blah blah blah-g: cool

80/20 Mindset: Shopping Big & Small

by Jill Dudzinski

80/20 Mindset: Shopping Big & Small

80/20 Mindset: Shopping Big & Small

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with their loved ones and are feeling the holiday spirit. As the final autumn leaves fall and we enter the thick of the holiday season, shopping for the perfect gifts is at the top of everyone’s to-do list. And it can feel oh-so-easy to open Amazon and purchase with the single click of a button. Hello, timesaver. With a million other hectic things to prepare for this time of year, the ease of buying gifts from corporate giants is tempting. Because as much as we’d all love to spend 100% of our budget on shopping local, sometimes it simply is not feasible.

But that doesn’t mean you should exclusively shop at giant retailers, either! In moderation, you can find a balance. Use the 80/20 guideline: 80% corporate, 20% local.

It’s an easy mantra to apply going into your holiday season, and it helps make a big impact on the local community. Here are just a few benefits of dedicating a small portion of your gift-giving budget to local vendors:

You are boosting the economy around you.

Visualize the money that you spend at a local business staying local — you are literally investing in the betterment of your hometown.

Your gifts will be one-of-a-kind.

When you purchase from a local artist, maker, or small business, you get to give presents that can’t be found anywhere else. Nothing beats that kind of satisfaction.

You are making an eco-friendly decision.

Buying gifts from a smaller-scale business rather than a giant corporation means that you’ve chosen to reduce any additional pollutants.

You know exactly who you are buying from.

Have you ever felt guilty about not knowing where and how your gifts were sourced and assembled? There’s more peace of mind when you buy directly from a local maker.

You are supporting the dreams of a business owner in your hometown.

And you have the chance to directly impact the livelihood of that artist, craftsman, or maker in your own community.

The reality is that it’s not always easy to shop local - but it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. With Small Business Saturday approaching on Saturday, November 27th, remember the 80/20 rule as you scroll through your gift-giving guide. That small push to add a few local gifts to your shopping cart will leave a big impact! So thank you for choosing us to be a part of your list. Anything big or small really means the world to us and we are thankful for you ❤️

Happy Holidays!

xoxo go play, Jill & crew

read more


our 5 fall favorites

by Denie Jacobson

our 5 fall favorites

BRING ON THE COLDER WEATHER!! Finally, we're having the cool mornings set in, then dripping sweat by noon, but none the less we're getting some colder weather here in Omaha! It's officially fall today, which means all of our favorite things are coming back into our lives again. Jill and I have made a list of all of our 5 fall favorites and want to know if you totally agree or have others on the top of your list, we want to know!!

"Top 5, top 5, top 5.."

1. Leggings

Oh, how we've missed you so!! Picture this, you're off work, you're going to take your dog on a walk, the sun is beginning to set, the weather is at a perfect 62 degrees, you have your favorite leggings and sweater on AND you're not sweating your a$$ off !! Can it get any better???

2. Iced Drinks Turn to Hot Drinks

Will we still order a medium iced Carmelicious 1/2 the flavoring every morning? Yes. Will we no longer have to water our drinks down with ice? Absolutely. Bring on those hot steamy Carmelicious that make the mornings much more bearable.

3. Neutral Nail Color

Okay for me this is an all year thang but for Jill the claws are about to be ~all natural~. And by that we mean the color - we're going back to the neutrals. Yes, 100% we still will be getting plastic tips glued to our nails than covered in an artificial dip to make ourselves feel like we have our lives together. 

4. Fall Transition Sweaters

Anyone else have a thing for long sleeves? For a person that easily sweats, it's a very complicated relationship but man do I love long sleeves, hoodies, sweaters, etc. With that we cannot just jump headfirst into the chunky knits and heavy sweaters- that would be a disaster, emphasis on the sweat. The good news is we have the perfect fall transition sweaters that will satisfy your fall needs but are light enough to be paired with shorts, jeans, leggings, or skirts! 

5. Statement Booties

Like heels but better, more stability. The booties are coming back but why make them the boring ole neutrals we see every year? Spice things up this season with the print that is absolutely EVERYWHERE, snakeskin babyyy. 

read more

eecent Articles

categories