Category Archives: Environment

Dec10

Mindful Giving Guide: Gifts That Give Back

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Mindful Giving Guide: Gifts That Give Back

GIVE:

10 Gifts That Give Back:

1.FashionABLE  Scarves: The scarf pictured here was exclusively made for ONE by fashionABLE out of 100% light weight African cotton. The Feleku scarf was created when the ONEMoms (Including my amazing sister-in-law Jeannine Harvey) were on their recent trip to Ethiopia. ONE has partnered with FashionABLE, a company that works to create economic opportunities for women in Ethiopia by creating handmade scarves.  Each style is named after the woman that designed it and includes a tag describing what she is able to do as a result of having a job. This scarf is named after Feleku, who is now ABLE to face new challenges.

2.Lollie Beads Bracelets are created from fair trade recycled glass beads made in Uganda. So they are not only gorgeous (the glass beads look and feel like sea glass) but they are good for the environment AND help support sustainable livings in a developing country.

 

 

3.I first heard of The Anchal Project at the Rhode Island School of Design Student and Alumni Art sale where I bought a small moleskin notebook to support it.  Since then they have branched out into an incredible array of crafts including these beautiful quilts to support  their mission: “Anchal merges design, business, and education to empower marginalized and exploited women living in India.”-Anchal Mission Statement

4.These Tom’s wedges are at the top of my teenage daughter’s wish list, so you know they are cool! Tom’s keeps its designs fresh while still managing to provide shoes and glasses to those who need them. I know I’ve said this before, but I love their One for One business model (and pledge to support it with as many shoes as I can get away with!)

5.Whenever I carry my FEED bag I get compliments and inquiries about it, and I love promoting their wonderful program.  Products from

FEED Project make perfect gifts that give back, each product tells you how many kids you are feeding by purchasing it, and you can choose the product based on what efforts you wish to support.  This season I’m lusting after the DKNY collaboration Survival Tote and  NYC  hoodie sweatshirt that supports relief efforts for hurricane sandy victims.

6.Sari Bari  Sari Bari is a safe place of employment where women who have been exploited in the sex trade or who are vulnerable to trafficking can experience a new life in the making. Gorgeous Indian textiles are woven into clothing, accessories and home goods. Tee-shirts, bags and jewelry all help these women live free lives of restoration and hope.

 

Alex & Ani jewelry is a favorite gift of mine to give, not only is it made from recycled materials, locally owned and founded by a woman, but has a Charity By Design division where a percentage of proceeds from each Charity By Design bracelet goes to a specific cause.You can also customize your gift to the recipients personality or interests with their amazing selection of charm bracelets and charm necklaces.

 

 

7.1000 ShillingsUgandan Paper bead necklaces.  The women artisans earn capital for their own small businesses by making limited-edition products for 1000 Shillings. Each product sold through 1000 Shillings helps a woman establish a small business, which enables her to support her family. We also aim to tell the in-depth story behind each artisan.  The company works with six single mothers in the Namatala slum, Uganda.

 

A Gift As A Gesture:

Sometimes it is hard to find the perfect gift for someone who has every material thing they desire.  Still you want to give something as a token of your appreciation to them and the below gifts are the perfect solution that everyone can feel good about.

Photo by Elizabeth Atalay

8. Heifer International :

“Heifer International’s mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth.  It all started with a cow.  Moved by the plight of orphans and refugees of the Spanish Civil War as he ladled out meager rations of powdered milk, Dan West, an Indiana farmer, volunteer relief worker and Church of the Brethren member, grasped that the people needed “a cow, not a cup”—cows that could produce milk so families would not have to depend on temporary aid. From that simple idea, Heifer International was born.” – From the Heifer International Website

9. Save A Life This Christmas with Maternity Worldwide :  “No mother should die while giving birth. By ordering a Safe Birth Certificate you will enable a mother in a developing country to safely give birth to her baby.  Long after the bubble bath has been used and the Christmas hampers have been eaten you will have given a lasting gift which will save a mother’s life and enable her baby to grow up with their mum.”- From the Maternity Worldwide Website

10. UNICEF Child survival Food Pack: “One amazing gift, that does it all. The Child Survival Food Pack has everything needed to save a severely malnourished child, from the time they are brought into an emergency feeding center on the brink of death, till when they are healthy again.  Therapeutic Milk and Therapeutic Food are the miracle supplies that treat severe acute malnutrition. Water Purification Tablets provide clean and safe water and prevent water-borne diseases. Multiple Micronutrient Powder and High-Energy Biscuits give a child the vitamins and minerals needed to stay healthy.  Your precious gift can bring a child back from the brink of malnutrition, with enough supplies to nurture them to good health for several months.”- UNICEFUSA.org

 

I am a proud member of The Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health. Some of the suggestions for this post came from the Global Team of 200.   Our Motto: Individually we are all powerful. Together we can change the world. We believe in the power of collective action to help others and believe in ourselves to make this world a better place for our children and the world’s children.  Follow along with us here on Tumblr, on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook for the latest Global Team of 200 news.

