co-written by Jenny O’Mahony & Samantha Potter
Holy smokes, how are we basically at the end of October?!
Can you believe October local love is here and that local love is something Jenny and I started three months ago now?!
Despite being trapped in lockdown for the past seven months, time is flying. The past seven months have shifted our mindsets and have forced us to start thinking in different ways. We’ve become more entrepreneurial, more focused, more grateful for our families, and more aware of what is happening to local businesses in Canada.
While COVID is such a horrible thing to be happening, and there are so many negatives, there are still many positives with it. One of our positives is how much we have shifted our mindset and focused our efforts. Right now, we know that COVID has hit our local brands hardest, which is why we’ve been focusing our shopping efforts here.
Our goal is to showcase some fabulous local love brands we love or want to try.
We’ve already showcased two months worth of amazing brands: Augusts is here, and Septembers is here, in the event you need a refresher, but here it is, hot off the press: October Local Love.
Mabel’s Labels
October local love starts with something so relatable: if you have ever had to rummage through a lost and found bin, then you know the value of having things clearly labelled – and Mabel’s Labels takes the cake! They make attractive, fully customizable labels that stick perfectly to clothes, water bottles, lunch bags, shoes – you name it! And people, they wash PERFECTLY! Dishwasher? Washing machine? They don’t budge! Jenny has three kids and has been using these labels for over 7 years and they are still perfect!
Do yourself a favour, and stop using a jiffy marker or masking tape to label your household and kid’s items. Use promo code SIGNEDSAMANTHA or JENNY10 at checkout for 10% off your order (excluding masks, stamps and sale items). Have a peek through their Instagram page to see what you might need for the kiddos!
Rain or Shine Ice Cream
Arguably Rain or Shine Ice Cream was one of the first artisan ice cream shops in Vancouver. Josie and Blaire started Rain or Shine out of a love of food and travel: particularly wanting to bring the ice cream from their travels home. Obviously, the melting proved to be an issue, so instead, they created their own goodness and shared it with so many Vancouverites.
Jenny and I are rooting for a North Vancouver location (and I got about 15 IG DMs agreeing… just saying, guys!).
They use amazing organic, fresh, local ingredients in their ice creams whenever possible. They often announce new flavors on their insta page. All of them are delicious. We promise you won’t be disappointed. One of two delicious addition to October local love.
All Things Naturally Pretty
The ladies who run All Things Naturally Pretty are fun, sassy, and creative – and it all shines through their shirt designs and on their IG page.
Self-proclaimed as “not your basic B’s,” the gals know how to make a statement piece and don’t shy away from comfort in the process. Their T-shirts and sweatshirts are of high quality and often hilarious.
Want extra proof? They were featured in the fall Jilly Box by Jillian Harris. And yes! You can still buy the “Be Good” tee AND get 20% off with promo code “JILLY20”. Run if you want to snag one – there are only a couple of sizes left!
Kits Kitchen
Soup is always a staple in our homes. There is something so soothing and fortifying about a hot bowl of soup on a cool day. Kits Kitchen uses only the freshest local organic ingredients and leaves out common irritants such as additives, preservatives, dairy, and gluten, creating delicious soups that are natural, clean, and pure.
Soups are also perfect for freezing and pulling out for a fast meal on a busy day. Try our super easy soup hack: re-heat your favourite Kits Kitchen soup in the slow cooker for an almost zero effort dinner.
The flavour profile that Kits Kitchen utilizes is unreal – it’s not your average grab and go soup! Our top two favourites are Yam and Coconut and Spicy Tomato.
They also feature lots of fellow foodies meals on IG if you need some inspo for what to serve with the soup.
Jammy & Co
I (Samantha) need to buy 5 more pairs of these Jammy, and Co jammy’s so they can be on constant rotation. I’ve raved about them so often (like in the sleep necessities blog post) and on IG numerous times. I cannot get enough.
They are getting a new shipment in November, so there will be a stock refresh for those wondering (Jenny is all in when that product refresh happens!). I believe they will be announcing the restock on their IG.
They are so soft, so comfortable, and very, very well made. There is a resort line with mommy and me items (yes please), and sleep shirts for those hot sleepers (yep, I need one of those too!). I LOVE.
If you’re not the lucky winner of its month’s local love, I still have a deal for you here for 20% off with this code: SAM20.
Posh and Cozy
For the kiddos, both Jenny and Samantha have an obsession with finding local, high-quality clothes. The durability and longevity you see in these clothes does not compare to other, more generic brands. Posh and Cozy is high up on our list of best quality Canadian brands!
Posh and Cozy has been in my (Samantha’s) household since the day Sloane was born. Literally, every single one of their insanely cute sweaters, leggings, headbands – EVERYTHING – belongs in Sloane’s closet.
Not only is every piece of clothing the cutest you’ve ever seen, but the softness level is also out of control. Plus, there are matching mommy and me items and menswear too! They feature a ton of their items on their Instagram.
These are the fabulous brands we have on board for October local love! We can’t wait to share next month’s with you!
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Erin
Oh my goodness – I am LOVING all these choices this month! That soup and ice cream both look phenomenal. And I definitely need those labels in my life to organize my shizzz. Love that they’re all local as well!