As small business owners ourselves, we know small businesses are the lifeblood of our community. We meet in person weekly at Vie & Vin (more on them below) and threw a party earlier this month to support all the local entrepreneurs we know. Naturally, we hired vendors that are — you guessed it — also small businesses.
We work hard to walk our talk consistently. In celebration of the season, we pulled together a list of some of the small businesses in Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood we’ve bought from this holiday.
Please don’t hesitate to comment with yours; our picks are certainly not exhaustive. We’ll be reading, responding and adding to our lists based on your favorites.
- The Edmonds Bookshop is staffed by the most wonderful humans. We love to support independent booksellers, especially when we know they’ll track down whatever we’re looking for in the shop and, if they don’t have it, order it to get to us within a few days. On their staff recommendation shelf this month, they had Remarkably Bright Creatures, a popular, quirky novel about a widow’s connection to a Pacific octopus. Whitney had been hearing about it from many friends and, with the Edmonds Bookshop’s added blessing, grabbed a copy for her mom (with hopes for a pay it forward when she’s done). Emilie rates it as her #1 book of the year.
- As we mentioned earlier, Vie & Vin is our weekly go-to. It’s a small, family-owned wine and gift shop at Salish Crossing in Edmonds run by lovely people. We love you Jordan and Brandon! Inside, you’ll discover unique and local finds that people want, you can drink wine while you shop. Know a few winos? Gift them a membership to Vie & Vin’s wine club, V&V Cru.
- It’s always nice when your friends and family support your beauty routine, especially when that support also translates into money for a woman-led business. Enter: The London Lounge in Lynnwood, which specializes in eyelash extensions, lash lifts, eyebrow and eyelash tinting, skin care and full body waxing. Stocking gift cards gladly accepted.
- Similarly, a gift card to Elle Marie Hair Studio shows your loved ones you’re willing to invest in services they actually use. Emilie has seen Angela since she was 17 and swears she is a hair magician.
- Got coffee lovers in your life? Take them to Urban City Coffee in Mountlake Terrace for a cup of joe, a super-relaxing vibe (must build in time to escape the holiday chaos), and late-night wine and beer. Buying into your people’s local coffee shop/stand is an elite gift. Urban also has pounds of their signature roasted espresso for sale if you need something to go.
- We will never quit Double DD Meats, not only for its amazing quality meats, but also for the ample gift options (have you seen their sauce, gift, and spice sections?). Plus, if you’re hosting a family dinner to celebrate the holidays, you know you’re giving back to your community by buying from local experts. Get yourself a pepperoni stick to go — you’re worth it.
- When stuff feels unnecessary, consider gifting experiences. Emilie’s oldest son plays hockey, so their family frequents Olympic View Arena and Lynnwood Ice Center. Come to an open skate session, a stick and puck, or even try hockey for free for a day with your little ones. Also, check out their hockey schedule and watch a game (you might even see Emilie at her son’s game).
- Lastly, cozy up with a new fireplace from Hearthside and Home right on 196th close to all three cities. Whether you’re in the market for a new fireplace or not, this local, family-owned shop offers cozy giftables and accessories to keep everyone warm and happy. Extra perk: If you buy a fireplace, Emilie’s husband might be your installer.
What are your go-to local small businesses this holiday season? Where did you stock up on goodies for your family? Let us know so we can do even better next year.
— By Whitney Popa and Emilie Given
Whitney Popa is a writer and communications consultant in Edmonds and Emilie Given is a virtual assistant agency owner in Lynnwood. They write this column together to share work-from-home ideas. They love where they live and are grateful the virtual world allows them to achieve more work/life harmony. They also co-host a weekly podcast where they share their entrepreneurship journeys while learning about those of others. You can learn more about Emilie here and more about Whitney here.
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