At least covid-19 has given me an excuse for not writing a blog recently, my brain has been mush along with everyone else’s but now in mid-July, Fantasy Gifts has been open to customers for about 6 weeks I think and 12 weeks for the new website we built so we could do curbside business. What I have learned in the past 4 months is that Fantasy Gifts staff are the best most awesome rock stars ever. Everyone is working very hard to have the shopping experience be safe and clean, there are mask requirements for staff and customers, counter shields, hand sanitizer at counter and we have natural social distancing at the stores but we are also limiting the amount the of customers in the stores.
The one thing that is happening is that many of the most popular items are out of stock at the manufacturers and distributors so its been difficult to get them, but we are working to find replacements. For example, Fleshlight is in Texas and we are not sure that they are even open and other places are working at only 50% capacity so it will take longer to get items in when we do place orders.
Being based in Minnesota we were witness to the protests and to the assholes who took advantage them to destroy those peaceful protests, FG did not have stores in the areas that were damaged or near where Mr. Floyd was murdered. A friend of my daughters’ family owned a restaurant that was burned and as he said “let my building burn” let there be justice for George Floyd. My daughter and niece have been to protests all masked up of course and several local stores have banded to together to help a Black owned store called Venus Unlimited which was looted and damaged during that awful week. My sister and I decide to donate $1500.00 to their rebuilding, we used to be neighbors when we had a store at Lake and Lyndale and I would send folks down to them for shoes and dancewear and they would send folks to me for sexual health products, I never met them but as my sister said it is and was the right thing to do, to help them rebuild. I live in Minneapolis and it has been tough but I love this city and state and if being at the epicenter of history and all that goes with that means that others are finally understanding the systemic issues built into our society and if that leads to a more equitable United States I will embrace that and do the work, the listening to help get there. I know this went off the subject of sexual health, but I cannot ignore what my community and employees are dealing with. Some within yards of the fires and damage. I drove folks to work when the buses didn’t run and have made deliveries and seen the damage and it is quite heartbreaking to see a city in distress but that is nothing compared to Mr. Floyds family, or Mr. Castile’s or Ms. Taylors or Mr. Arbery and all of the others. Lots of companies have been making statements and I was not sure what to say or write as a white cis female, but I will do better not only for my daughter who is POC but all BIPOC. I have my request in for a mail in ballot do you have yours??
https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote/vote-early-by-mail/
Thank you all for choosing to Shop Local with Fantasy Gifts
Colleen