The Busy Mom’s Guide to Shopping Local
The holiday season is right around the corner, and before we know it, all Memphis moms will be frantically trying to get our super-long to-do lists done in time. Every year, I set a goal for myself to only shop locally and support some of the amazingly talented small business owners and makers in our city. But then, the holiday season craziness hits me. In a swirl of class parties, teacher’s gifts, school holiday pageants, office parties, and family get-togethers, I get way too busy to go shopping in these amazing stores. The few quiet moments we get in December are moments that I want to spend in cozy pajamas watching The Peanut’s Christmas Special, not loading my kids into the car to go to an adorable but tiny shop filled with breakable objects for my kiddos to knock over. (I love my kids, but they are literal bulls in a china shop. For. Real.)
So, what do I end up doing? I break down and shop online at the usual big chain store sites that can ship everything easy-peasy to my front door. This year, I am attempting my same goal – to shop locally – but with a different approach. I rounded up local shops and Memphis-based makers that sell their products online, and now I never have to be silently judged by other shoppers while I tell my two boys to stop wrestling each other on the floor of a super chic boutique ever again! (Cue the heavens breaking open and angels singing.)
This list has something for everyone on your gift list, from your office secret Santa to your kids to your sister-in-law. So put on your most comfy jimmies and shop away!
This website offers the perfect gift for the person in your life who wants to show off their Memphis pride, but in a stylishly minimalist kind of way. They have tons of great Memphis-themed apparel in both adult and kid sizes. I want to buy my kids the Little Bear tee with the City of Memphis seal. Never has the city seal looked so modern! A cherry on top to sweeten the deal – ten percent of all purchases go to local charities.
This Collierville-based home goods store is a great place to pick up everything you need to make a stylish home. Their website sells beautiful pottery, kitchenware, luxury throw blankets and robes, and gift items like handmade leather wallets and stationary. Your sister who is a great cook would love to receive one of their gold-plated cake stands or root wood serving bowls.
This beloved Memphis toy shop keeps things small and specialized, and their website is a great place to pick up model cars, LEGO sets, doll furniture, and more.
Instead of fighting for a parking spot near the Fed Ex Forum, why don’t you get your Grizz gear fix from their webstore? This is THE place for Grizz fan gifts.
Pottery designer Brit McDaniel is so talented! Her work is bright and modern with a Scandinavian influence, and I want everything she makes! On her website, you can find mugs, vases, serving platters, bowls, and more. I love that her pieces are beautiful but also practical. I am asking Santa for a set of her Dipped Danish mugs.
Memphians Tim and Terry are passionate about coffee. If you frequent the Cooper-Young farmer’s market, you have seen them brewing up some of the yummiest coffee drinks in the city from the Vice and Virtue market booth. They roast their own coffee beans in house, so every bag of gourmet coffee they sell is super fresh and perfectly prepared. The Vice and Virtue website sells bags of coffee beans as well as brewing accessories.
Midtowner Melissa Bridgman has been running her one-woman pottery studio for years, and her vintage-inspired work has earned her many fans. My favorite Bridgman Pottery creations are the retro egg cups in shades of duck egg blue.
This Overton Square shop offers unique and of-the-moment women’s clothing at prices that won’t make you cringe when you look at the price tags. Everything in their webstore is bohemian, modern, and sure to be a hit.
Memphian Mary Claire opened her home boutique in the Broad Avenue Arts District in 2015, wanting to focus on products made from independent designers. I have my eye on the Memphis Places prints, little paintings of beloved Memphis eateries like Muddy’s bakery and Gibson’s Donuts. If you are looking to give the gift of experience this year, Mary Claire is a talented candle maker and gives candle-making workshops in the store.
Lansky Brothers clothing store is a Memphis institution! For over seventy years, Lansky’s has been clothing fashionable Memphians, including none other than Elvis Presley. Their website is a one-stop shop for men’s and women’s clothing. They also sell special Peabody Hotel duck-themed gifts.
If you have visited Overton Park recently, you have probably spent some time admiring the eye-catching modern art archways that mark the entrances to the Old Forest walking paths. The mastermind behind these art instillations is the Youngblood Studio and its talented team of artists. Any Overton Park lover would be happy to be given one of their tees featuring images of their public art like the colorful bike archway in Overton Park or the painted water tower on Broad Avenue.
