We’re SO excited to bring you our first ever holiday gift guide focusing on shopping local. While we realize how easy it is to jump online while watching your favorite tv show why not try adding one of these local hot spots into your next trip to run errands. Some of these stores even have the option to purchase online and ship anywhere you need them to go. There truly is something special about supporting the small businesses within our community. In honor of shopping small this holiday season we’ve compiled over 50+ local businesses we think our worth checking out. 

Happy Shopping!

A “zoonique” holiday gift idea: Detroit Zoo memberships

Give a year’s supply of Vitamin Z while helping to support the animals at the Detroit Zoo. Each membership gift includes:
• Daytime admission and parking at the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center
• Discounts at Zoo gift shops
• Seasonal Members-only entrance and more

Three ways to purchase:
• Go to detroitzoo.org/membership
• Visit our onsite Membership Office
• Call (248) 541-5717 and press 3

At Lolë, wellness is a lifestyle, not an activity. Our mission is to inspire women to Live Out Loud every day by getting out, getting active and getting involved in their communities. Together, we can create an inspirational movement of well-being around the globe. And we are doing that, one woman at a time. We are more than just activewear. Of course we have leggings, sports bras, and tanks for every activity from yoga to barre to running. But, we also offer a wide variety of options for every day, such as sweaters, dresses, winter coats and swimwear. So, whether it’s a new outfit for date night, vacation, or just something cute and comfy for lounging, we have it! Stop in and check out the latest collection.

Looking for a heartfelt gift for the holiday hostess, teacher, or your loved one? Or how about something special for the newborn in the family? These wood slices and customized ornaments are the perfect addition to your holiday gift list, and with each piece being meticulously painted completely free hand, the recipient will receive a unique and one of a kind gift! Emily Jo Lettering is a Michigan based small business and specializes in hand painted designs and modern calligraphy. Each and every piece is handcrafted with lots of love, and will surely add joy to your loved ones’ homes!

Growing Roots is a subscription box for parents! Family time in a box! A gift that empowers parents to support and nurture their child’s emotional well-being as well as their own. Each box is carefully curated around a bonding theme, whether it is a tradition, a holiday or a developmental milestone. Our goal is to help families grow roots because parenting is hard! We feature small businesses and donate a book to a child in need, for every box purchased.

Give the Gift of Relaxation!  True REST Detroit offers a luxury spa environment where you can achieve Stress Relief, Pain Reduction, or Better Sleep through Float Therapy sessions. 10 inches of water, 1000 lbs of Epsom Salt, and Ultimate Relaxation. We are the ideal oasis to unplug from the world to reboot your body & mind. Come see how Float Therapy can benefit you, while you leave gravity and everything else behind in an hour of pure bliss. Click “Buy Now”->”Shop Online” for BOGO 60-minute Gift Cards through the end of December! The offer will apply when you check out. #GivePeace

Natural Red products are made with all natural ingredients and essential oils. They are paraben, gluten, tree nut, aluminum, talc, and petroleum free. You can feel safe and confident using them on yourself and your family.  Every product is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. 

Each and every season, James & Olive work tirelessly work to collect the cutest, unearth the incredibly adorable, and chase the highly desirable, curating the most unique offering of baby, toddler and kids clothing, accessories, toys & gifts you’ll find anywhere. 

Pancake Presents was started by a Canton Michigan mom looking for a fun way to start off her children’s birthdays with Happy Birthday pancakes. Now you can create special moments for your loved ones with our pancake molds that are FDA food safe, heat safe, and easy to use! Whether you use our “Happy Birthday!”, “Good Morning”, or “I Love You So Much!” mold, you are sure to impress and delight your family! Our gift jars make great presents for teachers, family or friends. So come in out of the cold this holiday season and warm up with adorable pancakes!

When kids click together these chunky pieces and then flip the switch, they’ll get an exciting result: either a spinning fan, a glowing light or a whistling siren! All switch blocks and action tops are interchangeable for mixing, matching and experimenting with actual working circuits in a completely safe way.

At the heart of Toyology is the belief that play is powerful. It excites us, teaches us, and builds our growth, no matter how old we are. It’s essential for both children and grownups and is the way we continually better ourselves. Our mission is to bring the joy of play to everyone we encounter.

I am a Michigan graphic designer & mom specializing in invitations and prints as well as t-shirts that have a local emphasis on Michigan/Detroit. My design work includes logos and business cards for all social occasions including showers, baby announcements, birthday parties and more. If you don’t see something in my shop I can design a custom invite just for you! Come check me out at Small Moments Invitation + Design!

