I am so happy to be doing my St. Louis for a 4th year and to introduce you to a few new brands you may have not heard of. As many of you know, it has been a tough year for small businesses and more than ever it is so important to support them in anyway that we can so they continue to stick around. As always, I have gathered something for everyone on your list and this year I have even included something for the little ones in your life. If you can, please consider supporting a local businesses this holiday season and introduce someone to a shop they will love and continue to support after you gift it to them. So without further ordo here is my 2020 St. Louis Gift Guide!
PS- Stick until the end to see what the giveaway is this year and how you can enter.
Forai– Starting off with a small business that is doing great things in the community, Forai, Inc. (Forai.org) is a non-profit that helps refugee women resettled in St. Louis learn job skills and marketable handicraft skills through sewing and jewelry-making training and employment. Not only are you getting stunning pieces from them but you are continuing to support the mission of this organization, so its a win, win . Find them on IG @Foraistl or FB @ForaiStLouis to see all of the amazing work they are doing and how they continue to support the women in our community.
Where You Can Find Forai:
Thier items are also sold at Zee Bee Market on South Grand and in Maplewood, as well as The Nook and The Bridge in St. Charles.
Use the discount code FREESHIP for free shipping on any order!
Sugar Magnolia– I like anyone else loves to treat myself to a nice soap, bath bomb and when they are locally made and free of any harsh chemicals it is an all around win for me. Heather creates artisan soap and bath products that are free of animal products, harmful chemicals and palm oil. She started her business to make luxury accessible to a wide range of people. She takes great care to ensure her ingredients are sustainably sourced. Be sure to check her out if you are looking to gift a nice little self care goodie to someone this holiday season.
Where You Can Find Sugar Magnolia:
Her products are available in store at Green Earth Art Company, Cozy Shop and Sincerely the Craft. She will be at a wonderful market next Sunday December 6th – Sound Holiday Market at 4504 Westminster Place St. Louis, MO 63108. 10-5:30.
Use the code THANKS for 10 off her site!
Le Nouveau Macaron– When I tell you I was impressed from the packaging that the macarons came in to the macarons themselves, I mean I was impressed! Not only was the presentation of everything stunning, they taste amazing! I don’t have a big sweet tooth myself so what I love about these macarons in particular is that they are very unique flavors and are not overly sweet but would easily satisfies anyone’s sweet tooth. The first time I tried them was at a market over a year ago and I had a spiced plum macaron and I was instantly hooked! Le Nouveau Macaron, LLC is a small bakery that offers traditional and novel artisan macarons, currently serving the Greater St. Louis area. Their mission is to add new, refreshing, and diverse taste options to the community with novel macarons that celebrate signature flavors from around the world.
Where You Can Find Le Nouveau Macaron:
She has a home-based bakery, so the best option is to place orders on the website for pick-up or delivery.
Use discount code “LeNouveauMacaron” to get a free petite macaron cake for any orders of $50 or more. It is the pictured above next to the macarons so you can get an idea of the size, literally everything she makes is amazing and would be a great holiday treat to share. Trust me when I say you will be blown away!
Virago Candle Studio– Tyra’s story is one that I love and a great reminder how sometimes others may notice a passion of yours before you do and how you should go for it! Tyra started making candles because she love candles (maybe a little too much). She always associated candles with stability and safety, especially during times in her life when things weren’t.
That love for candles grew as she got older, so much that her friends brought them as gifts to her bachelorette party instead of your traditional bachelorette gifts. After moving to Dallas in April 2019 with her amazing wife Darline and their three fur babies, she was looking for a new hobby and a way to save money. Darline bought her a candle making kit and from that first pour she fell in love with candle making.
