Vote with your money this holiday season!

This free Christmas gift clip art is brought to you courtesy of Vladimir Zuñiga of Foca.tk.

Each year I post about F.A.C.E. values:

• Fair trade (employees treated well)
• Artist made (originally American made)
• Charities paid 
• Environment saved

You can choose to purchase gifts that will give back, that are in line with your values, and that will help our world (and the people) to thrive.

This means that it is best to seek alternatives to the big boxes that carry cheap products and treat their employees badly.  There are many, many alternatives.  Here are a few suggestions:

1. 10 Ways to Shop for Good 
2. Etsy - gifts by artists, real people
3. CD Baby - music gifts by musicians
4. 29 online gift stores that benefit nonprofits
5. 19 holiday gift programs that benefit nonprofits
6. Shop at a nonprofit thrift store in your area
7. Go to local arts & crafts festivals to shop direct from local artists
8. Buy tickets to a local event
9. Make sure your gift is green 
10. Create your own gifts using one of your talents.  I am knitting some gifts this year.
11. Skip buying from the 10 companies that pay their employees the least

I hope you have a fabulous holiday season, and happy shopping for good! 

SDF

We can become aware...

I'm hoping 2014 is the year of awareness.

We can become aware that we can vote with our money and shop at stores that actually care about their employees (fair wages and benefits), where their products come from (fair trade), and how safe the products are for us.

We can become aware that we are beautiful regardless of how ugly the media, fashion world, and diet companies want us to feel for their own greed, and we can vote with our money again and say enough of this body/mental image abuse. 

We can become aware that the food we put into our mouths can make us healthy or make us sick, it is our choice. 

We can be aware that our differences on the outside are less than 1% of our DNA and that our more than 99% similarities are what matters most.

We can become aware that if our country (our world) is truly to be free, as long as the choices of others do not hurt us personally where we can continue to live our own lives as we wish, it is freedom that allows other people to choose their own direction for happiness, just as this same freedom allows us to choose our own direction for happiness. Call it a "No Judgement Day." 

We can become aware that our actions on this earth can either harm or nurture the earth. Many of us have felt the wrath of global weirding this year. 

We can become aware that spending all the resources on war is only going to produce more war and bankrupt countries and the people of countries. What you focus on is what you get. Let's focus on peace. 

Our resources, time, money, energy, thoughts, actions, can be spent making the world a better place for all, not just for the few that want to control all. 

Yes, I'm hoping 2014 is the year of awareness, and that we become aware that we have the power to do something to create a positive outcome (instead of all the 2013 crap we went through). 

Happy New Year!

Heightening awareness

I am encouraged to see the heightened awareness that is happening.  I can't wait to see more!

We can no longer stay asleep to what is happening behind the scenes.  There are shiny looking corporations that are treating their employees badly and forcing their suppliers to work overseas.  There are governments that do not have the best interests for their people and instead cater to their own greed of power and money.   There are decisions being made everyday that are supporting this careless behavior, but it is getting better.

Why does it take a disaster to wake us up to human kindness again?  Can't we function this way everyday in every day life?

This means that we take more care in where we purchase from and who we back for a government seat.

With awareness, the hypocrisy will stop.  All the shiny objects that have been diverting our attention will be seen for what they really are, a big front that was paid for by big money, instead of doing the right thing in the first place.

I definitely see a shift happening when certain generations take over or start companies on the right foot and remain steady on their course.  Allowing employees to share in the wealth and buying from companies that supply American and/or Fair Trade jobs.

So, how can you heighten your awareness?  Keep your eyes open and start researching before you buy, and then purchase from companies and elect officials that truly care about others (instead of just themselves).

I don't care what side of the fence you are on politically.  Humans are in trouble everywhere when we do not love thy neighbor and help our fellow man.  We can turn this around whenever we want to.  It's our choice!

-SDF

Day 2 of 29 Gifts

This morning I decided to give to my friend Laura who is doing the MS Walk in May.  She is attempting to raise $1,000 and is on her way at $730 raised.  If you want to give, click here! 

