Family Time and Small Business Saturday

Happy Thanksgiving week friends! Jenilee and I are so ready for a few days off of work and I am looking forward to some one on one time with my parents! I am so excited to be channeling my Half Baked Harvest obsession into this year’s Thanksgiving meal. I figured what better time to try making my very first Thanksgiving Turkey than with a small audience. If you haven’t checked out her cookbook; breeze by her Instagram account and you will definitely drool down your chin.

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Anyway, we hope you are all settling in for some solid family time and celebrating over your favorite shared traditions. We are actively promoting skipping the Black Friday hullabaloo. Stay inside, opt-outside, do whatever you want. The bottom line, truly try to focus on staying away from overconsumption during this Holiday season. Spend some time thinking about items that truly spark joy and make you happy. Not loading up on items that you only feel drawn to because they are deeply discounted.  With that being said, we know it is a great time to get a lot of your shopping done and maybe even snag a few items you have been watching for months. We’ll provide you some of our favorites today so you can get ready. 

The real reason we are here today is to talk about all things Small Business Saturday. We wrote a post on this last year and to date, it may be one of my favorite posts. Connecting with local business owners has been one of the most rewarding part of our blog. We want to provide you a resource to shop for some of our favorites this season! In an effort to not play favorites please find them listed alphabetically below!

In other exciting news to share our true love for Small Business Saturday, we are doing a HUGE local giveaway on our Instagram with another local blogger, What Riva Wore! Below catch some details on what is included and then check out their Black Friday/Small Business Saturday Posts! 

Brew City

This company is dangerous. Not like take caution dangerous but like freeze your credit card in an ice block dangerous. The shirts are catchy, local, fun and so unique. Once you start buying them you won’t be able to stop. And they are pumping them out at record speed now. We feel lucky to be giving away our FAVORITE shirt to date that they have made, it has all of the Wisconsin state symbols on the front and it is designed so well. Every single time we wear it we get so many compliments; which are par the course for all of their designs. The unique features make Packer shirts, Milwaukee and Wisconsin shirts look fresh and like nothing else on the market. If you’re local you can stop by the public market or the airport for in-person shopping. Otherwise, their Black Friday Sale is always live so don’t wait to get some local gifting done or maybe swing by the Public Market for the trunk sale Saturday for some truly unbelievable prices. We also get to giveaway a Milwaukee icon mug, various pins and magnets!

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Colleen Kubiak Photography

Colleen is a local Milwaukee Photography. She specializes in portrait photography, marketing and so much more! She will make you feel like her closest friend as she takes your photographs. Come ready for an adventure and expect to get a little dirty and to have a lot of fun! She offers mini holiday shoots for any season of life. You will be lucky enough to win a mini session if you enter and win our giveaway!

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The Earth and All Stars

I was actually introduced to The Earth and All Stars by winning a giveaway so it only feels right to be coming full circle by now doing our very own giveaway of two beautiful sets. All of the jewelry is handmade and designed in Milwaukee. It is a mix of leather and eclectic accessories of any sort. She uses recycled goods and we love that! You can see The Earth and All Stars at local makers markets or shop her goodies on Etsy. We told her we were doing some Milwaukee Flag themed goods and she matched it to a T with one of the amazing leather jewelry sets. You can just feel the Milwaukee pride within the heart of this small business. 

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Giltee MKE

Owned by a husband and wife team, Giltee was born out of a side project. Adam and Lisa Gilson began screen printing in their basement as a creative outlet. Lisa connected with us on Instagram and introduced us to their designs which feature Wauwatosa (our own backyard), Milwaukee, and so many other Wisconsin cities.  They make unique shirts, baseball hats, winter hats, sweatshirts, sunglasses and so much more!! We are lucky enough to be giving away a long sleeve Wisconsin Milwaukee Flag long sleeve. The quality is impeccable and the shirts they print on are top of the line! 

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Jet Set Local

Jet Set local is a local coupon passport that makes exploring Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, and the North Shore with the Foodie Flight. You will get $10 off $25 purchases at a wide variety of restaurants. This is the perfect way to solve your “Where should we eat tonight debates” there will be no more going back and forth with you pick, no you pick, no you pick! We have a tendency to fall into a routine and stick to our favorite spots so this is going to be wonderful in pushing us to try new hot spots! To add to it, it’s the perfect gift for the person who has everything!

