Turning the page on a fresh year gives us a brand new opportunity to be a better version of ourselves. That's pretty exciting, and it is the perfect opportunity to start making some eco-friendly changes. It's the kind of thing we all want to do, especially after the ecological terrors of 2017, but it can feel impossible to know where to start. That's where these posts come in.

Becoming eco-friendly seems like a huge, daunting commitment, but you can actually make a huge POSITIVE impact on the world just by making some easy small changes. New Year's Resolutions can be all about changing habits, so why not stick with the junk food and make the world better instead?

2. Learning to Love What is Local

Buying local has a very specific reputation. A bearded hipster buying poems and honey out of mason jars maybe? Buying American has specific connotations as well- someone with a booby silhouette on his mudflaps who votes for Trump and hates immigrants.

Both are completely untrue. Buying American and buying local should and can be a totally mainstream way to live life. These simple principles fit all sorts of ideologies and do all kinds of good. They feel like a thing that is nice when it happens, but you really have to be hardcore to go out of your way for.

Want to save the world in 2017? Buy Local. Buy American. Not when it jumps out at you. Not just by accident. But intentionally and often. This can be shopping at local stores, eating at local restaurants, buying from companies that manufacture nearby, or investing in local farming and produce. It can be going to the locally-owned movie theater or going to the local park or coffee place. It can be shopping on Etsy instead of Target. It can be so many things.

How it's Good for You

Living in healthy communities is incredibly important for our health and state of mind. W. H. Auden called it topophilia- love of the place you live in. In this globalized world, we can see places as interchangeable, but your life will be happier if you love and take care of the place where you live. The wellbeing of your community directly contributes to your own happiness. You can read a great article here about how our cities, communities, and environments directly contributes to our happiness.

Ok, easy enough. Investing in our communities is investing in our own happiness. But what does investing look like? First, we need to get involved and invest our time. Second, we need to stop sending our money away and fiscally invest in our communities.

No one can solve your community's problems like you can, because no one outside of your community can understand those problems like its residents do. The whole world is filled with complex problems, and it might feel overwhelming. The best place to start is always your own backyard.

I don't even want to tell you how often I have heard someone complain how there are no businesses in their small town or neighborhood, then gone on to tell me they didn't buy from a local business because they could get it cheaper at Walmart. I am from a place where business after business has left, and I understand the fear and frustration of living in a community that is dying. But no amount of "Make America Great Again" can help you if you are sending every dollar you make off to some billionaire instead of investing where you live.

Yes, it is cheaper at Walmart, but what is the true cost? When you send your money away to the Waltons, it is NEVER coming back to your community. Ever.

You can say somebody should come and help your local economy, but you screw over your own community every time you choose to send your money elsewhere. Over and over again.

There is no "somebody should." If you are saying "somebody should" then you should. If somebody should invest in your local economy in 2018, one of those somebodies can be you. That means letting go of big chains, of places like Walmart, of getting the cheap deal. Let those places be last resorts instead of first stops. Enjoy the uniqueness of where you live. Invest that time making things better, but think about how to keep your money where you live (and not in the Walton money gardens).

If you have to get it new (or it's food), find it local. If you can't find it local, find it American. If you can't find it American, get it used. It will make you feel happier about what you buy if you are using your money to contribute to the wellbeing of where you live and support your community members.

How it's Great for the Environment

Now, why is buying local better for the environment? First and foremost, the further you and your stuff travels, the more fossil fuels it burns through. Only 10% of what most Americans buy is made in America. That means 90% of your possessions are world travelers. If you buy 100 things, you have supported 90 trips across the globe. That's a lot of fuel.

Secondly, if you invest in companies that are investing in their communities, you are much more likely to keep your money where you live. To take care of the people where you live. Capitalism is designed to alienate us from the labor (and the waste) of our stuff. The more you prioritize the local, the more you actually know and appreciate about how something was made. You stop buying disposable junk when you know the hands that made your stuff.

