And just like that we’re already through the month of June and half of the year is complete! How crazy is that!? When I think about Christmas 2017, it doesn’t seem like it was SIX months ago! I swear it was just a month or two ago that I was finishing wrapping up all the gifts and Nate was impatiently waiting on Santa’s arrival… it’s crazy how fast this year seems to be flying by! Pretty soon I’ll be back at work and then not long after that Nate will be entering his first year of school! Whelp!! Excuse me while I go cry in a corner for a minute or two. Ok! Enough about my kids growing up, let’s get into the real reason for this post! June’s Small Business Shop Share!!

I know what you’re thinking, last month I posted on the very last Saturday of May and this month I’m a few days late… *cough more than a week late cough* I swear I’m not tired of this series or anything like that, just life has been so busy lately and I’ve been having a hard time finding a few moments of quiet during the day to sit down and write. But nevertheless I’ve made the time and here we are to discuss my picks for June! So let’s get right to it shall we!?

*Photo Property of Creative Farmer*

Starting off this month’s list we have Creative Farmer who I just know is going to make a big splash in the small business world! Jessica is the owner and creator behind this new business which just opened it’s “doors” this past week! As a busy mom of three (two of which are under two years old!!) Jessica has many amazing talents! She’s not only a terrific nurse but she also runs the Pick Your Own booth at Watson Farms, dabbles in a little bit of photography on the side, and now has this blossoming business to add to her resume! Creative Farmer specializes in farmhouse decor and personalized items including wood signs, succulents (like pictured above), adorable wine glasses with sayings like BECAUSE KIDS. in pretty cursive fonts, and so much more! I actually have two signs from Jessica that I have been using for my vendor shows which advertise what payment options I have available as well as where I can be located on social media. It’s a great option to have front and centre on my table instead of hoping people will notice my small little Square sticker or read the backs of my business cards. I’ve definitely gotten a lot of compliments on them and how well laid out they are! Jessica also sells these hand painted Mason jar bathroom sets which include a hand soap jar with pump, Q-tip dispenser, and tooth brush holder. If you’re looking to up your farmhouse decor game then you definitely want to check Jessica out online! Creative Farmer is currently on Instagram which orders done via direct message. Check out this awesome upcoming biz and give her a follow!!

*Photo Property of Crave Caters*

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of Crave Caters; the new donut business taking Durham Region by storm! With flavours like key lime pie, campfire s’mores, and birthday cake, it’s no wonder why these donuts sell out constantly!! I’ve seriously never been to a vendor show before where these donuts weren’t gone within the first two hours! Most of the time, there is a looooong line up of hungry customers just praying that they’re going to be available to get their hands on these delicious creations! Whether you’re someone who loves to experiment with food and is willing to ‘push the boundaries’ of what a donut can be or you prefer tried and true classics like sprinkles, you’re bound to love these handmade sweet confections! One thing I truly love about this business is how much they support local, small shops too. Whether they’re bringing their creations to an intimate pop-up shop in Bowmanville, ON or hanging out at some cool coffee shops or breweries, they seem to want to support as many other small businesses as they can.  Crave can be found on either their Instagram or Facebook accounts. You definitely want to insta-stalk them so you can get the inside scoop on where they’ll be next!

*Photo Property of The Sewing BeeBee*

Have you heard of The Sewing BeeBee? If your answer was no then you’re definitely going to want to check out this unique small business! From handcrafted pouches to book sleeves to wallets, Bee creates amazing accessories using the most gorgeous fabric options out there! Are you an avid essential oil user? Do you love carrying your oils with you but hate having them just thrown around in your purse? Well, The Sewing BeeBee has got you covered with her stunning essential oil pouches that can hold up to five rollers comfortably! Not only are they practical but they’re also 100% stylish and come in a variety of fabric options! Whether you love bold, bright prints or more subdued and muted colours, Bee has got you covered! I’m actually obsessed with the wallets and cross body bags that are on her Instagram account. I mean, the cork corner detailing is to die for! Seriously! Just look at all those clutches pictured above! How could you not find something you’ll be equally obsessed!? I’m telling you, if you’re looking for a unique gift idea or maybe something for your bridal party, Bee’s make-up pouches are the perfect present! There’s definitely something for everyone at The Sewing BeeBee! You can check out Bee’s amazing items on her Facebook or Instagram pages!

