Meet Melissa.
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She loves her children, and she loves shopping locally. And — despite the often not-stroller-friendly streets of downtown — she is adamant that those two things can go hand-in-hand.
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“Every time I go into a small local independent, I am building a relationship,” she affirms. For young moms, building relationships can be a life-giving treat in an often busy and chaotic schedule.
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She values shopping locally with her kids, even though it may appear to be more difficult than a one-stop-shop at a big box (or online), because it prompts her to plan ahead. “There aren’t downsides to planning ahead since normally you end up spending less time and money,” she comments, laughing.
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Melissa believes that when she buys gifts for her children from local independent shops they mean more. “If I bought a gift in a big box store or online,” she says, “it wouldn’t feel like it as as personally selected.” She finds joy and love for her children by hand-picking each toy from an invested, knowledgeable business owner. “It’s more personal and more purposeful.”
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Thankfully, there are an abundant amount of childrens stores in West Michigan. Melissa shared some of her favorite places to pick out holiday presents for her kids (and a few for adults as well).
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Aunt Candy’s Toy Company: Hands-down the favorite. The store is well organized and easy to shop in, with lots of different options for all kinds of interests.
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Hopscotch: The best place to find locally-sourced toys, this store makes an effort to carry local products that other stores bypass. This includes books written by local authors, local toy company products, and much more.
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Baby Mine: A new boutique in Gaslight Village, this store is the perfect place to find a wide range of price points.
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Gift Shops at Museums and Art Galleries: The Grand Rapids Art Museum, Frederik Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum Thingamajigs Gift Shop, and so many more are great places to find an outside-the-box gift. As a bonus, they’re often educational (and you can also get gifts for adults while you’re there).
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Honorable Mentions: Legends Sports & Games, Schuler Books, Amore, Grove, Blandford Nature Center
