Supporting Small Businesses - During the Holidays and Beyond

Thank you PayPal for sponsoring this post. Shop small merchants with PayPal to make your holiday shopping a breeze.

Those of you have been reading here for a while (or know me in real life) know that I am not only a huge proponent of small, independent businesses, but that I've also owned them myself since right out of college. I ran and was the head designer for an eco-friendly clothing label for 15 years, and have also had Bubby and Bean's art and greeting card shop for 7 years now. I know first hand how challenging it can be to run a small business, how much genuine heart and soul goes into small business ownership, and how intensely small business owners appreciate each and every bit of support they receive. I do shop big brands during the holidays, but I always buy at least half of my gifts from small businesses. And when I can do it online quickly and easily, I am doubly stoked.

A few weeks ago, I was browsing different small businesses online with the goal of finding a meaningful gift that I could give to each of the women in my family: my mom, my sister, my stepmom, my mother-in-law, and my daughter. I wanted something special that would tie us all together, from a small business that gives back in some way. When I came upon Mango + Main, I immediately found exactly that I wanted, and from a truly incredible independent brand with business practices that contribute to making a positive impact. I was thrilled. Mango + Main is a fair trade company that sells beautiful handmade products created by talented artisans from Rwanda, Haiti, and Peru. By connecting conscious consumers with these artisans, Mango + Main helps them support their families, improve their communities, and rise above poverty through sustainable business that they create. Pretty great, right?

Those perfect gifts I discovered at Mango + Main were the prettiest colorful stacking bracelets made by the women of Ila Joi in Kenscoff, Haiti from handcrafted paper beads. There were so many colors to choose from, and they even had a child size variety that I ordered for my daughter. I ended up getting one for myself too, so all six of us could wear them in solidarity, and know that we'd not only be adorning our arms with truly beautiful pieces of jewelry, we would also be supporting other bad ass women in the world.

In addition to finding really meaningful gifts for the women in my family that support a wonderful small business, the process of buying them online was a breeze, thanks to PayPal. I am all about anything that makes it so I can (1) avoid crowds of stressed holiday shoppers, and (2) save time during what it truly the busiest few weeks of the year. I mean, what's better than supporting small businesses in the comfort of your home, without needing your wallet and credit card, just by using PayPal as your payment choice? And PayPal's One Touch allows you to pay for items in your shopping basket without having to enter your credit card or billing details. You can't get easier than that. I genuinely feel like this has been the least hectic holiday shopping season of my life, and a huge part of the reason for that has been using PayPal to shop at different online small businesses. For the first time ever, in fact, I am basically done Christmas shopping an entire week in advance. And when it comes to me, that is amazing.

Full disclosure: the bracelets are so beautiful in person, and I was so excited about them, that I couldn't wait until Christmas. I ended up giving my daughter and mom their bracelets a few days ago as early gifts (check out three generations of bracelet wearers in the photo below), and I've been wearing mine daily. I can't wait until all six of us have them. They're some of my absolute favorite gifts I'm giving this year, and I look so forward to ordering from Mango + Main throughout 2018. (And using PayPal to pay for those purchases. Duh!)

What are your favorite small businesses? What small businesses have you shopped this holiday season?

Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bubby and Bean possible. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

ALSO FIND US HERE: INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK // TWITTER // PINTEREST