I'm a HUGE supporter of local businesses such as farmers markets, small businesses started in small towns, local "Mom and pop" shops, I'm all about it!! I've always been this way even when I was little, I love making people smile, and what better way to make someone smile than to support their local business?

I'm very into eating local, grass-fed beef, local cheeses, locally grown vegetables, homemade jams, and condiments. So finding anywhere that sells them makes me feel like a kid in a candy store! There are so many places close by that we don't know about because they don't have major advertising like supermarkets do (you can usually check a newspaper or search online for vendors near you!). Putting good into your body will do it good. If you buy from a trusted local source, not only are you getting an item free of hormones and chemicals, you're helping someone pay the bills, and I truly love that, plus, local hormone-free food tastes soooo much better!!

Small restaurants, bakeries, and stores are also awesome. I have a little barbecue joint near my house, started by one guy with a dream and it has become HUGE! And it just truly warms my heart to know that he started this not knowing what would happen and now it has come successful, and not to mention his food literally gives me life. Local businesses are started by people with a passion and a dream, and by shopping there and buying their products, you're helping them in the best way possible, you're helping that dream become a reality.

Why spend $100+ at the grocery store on vegetables and meats when you can go to local farmers markets and buy natural products there, and support a small business! I love farmers markets, there's one near my hometown and it's so cute and all the vendors are adorable and have amazing products for inexpensive prices! I would 100% give my money to a husband and wife starting a business, than a huge corporation.

There are so many benefits to shopping local. Like I said, not only are you helping someone's dream become a reality, but you're helping a child go to college, a mother buy diapers, a family pays the bills, and a family buy a new car. You help local families live, and to me, that's the most rewarding feeling in the world. Please shop local!