If you care about ethics or how other human beings are treated (so hopefully, all Christians at the very least), buying local or American tells companies that you will not support how badly they treat other human beings. This is more important than we can comprehend, because this weight pulls on our Earth and our psyches.We hear again and again how incredibly poor conditions and compensation are for workers who are making our "Made in Elsewhere" clothing or toys or food. These are other human beings, with mothers and families and needs. But they are so far away from us, we just see "Made in China" tag and don't think of the mistreated person behind it.

So, shopping local makes your community healthier, your life happier, and it cuts down on your fossil fuel usage and overall waste.

How to Do It

Buying local is anything but mainstream, and it may seem like a pretty big "little" resolution, but trust me. It's doable. If this blog makes one argument with all of its shopping lits and links, it says that most things are still available made in America.

The more investment we feel in our own communities, the better we take care of them. We shouldn't just be buying locally, we should be aware of what's going on locally. What can we be making better locally? Don't like how it is where you are? The good thing is that the more local you are, the bigger a fish you are. So make a positive splash.

Want to change the world this year? Start small. Start local. These are my best little local resolutions. Let's do this.

Give up your Chains

This is SUCH a fun resolution. Give up chain restaurants for the year, and every time you go out to eat, try a locally-owned place instead. Another way to do it? You can only go to a chain restaurant once for the whole year, so you have to really think about when that would be. Get on Yelp and try everything in the top 30. Revisit something you know has changed hands.

Explore Local Food

 Sites like this one give you information on what produce is in season in what locale. You can find cool Etsy seasonal charts as well- Jessica Haas have my favorite ones.  Do the research and find out what is grown near you. Then use that.

Most communities, even the small ones, have local grocers. My hometown of 4,000 has one, and it is awesome. Start your grocery shopping there. What is there and how can you use it? This is a cool way to be inspired, and you can support more local growers. Look into Co-op or CSA boxes too.

Best the 10%

The average American buys only 10% American goods. Pick a happier, higher percentage. You can buy American-made for SO MANY THINGS. I have List Over List to help you. Truly, you could pick 100% and still be successful, but even 30% is huge. Set a high bar for yourself, and see every purchase as a fun challenge (or a trip to the secondhand store).

Pick 3

Think of the things you buy the absolute most. What 3 things do you always buy at the grocery store? Can you find out exactly where they come from? How about ways to recycle their packaging? By greening (and localizing) your most common purchases, you can maximize your positive impact without spending your whole life reading about this stuff (though we love your company here).

Take a Second

Before you hit "buy," read up first. Always read the tags! This blog is all about letting you know other options available, so no one ever has to say "Everything is made in China" again. Seriously, NOT TRUE. If you need something from your house, try the wedding registry. For baby stuff, I have a baby registry filled with Made in America and eco-friendly baby goodies. The information is out there. Just resolve to check up when you can!

Resolve to always try before you buy. Keep a list on your phone of things you want to buy and search them on here. I promise you, you will be surprised.

Make a Local Love List

 I write a series on 5 local businesses and companies people love where they are at. Can you make that list off the top of your head? Then I have a mission for you! Let 2018 be the year. Resolve to explore all the wonderfulness that is near you.

Join (or Start) a Buy Nothing Group

If you live in a city, joining a Buy Nothing group is one of the best ways to connect with your neighbors, save money, and share with them. If you live in a small town, it is a great way to support each other and save money. If your neighborhood or town doesn't have a Buy Nothing Group, one of the greatest things you could do in 2018 is get one started. Seriously. It is that important. If you want to learn more about the Buy Nothing Project (and see whether you have one), check here.

To Go Bigger- Make One Big Change in Your Little Corner

There are still so many cities and communities out there that don't realize their natural environment is their greatest asset. They still use plastic bags. They don't have recycling.  You may live in one of those places. Go big and do something to protect the environment right where you live. 

Annoyed that your city doesn't offer recycling? Organize and do something. Frustrated that your horrible state just outlawed outlawing plastics (I'm looking at you Michigan), time to get some grassroots boycotts going NOW. Knowing what is going on is your basic responsibility as a citizen where you are. Want to up your resolution this year? Change something. Start small and make big waves.



Woo! I am excited about this one. What are you going to buy local this year? If you missed the first set of resolutions, read up on how to reduce your meat intake in 2018!

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 

Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 

Why is shopping local good for the environment? 