*Photo Property of Canoe & Lake*

I stumbled across Canoe & Lake towards the end of 2017 during what was… how can I put this… a heart breaking and life alternating time in the shop owner’s personal life. I remember reading all the supportive comments and well wishes on her posts and thought to myself how loved this woman and her business must be to have all these people (some even strangers) rallying around her to support not only her but her young family as well. It was beautiful to see what support the small business community can give during another’s time of need. I watched from a far, waiting for the shop to reopen and still witnessing the outpouring of love for Lauren and her little ones. When Canoe & Lake opened back up, I eagerly waited to see what new items and returning favourites would be appearing and it definitely was anything but disappointing! Canoe & Lake offers some of the CUTEST harem shorts I have ever seen! I’m seriously obsessed with those X’s and O’s on the picture above as well as the Summer Lovin and Summer Jam sets that are available online! They’re all so perfect to style your little hipster boy or girl! Canoe & Lake also sells some super adorable ‘upcycled’ cardigans that I would love to buy except I’m on a budget and not allowed to spend any more money for a little bit *insert sobbing emoji* WHYYYY GOVERNMENT OF CANADA DID YOU END MY EI PAYMENTS FOUR WEEKS EARLY!? DON’T YOU KNOW I HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS ADDICTION I NEED TO FEED! Sorry, off topic… anyways! You can check out this kick-ass momma bear on Facebook, Instagram, and her website!

*Photo Property of Little Misfits*

So back when I first started discovering all these amazing small businesses on Instagram, one of the first shops I followed was Little Misfits. I had never come across an account that used skulls, tattoo sleeves or anything remotely punk rock related for infant and children’s clothing and it was so refreshing to see! Often times when we see outfits designed for babies or toddlers, there’s a lot of ‘fluffy’ stuff; cute animals, cute sayings, cute colours but what about those rock n roll parents? The ones who still listen to The Ramones or The Clash or the Sex Pistols or Black Flag!? What about them!? They want to style their mini’s in the stuff that they themselves would want to wear right!? Because I know that’s exactly how I felt a few times when I was looking for shirts that Nate and I could ‘twin’ in. I’m honestly SO THANKFUL I stumbled across this business because in the three years since, I’ve made several purchases from Dionne and never once have I been disappointed. This past year I had custom Saturdays Are For The Boys tee’s made up for Kurt and the boys; and also purchased that awesome skull beanie pictured above for Eli last Fall. I’ll never forget when I brought him into my work for a visit and one of the maintenance guys said “Nice skull hat. Let me guess, that was your husband’s doing?” I just laughed in his face because HELL NO! THAT WAS MY DOING! Yeah, sure I might come off looking all sweet and nice but don’t judge a book by its cover! I have a deep seeded punk rock love that will never die! So if you’re over all the ‘cutesy’ clothing options that are out there or you want some bad-ass mama and baby sets, then I HIGHLY recommend you check out Dionne and her Little Misfits because they are anything but boring!! Little Misfits is available on Facebook, Instagram, and their website!

*Photo Property of Whimsical Wonders Wooden Puzzles*

I just stumbled across this adorable shop a few weeks ago at a vendor show and I’m so glad I did! Whimsical Wonders Wooden Puzzles creates colourfully unique wooden puzzles for toddlers and young children to help develop hand-eye coordination as well as engage in imaginative play. All these puzzles are created for different staged of childhood and vary in complexity and size. Each piece is hand crafted and painted using non-toxic, child safe paint so you can feel easy knowing that they’re safe for even your toddler who still likes to ‘taste’ their toys! From small puzzles like elephants or dinosaurs to the larger ones like those amazing hanging monkeys pictured above, your bound to find something your child will absolutely love putting together! Another cool thing about this business is that you can have these puzzles personalized with your child’s name or nickname and from what I know about kids, they tend to love when something is specifically ‘theirs’ 😉 You can find this awesome small business on Instagram as well as Facebook!