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Lake Effect Co.

This company feels so close to my heart. You may have read one of our many posts in the past but to give you the lowdown Katherine is the first Internet friend we made through our blog BECAUSE of Small Business Saturday. We reached out on a whim to get the skinny on her SBS sale and she pretty much became our friend at that moment. We have been blessed to collaborate and support her in any way possible which has been so natural and easy for us due to our love for the lake.

In true form, she is essentially promoting the same thing we are; which is why her sale runs for more than one day because she wants you to enjoy your family! If you are local to Milwaukee we highly suggest checking out Lake Effect’s brick and mortar store in Pewaukee. It is the most darling store that oozes positive energy and good vibes. If you need any suggestions on your favorite items check out the slider below. Everything is ethically sourced, made to fit true to size and can not only be worn at the lake but in every day style as well. You won’t want to miss her Black Friday/Small Business sale. And if you’re looking to make a purchase any other time you can use our code THEREALTALL15 for 15% off!

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Lit MKE

Not to get dramatic but we have been hearing so many things about toxins in Candles from stores like Bath & Body Works and TJ Maxx lately: 

“A study by scientists at Copenhagen University conducted on mice found exposure to particles from burning candles to cause greater damage than the same dose of diesel exhaust fumes. The harmful effects of candle smoke included lung inflammation and toxicity, arteriosclerosis, and ageing effects on chromosomes in the lungs and spleen.”

Source: https://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/health/news-candle-smoke-could-be-as-toxic-as-cigarettes/

So we have chosen to make the change to candles that follow this mission: “To stay true to my mission of contributing to an environmentally conscious lifestyle, LIT MKE candles uses a premium blend of soy and coconut waxes with 100% cotton wicks. I am always looking to improve the qualities of the candles and experiment with  Each candle is carefully crafted by hand, locally in Milwaukee by myself and with help from my apprentice Karl..”   

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Not only are these candles better for your health (!!!!) they are the most unique, thoughtful gifts. You can choose a bottle of wine that is meaningful, a bottle of vodka you and your friends drank together in college, or maybe a favorite local craft beer. Mike accepts any custom orders and you can provide your own bottle/can and pick the scent. Christmas aside you can get a bottle of champagne turned into a housewarming gift, or gift a citronella candle to a friend who invites you to their cabin, or treat your groomsmen, bridesmaids to candles too! Honestly, the opportunities to give these unique candles are endless. 

We feel so lucky to now offer our coupon codes: Realtall4 if you buy a four pack you get a free candle and Realtall6 if you buy a six pack of candles you get two candles free. (If you need unscented candles write in the special instructions box).

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MJ Creative

A local designer and calligrapher who combines modern design and old fashioned techniques to create one of a kind stationery, products and so much more! From wedding centerpiece designs to champagne flutes she has you covered with pristine calligraphy. (Insert me being jealous because this is a skill I have always wanted). One of my favorite items for this time of the year to point out is custom ornaments. You can get them for your freshly married friends, a new baby in your life, or just pop an inside joke on one! Today we get to share a custom Pantone glass mug and champagne flute for you! 

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Nourish Natural Products

We connected with Jamie via the Easttown Associations Saturday Farmers Market. If you’ve seen our post on the Farmers Market the you’d recognize her store, as we mentioned our meeting there! Her shop is filled with all natural products! She started off by making lip balms with her daughter and gifting them to friends and family. The demand grew, and she realized there was a market for natural products at various farmers markets. She added other products she had long been making for her family, including hand and face wash, essential oil roller blends, and room sprays. From there Nourish has only grown, and we were blessed to meet Jamie as she is as authentic as they come. She genuinely cares and believes in what she creates and was able to help recommend different products for us to try easily.

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Twisted Sister Toffee

HOT NEWS here. This Small Business as new as new can get. This one happens to be very near and dear to our heart because the owner happens to be a part of our family. We have been treated to this toffee each Christmas and it’s something we both look forward to each year. We can’t share too many details yet, but lucky for you if you win this giveaway you get a sneak peek at the deliciousness that this toffee is!

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Make sure you head to our Instagram to read the rules and enter our giveaway!