The effects of COVID-19 are being felt right here in our Pittsburgh community. Local small businesses need our support now more than ever. I thought it would be useful to share with you how my family and I have been supporting our favorite local establishments and helping them shine in these dark times. My hope is that this post introduces you to a small shop you might not have known existed, or reminds you of a few to check in on and support over the next couple of months. Stay healthy and be well. And don't forget to wash your hands!
From our Wilmar Drive Project | Photo by Tyler Norman Photography
Sourcing local, instead of Amazon/Big Box retailers.
Now that Spring is finally here, it was time for me to swap out the wreath on my front door. Sadly, my fresh eucalyptus wreath from winter was still up and beginning to brown. Yikes! A recent post on a local mom's group on Facebook introduced me to Rustic BloomBoutique. This Etsy shop creates farmhouse wreaths, garlands and decorative bows from right here in Pittsburgh. I placed my order for a faux lemon and eucalyptus wreath and she delivered right to my front porch within 48 hours. My front door is happy again and my porch is one step closer to being Spring ready!
Curbside pick-up's.
Are you guys familiar with Reginald's Coffee aka Reggies on the Run? You can usually find me at Reginald's once a week having a coffee date with a friend. Boy, I miss those! Now I get my fix by ordering through their online site. Every other weekend or so they've been offering yummy donuts available for curbside pick-up. My neighbors and I take full advantage. In addition, they're also selling their packaged coffee beans (whole or ground), iced coffee growlers, and store merch. It's so refreshing to take a drive, do a quick coffee pick-up, and see a smiling face.
Here are a few other local small businesses we've been doing curbside pick-ups from.
Fiori's Pizza (make your own pizza kits was a huge hit with my six year old)
Online orders with local shipping + deliveries.
One of the things I love most about Instagram is connecting with local creatives and small business owners. Some have started featuring products for sale from their brick and mortar on stories. This week a couple items caught my eye. Through a quick dm and/or a quick jump to their website, I was able to purchase. I urge you to do the same if you can. These businesses can no longer rely on foot traffic at local establishments. Look to their Instagram and Facebook to support their businesses virtually. Here are a few things I have en route.
Soyil Candles - I met Greta through a PB pop-up shop a few years ago. She's just the sweetest, and so are her candles. I love the simplicity of her product packaging and the warm, comforting scents of her candles. I ordered the banana bread and the almond cake.
The Farmer's Daughter Flowers - Not only does she run a full-service flower shop, she also has an online gift shop filled with beautifully curated goods. This week she posted stunning art prints from the Janet Hill Collection that I couldn't pass up. You can also find unique jewelry, pottery, textiles, soaps, stationary, apparel and of course her lovely botanicals available for sale on her website.
Buying gift cards.
March was a doozy. So many birthday's. What a perfect opportunity to support our local businesses and send a virtual happy birthday gift. Reginald's for the win yet again. A gift card is a great way to help local businesses now and you and a friend will have the added benefit of being able to use it down the road when life has returned to normal. Soon I hope.
Social media shout-out's.
If you get a moment, send a lil' love to your favorite small business on social media. One local establishment I like to frequent is Bombash and Earley. My mom (in Ohio) and my six year son are also big fans. She orders a few of their strawberry peppermint body polishes on the regular. My son loves their bath bombs (thanks Tim for delivering a fresh batch). I'm currently loving their vitamin sea brightening scrub. And their acne spot treatment roller is a tried and true favorite. Anyway's, we love giving them shout out's on Instagram, either by sharing one of their sale posts on stories or just commenting on a post. Let your favorite shops know you're thinking of them. Ask them how you can offer support during this trying time. A little kindness goes a long way.
How are you supporting local small businesses in your community? We'd love to meet them. Drop us your favorites so we can check them out!