After I shared the original Holiday Shopping Guide, I did a call out in my Instagram stories to ask which local shops I missed. Our community is so passionate about supporting small business, the list grew and grew! After a very scientific (cough, an instagram poll, cough ) asking if I should turn the community-curated list on Instagram into an official post, the response was yes. So, here it is. This list is a collection of community suggestions to continue shopping local. I discovered many new gems! Thank you to everyone who sent along their favourite spots. I can keep updating once a week with new shops if you have any recommendations. Share them in the comments. Continue reading →
Access to equity or capital is one of the biggest obstacles for Black and Indigenous owned business. Black, Indigenous and People of Colour are often overlooked due to a history of systemic racism. Many are left needing to use personal bank loans and this issue has been spotlighted during the challenges of COVID-19. It means that many small businesses do not qualify for the federal emergency funding from the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA). According to a recent article in The Star, “While the government expanded CEBA eligibility to include businesses with a payroll between $20,000 and $1.5 million (the initial range was $50,000 to $1 million), for the many Black-owned businesses that hire on a contractual basis or are not large enough, this funding is inaccessible.” Continue reading →
2020 has been a real shitshow, amiright? Consider how hard it’s been for our local business owners that depend on local tourism and foot traffic. If you have a favourite local shop or restaurant and they are still surviving this pandemic, there is no better time to celebrate them than supporting them this holiday season. Lots of these businesses have gone online this year so no need to go out in the cold, just visit their websites and social pages and click a few buttons to order your gifts. You can find many of the vendors I mention at the Kingston Holiday Market, they ship and have items available for a safe pick up! If you’re looking to support Black-owned businesses this holiday, please take a look at this working list! Update: *Note: the Holiday market is closed for this season. Check out Artisan Made Co for more local makers! For a list curated from community suggestions, check out, “Community Curated Local Holiday Shopping List“
In light of the movement to amplify black voices and in response to my recent share, I’ve been encouraged by our community to highlight Black-owned businesses in Kingston and the surrounding area. This is an opportunity to support the movement, locally. Thank you to those who contributed to the working list on my Instagram and Facebook page. This is a working list, if I’ve missed one (or a few), please include in the comments.
When I started this blog almost 5 years ago, I planned to keep things light and positive. I would only post about good experiences and encourage the culture of supporting local. I also made the decision to not include myself in any of the photos because I wanted my audience to be able to picture themselves eating at these restaurants and taking part in these fun events. But if I am being honest with myself, I didn’t think people would relate/care about my content if they saw that I am Black. And I’ve never addressed race here because I just didn’t want to go there, really. But recent events and my peers’ reactions have made it clear that I need to address a few things. Continue reading →
I’ve got a confession to make. I am a very messy person! I try on a bunch of different outfits before leaving the house and don’t put back the rejected blouses and skirts. My closet typically resembles some sort of clothes monster with unhung dresses and and trousers pooling on the floor. It’s not a great situation. But that all that changed this weekend! Is it too late in 2020 to use #newyearnewme? Closet organizer, Jocelyn, of Popped Closet came over and turned my closet into a space my mom would be proud of. Jocelyn is new to Kingston and she brings this magical skill of transforming cluttered spaces and turning them into soothing, organized, colour-coated dreams. And all without judgement. Just kindness, enthusiasm and efficiency. I can’t stress that enough! Continue reading →
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Kingston is filled with talented artists and makers. And there is no better time of year to celebrate them then right now. It can be really easy to just hit up Amazon Prime and have the gifts delivered to our doorstep but there is also an opportunity to engage with our local entrepreneurs. As you finish up shopping for your loved ones, consider supporting someone from our community. You can find some of the vendors I mention at the Kingston Holiday Market on weekends and many of them sell online as well! Continue reading →
If you were born and raised in Kingston, Prince Edward County may spark memories of beach days at Sandbanks. Now, Prince Edward County is the hub of incredible farm-to-table food, top-notch breweries and wineries and trendy bed and breakfasts for all to enjoy. In the summer it’s packed with people ready to be charmed by its quaint beauty. But just because the leaves have changed, that doesn’t mean we should abandon our plans to flee to PEC. Fall is also a great time to take a trip to the County. Room rates are lower in the down season and it’s less crowded! Continue reading →
To catch you up before I proceed, my husband and I welcomed a new addition to our family this year. And since this blog is about our experience living in this beautiful city, that will now include a few of the new parent/mommy-minded activities we’ve found helpful. It’s been said many times but it’s only just recently hit home (due to this latest life milestone!) that Kingston is a wonderful place to raise a kid. There are so many resources — some free and many affordable things to do. So I am going to tell you about one I’ve found really helpful so far!
I’ve always tried to stay active and that’s something post-baby that I was having a hard time fitting into my mat-leave schedule, enter Mom/Dad and Baby Boot Camp at Artillery Park. Our instructor, Patricia, lends a good mix of sweet and kind with tough love and badassery, cooing at our babes one minute and yelling at us to grab heavier weights the next. I started classes twice a week at 3 months postpartum and feel so much stronger and more energetic two months later. Patricia is mindful of how much we can push ourselves physically without overdoing it in our new postpartum bodies. Continue reading →
If you’re familiar with Kingston’s food scene, you’ve probably seen the Enright name listed in one of the many menus around town. The Enrights pride themselves on their sustainability, ethically-raised cattle and providing the best quality beef to Kingston’s finest restaurants.
Every summer they invite the community behind the scenes to experience their product in an intimate setting at their Crop Circle dinner. Continue reading →
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