Black Friday Basics

Black Friday.  The biggest shopping day of the year.  Why sit back and take the weekend to enjoy your family and friends and think about all you have to be thankful for this year?  Especially, when there are such great deals, on such important items, starting as early as 8pm on Thanksgiving Day...  Insert cynical, sarcastic voice. ;)

I think this song is worth a listen (music video is a bit strange, so maybe look at a picture of a loved one while you listen). 

We put so much pressure on ourselves and others to always have more, better, faster, etc.  Why not 'pay with love' to show your appreciation for those in your life this holiday seaseon? 

I have shared this on my blog before, but, this holiday season, whether you are Christian or not (or somewhere in between), let's take back this season. Advent Conspiracy is a great movement to re-focus our pre-holiday activities.

And, if alternative gifts of time are not going to work for you, but you are looking for holiday gifts that do more good than harm, try some of these places out:
(If you hit CTRL+F, you can search for a specific item ie. food, coffee, chocolate, clothes, toys) 

*Ten Thousand Villages
Sells:
Accessories, Jewelry, Holiday items, Home Decor, Personal Care, Toys, Games, Plant and Garden, Stationery
-All items are fair trade and sourced from their producers.  They also do shopping days to support local non-profit organizations, where part of the total income is donated to a worthy cause, so they are great local supporters.

*Global Mama's
Sells:
Men/Women/Kid Clothing, Pet items, Accessories, Skin Care items, Books, Recycled items
- I was able to visit Global Mama's while in Ghana and meet some of these women, definitely a worthy cause to support.  All products are Fair Trade.

SERVV
Sells: Jewelry, Accessories, Kitchen, Home Decor, Food, Holiday, Eco-Friendly items
- This was a recommendation from a friend last time I did this type of blog post.

Friends of the Orphans
Christmas cards (or symbolic gifts)
- Another great organization.  This link is specifically for the holiday cards, but you can also make donations as a symbolic gift for your loved one.

Trade as One
Clothing, Food, Drink, Jewelry, Stationary, Journals, Bags, House and home goods, Sports, Toys, Health and Beauty
-This group has many practical everyday items that are made in a just manner. I especially took note of the soccer balls which are notoriously made in abusive work environments because the sewing of stitches is best done by small child hands.

*Fair Indigo
Sells:
Men/Women/Kid Clothing, Accessories, Jewelry, Stuffed animals, Holiday items, Home items, Bath and Body, Made in USA
- I have shoes and a sweater from this place and they are amazing. All their clothing is of very high quality.



Threads for Thought
Sells:
Clothing
- Sustainable clothing

*Maggie's
Sells:
Clothing
- Organic, ethical, sustainable clothing

Indigenous
Sells: Clothing
- Organic, Green, Eco-Friendly, Fair Trade Clothing

Better World Books
Sells:
Books
-Part of the profits here go world literacy efforts

*El Castillo del Cacao
Sells:
CHOCOLATE
- This place is in Nicaragua. The chocolate is good and the factory supports sustainable development (I was supposed to visit it while there but it fell through, still should support)

*Cafe Campesino
Sells:
COFFEE, Tea, Mate
-These folks sell Nicaraguan Coffee from some of the places I went to :)

*Esperanza en Accion (Hope in Action)
Sells:
Artisan Crafts and home goods
-I visited this place in Nicaragua. They are doing a lot to empower individuals to provide for themselves and creating jobs in a country that has EXTREME unemployment.

*Koinonia Store
Sells:
Pecans, Chocolate, Coffee, Other Food items, Crafts, Books
- This is a communal living farm that I stayed at for a few days a couple of years ago. The founder of Habitat for Humanity lived there. They are in GA and all about working for peace and justice. The chocolate pecan stuff is AMAZING :)

*TASSATAG
Sells:
Luggage Tags
-This organization works to stop human trafficking. I did research with a partner organization my sophomore year of college.

Amnesty International
Sells:
Clothing, Accessories, Books, Toys, Games, Calendars, Planners, Movies, Music
-Profit benefits Amnesty Internationals human rights campaigns


Alternative/Symbolic Gifts:

*Mercy Corps
Feed a child,buy a goat, launch a female entrepreneur - any of these symbolic gifts will support the life changing work of Mercy Corps.

*Donors Choose
Support great teachers' efforts to make big impacts on their students lives.  You can choose the age group, the kind of program, and then donate for a bookshelf for a reading program or art supplies - just to name a few examples.

**Engage Globally
Donate to support clean water, education, or vocational training for communities in Ghana, West Africa.


*Oxfam
You can help individuals in developing countries finance a business or get medical care or whatever your gift receiver is interested in, you can find a gift that will be meaningful to them. Buy a chocolate lover "helping someone else start a chocolate growing business" or the sports lover "sports equipment for kids in a developing country."

Heifer International
You can buy animals for individuals living in third world countries to help them feed their families or communities as well as establish subsistence farming methods.


These are just a small number of socially conscious shopping options.  Please feel free to share others in the comment section or ask if there is something specific you are looking to purchase.

*I have personally had experiences with these
** This is the NGO I helped launch this past summer.