Yesterday I drove to my closest mall, spent 15 minutes driving in circles to find a carpark. I walked from the gorgeous hot and sunny day into a cold and fluorescent lit building that was packed with people. I stopped, heard the blaring carols, glanced at the stressed crowd and walked back to my car. 

I'm aware that some people love the mall shopping experience and there's no doubt that it's really convenient to have all your stores so close together. It's just not for me. 

So how did I choose to do my Christmas shopping instead? I went into the kitchen, served myself a glass of my favourite cold wine and poured some Ready Salted chips (crisps) into a bowl. Then I sat down on my couch with my gift list, opened my laptop and proceeded to purchase all of my gifts. After that, I began watching 'The Queen's Gambit' on Netflix and relaxed. 

It's definitely not a new invention, and some people would say that they'd rather see things in-person before purchasing but I managed to create a completely stress-free Christmas shopping experience for the first time ever. To me, that's worth so much more than a small shipping cost. 

Plus it means I could think about different possibilities for as long as a wanted and I could shop whenever I wanted! Shopping online also meant that I was able to only make purchases from New Zealand-based stores. Our small businesses need all the support they can get after a really tough year so I feel really good about where I chose to spend my money. 

It's also much easier to know where your products were made, sourced and who made them - great conscious consumer power! 

If you love the in-store experience then keep doing you - but if you dread the whole journey then I'd implore you to Google your favourite Kiwi businesses and enjoy the freedom of laptop + wine-time. Cheers! 

Here's a few of my favourite New Zealand businesses;

• Velvet Heartbeat (bags, wallets etc.)
• Kowtow (clothing)
• HAPA (gifts)
• Trees Please (tree gifts)
• Valka Yoga

Please note: New Zealand online orders for Bees Brilliance will need to be placed by Monday 21st December in order to arrive before Christmas Day. Any orders that are placed after the 23rd December will be dispatched in the New Year (11th January 2021). 🎄 🎁