Christmas is fast approaching and I feel like even though I started getting excited about it right after my birthday, more and more people are talking festive and it's acceptable to start talking gifts.

I am planning a couple of gift lists on the blog in the next few weeks but I just thought I'd pop a timely reminder that it's not just the big high street retailers and supermarkets that are gearing up for you to spend your pennies this season.

Small businesses, independents, Etsy sellers, freelancers, sole traders....this time of year is always our biggest season too. My business is split into two kinda trends; one is the smaller sales from my Etsy shop and the other is bigger one offs and commissions for business. About 80% of my business comes from this time of year. It's what makes me money to afford the next year of business.

The Christmas season and what you guys buy off me sets me up for the rest of the year and it honestly makes a difference. If I have a bad Christmas I won't be able to make enough stock for the following year which means less money generated from sales and the whole cycle starts again. Being freelance is stressful.

I'm not rose tinted, I know people need to buy from big business, hell I do it all the time. We all need the supermarkets and the high street and I buy a lot of my Christmas presents from them.

But.

When it comes to personal presents, one offs, when I need something a little bit unique I ALWAYS head to Etsy and Not On The High Street and see what the individual sellers and small businesses have on offer. Big companies generally can't provide that kind of personalisation because they don't have the market for such individual items.

But we can. We the sellers on the online platforms, the people literally making things from hand for you in quantities of about 5 in our bedrooms and hauling boxes down to the post office ourselves to ship off to you.

We can provide the customisable, the personalised, the individual, the unique, the unusual.

Just remember where your money when you try and work out if that purchase is worth it. Price point might sound a bit high sure but remember we can only make small amounts and the money is literally going back to people whose blogs you read, who you chat to on Twitter, who comments on your Insta.

The money we make goes straight back into our businesses, to make more stock, to pay our taxes and to keep us afloat. It's so cliche and I hate promoting my business on my blog social media because it sounds so beggy but every order HONESTLY means something which is why I always write a handwritten thank you and try and offer a discount or something a bit extra.

Anyway, enough of my PLZ SUPPORT US, I launched my Christmas shop on the weekend and I have all kinds of new festive things from individual cards to boxes of cards, presents, stickers and notepads.

My shop itself has had a new Christmassy look too and I'm offering gift wrap on my bloggers gifts AND worldwide shipping AND if you can't get the card sent out yourself you can add the recipients address and send your message along with your order and I'll do the hard work for you.

It's taken a long time for me to get my line out, I wanted it out last week but such is life but I'm happy with it and I hope you all enjoy it and fancy spending a dollah or two.

From Christmas planning to stickers for your bullet journal to rude cards to tasteful cards to bloggers gifts hopefully there's a little something for everyone - and the rest of my products are still available too!

So treat someone you love, get some personalised cards to post out, send something to your blogging bestie....hell just treat yo self but get your orders in with plenty of time to go!