You might hate me...

...because I'm going to bring up Christmas already. Before Thanksgiving. Hell, it's still the first week of November.

But! I have a reason! I'd like to challenge you to buy more gifts/decorations/whatever locally this year, for your holiday celebrations. I'm bringing it up now because there are some incredible artisans that take custom orders, and you'll want to think about those ahead of time.

I don't believe buying everything locally is feasible for most of us, and I doubt I'll ever be the kind of person who does that. However, the more I shop local, the happier I become. I feel like I'm putting my money more directly into our local economy, which needs it. I'm directly supporting the businesses that I care about, and more of those dollars go toward things this city needs.

Plus it's fun! Did I mention the fun?!

If you don't have a slew of local businesses you already support, I'd suggest trolling Etsy's awesome Shop Local tool. Save yourself some postage and pick up the items yourself, if you're in the area.

What are your favorite Cincinnati-based businesses? How can you support them this holiday season? If I get a solid list of your favorite businesses I'll post it here, and I promise to try to buy from them soon!