Skinnytees is a collection of tanks and tops for fun, flirty and fabulous women both regular and plus-sized. Our Detroit based brand was created to quell woman’s most essential need and hardest fought fight…the search for the “perfect tank!” With over 120 colors and prints and over 60 different body styles including tanks, tees, tops, skirts, dresses, bandeaus, leggings and activewear, skinnytees fit any occasion.

Check out our newest style, Detroit Has Legs! These custom-made women’s leggings showcase 32 iconic Detroit buildings, sculptures and recognizable sites throughout the city. From Hitsville USA to 8 Mile Avenue, The Fisher Theater to Eastern Market, these leggings are a walking pair of art!

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Cass Community Social Services, to help support their projects with providing food, housing, health services and job programs in local Detroit communities. Detroit Has Legs is inspired by the city’s revitalization because skinnytees is Detroit!

Beach House Day Spa is a luxury day spa with heart. A spa where the team members are so skilled, your entire experience will be crafted perfectly to meet your needs and desires. 

Whether you feel like submerging yourself in warm relaxation and forgetting all about the outside world, or if you need to stay connected and get some things accomplished while you are completely taken care of, here is a place where anything is possible! 

This is one gift that keeps on giving! 

Turn off your phone and let us pamper you, or turn on one of our ipads and check your email. At the Beach House, you are important to us, so let us take care of the things that are important to you!  

Goldfish Swim School is the premier learn-to-swim facility for kids ages 4 months to 12 years. We use our proven, confidence-building curriculum to promote a love of swimming and teach your children to be safer in and around the water. With seven metro Detroit locations (Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Canton, Clarkston, Farmington Hills, Macomb & Rochester), they’ve got you covered.

This holiday season, skip the usual presents and gift a Golden Experience that will last a lifetime. Goldfish Swim School is offering gift certificates and Holiday Gift Packages for the special swimmer in your life.

Gift packages are available now – reserve yours today!

Invented by a local Detroit Mom, Super Blanky® is created with an incredibly unique patented design that turns a blanket into a wearable superhero cape with no neckband. The sleeves allow the wearer to play a superhero or cozy up with the blanket wrapped safely around their shoulders.

Super Blanky® products are available exclusively at Target® stores and at target.com in the following licensed characters: Batman®, Jurassic World®, Paw Patrol® (Chase & Skye), PJ Masks®, Trolls®, Despicable Me 3®, Emoji Nation® and My Little Pony®. As an added bonus all of our blankets come with a coordinating superhero mask!

Detroit Basket Company has you covered when it comes to Detroit products. Detroit, Michigan has always been home to some of the most iconic American brands, it’s those products that have stood the test of time, along with today’s Michigan made brands that showcase the ingenuity and spirit of Detroit, these hand-selected products are featured in our premium gift baskets. We ship Nationwide.

We create party envy. Some might say our box of customized sugar cookies is a magical box. It carries what some call the world’s best sugar cookies to your party or event. These cookies make your attendees happy, create smiles and make you look like a party planning bad*ss. See, you’re already smiling. These cookies can also be used to announce engagements, pregnancies, gender reveals, celebrate birthdays, celebrate a life well lived, housewarming gifts or whatever you can dream up. Because, whatever you dream up, just know that these cookies were made for you with love from the original Detroit Dough.

The original Detroit Dough specializes in decorated sugar cookies for your party or event.

Mend on the Move is a 501(c)(3) non-profit social enterprise serving Metro Detroit that empowers and employs women survivors of abuse through jewelry making.  Our workers take pride in seeing their creations being admired and sold retail.  In selling and promoting our products, we strive to increase awareness of the injustices that silence and hold captive the women we serve. We currently travel to our workers and set up shop where they live while they are in recovery But to serve our women more efficiently, we are raising funds for a mobile studio with dual purpose as a creation station and a retail space.

AR Workshop Northville is a boutique styled DIY workshop where guests make on-trend, customizable home decor in a variety of mediums including wood and canvas. Materials are raw upon entering and guests leave with an amazing home decor item that they customized and built.

Pastel in Plymouth is a beautiful, loft-style shared workspace for women who work from home. We aim to do one thing – empower women. More than just a desk, it’s place where you can find your tribe among authentic, kind and hard working women. Just bring your laptop, pick an open seat and get to work. Our ergonomic furnishings, lush upholstery, gorgeous lighting and chic accents have been crafted to give working women as tranquil and transformative an experience as possible and foster productivity and innovation with a sense of control, success, purpose, and balance.