*Photo Property of myself*

I know what you’re thinking… and the answer is yes, I am posting on a fellow teething accessory business because as a lover of supporting small businesses, I believe in community over competition 100%. And while yes, technically Pebble to Peak and I do both create teething items, that doesn’t mean this shop doesn’t deserve to be recognized for how amazing they are! I “met” Christina, the owner of Pebble to Peak, online a few months ago when I was looking to whole sale some Canadian designed silicone teethers for my own shop and instantly I knew she was someone I would totally be friends with if we lived in the same province! Our sense of humour is very similar and she’s been a wealth of knowledge for me to utilize the past few months. I’ve been able to ask her questions and pick her brain about standards, safety regulations, how to go about designing your own teether, and so much more. Knowing as much as she does about this industry, she could have simply blown me off or refused to answer my questions, but that’s just not who she is. Any time I’ve needed advice or wasn’t sure where to turn for information, she was right there helping to guide me where I needed to look. I’m extremely fortunate that we’ve been able to connect and her business is definitely one of my favourites! Those adorable Maple leaf teethers pictured above were created by Pebble to Peak and honestly, they are even better in person! I can’t get enough of the speckled one which literally matched PERFECTLY to a pacifier clip I had created. I absolutely love when stuff like that works out! It was literally meant to be!! You can find Pebble to Peak on their website as well as Instagram and Facebook!

*Photo Property of Jacob.Grace Designs*

I just stumbled across Jacob.Grace Designs a few weeks ago and I’ve already purchased one shirt for Nate and have at least three other items in my cart at this current moment. To say I’m obsessed would be an understatement! There is literally not one item they sell that I don’t truly love. Nate got so many compliments on his Maple leaf tank that he was wearing on Canada Day and I can’t wait to order myself one too. Melissa is the owner of this amazing Canadian business which she started in 2015 inspired by her three children all of which were NICU babies. As Melissa states on her website, her babies were under excellent care from the health care professionals at their local hospital and because of this, Jacob.Grace Designs will always have a shirt with proceeds going directly back to the NICU. This is one of the main reasons why I love this shop. When I see small businesses giving back to their communities it warms my heart. Jacob.Grace Designs creates adorable and trendy clothing items for not just your littles but you too! From onesies to tanks to adult tees and pull overs; there’s not much they don’t create! You definitely want to check out this amazing shop on their website as well as their Instagram and Facebook pages!

*Photo Property of Bud and Blossom Designs*

How cute are those bloomers pictured above!? If I had a little girl I literally would buy every pair of bloomers that Carmen creates! They are seriously adorable!! Bud and Blossom is one of the most unique shops I’ve come across. Carmen had literally created a pair of bloomers from a curtain fabric and they were adorable! From bright bold floral patterns to more muted tones, I can’t get enough of them! Bud and Blossom also create the cutest little tank tops for babies and I swear I squeal a little bit every time I see one of them posted. Although, they need to close their shop for a few weeks before their big ‘drops’, I think that helps to make this shop one of my favourites. You just know that Carmen is taking her time and pouring all her sweat and love into each and every item she creates. As a busy mom of two, she’s killing it in terms of her Etsy shop and everything she’s whipping up! You can find Bud and Blossom on Instagram as well as on Etsy!

And there you have it! My June (in July) addition of my Small Business Saturday series! Should we all take a bet on if I’ll get July’s addition out on time!? Haha! Just kidding!! Hope you all have enjoyed this addition and honestly, you NEED to check out these amazing businesses!!