Black Friday and beyond
Happy Black Friday, everyone! Ready to do more?
Today kicks off a huge shopping weekend which steamrolls into Cyber Monday…and then Giving Tuesday! With all of the opportunities to buy, I was thinking of ways to do things like, you know, give back…reduce waste…teach some good ol’ fashioned values to my Google-at-their-fingertips kiddos…
And then Suzy totally schooled me.
The kids’ elementary school is in the midst of a holiday toy drive and the girls asked if I’d help them buy gifts for kids in our community (which is great)! But it seemed like they thought “Amazon” was a verb and that online money wasn’t a tangible concert (which isn’t great). So I told them to find ways to earn money and we’d buy gifts together.
So Suzy (and a slightly more reluctant Nora) began gathering up gently used toy sets and asked me to sell them on Facebook sale groups. I did, including a message that the money from these would 100% go directly to our school’s toy drive. (Guess what? No one haggled on price. An early Christmas/Black Friday miracle!) And, with cash in hand, the girls proudly chose a brand-new mermaid Barbie and LEGO vehicle set.
(And then went to go find more stuff to sell and donate.)
I relate this story not as an outright brag- although my kids are fairly awesome- but because acts like these are literally the least we can do. So then I started thinking of what else is the “least” we can do; teaching-wise, for our communities, and globally.
So let’s start with shopping!
1) Whether you’re a fashionista or a champion of education (or both!), you’ll love STATE’s bright, bold, super cute bags. Not only is the Brooklyn-based company a purveyor of backpacks you’ll really, really want, but for every bag purchased they’ll donate a fully stocked backpack to a student in an at-risk U.S. neighborhood. Pretty smart!
2) Bookworms unite (and delight)! Now through December 12th, zulily is working with Penguin Random House and First Book to get a new book in every little pair of hands. Look for the books labeled “BUY 1, GIVE 1” and, for or each one purchased, a new children’s book will be donated (up to 100k books in all)! Even easier? Every time a shopper likes, shares, or comments on a Books for Kids social media post, that’ll be another donation, too. (Get “liking,” people!)
3) Listen, there are so many reasons to love S’well water bottles; these BPA-free, stainless steel beauts keep drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12, but in case you need another? Each purchase funds clean water initiatives around the world in communities that need it most.
4) Know a music-lover who requires some serious amplification (but is a little short on counter space)? LSTN’s rustic yet chic powerhouse The Satellite takes up very little room- and with their partnership with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, you’ll be helping folks in Kenya and Rwanda hear for the very first time.
5) I’ve long been a fan of Sudara’s Punjammies– who doesn’t love gorgeous jammies, after all? But you can feel good while feeling good, friends; each purchase provides job creation and training for women who are survivors of (or at risk for) sex trafficking.
6) Looking for a great stocking stuffer with a great message? Sprout’s minimalist and 100% eco-friendly graphite pencils are great for budding sketchers, and when they’re used down to the nub? Plant ’em and get growing!
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