<b>By Pamela Brownstein</b>

Last Saturday, I woke up early with one goal in mind: To make it to Lulu Burgess when they opened at 9 a.m. so I could be among the first 24 customers to purchase a certain amount and get a free scarf. My ambition paid off, and even though I had a 15-month-old in tow, I was able to find gifts for a variety of family members, mostly thanks to Lulu Burgess owner Nan Sutton and her lovely staff offering to hold and entertain aforementioned baby (my daughter Selah, who can be very adorable, but also very stubborn, thus making browsing a bit of a challenge). But I got my scarf, and being that it was Small Business Saturday, they also gave me a nice “Shop Small” tote bag for free.

As I headed down Bay Street after my spree, I passed Sweet Bay, where they were just opening and the friendly owner offered to take a picture of me and Selah in front of Santa and Mrs. Claus, which was part of a festive display at the front of the store. I sat down on a decorative chair, and the photo came out cute, a perfect way to document my outing.

I continued down Bay, and went  to Greenfish Gallery, where I bought some other locally made gifts. Then I ended up at Palm &amp; Moon and ordered my favorite bagel sandwich to go.

By then my tiny helper was melting down and wouldn’t let me hold her hand to keep her from running right into the street, so I knew it was time to go home. But I felt productive and happy. It was a fabulous morning, and the stores I visited were bustling with friendly folks.

I don’t know the precise calculations as to whether Small Business Saturday was a success in Beaufort, but from my personal account, I could see the support and enthusiasm for shopping locally all around downtown and it made me feel lucky to live in such a special place.