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Tomorrow, as you may know, is Small Business Saturday. Today, many of you are planning to brave the Black Friday crowds and traffic (or already have). But I’m planning to save most of my shopping dollars for the small businesses in our village — and others — who can use our support. 

My first stop tomorrow will be Lala: Laugh and Love, Always, the Village of Webster’s newest (and one of its cutest) shops. 

Lala opened this week at 38 East Main Street. I stopped by to check it out when I was in the village the other day, curious about this new shop which seemed to appear out of nowhere. 

The first thing I noticed when I walked through the door was how awesome this store smells. It was like … walking into a cloud of beautiful aromas, emanating from the array of personal care products that line the walls, shelves and counters of this gorgeous new shop. 

Owner Lisa Schlonski (left) and good friend Rhonda Pacher in the shop. 

Lala is first and foremost a gift shop. But owner Lisa Schlonski — a long-time Webster resident herself — sees it as something much more. She’s created what she hopes is a one-stop shop for people who really want to take care of themselves, physically and emotionally. 

“It’s all about being calm,” Lisa said, “trying to pamper yourself a little bit, with products that are good for you.”

People are really striving for better health these days for themselves and their children, she added. “They’re conscious about what they put on their bodies… I enjoy trying to find those products that help with that.”

So at Lala you’ll find a beautiful variety of oils, soaps, candles, lotions, balms, and bath products. But you’ll also find neck and shoulder wraps, baby products, infuser jewelry, gourmet teas, and unique inspirational items like crystals and angels. There are even some journaling supplies and a rack with crazy socks. 

Basically, there’s something for everyone. 

There’s even something special about many of the vendors. Lisa searches out those businesses that give back to their communities, and support causes that make the world a better place. It’s a decision she made very early in her planning for Lala, and which in part came out of her own devastating life experience: the loss of her husband three years ago.  

“Part of my journey since then has been to find products and work with vendors that are trying to be helpful,” she said. “I want things that are unique. I don’t want things that are sold everywhere. The goal here is work with local vendors and also with vendors that have a great story.” 

It’s not even a week old, but I can say right now that Lala: Laugh and Love, Always is a wonderful addition to the village. It’s exactly the kind of shop Webster needs a whole lot more of: a place which invites people to just wander in and browse, and maybe find a nice little gift which you wouldn’t find anywhere else. 

So stop in, either on Small Business Saturday (tomorrow!), or maybe during White Christmas in the Village on Dec. 1, or some other time. You’ll be glad you did. 

In the meantime, here are a few photos to whet your appetite: 

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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Most every year at Thanksgiving, I post a long-winded list of all the things I’m thankful for. It’s an exercise that forces me to pause and think about all the little things in life that I too often taken for granted.

My life has changed in many ways since I first write my “thankful” blog in 2013, as lives tend to do. I’ve gained new friends and new hobbies, and have sadly lost a few close family members. But basically, life is great, love is plentiful, I’m comfortable and happy. And that’s what it’s all about.

So here’s my 2018 “thankful” list.

I am thankful for:

My husband, my kids, having a nice home and enough food for the table, my cats, my karate family, my jujitsu family, good neighbors, good health, my family’s good health, my terrific in-laws, my siblings, the color and crunch of autumn leaves, flowering trees in the spring, rain on the porch roof, Easter baskets, Tiny Tigers, hanging laundry, lilacs, Christmas Eve snow, sunshine, Friday summer nights on the porch with a beer, sunsets, thunderstorms, warm summer rains, starry nights, blankets in the winter, fires in the wood stove, weekends, Christmas lights, writing my blog, hugs, leaf piles for jumping in, crisp new sheets, the summer breeze that comes in my bedroom window, daffodils and baby giggles.

I am thankful for memories of my mother and father, picnics, camping, hot soaking baths, the WOFs, fog in the valleys, puppies and kittens, spooning, Christmas trees on Christmas morning, cinnamon buns right out of the oven, my mother’s banana bread recipe, reading a good book, the sound of crickets in summer, strangers who return my smile, warm apple pie, watching award shows with my daughter, my pub family, baby snuggles, naps, after-dinner walks, sleeping in, hiking, fuzzy pajama pants, rainbows, my cat keeping me company in the bathroom, coffee in the morning, cool summer sheets, birds at the bird feeder, writing my column, all of my readers, sunrises, making people smile, the sound of crickets, wildflowers, ice cream anytime, 

I am thankful for my Barry’s Runners friends and the ability to run, the freedom to travel,  Irish music and my Irish music friends, getting to play roadie, touch football with my pub family, going to hockey games with my family, Sunday afternoons sitting at my computer and writing.

I am thankful for my Schlegel and Plank North elementary colleagues, hugs from kindergartners, a child’s innocent smile, biking the Erie Canal Trail with friends, hikes in the woods, music, silence, waking up every morning with the man I love, Friday nights at the pub (and occasional Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), the smell of flowering trees in the spring, the peacefulness of a pine forest.

I am thankful for a husband who cooks more and better than me, being able to wear a cape to school, helping children experience the joy of reading, having a lap cat when I type, traveling with my husband, riding my bike through strange cities, thank you notes from my readers, my new fire department friends, my kids (again) and their significant others, and being able to make a difference by doing what I love to do best — write. 

You’d think that would just about cover it. But life gets better every day. All you have to do is sit back and notice it.

If we’re fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads, enough money to live comfortably, and good health, that’s really all we need. But the little things — the intangibles — are what really make life worthwhile. That’s what my list today is all about. I encourage you to sit down for a few minutes and make your own list.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Thank you for being a part of my life.

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.