Over the last several years, I have really made a concerted effort to try to shop at small businesses where and when I can. We are so lucky that there are so many great ones locally here in New Jersey, and online now!
So many small businesses have had to shutter their doors as a result of the recent pandemic, and are really struggling. In addition to doing a little shopping of my own, I wanted to share some love here on the blog for some of my favorite small businesses.
Even if you cannot shop at the moment, there are many other ways to support small businesses! You can follow them on social media. You can like, share, or comment on one of their social media posts. You can sign up for their newsletter, or visit their website. Every little bit helps! Below, I have shared a few of my favorite small businesses. There are so many good ones!
What are some of your favorite small businesses?
Clothing and Accessories
Sadie James Boutique (NJ) – I have written about my love for Sadie James Boutique on the blog before. See HERE, HERE, and HERE. They always have the cutest clothing and accessories! The shop is located in Fair Haven, New Jersey and, unfortunately, had to close their doors temporarily as a result of the shelter in place order. But….GOOD NEWS! Now you can shop Sadie James Boutique ONLINE!!!! You can use code SHOPLOCAL for 25% off! Chelsea, the owner of Sadie James Boutique, sent over a box of clothing for me to style and try on. I had so much fun with it. You may have seen the try on session on my Instagram Stories. I bought a few of the pieces from my box, including a new pair of Mother denim jeans, three new tops, and this Clare V. bag!
Dudley Stephens – Over the last year or so, I had been wanting this camel Dudley Stephens fleece. Everyone always raves about them, and I had just been waiting for a promo code to order. Well…lucky for me, during my first week working from home, they had a sale, so I bought it! And now I totally understand why people love it. It is the softest, coziest fleece ever. I wish I could wear it every single day. I also love that Dudley Stephens is a women-owned business!
Kiddos
Murray and Finn (NJ) – Murray and Finn is my FAVORITE local children’s shop! Erica, the shop owner, is the sweetest person ever, and has the most amazing eye for all things adorable. Every time I walk in, I end up walking out with something. I just can’t resist! The last time I was in the store I picked up a Rylee + Cru outfit for Nora and some pieces from Erica’s new eadaie collection for Nathan and Nora.
Merci Milo – Merci Milo is one of my favorite online shops to find interesting and different children’s toys, clothing, and accessories. I recently purchased this memory game, this wooden sand set (to use with Kinetic Sand), this rattan doll highchair, this mini wooden doll bed, these magnetic blocks, and these little knit bows. So much cuteness!
Milton and Goose – I am obsessed with basically every single product that they produce. We own their essential play kitchen and refrigerator. I JUST purchased their crescent table and crescent chairs! I cannot wait for them to arrive!
Biddle & Bop (NJ) – I just recently was introduced to Biddle & Bop last week. They are actually based in our old neighborhood! I was looking for this Candylab + Way to Play Open Road Set for Nathan (he loves to drive his cars around and around) and Biddle& Bop had it in stock! I ordered it online and they hand delivered it to my front door the next day!
Candylab – Nathan LOVES their cars and trucks (especially the Ice Cream Truck).
Bannor Toys – The cutest wooden toys out there. I just bought Nathan this matching set, and I cannot wait for him to play with it.
Dopple – Dopple is a membership service ($10 per Dopple Drop + what you keep) providing adorable children’s clothing at a discount. They carry all of my favorite labels, including Rylee + Cru, Misha and Puff, and Grey Label. Once a season, we receive a package from Dopple filled with clothing for Nathan and Nora. I go through them and keep the pieces that I love, and then I send back the pieces that I don’t. The only commitment per se is the $10 drop fee. If you keep an item of clothing, the $10 fee is applied to the purchase. If you purchase the entire Drop, they give you an additional discount on top of the already discounted pricing!
Chatbooks – My GO-TO for photo books and photo gifts! See my blog posts about them HERE, HERE, and HERE.
House of Noa – Liz, the owner of House of Noa, is actually a friend of ours, and she is AMAZING. Her husband actually went to dental school with E! If you are a long time What’s For Dinner Esq. reader you have DEFINITELY seen our Little Nomad Play Mat featured here on the blog. Both of my kids love to play on it, and I love how perfectly it fits in with our decor. We are also a big fan of their kitchen mats. Both the play mat and kitchen mat are so easy to clean, which is very important in our house!
Little Spoon – Nora loves Little Spoon Babyblends. They come in a variety of different flavors. If you are looking for organic, preservative-free baby food, then you should DEFINITELY try out Little Spoon. Use code WHATSFORDIN for 50% off all baby blends!
Poppie Toys – Their rattan toys are beautiful and adorable. We own the crib, day bed, and highchair (my most recent acquisition via Merci Milo). I cannot wait for Nora to be old enough to play with all of them!
Activities and Services
Laurel Creative (NJ) – Lauren has been my blog photographer for a little over 3-1/2 years now. She is here at least once a month photographing me for the blog, or photographing my family. She is an honorary aunt to my kids.
Scott’s Pizza Tours – Scott is ENTHUSIASTIC about pizza and pizza boxes. Honestly, I think enthusiastic is a MAJOR understatement. We have been on three of Scott’s Pizza Tours, and each time we visited different pizzerias. All of which were delicious! While, unfortunately, you cannot go on one of Scott’s FAMOUS Pizza Tours right now in NYC, you can definitely engage with some of his amazing content on his social media pages. He is hosting virtual pizza tours, pizza making demonstrations, and answering questions. You can watch his Really Dough? series on Youtube and Amazon Prime Video. It is pretty special! You can also buy a gift certificate for a pizza tour at a later date! I actually surprised E with a pizza tour birthday party (with 16 of his closest friends) a couple years back, and it was AMAZING!
New Moon Photography – We love taking our holiday (their photo POPs are the BEST!) and milestone (newborn, birthday, etc.) photos with New Moon Photography. They make it so easy! We did Nora’s cake smash in February at their studio, and the photos are HILARIOUS. I cannot wait to share them with you! See my blog posts about New Moon Photography (f/k/a Little Nest) HERE and HERE.
WINE – I couldn’t resist sharing our two favorite Napa wineries. I am incredibly lucky to have a stockpile of their wine in our wine fridge. If I didn’t, I would most certainly be ordering a box from both of them!