I can't believe how many autoimmune diseases there are that still need to be cured.  There has to be a way, and I hope they find it soon.

Today as I write, I am listening to another gift CD, the WFMT Party Mix.  My mom likes to donate to WFMT and send the special gifts along to me as a gift.  It's always about great music and it is for a good cause, so I like the gift combo she is doing.

This CD is very lively with a variety of music.  Arrangements galore from Handel to Bernstein to the Beatles. I am grateful for fantastic music.

Now my thoughts are on my next gift.  I am finding that many of my friends are having fundraisers right now, yet I need to pace myself on money gifts.  I am at the moment on a time off segment in my life so it would be best to find other gift ideas.


I have noticed that if you are open to giving that many opportunities will suddenly appear.  Maybe this is what is happening.  Can you imagine if we were all open to giving when and where we can?  I believe all of us would be in a better place.

Not that I want to get all feisty today, however, the greed in our world is harming more than it is helping. Also, the lack of awareness, or the choice to ignore the realities is making it more difficult to move in a positive direction.

I will wrap this day up by saying once again that we have the power to become aware and find out about the companies we choose to purchase from. When a CEO chooses to make 1700 times their regular employee, there is a problem.  Sure, it is their choice, and I hope they will choose to be more fair in the future.  In the meantime, we can choose not to purchase from a company that chooses greed over making their employees' wages and healthcare benefits more realistic for living conditions.

We can also learn about the politicians and figure out whether or not they really have the public's interest at heart or their own wallets. 

It is a matter of choosing to take a little time to find out the facts.  This is where the process of democracy has broken down.  We have to care again to do this!

Whatever you choose, have a good day, and I will back for gift 3 tomorrow. 

Vote with your money this holiday season!

I haven't blogged in a long time.  It's been a crazy month of traveling, work, and other stuff.  I have still been working out and being creative though.

It's December and that means the holidays are right around the corner.  My holiday message to you is to vote with your money this season!  I call this action F.A.C.E. values.  Fair trade, American/Artist made, Charities paid and Environment saved.  It's time to send a message by not shopping at stores that do not value their employees, avoid shopping where they stock the shelves with cheaply made crap that falls apart after a few uses (or is detrimental to our health), and to start looking at the labels to see if the product was made by Americans or Artists.  Instead of lining the pockets of the big corporate tanks, why not spend your money where you know people will be benefiting from it directly.

I am a big advocate of shopping at stores that benefit charities with each purchase or stores that have fair trade goods.  I also recommend gift shopping at nonprofit online stores.  Maybe your loved one doesn't need "stuff," and would be happy with a tree that is planted in a rainforest or adopting an animal.  There are creative gifts out there that help our environment and put a smile on the faces of the people that receive the gifts. 

Also, there are artists out there that have wonderful art, live event experiences, that are more thoughtful a gift than simply a "toy" that will be discarded in the future.  The memory of an arts gift lasts a lifetime.

So there you have it!  F.A.C.E. values this season is about voting with your money.  If you care about our world, and I know you do, being choosy about your gifts this holiday season is a big way to show you care.

On a few other notes, I just finished my first workout of Jillian's 30 Day Shred.  It is a great workout!  20 minutes of an intense, well rounded circuit training .  I do feel like I have worked hard.   I do wish it had more cardio to it, but I can always add more cardio later.  I do recommend this series as a great workout to put into your rotation.

Lastly, I have been thinking about a personal 30 day challenge.  I have decided that since I have so many CD's and music lying around the house, it is time to have a 30 Day CD challenge.  I am going to listen to 1 CD every day and post here for your amusement.

Today I listened to Imogen Heap's Speak for Yourself.   What a great CD! I adore her voice, passionate and musical.  It's also music that makes you want to move.  Tomorrow, I have no idea what I will choose. You will have to wait and see.

So that's it for this one.  Vote with your money.  Workout until you sweat.  Listen to good music.  Every day.

-SDF :O)