We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 



 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new towns and cities!  







stolen egregiously off of Amy's facebook page



I am especially excited for this post, because it was written by Amy Roberts, who writes the truly gorgeous, personal, and thoughtful Meanderblog. I love her blog, in which she shows how you can have incredibly lovely style while prioritizing experience over possessions. I was so excited that she agreed to write us a post, and it was cool to see she reads this blog as well! Amy is a longtime resident of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and she has pointed to some wonderful local businesses there. This rapidly growing area has so many local gems. Thank you Amy, and take it away!

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 



Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 



Why is shopping local good for the environment? 



We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 





 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new towns and cities!  





Rochelle is my cousin, friend for life, and one of two people I am happy to listen to their stories basically forever (side note, how beautiful does she look at the end stretch of her pregnancy?). She moved down to Tennessee permanently after her college graduation, and has spent 8 years living in the Nashville surrounding area. The whole place is gorgeous, and growing fast, so it is the perfect place to start exploring if you want to spend more of your money locally. Lots of businesses have to be bouncing up (including tiny businesses like Shelly's), but I love that Shelly points us to a couple of Nashville institutions as well. Plus, she is an amazing mom of 2 (about to be 3), so if you need some insight on where to find the best baby clothes, I would totally trust her. Take it away Rochelle!

1. The Pharmacy (Nashville) – This is our standard date night place. The burgers here are amazing and all of the meats are locally sourced. They also have awesome beer here and make their own phosphate sodas to order. Micah always orders the Farm Burger which uses locally sourced ground beef, bacon or ham, and a fried egg. I change it up, but I love the Mission City burger which has fresh pico de gallo and guacamole and crema fresca. So yum!


2. McKay’s Used Books and Music (Nashville) – this is our other date night standard. We pair it with The Pharmacy every chance we get. This place is basically a giant two-story warehouse of used books, music, movies, and video games. You can take the stuff you don’t want and sell it there and use the money to buy more of those things in the store. It’s amazing. And anything that they won’t buy they will put in free bins outside the store for people to take. We have spent a ridiculous amount of money in this store but when you can walk out with a stack of books and cds for just a few bucks a piece you feel like you won the lottery (if you are a nerd like we are).


3. Usborne Books & More (nationally) – Okay, so let’s be totally clear here, I’m a consultant with this company, so I’m already kind of in love with it. But hear me out – I love this company so much. Usborne Books & More sells books for kids ages birth through YA fiction. The basics are that the founder of the company wanted to make educationally engaging books that could compete with the media available – I think they deliver. Don’t get me wrong, my kids still love the tv, but when we need a break from television and movies I automatically pull out these books. There are nearly 2000 titles in the catalog and I’ve watched my kids fall in love with reading thanks to these books. They have lots of educational tools too and schools routinely use Usborne products in the classroom. Usborne Books & More is the American branch of the British company, but any of the books printed in black & white are printed in the United States. For the rest of the books, you can check out their ethical standards here: http://www.usborne.com/about-usborne/ethical-policies.aspx


4. KidtoKid (Murfreesboro & Nationally) – I love some consignment shopping and this is easily the best consignment store I’ve shopped in for my kids. The store is large and the clothes and gear are in great condition (often you can barely tell they were ever worn). The prices are great too. The one here in Murfreesboro even has this adorable separate door for kids to walk through. They sell a handful of new items also, including Re-play plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery. They also sell consignment maternity clothes (huzzah!) and they are current and in good shape.

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 



Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 



Why is shopping local good for the environment? We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 





 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new places!  

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 



Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 



Why is shopping local good for the environment? We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 




 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new places!  





Mandy Chronert is one of the few people I knew while living in the Bay Area that actually grew up there. But she is the Bay Area, born and raised, and it's no surprise that she knows all about the gems around San Jose. When I moved there, I was blown away but just how many businesses were there, and it could be hard to see past the Targets and shopping malls to all of the amazing local businesses that also hide out in the area. I learned, and especially miss some local restaurants, but we are still lucky that Mandy can point you to some real gems! Take it away Ms. Chronert-




My Bay Area Local Love List:




1. SJMADE (http://www.sanjosemade.com/) – what a cool way to see local products and ideas at festivals and outside of Whole Foods on the Alameda. I've seen everything from natural beauty products, jewelry, clothing for local sports teams, coffee, and all the tasty treats (macaroons, biscotti, cupcakes) you can imagine! I follow them on Instagram to figure out when and where I can find new local things, which when I type that out it sounds ridiculous, but it is the best way to follow these small businesses in the bay area. 