Where You Can Find Virago Candle Studio:
Wink Clayton Location: 7805 Clayton Rd. Clayton, MO 63117
Wink Town and Country Location: 14131 Clayton Rd. Town and Country, MO 63017
Union Studio Tower Grove Location: 1605 Tower Grove Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Union Studio Webster Groves Location: 8137 Big Bend Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63119
Polished Prints– I am all about a fun tee and when I found out they Polish Prints also uses eco-friendly inks to create their tees I was amazed, plus as a bonus they make mommy and me tees which are super adorable! Polished Prints is a lifestyle goods line created by women for women, designed to inspire the good, the real and the socially conscious in all of us. Through intentional designs that boast empowering messages, each piece is created to meet you where you’re at, to spark joy and, most importantly, make you feel good. All of our apparel is designed in house and screen printed by hand using eco-friendly water-based inks.
Where You Can Find Polished Prints:
Paisley boutique in Webster Groves
Use “HolidayVibes” for 15% off!
Ozark Forest Mushrooms- Is a small business that I discovered at a farmers market late this summer and if you love fresh ingredients (mushrooms, veggies and more) they are some of the best quality you will find here in town. In a previous post I mentioned how having specialty salts can make all the difference in a dish and investing in them or gifting them to someone this holiday season is a great gift idea for the home cook or yourself. We bought this truffle salt and I can honestly say that we rave about it to anyone we can because it elevates every dish, highly recommend it if you also want to up your salt game.
Ozark Forest Mushrooms provides specialty foods to restaurants, grocery stores, CSAs, porch pickups, and farmer’s markets in the St. Louis area. They specialize in distributing unique mushroom varieties, and wild edibles alongside the products we grow on our family farm. They are deeply committed to sustainable practices. Their farm, located in Timber, Missouri, produces many unique foods including the product they’re most known for log grown shiitake.
Rolling Ridge Nursery– Being the plant lover that I am I had to include a nursery because I think gifting plants are always a great idea, of course to someone who can keep them alive. They brighten up a space, clean the air and it is very rewarding to look back and see how much they have grown from the day your first got them. So whether you’re looking to give the gift of a plant or add another plant baby to your family be sure to check our Rolling Ridge Nursey in Webster Groves for all your plant needs and shop their merch online as well!
Shop Descendant- Is a refreshing, ethical and modern shop that creates a simple shopping experience and gets rid of the overwhelming shopping experience. The pieces she pulls are so perfectly selected and a nice neutral color palette, I have been wearing this beanie nonstop lately and it is so cozy! Shop Descendant is a modern and vintage clothing boutique in Webster Groves specializing in a minimalist aesthetic and refined style. You can also catch local artists such as Mahnal jewelry and clean skincare from NOTO botanics, to name a few. Opened in February of 2020 by Julia Leenig.
Boda Clay– Molly is such a talented person and has mastered ceramics, a skill that I have always wanted to try for myself. Everything she creates is unique and thoughtful and if you know someone who would love to have even one unique custom ceramic piece then I can think of not other person to recommend that Molly.
Molly was born with a need to hustle and bustle but ceramics taught her the value of slowness and intentionality. She make ceramics for everyday life; including home goods and tableware. She recently did a collab with Dharma + Dwell and Little Lemon Candles to create this refillable candle, she created each candle holder and if you purchase this candle, once it is empty you can get another refil!
Where You Can Find Boda Clay:
East, West, Dharma + Dwell, Shop Descendant, and Rudy’s Flower Truck
Use local10 for 10% through the end of the year!
Dharma + Dwell– Oh this shop makes my heart so happy! I am really happy that we have someone like Jordan in town that has made making sustainable changes in our life a little easier. We have been on our sustainable journey a quite some time now and as I tell everyone it is truly a journey and making steps as you go and then looking back at how far you have come is very rewarding. There are still a few sustainable swaps on our list but we have to fist use the products we already have to then be able to make that swap but it has been fun to slowly work towards a goal like that. If you’re looking to begin to start making sustainable swaps in your life or perhaps encourage someone in your life to start doing so, check out Dharma + Dwell and support local!
