Washed Up Wood. A business I have heard of before and have known friends and family to buy from but somewhere I haven't actively seeked out until now.

A  small family run business based in my home town of Shrewsbury. Washed Up Wood offers a gorgeous  collection of quirky and useful products that are all hand crafted. The use the combination of hand collected driftwood and also locally sourced vintage cutlery, and they aim to bring an element of rustic charm with a modern feel into your home. The perfect quirky gift!

 They offer the perfect mix of contemporary and vintage finishes. I already have my eye on a few pieces including some of their gorgeous coffee spoon rings! I will pop a few images below for you to see for yourself, all images taken from their website as linked here.

Washed up wood handmade gifts, shop local, shropshire handmade

Washed up wood handmade gifts, shop local, shropshire handmade