Shop Local

Afro Dreams Lime Lager: My Collaboration with Fine Balance!

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A few months ago I received a message from Andrew of Fine Balance Brewing Company asking if I would want to work on a collaboration with him. He likes the work I’ve been doing to amplify local Black-owned businesses and was wondering if I would want to participate in one of their quarterly collaborations with a portion of the proceeds going back to a local non-profit which I would get to choose. I was so humbled by this message and eager to work with Andrew!

If you’re new here, I will give a bit of context about the Black-owned business list. In 2020, the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, I shared about my personal experiences growing up in Kingston as a Black kid and teenager. That blog post got a lot of attention and I decided to shift the focus away from myself and onto something actionable and important. I started a Black-owned business list for folks looking for ways to address a global issue locally. It gave a platform for businesses that might not get as much traction locally and also for Black folks across the diaspora to easily find more of their culture in our community.

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Holiday The Hardway: Support Your Local Cider Maker

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As we countdown to the official holiday season, I’ve been saying over and over that it’s important to support our local businesses! Looking for gifts? Support local. Looking for food? Support local. Almost everything on your list can be found locally! And believe it or not this local spirit applies to cider! Do you like Strongbow? We have a local supplier that you can support for your cider needs. Enter, The Hard Way Cider Co, located in Bath (don’t worry, they deliver!). It’s locally owned, artisanal, bone dry, hard cider that is gluten-free. Continue reading →

Kingston’s Community-Curated Local Holiday Shopping List

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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 →

Gift Box Celebrates BIPOC-Owned Businesses This Holiday

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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 →

Kingston’s Local Holiday Shopping Guide

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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 →

Downtown Kingston: 5 Reasons I Will Shop Local This Holiday

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Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of Copy of I love this city because I make at least one new friend every day and each is more inspiring and fantastic to be around thNot going to lie, I’ve left all of my holiday shopping to the last minute. Have not bought one gift. But living in Kingston, we are surrounded by the best locally owned shops in the cutest downtown and I know it won’t take long for me to find what I need and treat myself to a nice lunch along the way. If you follow my blog, you probably already know, but I want to give you five reasons why I shop local – specifically downtown Kingston.

1. Good Vibes: Have you walked through Springer Market Square lately? It’s like walking through a holiday episode of the Gilmore Girls. Couples and family’s skating on the glistening ice framed by the 11 foot Christmas tree and the beautiful City Hall building. The scenic view gets me in the holiday spirit every time.

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Bluboho’s Beautiful Bloomfield Location

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Update: This location is no longer in operation. Bluboho Bloomfield When I was initially invited to visit Bluboho I was excited to see the beautiful new space and stunning pieces of jewellery. What I didn’t anticipate was the experience I had when I stepped through their doors.

Yes, the space IS absolutely stunning. A century building on Bloomfield’s Main Street, with its intricate details beautifully preserved and light airy decor to complement. The space holds lovely one-of-kind pieces in gold, rose gold and silver accented with unique stones but it also holds a warmth that I can’t do justice through a few filtered Instagram images. Continue reading →

#DKShopfest Feature: Fancy That/Roundstone Owner Maria Cronk

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If you’ve found yourself at the corner of Princess and King street in the past 20 years or so, you’ve likely stopped in to clothing stores Fancy That or Roundstone. These shops are a staple of Kingston’s downtown and where you’ll find great deals on June 16 as downtown Kingston celebrates DKShopfest. DKShopfest is a day dedicated to celebrating and supporting our locally owned shops while scoring great deals. I wanted to learn a little more about Fancy That owner, Maria Cronk. She was kind enough to answer a few questions via email. Read below to learn how Fancy That started and what Maria loves most about being a Kingston shop owner.

Keep up with Kingston: Please share how Fancy That started? How many years have you been open?

Maria Cronk: Fancy That Group started in 1974 by Inger Sparring (my mother) in Brockville, ON. We started as one small store in Brockville, ON and grew over the years. At one point we had nine stores across Eastern Ontario! Now, we have two stores in downtown Kingston (Fancy That & the Roundstone) and one store in Brockville (Limestone & Ivy). IN 1979, my brother, Dan, joined in the business, he runs our store in Brockville, and I joined in 1985 to run the Kingston stores.

We came to downtown Kingston in May 1985 with Fancy That. Continue reading →

Pre-Made Meals Done Right: The Bella Market

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it many more times: I love Bella Bistro and the Bella Market. Their attention to detail is impeccable, they always source locally and as a result their food quality is s top notch. I wrote about The Bella Market when they first opened and now that they’ve been open a few months,  I want to share with you how much I love their pre-made meal options. As someone who loves to cook and doesn’t love buying processed frozen meals from the grocery store, their pre-made meals are perfect when I’ve had a busy week. When I visit Bella, the staff are always happy to share their culinary expertise and I love how excited they get about their food! I appreciate how they can always share a personal experience and insight on anything I am considering picking up. Continue reading →