Jordan created Dharma + Dwell, a lifestyle pop-up and refill shop offering everyday essentials for sustainable living. Making low-impact living easily accessible and convenient, Dharma + Dwell offers eco-friendly, package-free and responsibly sourced home goods and beauty products. At Dharma + Dwell, you can expect to find items ranging from wooden brushes to reusable bags, as well as bulk items for personal care such as liquid shampoo and conditioner and cleaning solutions sold by the ounce.
Heirloom Bottling- This one is for all my people who love to make cocktails or know someone who does. Heirloom Bottling offers something so unique that it may be new to some people as it was to me, handcrafted syrups and shrubs! A delicious selection of drink mixers for complex cocktails, mocktails and soft drinks. It all started when Brad did a haul of fruit from the neighborhood farmer’s market while preparing for friends to arrive for a weekend visit. The simple idea: using natural ingredients to make a flavorful drink without a lot of hassle. We have been making cocktails at home for a few weeks now with these and it has been great having these on deck to cut time in half for a cocktail. Be sure to check out Heirloom Bottling for that person in your life that loves making a good cocktail or if you’re looking to up your game.
WHAT IS A SHRUB?
Preserving fruit with vinegar has been around for more than 250 years. The naturally formed acids in the vinegar preserve the fruit and form a delicious combination of sweet and slightly sour. Most Heirloom Brewing Co. products contain some vinegar, but the sweet/sour balance varies in each product in order to highlight the ingredients and enhance the flavor profile.
Use fall10 (10% off the cart) until November 30th.
Apothecare Co– This is another brand that I discovered at a farmer’s market this past summer. Along with making more eco friendly changes in my life, what I put on my body is another way that I am making these changes. I personally am not a big fan of all the chemicals that can be found in bug repellent that you purchase at your average convenient store and when I saw that she offered a bug repellent made from natural products I couldn’t pass it up. This along with her other product are phenomenal and I have enjoyed using them knowing that they come from all natural products so if you’re looking for something like this, here’s the shop for you!
Apothecare Co. is a line of artisan botanical skincare made in St. Louis, MO. Launched in 2015, the line of high-quality products is specifically formulated with essential and pure plant oils, natural butters, and other pure and wonderfully natural ingredients for those with skin sensitivities. Jody take great pride in the products I make! All Apothecare Co. skincare is handmade in small batches to assure efficacy and uses the highest quality ingredients she can get my hands on—being mindful to choose organic and sustainably harvested products whenever possible.
Riley Plays with Clay– Riley is someone that I briefly got to meet and have gotten to know more through her fun Instagram stories, she creates such unique pieces and honestly has some of the best energy that will easily brighten your day. Trust me when I say you will feel good about purchasing from her because she really does do a dance every time you support her small business.
Riley Plays with Clay loves to provide women with affordable clay earrings that are able to be worn all day long. Follow her on Instagram to catch all of her and weekly releases. Her husband is currently in graduate school, so any support towards this business helps their family tremendously!
Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate– And last but certainly not least is a local all time classic chocolate shop, Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate! Now I am a person that is pretty picky on the sweets I eat and they meet the Elena standard. They use high quality ingredients in their artisan chocolate and are apart of the Fair Trade Commission, so you always feel good buying from them.
Since 1981, their family has worked alongside a staff of artisan candy makers crafting premium chocolates with the finest ingredients. Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company, named for the founders’ three children, prides itself in family values, ethically sourced & Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients and delicious chocolates – all made one batch at a time.
I hope that this guide can help you when deciding where to shop local in town for the rest of your holiday shipping. All of these and many more small businesses could use your support this year more than ever, so please consider them when thinking of what you can gift someone.
Also, be sure to head over to my Instagram for a chance to win a $25 that I will be providing myself so that you can support a local business in your community this holiday season!
A very special THANK YOU to all the local businesses and shops around town who were a part of my 2020 St. Louis Gift Guide. I truly love showcasing and supporting local businesses and I hope that I have introduced you to a few new shops that will become your favorite!
As always, thank you for reading. Como siempre, gracias por leer.