2. Therapy (http://www.shopattherapy.com/) – clothing store with multiple Bay Area locations. It's comparable to Anthropologie, but with local products. Shopping or even just browsing is definitely my preferred mode of retail therapy. 



Thoughts from B- Yes, this store is awesome. We spent many a night walking through and lusting over house stuff in there. 




3. San Pedro Square Market (http://www.sanpedrosquaremarket.com/) – cool multi-use space that offers little pockets of food, beverages, entertainment, and shopping. 



4. San Jose Municipal Stadium (http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t476) – home of the minor league San Jose Giants baseball team. This is one of the best affordable activities to do in San Jose. There are frequently free tickets to the baseball games that you can pick up at local grocery stores (cost of an average ticket is $10.00 normally). It's such a quintessential San Jose activity that I have enjoyed since I was a small child. I still go to games whenever I can and my best friend even got married on home plate during the off-season last spring. The food and souvenirs are all local favorites (you definitely have to try the churros).



B Thoughts- Uh, this is an awesome suggestion. It would never occur to me to think about local sports stadiums as a place to celebrate regional food and such, but it's genius. 




Thank you Mandy! Have other stores, restaurants, or brands that you love local to the Bay Area? Write me a list! I know there are plenty. 





Want to write your own Loving the Local List? You fill my heart with joy! Just send me a list of your five to ten favorite local brands and stores (it doesn't have to be just around the street- a State specific snack or small chain of restaurants works just fine). Write a few sentences on why you love each thing (and I love pictures if you have them) and send them to sunshineguerrilla@gmail.com.







Would you like to buy more environmentally responsible or Made in America products? I've got you covered! Check out my Mega List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas for any shopping trip.

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. 



Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. 



Why is shopping local good for the environment? We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 

 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new places!  

from city-data.com

Sidewalks- Hermitage (at least my neighborhood) is full of them! Do you know how great it is to be able to safely take a walk? I mean, I know we’ve got our trails, and buhl park, but I’m just excited to walk to my massage therapy salon. This convenience has not always been available to me, so if you do have it, take a second to appreciate how great they are!

Want to write your own Loving the Local List? You fill my heart with joy! Just send me a list of your five to ten favorite local brands and stores (it doesn't have to be just around the street- a State specific snack or small chain of restaurants works just fine). Write a few sentences on why you love each thing (and I love pictures if you have them) and send them to sunshineguerrilla@gmail.com.






Would you like to buy more environmentally responsible or Made in America products? I've got you covered! Check out my Mega List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas for any shopping trip.

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. Why is shopping local good for the environment? We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 

 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new places!  

My mom has lived on the Big Island in Hawaii for many years now, so she knows all kinds of great secrets to the island. Also, how to get really, really lost on hikes. She is a queen of having adventures, so it's no surprise that her list of local gems are things to do rather than things to buy. Also, since most of us will only ever be in Hawaii as visitors, so her tips on places to go and things to do that the locals also love could be really helpful! So she will go over her best "to do's"


1. Go for a drive. The Big Island boasts 13 of the world’s 14 climate zones. If you don’t like the landscape or weather where you are, just keep going and it will change within the next 20 minutes or so. No matter what your favorite flavor of nature, you’ll find it here. Oh, and don’t worry about getting lost – there’s only one road around the island! Start early; it’s a big island.


2. Visit the volcano. Where else were you planning on visiting an active, erupting volcano? The Jagar Museum is awesome with loads of information about how hot lava really is and where the island’s 20+ earthquakes per day were located. The Thurston lava tube is in a beautiful location. If you have time and sturdy shoes, hike the Iki (pronounced EE-KEE) Crater. Don’t do it in slippers (aka, flip flops) or you’ll be sorry.