Dec3

Sea Of Glass

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Sea Of Glass

When our boys were toddlers my friend Michelle and I used to let them walk along side us on the beach while we combed the sand to find beautiful treasures of sea glass. Two states and six years later, when Michelle decided to start a business creating jewelry made from sea glass, she ran into an interesting problem.  The now common practice of recycling has made Sea Glass increasingly more difficult to find.  Part of her desire was to create jewelry using environmentally friendly recycled materials.  When researching alternatives to sea glass she came across recycled glass beads made in Ghana.  She fell in love, and her Lollie Beads creations were born.

African glass beads have been made by tribes for centuries in areas such as Kenya and Ghana, but have seen a recent resurgence in popularity due to the global heightened desire for environmentally friendly products.  The glass beads have a similar texture and translucent look that is reminiscent to that of sea glass.  I love the fact that she only sources her beads from Fair Trade suppliers to ensure that the artists who make the beads benefit directly.  Fair Trade partnerships were created, and strive to ensure that the trade and retail of handmade creative products are produced in safe and fair practices.  Their goal is to continue to improve the working conditions of those in developing countries, to ensure fair trading partnerships between organizations and producers, and to sustain the economic growth of developing countries by linking producers to new trading avenues.

I had first seen Ghana glass beads when through social media I followed my sister-in-law on the ONEMoms trip to Ghana last spring. There ONEMoms helped to  usher in the inaugural vaccine program with the GAVI Alliance.  The ONEMoms team also visited a glass bead factory  on their trip  where they observed how they were made, and posted photos of the resulting gorgeous glass beads that I had never seen anything like before.

 I suppose part of my close bond with my sister-in-law and my friend Michelle comes from sharing the values of caring for the environment, and the desire to give back. It still felt like some amazing full circle somehow when within 6 month they both introduced me to these stunning beads, that had been around far before any of us, but that I had never seen before last spring.  I fell in love with the African continent when I spent six months traveling through it in my twenties. Ghana was one of the countries I did not get to go to, but I tend to gravitate towards anything made in that region, and love to support tradespeople there.  With the holidays approaching I scooped up a bunch Lollie Beads Bracelets to give as gifts, and of course a few for myself to wear too!  Michelle is now selling Lollie Beads at craft shows, a few boutiques, and they can be purchased at www.lolliebeads.etsy.com.  Sea Glass lovers rejoice!

Nov6

Vote Today!!!!! (and the day I was paid to put whipped cream on Joe Perry’s Body)

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Vote Today!!!!! (and the day I was paid to put whipped cream on Joe Perry’s Body)

When I was in my early twenties, and worked in film production, I had the great pleasure of smearing whipped cream onto Joe Perry’s body.  (We may have ended up having to use shaving cream because whipped cream melts and drips off too fast with body heat, but my memories on the details of that part are vague.)  I was an assistant prop girl on one of the inaugural Rock The Vote Videos and despite the fact that they ended up using the version where the model is covered in shaving cream instead of licking it off him, the point is that I got to put  whipped cream on Joe Perry  AND meet Steven Tyler all in a days work!!! It was a really fun job!!  Ever since then I have been a passionate supporter of Rock The Vote, (go figure!) an awesome campaign that starting that year in 1992 began a reversal of a 20-year cycle of declining participation of youth voters. Rock the Vote inspired a 20 percent increase  just that year in youth turnout compared to the previous Presidential election.  The PSA’s aired on the then wildly popular cable networks of MTV and VH-1, among others. The Rock The Vote campaign still encourages young people to get out and vote, and yes, every election year I think of that video!   Twenty years later (has it really been that long?!) I still feel passionate about everyone getting out to vote.  Today, I ask you to make sure to get to the polls. Cherish the freedom we have to vote and to have a say in who our next president will be!  We are so fortunate to have this opportunity, to have our voices heard not just for the future of our country, but in a decision that could impact the future of this world.  Not everyone has that ability. But you do.  No matter which candidate you are voting for, don’t take this privilege for granted. Rock your vote!

Nov2

Waxing Leaves

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Waxing Leaves

I love when my children gasp and point out some beautiful aspect of nature. A sunset, a cloud, a full moon. These days in our area the trees are blazing with colorful leaves, and even the storm gusts did not manage to blow them all off. I point beautiful leaves out to my kids to remind them to look closely at nature and to appreciate the beauty in it. I don’t know if they really need to be reminded, but I know that sometimes I do. I remember collecting beautiful leaves as a child and ironing them in between wax paper to preserve them. I had forgotten the simple pleasure in that activity somewhere along the way, and it wasn’t until a few years ago when my own children were old enough to do it that I remembered. It becomes an entire activity that gets us outside on a leaf collecting expedition, before going in for some creativity. We then tape our creations to the window to display our pretty fall decorations.

 

Sep15

Dive In!

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Dive In!

Today on day 10, the Last Day of our campaign for Water.org through The Mission List, I want to say thank you to all of those who have read my blog, and to congratulate you. Together we have made a difference. 114 people, who did not have access to clean water before we began 10 days ago, now will. Thanks to you! All because of your re-posting, re-tweeting, donations and comments that helped to raise awareness, and funds to make this happen.  We have made a difference! If you would like to start your own Water.org campaign, to continue this good work,  Dive In!

Click on the photo below to watch the short water.org video.

Water.org Click on Image to watch video