You’re right, the title of this week’s blog is a mouthful! But my mind loves to wander, and as I began writing I went on more tangents than an excited teen talking to the members of BTS (your kids will know who that is).

Take a trip with me, dear reader, and let’s chat.

Where Do I Begin? Party Supplies!

Today, we’re talking about sourcing your party supplies. If you’re like me, a virgo, you’re very diligent about sticking to your budget and getting the best deals on your party supplies that are still exactly what you want. So let’s start there.

There are multiple ways you can make sure that you are making the most out of shopping for party supplies, and still have a wallet to speak of when you’re done.

One way is shopping wholesale. Just googling “wholesale party supplies” will get you websites like WholesalePartySupplies.com, Oriental Trading, and Koyal Wholesale. Rest assured you’re certain to find a wide range of what you need for your next party and/or event (and Koyal in particular is great for weddings!).

Another way is shopping locally! An online shopping experience can really seem top notch as it makes the experience very quick and simple, but shopping local brings it to another level.

When you’re shopping at local vendors or artisans, you’re directly giving back to your immediate economy. And it helps tremendously. You are also building relationships with other members of your community, and planting the seed for future business.

Your internet browser might bring you to 20 paper lanterns at a great price in an instant, but shopping locally brings you to a person with unique expertise who can help locate just what you’re looking for for your party supplies. And after the 2020 we had, isn’t speaking to another person again just so welcoming?

And that brings me to...

Shop Locally For Pride

...another reason why I recommend you shop small business. It’s Pride month! And if you haven’t noticed in the past few years, many, many businesses have gotten on the “Pride Merch” bandwagon with their own rainbow t-shirts and mugs and yard signs.

And while solidarity is appreciated, it often can come off as hollow. Sometimes very much so. It’s called Rainbow Capitalism, and it can be very off-putting, as if the corporation only makes their #LoveIsLove t-shirt until June 31st. What happens on July 1st? Is it more of #LoveIsMeh? #LoveIsAskMeLater?

Local businesses and small businesses oftentimes send a fuller message with their pride gear. We certainly do, every year! As an LGBT-owned and operated business, and as a certified business with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, our celebration of our pride is year round.

So I say, dear reader, why not take a couple more minutes before you purchase that pride tee, and ask yourself, “How far is my dollar going to go?” Is this a LGBT-owned business? If not, are they donating proceeds to an LGBT organization?

And if you can’t find anyone, we’ve got plenty of pride party supplies to last you until July 1st, and beyond.

Until Next Time,

Philip