How shopping local has made me more aware of what community really means.
I’ve made many changes in the past couple of years — cut the cord on cable, planted a flower garden for the first time, got a couple of tattoos, now drive an electric car, and I made a commitment to shop local whenever possible. And that means for everything—everything. The coolest part of this new way of living is that everywhere I shop, they now know my name and me theirs. And, well, that’s just cool. And it’s not just about a transaction anymore, it’s about building relationships in our shared community.
Sometimes less is more when making choices.
The hubs and I recently decided we needed an outdoor firepit. We’ve made our own before and that worked really well, but this time, we were looking for something more mobile as we are still working on our new house. So, we jumped in the car to hit up a couple of my favorite local spots: K&B True Value and Bru-Mar Gardens. We got coffee and went for a walk at Quiet Waters Park on the way, before thoroughly looking at the eight to 10 options we had.
This time we went with a chimenea and are in the process of seasoning it (please excuse the very large carbon fiber pole (mast) in our backyard as I am married to a sailor who leaves all sorts of things around the house :). For us, this was a fun experience that we will remember and tell our friends about as we sit around the fire this fall. It’s not a story of online research and a faceless transaction. The always helpful folks at Bru-Mar went out of their way to help us have a great experience. They made sure we knew how to use it, care for it, and loaded it in the car… you just don’t get that from the big online retailers and that matters to me more than it used to.
Feel special when buying something special. And go plastic free!
Cupla is the best thing to happen to Maryland Ave since Annabeth’s moved in many many years ago. There are a lot of great shops downtown now, but Cupla is a major standout. And the owners—twin sisters Sharon and Shannon—are amazing, caring, and super fun.
You’d think it was just a boutique before you stepped inside. They have some of everything and for everyone. It’s where I refill my glass bottles of detergent and soap, and buy other reusable household items like cloth napkins. It’s also where I get my spa treats like felted soap and face masks. On top of all of this, it’s where I love to shop for a couple of new pieces each season and for special occasions. I recently needed a dress to wear to a bestie’s wedding down in New Orleans. They made me feel so special while helping me try on clothes, and I ended up with a stunner!
Never underestimate the simple beauty in life.
Thank you to the Anne Arundel Farmers Market and MooiAlpha for my new and improved skincare routine. I’ll be honest, I had no idea what tallow was until I stopped by to say hello to a beautiful mother-daughter pair selling jars of something that looked neat and pretty. Let’s just say that Marie, age eight, gave me a better sales pitch than I’d had in a long time. And she educated me about tallow and the benefits of using it as an all-over (including your face!), skin cream. Or as they refer to it, skin protection. I’ve been hooked ever since! MooiApha makes great products that are made from real ingredients… so real, you could actually eat them, but don’t.
I use what Alpha considers her four-step process: cleansing cream, hydrosol, tallow cream, and an SPF. It’s like my skin comes to life after my morning routine... The SPF has a beautiful shimmer to it that is amazing, but most importantly, it works. And the cream is unreal and since it’s for the face and body, it’s easy to apply. I could go on and on about my love for MooiAlpha, but you should get yourself some! Alpha is a wealth of knowledge about how to live a ‘clean’ lifestyle and she’s not afraid to share, making her an asset to our community, who’s luckily easily available for you to get to know.
Now get out there and shop local! Maybe you’ve been missing a few things right in front of you that deserve your love and appreciation.