3. Go to the beach! Those of lesser substance may be put off by the island’s beaches with lava in and around the water. A pair of water shoes and you’re set . Don’t forget your snorkel (Side note from B- lots of places and hotels will rent things like water shoes out, so if you aren't going to too many lava beaches in your life, don't buy, just borrow- if you want to buy some, Sand Soles are made in the USA)! If you don’t put your face in the water, you’ve only seen ½ of the beauty of Hawaii. This is the perfect snorkel opportunity for new or slightly chicken snorkeler as you don’t have to go far or deep to enjoy the many amazing sea creatures (some unique to Hawaii) waiting to show off for you.

4. Eat! OK, so this one isn’t free. But the fish is extremely fresh having left the ocean the same day that you enjoy it. The tropical fruit is fresh and full of good stuff for you. We eat rice here, lots of it. If this sounds all too healthy for you, don’t worry because we can deep fry that fish or offer up some plate lunch (meat, starch, starch) or loco moco (rice, burger, egg, and lots of gravy)! We have the happiest cows in the world, which you can taste in the island beef burgers.


Note from B- Poke!! Mom can't eat fish, but please go get some poke. Go somewhere the locals go, and even better, go somewhere right by the ocean for super fresh fish. Between the beef , the produce, and the fish, there is no reason to eat anything that isn't local while you are there. This is us stopping at a roadside fruit stand and we bought smoothies and juices there. So good! Risks almost always pay off on the island.



5. Go to Place of Refuge (Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park). This is a state park and there is a small cost of admission (but you don’t have to be able to pronounce it). This beautiful spot was one of the homes of the alii or royalty of the island. Like many cultures, the Hawaiians offered a place of refuge or escape for persons who had accidentally killed a fellow Hawaiian. Puuhonua o Honaunau also was home to those brave Hawaiians who could reach it without perishing or being killed on the way.


6. South Point and Green Sand Beach are worth the trip to the southernmost part of the United States. If you get lucky, you’ll see cliff divers at South Point. You can try it if you want, but remember that you have to get back up the cliff. Be careful at South Point as the cliffs are being eroded by the ocean and are falling into the ocean regularly. Green Sand Beach requires a 2-mile hike or driving a 4-wheeled, high clearance vehicle, and is worth the bouncy trip. Plan on climbing down into the water-carved cliff and enjoying the waves from the green sand beach (Yes, the sand really is green!).


7. On the colored sand topic, the black sand beaches are awesome! Try Punaluu Take a beach towel, some water and snacks and relax on the sand while you’re staring out at the water. It’s usually cloudy here, so you won’t bake. Don’t be surprised by the heads popping out of the water! They’re just the honu or Hawaiian sea turtles.


8. Go to Tex’s in Honoka’a for fresh, hot malasadas. Malasadas are Portuguese (pronounced port-o-gee) donuts and Tex’s makes the best. You can actually buy a whole meal, but the malasadas are darn filling. While you’re there, make sure that you sit on the lanai (pronounced la-ni) or outside seating so that you can see the clear, crisp view of the ocean. The colors on the Hamakua Coast are amazing!



9. Go to the valleys – specifically the Waipio Valley and Ponolulu Valley. They aren’t that far apart, but getting to them requires a lot of driving. Ride or walk down into the Waipio Valley and enjoy
the mist up the valley; cross the river as it enters the ocean; hike up the cliffs; visit the falls, or just sit and enjoy the spiritual nature of this site. Don’t walk down unless you can get back up (Not for people with any medical problems.). The walk into the Ponolulu Valley and go to the beach. This is a much easier walk.

Note from B- This is from our hike down to the Waipio Valley. It was DEFINITELY a hike, but we had a really fun time. Know your limits, but you can see some amazing beaches if you are willing to really get moving.

10. Go to a Farmer’s market. There are lots of them. The Hilo market is lots of fun and has lots more than just farm stuff. Waimea (also known as Kamuela to avoid confusion with Waimea on O’ahu. Unfortunately, it just makes it confusing as to whether one is going to Waimea or Kamuela.) has farmer’s markets almost every day. Kona has a few permanent markets that are ok, but not as authentic as the Waimea markets. The farmers are happy to teach you about the fruits and vegetables of the island.

