Shop Iowa makes shopping local easy this holiday season (and always!)

I'm thrilled to announce that I am the newest member of the Shop Iowa Squad! Each year, Shop Iowa looks for Iowans to help spread the word about the great finds available on the Shop Iowa site and I was chosen this year which means I'll get a few freebies, plus a lot of great info AND a coupon code for you! But what is Shop Iowa, what are these great finds, and what is Shop Iowa Day? I'm excited to tell you all about it:

image courtesy of Shop Iowa

What is Shop Iowa?

Basically, Shop Iowa is a website that lets makers and stores from around the state list their items on their own pages, making it easier for the customers who want to shop local and the shops who want to sell to them find each other. Like a cool craft fair, but one that you can browse from your own couch anytime!

What can you buy from Shop Iowa?

ornaments from Donna Rae on Shop Iowa

The myriad stores that sell on Shop Iowa offer a huge variety. Not everything sold fits neatly into one of these categories, but here are some key categories I noticed:

• Apparel and accessories
• Kids apparel and accessories including hats, t-shirts, dresses, and hair bows
• Womens' apparel and accessories including graphic tees, pants, shoes, and jewelry
• Mens' apparel and accessories including shirts, hats, and wallets.
• Toys and games
• Baby toys and gear including stuffies and gorgeous swings
• Toys for bigger kids like puzzles and dolls
• Collectible toys like vintage model tractors
• Home and seasonal items
• Candles with classic, trendy and seasonal scents
• Artwork from artists and even museums around the state
• Christmas ornaments including customized ones perfect for your family
• Books 
• There are several stores that sell books on Shop Iowa, including Racoon River Books
• Sioux City Gifts even sells one of my books, 100 Things to do in Sioux City and Siouxland Before You Die
• Food
• Popcorn from Almost Famous
• Candy including Bings from Sioux City Gifts and truffles from Cholaterie Stam
• BBQ Sauce from mild to super hot
• Dessert sauces from 
• Fandom fun
• Tons of Hawkeye and Cyclone themed items from every category along with other favorite teams for Iowans such as the Chiefs and Vikings

Are there any Siouxland stores on Shop Iowa?

bracelet from Kramper Cross Company, available on Shop Iowa

Yes! I haven't looked through every single storefront so I may be missing some, but the ones I've discovered so far from Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, Le Mars, Orange City, and Okoboji include:

• B.E. Happe, selling cozy handmade hats for all ages
• the Browns Theater, selling a variety of gifts including CDs of music from the Browns
• Jubon Juweelen, selling disc golf gear
• Jumpy Monkey, selling "coffee with a cause" 
• Kramper Cross Company, selling jewelry and rosaries
• Okoboji Soap Company, selling handmade goats milk soap 
• Sioux City Gifts, selling Sioux City themed items, including my book 100 Things to do in Sioux City and Siouxland Before You Die and all sorts of other fun gifts
• Sioux City Plastics and Textiles, selling custom dog leash holders
• the Tired Nurse, selling hand crafted affirmation jars

I'd love to see more Sioux City and Siouxland stores selling on Shop Iowa in the future too. 

How to shop from Shop Iowa yourself

I'm excited to try this Sunday Night Foods chocolate sauce!

Head to the Shop Iowa website, choose your favorites, and checkout. It's really that easy!

You can also use my coupon code LINDSAY10 (make sure to spell it with the AY!) to save 10% off everything from Shop Iowa while I'm part of the squad (active as of October 2024 and I think it runs through September 2025, but no promises. If I found out anything different, I will update asap!)

Please note that Shop Iowa isn't a warehouse, just a website, so you are purchasing from individual shops and makers, who each ship separately and each have their own shipping policies and charges. Some offer a free local pickup option, so be sure to look for that in the checkout if that's something you're interested in. 

Shop Iowa Day

Each year, Shop Iowa hosts a big day of deals and fun in early October so you can get a head start on your holiday shopping! This year, Shop Iowa Day is on Wednesday, October 9th and some of the deals are from Shop Iowa and apply sitewide, and others are from individual shops and makers and can vary. But for 2024, the Shop Iowa Day fun will include:

• 30% off everything on the entire site!
• FREE shipping from many shops and makers
• Sales and deals from many shops and makers
• $5 Shop Iowa bonus gift card with each $25 Shop Iowa gift card purchase
• A giveaway for a $500 Shop Iowa shopping spree

You can find full details on Shop Iowa Day here.

For Shop Iowa Day 2024, Shop Iowa gave squad members $20 to spend, and I spent that plus some of my own money to get some really cute things I'm excited to share more about including a "Mama" corded crew from Grizzly Rose in Cedar Falls, some custom ornaments from Donna Rae Customs in Council Bluffs, and some chocolate sauce from Sunday Night Foods in Des Moines. 

I'm so excited to discover some great new Iowa makers and shops, and I hope you are too. Please reach out anytime if you have questions about Shop Iowa and I'll try to find you an answer if I can!