Green Friday

Before the plague descended on my house, I had this whole other idea of what I was going to do with NaBloPoMo. I finally think like I am well enough to get started on it.

Every year I wait with dread for the mass commercialism that is Black Friday. While I am all for finding a good deal, the absolute craziness that overcomes some people on that day confuses me. After all, is it really worth all of that stuff? People have died because someone wanted more stuff. However, I'm not really a person of extremes. I don't think that being a consumer is bad, I just think that more thoughtfulness in our consumption is warranted. Combine that with the need to support local and small businesses in this struggling economy and I came up with yet another answer among many about what to do on the day after Thanksgiving.

On the day after Thanksgiving (in the US) and perhaps that whole weekend, or the whole holiday season, support local and small businesses. We hear repeatedly how hard it is for small businesses during a down economy. When everyone is trying to get the most for their money, they have the hardest time trying to compete. What you do to support them has the most direct effect on your community. Supporting a local business owner means that the money they make goes in to paying themselves, or local workers, who then buy their gas, groceries, etc. in your community. Establishing relationships with local businesses pays off in all kind of intangible ways. Local businesses our support schools, sports teams, and charities. They may also become your friends, or introduce you to your future husband (that one is for you Kristen).

I wish I had a catchy name for it, but I don't. (anyone want to help with that?)

For the rest of November, and depending on how this goes, I will be posting regularly about some of the small businesses and local businesses that I love. Some of them I have already written about, some of them I have wanted to, all of them deserve it. My challenge to you is to do the same. I've seen the power that blogs can have when it comes to this. I know I've introduced some local readers to things in the area, and you could do the same thing. It doesn't have to be local, just a small business that you love. You know you have secret Etsy crushes.

This wouldn't be a good challenge without a prize, so I'm offering one. If you post, leave your link in the comments, or email me (ameliasprout at gmail dot com) and I'll link to it in this post and on my sidebar. Each post gets you one entry to win a signed copy of One Yard Wonders (which I am purchasing myself). Posts cannot be sponsored.

If you haven't heard of One Yard Wonders yet, it was written by local artists Trish Hoskins (owner with her husband of Crafty Planet) and Rebecca Yaker (of Sock Monkey Wedding Dress fame). I haven't seen it yet, but I have heard wonderful things about it.