The Big Island is a great place to visit and there are lots of things that you can do that cost money – helicopter tours, submarine rides, parasailing, ziplines, etc. But those are for the tourists…

Last note from B- When you travel, it can be really tempting to just buy things that say "Hawaii" on it, but check the tag! Why do you want to buy something Made in China while you are in Hawaii? Wait and buy that when you are in China! Hawaii has treats and treasures made there, and they aren't too hard to find as long as you check somewhere other than an ABC store. I think it is worth it to buy less and buy local when it comes to souvenirs, because you can support the places you are having such a good time in! We have bought some really pretty and unique Christmas ornaments there at local stores. 

Thank you Mom for all of your great ideas! 

Want to write your own Loving the Local List? You fill my heart with joy! Just send me a list of your five to ten favorite local brands and stores (it doesn't have to be just around the street- a State specific snack or small chain of restaurants works just fine). Write a few sentences on why you love each thing (and I love pictures if you have them) and send them to sunshineguerrilla@gmail.com.






Would you like to buy more environmentally responsible or Made in America products? I've got you covered! Check out my Mega List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas for any shopping trip.

This is a new blog series where we can each sing the praises of our favorite local shops, brands, and restaurants. Supporting local businesses does even more than supporting small business owners (though that is great too). It keeps your money local to you (not off wherever the Waltons are vacationing), creates more jobs for your friends and family, and even helps the environment. Why is shopping local good for the environment? We talk a lot about commutes and how much fuel people use to travel, and the same applies to your stuff. The further your stuff has to travel, the more fossil fuels they use and energy they waste. Large companies and chains pretty consistently show less responsibility and concern for the environment and the communities they are in, so you can effect positive change locally and decrease your environmental impact just by shopping and eating local! 


 This blog intends to encourage us to get out and explore the businesses near where we live. See it as a fun challenge to see what you can support nearby and be surprised what amazingness you may have missed. You can also check out other lists to find the coolest places to go when you travel to new places!  

My Aunt Joanna is writing her list for State College, PA, the home of Penn State University. The town has 40,000 student residents that move through pretty quickly (including myself). I really like Happy Valley, especially getting to spend a lot of time with her and her family, but I will happily defer to her expertise on the businesses in the town that are truly great!

5. Kitchen Kaboodle : sure, I could shop at BBBeyond, but in this store I can drool over snarky dish towels, buy aprons made locally or get yet another garlic gadget. And then walk over to the library! A win! Which brings me to... 

4. The library! Why buy books you don't want or need to keep, when you can keep a library in business. Did you know the Philadelphia Free Library loans ebooks to any PA resident? Yup. I still buy books, too, of course, but the library makes it possible to try out authors and cookbooks, risk free. Non-profits need support too. 

3. Uncle Eli's art supplies: they always help me find stuff when I clearly have no idea what I am doing. Plus, they have a dog, and hipster buttons. Every town has toy stores, gift shops, kitchen stores -- I try to not shop at Big Box stores if I can choose small businesses instead.

2. Real maple syrup. Etsy has several choices, we like Maple View Sugar Works, a family business in Vermont. Artisanal mapling is very trendy now, but Maple View sells bricks of maple sugar for $10. Beat that! There are PA sugarhouses but I have loyalty to MVSW, and at least it's not ConAgra bottled colored corn syrup. 

1. Meyer Dairy. I can see the cows while I buy the milk. Natives are people who were born in State College. But you can earn "Local" status by owning the ubiquitous Meyer Dairy glass milk bottle carrier. When we got ours, I was waaay too excited!

Thank you Aunt Joanna for the awesome list! What are your favorite shops, restaurants, and businesses in State College? 

Want to write your own Loving the Local List? You fill my heart with joy! Just send me a list of your five to ten favorite local brands and stores (it doesn't have to be just around the street- a State specific snack or small chain of restaurants works just fine). Write a few sentences on why you love each thing (and I love pictures if you have them) and send them to sunshineguerrilla@gmail.com.



Would you like to buy more environmentally responsible or Made in America products? I've got you covered! Check out my Mega List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas for any shopping trip.