YYC HoliYAYs

Hey Party People,  

The HoliYAYs are here! With Remembrance Day past we can jump into the Holiday season - YAY! I know some people who actually put up their Christmas tress in October, because well... COVID but hey whatever makes you happy!  

Given that the season is now upon us I want to share with you a kick ass super original idea I have for my holiday shopping this year. I bet none of you have heard of it, wait for it... wait for it.... 

SUPPORT LOCAL! 

What an earth-shattering concept, Ammiright? Haha. I know I'm such a forward thinker ;) but for real though. Given the hard ass time so many businesses and entrepreneurs have had this year I want to hyper-focus my Christmas shopping and my Christmas outings to locally run and locally owned businesses. No Amazon Prime for this girl. I instead want to spend my time and money in my own city and support the many business owners who have had the deck stacked against them this year.

So whose with me!? Its time for the HoliYAYs Party People! What I’m going to do is update this post with new and awesome local businesses in and around YYC. My family lives out in Okotoks so there’s a strong possibility I’ll share some great spots out there as well 😊 And I hope YOU will share your favourite spots with me!

Let The YYC HoliYAYs officially begin! 

Below is the living and evolving list that will continue to grow until Christmas! 

MY TOP Favs! 

·  Cinder and Sage - The CUTEST little tucked away shop on 4th with gorgeous jewelry that I cannot get enough of!  

·  La Boulangerie - The best hazelnut croissants around, at a cozy location just off the Elbow river on 4th street. 

·  Local Laundry – This amazing local company donates 10% of proceeds to Canadian charities, so when you buy here you not only support local but also our local non-profits as well. Oh and did I mention all their clothing is Canadian made! #winwin 

·  Rural Roots and Bliss + Gifts They're body scrubs are now a staple in my shower and one of the best anytime gifts and of course great holiday stocking stuffers!  

· The Next Page Bookstore – For all you bookworms out there this is my fav, located right in Inglewood! Any book they don’t have, they can order it in! And don’t forget to visit the discounted used books in the basement. 

·   The Silk Road Spice Merchant One of my FAV spots to get some of the freshest spices. I highly recommend the Vietnamese Cinnamon and their BBQ spices are top notch. Amazing stocking stuffers for the foodie in your life ;)  

GET YOUR GIFTS IN STORE OR ONLINE 

· Colouring it Forward - Some of the most beautiful art that tell an important story. All their products are representations of Native Canadian Art by Indigenous Artists including colouring books, cards, and calendars to tell the other side of the story of Indigenous people.

·Hadash Jewlery ...because you deserve to be gorgeous!

· Humanologie – Gallery, store, and non-profit just off 17^th Ave SW committed to sharing stories of Calgarians and spreading empathy 

·  Nourish Kitchen and Bakery - Where my glutards at? Looking for some amazing gluten free holiday treats? This is the spot! 

· Oolong Tea Shop – Visit this warm and cozy shop to browse over 200 tea flavors! OR jump on their online store. Tea lover, approved! 

·  Looking for some new workout gear? Check out PlayCity's gear. They are a company committed to breaking down the barriers to physical activity.    

· Twice NEW Thrift Boxes by WINS - Have thrifty style boxes delivered right to your door. No need to sift through all the racks, they do it for you AND you get to support a great charity at the same time!

·  VineStyles in Kensington - Red wine runs in my veins but I'm terrible at picking it out. So yby joining the monthly wine club I get 4 new bottles to try each month!

· Without Co No waste products for that sustainability feign on your list. 

·   Are you a mall kind of person instead? Well SOUTH CENTRE has a number of great shops with local vendors and products. I wandered through all of these places below and there is some COOL stuff! 

    CollabYYC

        Oak & Tonic

            adesso MAN 

                Drops of Gratitude

                    Joydrop

HAVEN'T HAD THE PLEASURE (yet!)

· Allegory Chai - Mmmmm Chai 

· Bar Star Buch - Where my Kombucha Lovers at? Single serving buch coming soon!

· BLACK BUSINESSES! Check out this link for a FULL webpage of black businesses you can support

· Be Local - An online shop of various local businesses that believe in putting community first. 

· Cookie Momster YYC for the Sweet Tooth

· Devon & Lang #SupportTheGoods, for the men in your life!

· Five21 Roasters  Coffee drinkers unite 

· Moonstone Creation Indigenous-owned gift shop located in Inglewood! 

· Mr. Manfield Vintage  Reduce Reuse, go Vintage! 

· The Olfactory Shop Are your senses ready?

· Sarjesa Tea drinkers unite. 

· White Eagle Native Crafts Located on the Tsuut'ina Nation connected to the gas stop by the new Costco. 

Thanks for checking out the HoliYAYs Local shopping list! Follow me on the gram @theOnlySaraStepa and check out ongoing features of the HoliYAYs. Let's get into the season and spread some local cheer!  

Are you a small business with a storefront or wicked online store? Let's connect and see how we can work together! 

-S

P.S. I'd love if you took an extra minute to check out my other posts. My blog is meant to spread positivity and to help you craft a mindset that not only serves you, but allows you to live your best life. You only have one life, so go live it!