‘Tis the season for showing extra love and support to the life blood of our communities! It’s the most wonderful time of the year to support small businesses and to easily spread the word about your favorite local artisans, creators, and service professionals!
In this blog post, I am sharing some of my favorite businesses located in Placer and Nevada County! Whether you’re shopping for a special someone, or looking for something new to do in the year ahead, this list has you covered!
#1- Bayabelle Boutique located in Lincoln is a treasure trove of easy gifting galore. From cute clothes, to journals, candles, thoughtful gift cards, humorous coffee mugs and more- the curated selection is always rotating. Dawn loves to provide a place for local artisans to shine as well, so peek around to find locally handmade gifts and goodies! With Bayabelle Boutique as your gift bag bestie, you are sure to put a smile on the face of your friends and get a ton of bang for your buck!
#2- Fitnello – This one is for the ladies on your list! Located in Rocklin, Fitnello is a boutique weight lifting gym for woman. Small, but mighty, Fitnello houses everything you need to hit your fitness goals. The gym environment takes itself seriously, with everyone on board to be supportive and give it their all! With daily classes, a full squat rack, a fridge stocked with fresh, healthy choices and top notch instruction by coaches Elina and Angelina, Fitnello is a perfect place to start your fitness journey in the new year!
#3- Montoliva Vineyard – Tucked away off Hwy 174 in charming vineyard and winery that specializes in producing wines reminiscent of Tuscany. The owner, Mark, takes a skilled and passionate approach to the producing as well as the presenting aspects of these wines. He is wealth of knowledge with some amazing stories and insights, and the winery itself is charming in a way I image the family wineries in Italy are. Warm welcomes, friendly and intimate atmosphere, generous tastings, and absolutely top-notch wines! Come to a tasting at Montoliva to experience it for yourself!
#4- The Parkour and Performing Arts Center – Not your conventional athletic activities, at The PPAC, you can try out Parkour, Tumbling, Aerial Acrobatics, Martial Arts, Stunt Classes and more! Located in Lincoln, there are classes for all ages, with various classes happening simultaneously, so different people in the same household can be enjoying their unique activity, without having to drive to different locations! Former students have gone on to win competitions, and performed on tour! It’s an excellent place to collaborate and train with other ambitious athletes of various talents, and its both a fun and supportive environment for kids and teens to learn a unique skill they will enjoy! You can also book birthday or private parties for a fun and unique experience! Visit The Parkour and Performing Arts Center to try something new!
#5- Honey + Cream – Located in Downtown Penn Valley, this Specialty coffeehouse hits the spot with both its vibe and it’s beverages. Serving up (the best) espresso, cold brew, drip, tea and smoothies, you’re sure to find something to whet your whistle. There are also delicious breakfast bites available, and pastries from Sugar Mill Bakery. And last but not least, Honey + Cream serves up old fashioned, slow-churned ice cream, perfect for making cheerful memories or for an afternoon pick-me-up!
#6- Rise Pole Fitness – If you’ve been looking for a fun environment, with an ultra-supportive, body positive group of women, who are getting fit and fab while doing hair flips and pole tricks – this might be the vibe you’ve been waiting to catch. Located in Roseville, Rise Pole Fitness is celebrating its first year in business! Offering both day and evening classes for a wide variety of skill levels, each instructor brings their own unique flavor and flair to the class. Pole fitness is an excellent way to get in shape, cultivate self-acceptance and turn it into roaring self-confidence.
#7- Wild Feather Medicinals – A modern day apothecary for a wide range of medicinal delights, Wild Feather Medicinals places high emphasis on quality products created with intentional recipes. Elderberry syrup is a must-have staple for keeping the immune system strong. With a modern approach to ancient medicines, they carry a collection of delicious spreads of various flavors ready to delight kids and adults alike! For the tea lovers, a wide selection of intentionally curated blends of herbal tea and powdered medicinals are available to support the nervous system, adrenals, reproductive and hormonal health, mental clarity and more. (My favorite is Blissified!) In addition to medicinal products, Wild Feather also hosts retreats of various kinds. Find out more about their offerings here: https://sacredselflove.us/
#8- Kendra Evans Photography – Hailing from Nevada County Kendra is your go-to gal when you want high quality portraits! Whether it be family photos, seasonal portraits, senior portraits, maternity portraits, a wedding photographer or Kendra’s unique mark of equestrian portraits, you will love the stunning captures you get back. Kendra knows how to bring out the shine in the subject she is photographing. Her use of natural lighting brings a dreamy ambience to her work, that feels inspiring and nostalgic simultaneously. Discover her work here: https://www.kevansphoto.com/
#9- Hailey’s Handmade Bath Co. – Made with love and the highest quality ingredients, 100% pure essential oils and no artificial fragrances, Hailey’s Handmade Bath Co provides ample choices for anyone on your shopping list. Unique and thoughtful shower steamers for getting that lift when there’s no time for a bath, tension soothing balm, bath bombs galore, soaps, sugar scrubs, massage oil, lip balm, my absolute favorite Lunar Dreams Linen Spray, and more! You can shop online or catch her at Maker’s Markets throughout the season! (Last chance of 2022 is Monday, Dec 19th in Auburn at The Exchange)
#10- Belly of the Sun – Made with the utmost love and integrity, in the Sierra Foothills, Belly of the Sun ghee is the mouthful of radiance you didn’t know you needed. Ghee is a nutrient–rich food, including vitamins A, D, E and K, which depend on fat to be properly absorbed by the body. Belly of the Sun’s ghee is handcrafted on an open flame, per tradition, and made in small batches to ensure perfection. Sheerlie intentionally crafts a highly curated line of unique, synergistic blends, for a variety of different purposes, like tonifying, detoxifying, beautifying, vitalizing and more! A spoonful of the inner beauty ghee in my coffee, or oatmeal feels like I’m giving my brain and body a huge, healing hug. Upgrade your daily ritual by switching out your butter for Belly of the Sun’s medicinal ghee! Shop the collection here: https://bellyofthesun.com/
I hope you enjoyed the Placer and Nevada County Edition of Shopping Local this Holiday Season! And remember, it’s important to support small business all year, not just at the holidays! So be sure to revisit this list throughout the year!
Do you have a local small biz you absolutely adore that everyone needs to know about? Send me an email with the details and I can explore adding it to future editions!
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