What a lovely holiday I just had! For me, Thanksgiving means a lot of very exciting things. Big family dinners. Turkey (or tofurkey if you're a vegan) and lots and lots of deserts. I usually sneak into the kitchen to inhale the smells of my mother's stuffing, raspberry pie, and divine pumpkin cheesecake. The whole house smells incredible, and it just feels good. I love Thanksgiving because, corny as it may seem, it truly is a fantastic time of year to sit back and think about what I am thankful for. I usually make a mental list, get teary eyed, and then call everyone I love to tell them that I do.
Thanksgiving also sends me into a bit of a panic, because without fail, I am behind on finding holiday gifts. I tend to be an in-the-moment gift buyer. If I see something that reminds me of one of dearest friends or family members I'll purchase it and save it for the holidays. But if nothing strikes my fancy, I tend to panic, and every cool thing I can think of vanishes from my mind and I'm left dumbstruck.
Well not this year! I have set out to make a list of gifts that I am obsessed with, and a few that also give back. I believe that if we are going to be putting money toward something, why not have it be toward something that does good for the world? So here goes …
Reuseable "Market" Bags
I think cutting out waste by not using plastic or paper bags when we shop is incredibly important. It's also so simple. Just carry a bag with you when you know you'll be running errands, and voila! You are lowering your impact. Take a bag of your very own to the grocery store, the mall, hunting for vintage clothes, or the bookstore, and reduce your impact. It's even more fun when the bags are fantastic!
Apolis Activism
My latest love is the market bag, made by a company called Apolis. When you visit www.apolisglobal.com you will be wildly impressed first by the chic vibe of the site, and second, and much more deeply, by what it stands for. Each item for sale on the website benefits a region of the world in need of assistance. But rather than simply donating money, Apolis is committed to creating jobs and providing that vital sense of self-worth 
for the people who work for them. Ben Thomson of Invisible Children puts it perfectly, saying "Apolis is on the forefront of an era of new philanthropy by integrating sustainable development into their supply chain and bringing a whole new meaning to corporate social responsibility." There are three regions supported by these projects: Bangladesh, Uganda, and Nepal.
The market bag comes from Bangladesh. www.apolisglobal.com/activism/bangladesh-project/ The bag is beautifully crafted, and it creates a powerful income in that it allows women to start their own business and provide for themselves and their families.
Check out the market bag, as well as the philanthropist line benefiting Uganda, and the cashmere collections aiding the women of Nepal.
BAGGU BAGS
Another bag option, that is less expensive, but just as great for cutting down on your impact on the earth! BAGGU bags can be found at www.baggu.com. These totes are made of ripstop nylon, and each bag can hold up to FIFTY POUNDS! The reason that's so incredible is that these bags fold up into teeny tiny little 5" by 5" pouches, and then open up to be 15" wide by 25" high by 6" deep. Just five of them can pack up a whole cart of groceries. They come in an astonishing array of colors and adorable prints, so you can find them for gals and guys alike, with any type of taste! To encourage shoppers to buy more reusable bags and use paper/plastic less, the more bags you order at once, the less expensive they are. For example, if you buy one, it's $8. But if you order 6 or more, they're $6.50 each. And for serious compact storage in the trunk they make an "X5" pack, which comes with five bags in various color families and they come in a nifty little drawstring pouch. Amazing! 
My latest obsession is their collaboration with the fashion outpost No6Store. This store is run by vintage collector Morgan Yakus and stylist Karin Bereson in Little Italy in New York City. They make the most fabulous clog boots -- style icon and fellow Wilmington, North Carolina alumna Michelle Williams is a fan -- and they run their store more like a lounge, with comfy couches and all. While you ponder fall sweaters, you'll feel like you are perusing your most stylish friend's closet. As if they weren't cool enough, what with this showroom that doubles as a space for art and music events, their recent collaboration with BAGGU has sent me spinning. It is a fabulous nod toward sustainability. The constellation print is my favorite!
You can also support incredible charities & get great gifts at the same time. Here a few of my favorite, meaningful groups.
