Shop Locally

It's something I really try and do. I buy all of my toiletries and cleaning products from Target, along with other household items. But other than that, I try and support places owned by folks who live here, who care about the environment and are using responsibly sourced things. Even if I don't know where everything was sourced, I still like to support my smaller mom and pop shops, no matter what.

Never Felt Better Vegan Store. I have not been in to this shop in almost a year. I need to get my booty back in there. It's owned by a lovely young couple and it carries food stuffs, as well as clothing and accessories, all of which are vegan and earth friendly. They also carry Nacheez, which is the best vegan nacho cheese in the world. She does email ordering if you'd like to try some. It's made from cashews and it is THE best. I linked to the yelp page because her main page is on Facebook, and I don't have Facebook. *gasp*

Mulvaney's B & L. Not only is the food here delicious, but Patrick Mulvaney goes in to detail of what items they recycle, and where their things are sourced. I like responsible restaurants like this. Plus, the guy loves pork. I love pork. He also once did a dessert based on The Big Lebowski. That's really all it took for me.

Mei Mei Noodle Factory. Heard about this place from a friend who went there recently. I've driven by it forever yet never even noticed it. Fresh homemade noodles on the cheap? Yes, please. This is another Yelp link, 'cause they don't have a website.

Doughbot Donuts. This place is just plain dangerous. They make everything from scratch and come up with the greatest flavors, like lavender lemon, and blood orange donuts. My favorite is still the chile chocolate, or the maple bacon bar. Way better than anything I had at Voodoo Donuts. Don't throw things at me Portland folks, I'm just being honest. This young couple just makes a superior donut.

Taylors Market. Very small, and kind of spendy grocery store but they are very knowledgeable about where their stuff is from, and how it was processed. That to me is worth the extra money.

Terranova Coffee Roasting. I just discovered these guys. The beans are not from Sacramento obviously, but the roasting is done here. Their coffees are all fair trade. I was buying a fair trade from Target, but recently switched so I could help fund a company employing folks locally.

This is just a small list of places that I support in the Sacramento area. I know it's impossible to get all local items, but I try and do my part to make sure I'm putting money back in to the local economy. It's important.

Here's a website I love that shows how simple it is, and that tells you why even spending a small amount locally every month, makes a huge difference: The 3/50 Project.

Happy picture of the day: one of my favorite local murals. This makes me smile every time I see it.