gifts that give

i like to get my holiday shopping done early. at least i say i do. with thanksgiving around the corner i feel the pressure to get some of this stuff taken care of. with that comes figuring out what to get people. some are easy, some are not and sometimes you feel like you are just picking something out, that you are not even sure the recipient will like, want or need.

earlier this month, after my inner batter with shopping at alter’d state, i expressed a desire to a friend to make all of my gifts charitable in some way. the idea of making donations in people’s names is nice, and probably the most direct way to help, but (i will be honest) there is not a lot of fun in opening a piece of paper. so i began to seek out companies, like TOMS, that have a humanitarian effort tied to the purchase of goods.i don’t know that ALL of my gifts this year will be charitable, but i am making an effort to give gifts that give back whenever possible.

after mentioning this to a friend she said that she would be interested in what i find and i thought that you might as well, so here we are! in my search i have found several neat companies that offer good looking, quality products. so over the next few weeks i will share with you my finds. i hope you enjoy them and think about incorporating them into your giving this year. and to my friends and family there are probably some spoilers in some of these posts, but there is so much good stuff that i am sure you will still be pleased (once i made up my mind what to give to who!). if you all ready have some favorites that i have left out, please comment and let everyone know.

Sseko Designs

i first encountered these cute, versitile sandals at a boutique in kansas city over last summer. i was intreged by them, but did not buy them. at that time i also didn’t realize just what they were. at a friend’s birthday another friend was wearing them and told me their story (if i remember correctly the girl that started this company is from KC). just what is that story you ask?

from their facebook: Sseko Designs is an apparel company based in Uganda. We produce beautiful, unique leather sandals with interchangeable fabric straps.

People love their Ssekos. One, because they are a super-nifty product. The base of every sandal is the same, but the sandals can be tied in hundreds of ways and the straps come in a variety of colors, patterns and materials, so every Sseko sandal is totally unique.

But the reason people are passionate about their Ssekos is because they are hand-made by a group of young woman in Uganda who make the sandals to earn money to finance their university education. We believe in the power of business to help consumers change the world, one sandal at a time.

And look really good while doing it.

and i can attest to the fact that they are super cute! who doesn’t want a sandal that can be worn hundreds of different ways? plus, the extra straps only cost $8-$13 a pair. the site gives you directions on how to tie twelve of their favorite styles. i know for many of us it is cold where we live in the winter, but i promise you if some of these showed up under my tree i would have no issue with waiting until the summer to bust them out. i might just spends all the months in between deciding how i want to tie them!

live fashionABLE

i have enough fashionable lady friends to know that you can never really go wrong with a good, quality, versatile scarf as a gift. they get worn ALL the time. if you have ever seen my pashmina collection you would know what i am talking about. well, good news, this company makes awesome scarves for an awesome cause. if you think i am not sneaking one of these in for myself then you are so wrong.

from their facebook: A fashionABLE scarf is more than just an accessory, it’s a means to a new life. Your purchase creates sustainable businesses for women in Africa who have been exploited by the effects of poverty. The sale of the scarves provide jobs for women, and as a nonprofit venture, the profits from their work fund the holistic rehabilitation of other women. It’s a simple business model: Scarves provide jobs, profits provide restoration.When you buy a fashionABLE scarf you are ABLE to provide opportunities, and women in Africa are ABLE to have a new choice. Live fashionABLE and feel good about looking good.

they offer nine different style of scarves, all with multiple color choices. they even make one style for kids! check ‘um out and good luck not ordering one for yourself (when you do, please tell me which one and in one color so i can be jealous excited for you!)

jedidiah clothing

so what about something for the menfolk? jedidiah clothing has a little something for both sexes. while a lot of their clothing is branded with their name (and if that is your thing, awesome, spread that awareness!), but mixed in are some great non-branded pieces, that look to stack up with boutique style clothing.

from their facebook: Jedidiah is a humanitarian-based fashion company aspiring to cultivate change, one garment at a time. Every piece of clothing is inspired by, and tied to, a cause with a percentage of our proceeds going to a related non-profit. Our clothing artistically connects fashion to social causes so we can all make a measurable difference in the world.

We believe our Humanitarian Partnerships are the lifeblood of who we are. Each season, we partner with a different organization. It is through our relationships with these organizations that we are allowed to put our mission into action.

along with this great jacket, they have graphic tee’s, hats, hoodies and bags. ladies, or people buying for the ladies, make sure and check out their ladies line too. cute tee’s that look like they would be super-mega-soft. mmmnothing better.

also, check out the collaboration jedidiah is doing with beautiful feet.

rain tees

and for the kiddos? rain tees, a daughter company of eco-consious clothing import and distribution company, andira international, sell t-shirts and a few other goods. their process is pretty awesome (as is their parent company).

so not only are you supporting the planting of trees, but you are also contributing to stable jobs for the people of the amazon and each child whose drawing is featured is sponsored to attend school in their home country. the adult shirts also feature some of the children’s drawings, but have been reworked a bit to give them a more mature look and some of the adult design comes from the parent. i love them. you can like them on facebook too!

thistle farms

looking for something that gives back here at home? thistle farms is operated by the ladies of Magdalene, a two-year residential community, located in nashville, tennesse, that provides food, housing, medical and dental needs, therapy and job training for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and drug abuse. thistle farms is their social enterprise. from their website: Thistle Farms employs 32 Magdalene residents or graduates. While working at Thistle Farms, woman learn skills in manufacturing, packaging, marketing and sales and administration. It is a supportive workplace where women acquire the skills they need to earn a living wage. Employees have the opportunity to put a percentage of their earnings in a matched savings account. Throught Thistle Farms, the women of Magdalene gain much needed job skills, and learn responsibility and cooperation.

so what do these ladies make? eco-friendly  bath and body products that sound deeeeeelicious!

if you know me at all, you know that i am not a fan of fru-fru, girly smelling lotions and such. but i do love me some good lavendar and tea-tree (this one with mint!), both of which they offer, in addition to citrus vanilla, tuscan earth and unscented (HALLELUJAH!). they make hand lotion, soaps, shower gels, lip balm, body butter, room spray….the list goes on and on! if you have someone on your list that loves to pamper them self skip bath and body and check out thistle farms! check them out on facebook!

i could go on and on and on as there are so many of these wonderful organizations, but i will stop here for the day. next week’s post will feature the wonderful jewelry artisans. there are so many of them that i could probably focus on them alone!

in the mean time if you don’t want to wait for my list, you can create your own. like these companies on facebook and see who they are linked up with. the options are limitless. also, if you are looking for a specific kind of good hit me up, i have quite the list going over here and would love to help in any way possible.

happy gift giving, friends.