Holiday Gifts – with a Conscious
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Alicia Adams Alpaca
Alicia Adams makes a gorgeous product on her 80 acre Alpaca Farm in the Hudson Valley, NY. The yearly shorn Alpaca generate a durable, soft yarn that is 100% cruelty free and results in home wares and clothing for adults & children alike.
Woven in the U.S. and Peru, Alicia Adams actively supports the contributing Peruvian artisan families and their communities. Check out the Rainbow Collection, designed to show solidarity with minorities and the LGBTQ Community, with 10% of all sales going to GLSEN.org.
Big Picture Farm – Goat Dairy & Farmstead Confectionery
As far as gifts go, nobody is upset when treats are involved. Especially if said treats include delectable caramels, chocolates, or cheeses from this award-winning, Animal-Welfare-Approved farm in Vermont. Big Picture Farm’s mission is to integrate agriculture and narrative – evoking place, animals, work, and product.
A herd of 40 healthy and happy Lady-goats supply the fresh, raw, creamy milk, resulting in a delicious product. They also offer accessories such as linen tea towels, canvas bags, and t-shirts – all featuring their rock-star goats! Check out Big Picture
Farm’s
gallery and get to know their Goat/Dog/Cat/Human family. And if you are willing to have your heart squeezed, read the lovingly rendered account of Big Picture Farm’s first goat, Orion. In terms of respect for animals, our interspecies connection and basic, humane animal husbandry – it says it all.
Zoetica
For those who strive to do their best to minimize their daily waste footprint, Zoetica offers stylish, and uber practical product solutions. Founded by three self-described Professionals, Business Owners, Moms, Wives, Friends, these gals have an art for organizing the essentials for on-the-go noshing & shopping. I received the ‘Nomad‘ Kit as a gift and am crazy impressed with the contents of the compact, well appointed, clutch-sized bag, which includes:
A washable, outer, 3 compartment nylon bag
30 oz. to-go container (optional to add up to three more nested ones)
stainless steel fork and spoon
angled, reusable, stainless straw
cloth napkin
mini Market Tote
produce/bulk bag
In addition to the Everyday Kits, Zoetica offers Grocery Kits, Event & Picnic Collection, Beverage Collection, and a Zero Waste Collection – plus individual totes, produce bags, reusable bottles and my favorite – Reusable Ziploc Bags!
Plan Toys
Vowing to not buy another plastic, disposable toy? From birth to 4+, Plan Toys offers a worry-free selection of toys any parent would be thrilled to have enter their home. All aspects of play, child development and safety concerns has been considered by this company. Organic color pigments, water based dyes, non-formaldehyde glues, and sustainably grown, chemical-free kiln
Balancing Tree
dried Rubber Tree wood are the primary materials used for their product. The design is delightfully “old school” with a modern touch.
Build A Robot
Kata Golda
For the Etsy-inclined, Kata Golda offers plant dyed, organic textile creatures & accessories, all stitched with love. Inspired by the natural world, this whimsical line will tickle the most jaded among us, demanding that we get in touch with our inner “twee”.
Kata Golda offers
DIY kits as well, encouraging us all to get crafty and join the fun! And check out Kata Golda’s “Shop With Love” offerings in which 100% of the proceeds go to the Jumping Mouse Children’s Center, providing mental health therapy for children who have experienced trauma.
The Gift of Giving
What to give the person who has everything? How about a charitable contribution in their name to a cause they are passionate about? There are a few organizations that rank charities, which can be helpful in assuring that your dollar is going the distance.
GiveWell evaluates charities in four categories: Transparency; cost-effectiveness; need; and overall effectiveness – before awarding or denying a spot on their list. To measure cost-effectiveness the group calculates impact on a scale of “lives saved or improved per dollar spent.”
You can choose a charity from GiveWell’s top Charities list or give directly to the organization so that they can spread the contributions to organizations with the most need.
4 star ranked Concern Worldwide U.S.
Charity Navigator has a post on “How to Maximize Your Year-End Giving: A Charity Navigator Guide“. Charity Navigator lists 10 categories from The most followed Charities to Charities worth watching. The top rated, 4 star Charities have their own page and are sub-categorized under causes such as: Environment; Health; Religion; Community Development; Human Services; International; and Animals.
Wallet Hub has posted it’s list of top performing Charities in individual categories based on their financial performance, transparency and popularity:
Animals – PetSmart Charities Veterans – Fisher House Foundation Human Service – Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Community Development – The Y (National Office) Health – Partners in Health Education – DonorsChoose.org Child-Abuse Prevention – Prevent Child Abuse America (National Office) International Affairs – Direct Relief The Environment – Waterkeeper Alliance Homelessness – National Alliance to End Homelessness Religion – United Methodist Committee on Relief Hunger – Action Against Hunger-USA
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