Modern Natural Baby is a brick and mortar store in Ferndale, Michigan just north of Detroit. We can complete your entire baby registry for your modern natural baby including cloth diapers, baby carriers, wooden toys, strollers, clothing, high chairs, car seats, furniture and so much more. 

Rustic MAKA is a Michigan company led by a trio of sisters, focused on effective natural deodorants and body care products, made with raw botanicals, organic and non-GMO ingredients. Using the less is more approach; we pursue our passion to create simple personal care solutions while paying tribute to our roots, heritage, and lessons from our mom, proving that you don’t need a lot of complicated ingredients to have great products that actually work. Cruelty-free, vegan & made in the USA.

For over 30 years, kids have played and laughed in Hanna Andersson’s clothing. And our absolute favorite Hanna products?  Their pajamas!  If you’re on the hunt for matching family pajamas this holiday season, then be sure and check out Twelve Oaks Mall or shop online.  You’ll fall in love with their sweet stripes and fun prints too!

Over here at DMB we LOVE supporting local! A few of us decided our Holiday Wish Lists were pretty amazing and we needed to share them. The businesses we mention are ones we can’t get enough of. Ones we personally shop at on a regular basis. While we could probably list pages of noteworthy businesses we limited it to 5. We hope you enjoy them! 

1. Busted in Detroit –Personalized fit sessions, beautiful bras, and lingerie from all over the world….because every mama wants to feel like a goddess every now and then!
2. Michigan Mittens – They’re so adorable!
3. DCFC – Detroit City Football Club – DCFC games are such fun events to go to, but you soon realize all the true fans are covered in DCFC swag! The atmosphere is the best!
4. MDen – I can never have enough Michigan gear, the new Nike line is awesome but I love a good ol’ classic.
5. Rail and Anchor – So many amazing items to choose from in this store! I’ve been upping my succulent game at home so I chose these little ceramic pots but every nook and cranny of this store has treasures to find.

1. Merging Story Pottery – I am absolutely obsessed with this pottery. The Detroit and Michigan pottery is absolutely gorgeous. Check them out at Yellow Door Art Market in Berkley!
2. Green Daffodil -Headache Helper is a unique blend of the finest essential oils to soothe your sinuses! You’ll find Peppermint, Eucalyptus and a touch of Lavender. This is sure to relax anyone!
3. Honey Beauty Bar at Honey: space for moms + moms-to-be -Honey Beauty Bar + the beautiful Fran are the perfect gift in my opinion. She’s a hair goddess! She’ll make anyone convert from their current stylist to her. She’s quick, fun and you get on-site childcare while you’re getting your relaxation on.
4. Le Detroit Macaron –Macarons, need I say more?! 
5. Beach House Day Spa –This beauty is making my wish list for the second year in a row. I love a good massage but Beach House Day Spa is doing it all right. From the beautiful decor to the tranquil vibe you get when you walk in the door. This is a gift that won’t disappoint.

1. Leon & Lulu – They have everything, from unique jewelry pieces to furniture. And yes, I already have a couch.
2. Run Detroit – I love their gear, and a good running jacket is always in style for winters in Michigan.
3. Art is in Market – I love Impathic Sketches by Ernie Barna and this store. I saw the sketch from my hometown at the location in Laurel Park and was immediately nostalgic.
4. Purple Trail – Love this app. The planners are super customizable, and the daily style is perfect for me at work. I can track my schedule, dinner plan, to-dos, and take notes in meetings all in one place.
5. Lisa Leonard Designs – Custom Stacking Rings In Sterling Silver – I love these rings. I have two already and would like two more to represent my kids’ nicknames. They are great on your right hand. 

Prima Towels 

Madison Boutique 

Centurium’s Creations 

Naked Fuel
Gift Card 

Better Life Bags 

Toffee Gourmet 

Modern Crafted Handmade

Petite Haven

Lounies Soap Co. 

Little Bird Soul 

Cream Blends

Naturally Illustrated

The Bitten Mitten 

Tiny Native
Hand Dyed + Painted 

Bar Method Detroit 

Shop Midwest Supply Co.

Barker Handmade

Simple Little Things Handmade  

The Sassy Olive 

The Barre Code Monthly Membership

Breathe in Detroit 

Detroit Foundation Hotel 
Staycation 

Spoonfeathers Chalkboard Workshop

Goods Detroit 

Disclosure :: ShopDetroit2017 | A Local Holiday Shopping Guide is a sponsored post. That said, we sourced each featured business included in this holiday gift guide and also included our very favorite local ideas and companies.

All graphic design was done by the beautiful and talented, Kimberly from Small Moments Invitation + Design.