Falling Whistles
This group began as a journal written about young boys in the Congo, who are sent to the frontlines of war armed with nothing more than a whistle. These children serve to send warnings, and are often used as human shields. Outraged? Heartbroken? So were all of the people who read the journal, and thus this charity was born. The idea is to "make their weapon your voice" and be a whistleblower for peace in the Congo. This group is aiding children rescued from war, rehabilitating them and giving them a chance at a better life. You can read more about the organization at www.fallingwhistles.com/about, or purchase a whistle necklace, or even better LOTS of whistle necklaces, for friends and family at http://store.fallingwhistles.com/collections/whistles.
Kora Designs
Design team Amy Walker and Maxandra Short founded Kora as a philanthropic fashion enterprise. If you visit www.koradesigns.com you'll catch a glimpse of their gorgeous horn cuffs. While you might think there can't possibly be anything kind about such a thing, think again. Each item is made of completely recycled materials -- brass from found wire, aluminum 
from old car parts, and horn salvaged from butchers -- so the craftsmen are contributing to the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle lifestyle. Additionally, the pieces are made by locals in Kenya and Rwanda, where kora means "work." The creation of this line provides a fantastic application of the "trade-not-aid" ethos, which Short calls "a powerful concept for Africa's future."
Akawelle Necklaces
Lovetta Conto is a refugee of civil war in Liberia, West Africa. She is also just 17 years old. Seventeen. Most of us have never had to imagine what she has lived through since she was a little girl. But her spirit and her strength led her to believe that life would get better. That she could give back. That she could change her future. I think she is, in her own way, helping to change the world. She is so enigmatic of the LittleVoices movement. And she doesn't even know it exists. But you all do. And you can help her.
In her refugee camp, she couldn't help but notice how the women around her held onto their pride, and expressed themselves through their clothing and traditionally jewelry, fashioned from whatever they had. No matter how seemingly insignificant, these pieces formed an identity. And identity in the face of disaster can make all the difference. Lovetta was drawn to this idea, and to design, and her world opened up. She has created the Akawelle necklace from discarded bullet casings. Her theory is that "even something as ugly as a bullet 
fired in a war can be made beautiful if you are willing to work to change it into something else." And beautiful they are.
The LIFE pendant, a reminder to have faith that new life is always possible, is made from melted bullet shells, and the round pendant is the bottom of the shell itself. Sales of these necklaces benefit the Strongheart House, a home and center where healing, education, and think-tanks create an environment that propels young people, like Lovetta, out of devastation and into positions where they can learn to change the world. www.akawelle.com
The Wayuu Taya Foundation
This non-profit group was founded in 2002 to help improve the lives of Latin-American indigenous communities, while crucially maintaining and respecting their cultures, traditions, and beliefs. After all, what good is supporting a community if you end up destroying it? The group helps to support the Wayuu's in the Guarjira Peninsula of northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela. Recently, Wayuu Taya has expanded to assist Haiti, creating the Help Haiti Hope initiative. 
In the same way that Apolis knows that creating jobs and thus propelling an economy is far more valuable than simply sending money, the foundation has so with bags. They are available for purchase at www.wayuutaya.org come in a variety of colors. Their inventory changes all the time, because these bags are handmade rather than mass-produced. You get to own something unique, while supporting a group of people who are truly grateful. A fantastic idea if you ask me! I own three, and carry them everywhere!
For more information on Wayuu Taya, visit http://www.wayuutaya.org/
Stationary
Another great gift is stationary. There is nothing more romantic and substantial than receiving hand-written mail, especially in this age of electronic-everything! The romance (even if the mail is strictly platonic) is in the notion of the time someone took to share a sentiment of thanks, well-wishes, or just a 'hello' with you, on paper. The image of a friend or loved one sitting at a desk, with a note card and a pen in hand, writing out a message evokes something old-fashioned and lovely to me. And giving someone personalized stationary does the same thing. It's so tender and dear. So kind. And it is 
always appreciated. But with paper comes waste, so you can imagine my joy when I discovered www.conservatree.org !! This website can help you find anything you can imagine by way of paper products, with lists upon lists of categories, complete with the percentages of recycled/postconsumer attributes and even plant based inks! Sentimental and eco-friendly?! Count me IN!
Also, you can visit www.etsy.com and search 'recycled stationary.' You'll be amazed at all of the choices that come up! Here are a few of my favorites:
"Typewriter" cards - what could be cuter for a old-fashioned letter?
"You're An Animal" Cards - hilarious and witty
Good Ole' Fashioned "Thank You" Cards - stylish, clean, and chic!
