Posted in Gift Guide, Uncategorized

The Conscious Consumer’s Simple Guide to Gift Giving

*Sharing Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales on my favorite conscious brands and products after the original post (scroll down). -XO -Amber

Hello lovelies! Below you will find my 2021 Conscious Consumer Shopping Guide. Intentional ways to make a huge difference with your purchasing power. It brings me so much joy to put this guide together each year–and HOPE, because each year there are more and more amazing companies and concepts adding value  (think ethically-sourced, fair-trade, sustainable, social impact-type gifts and companies that you can feel super good about supporting and receiving), so I am getting it up early, and hoping you will help me add to the list as we go along! Email me if you need a direct link to a product. Happy to share! xo

I love that consumers are becoming more aware of the power their purchases hold! We vote every day for the type of companies we want to see more of in the world, simply by what we choose to spend our money on. Here are some ideas on making more conscious purchases this upcoming holiday season:

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1. Support your Local Movers & Shakers! Everyone loves a home-town goodie, especially handmade or one-of-a-kind, all while supporting a small business owner! Be sure to leave a comment with some of your favorite small businesses so we can share the love!

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2. Shop certified B Corps that are using business as a force for good! These are companies that have amazing product solutions, while also thinking about the planet and communities.

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“B Corp Certification is the only certification that measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance. The B Impact Assessment evaluates how the company’s operations and business model impact its workers, community, environment, and customers.”

My favorite B Corps include Beautycounter, Everyone Products, Patagonia, Athleta, Klean Kanteen, and more. You can search for other Bcorps here. When shopping, you can also look for this logo:

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3. Select “Buy one, Donate One” Models. Such as Toms Shoes, where for every purchase of shoes made by a customer, Toms (another certified BCorp, by the way!), donates a pair of shoes to someone in need. They also have new “Giving Partners” where you can choose your style and corresponding cause. Pretty cool!

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4. Choose Companies with a deeper social impact! There are some really neat companies out there creating freedom and opportunities, specifically for women artisans around the world, as they develop beautiful products and build profitable businesses!

Check out the gorgeous accessories and home goods from Noonday Collections  a fair-trade federation member, and Bcorp, who provides no-interest loans and partners with Artisans around the world using indigenous materials and traditional skills to create modern, fashionable designs.

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Another favorite socially-conscious company is SariBari, which helps create economic freedom for women rescued from human- and sex-trafficking in India. They have amazingly beautiful products, particularly their Christmas Stockings and their Bags of all sizes and patterns, handcrafted by the women artisans.

Sari Bari Arotun Bucket Bag

5. Think Sustainably! Ditch presents that are one-time use items, especially plastic junk, and opt instead for items that can be used and enjoyed year-long. See my blog post here for some fun themes!

You can also find really need products that have been made out of recycled materials, like the amazing Rothy’s Shoes, made out of old plastic waterbottles! b013f683-f84b-40b9-bf5b-bc85bb37f9b4_EB-Right.20191028220250297

Don’t forget about eco-friendly gift wrapping, as well–minimize the amount of wrapping, choose recycled and recyclable materials, or reusable bags. Love the ideas shared here on the “EcoCult” site.

6. Give the gift of Health while supporting really cool businesses! There are so many great health-supporting gifts out there:

A gift set of nontoxic cleaning supplies–two of my favorite companies are Branch Basics  (reach out if you want a discount code) and Humble Suds. The ingredients are safe and amazing, and they get the job done, with beautiful packaging too!

A customized clean-beauty gift box. Happy to create one for you with my favorite clean and safe brands, or you can shop my Beautycounter link here, for gorgeous gift sets and only the best ingredients from a certified B Corp, with a whole wing of the company dedicated to advocacy and changing the beauty industry for the better!

Other Ideas: 

  • Gift Experiences instead of Stuff
  • Make a Donation to a Worthy Cause in Someone’s Honor
  • Provide a Service for Loved Ones as Your Gift
  • If you Shop Amazon, make sure to use the Amazon Smile link and designate a nonprofit you wish to benefit. Same full website and products, but Amazon gifts a portion of your purchase to charities!

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Here are a list of great Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals happening for companies and products that have health, wellness and sustainability as a priority (listed in alphabetical order). I will continue to update as sales pop up on favorite brands!

  1. COMING SOON!

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Am I missing one of your favs? Do share! And let me know if you see deals for Rothy’s, Native, Primally Pure, or Cote Nail Polish, please!

*Affiliate link. As an educator, I may receive a small commission for your purchase. 

Posted in Conscious Consumer Gift Guides

A Mother’s Day Conscious Consumer Gift Guide

Hey all! Springtime is here (well, not really here, here–we are still getting snow in CO). BUT Mother’s Day is upon us, and I always love sharing some gifts that not only make our loved ones feel special, but also make a positive impact in the world. The small makers, sustainable upgrades, fair-trade and female-empowering, and clean and safe options! Especially for the mamas. PLEASE, if you are gifting household, beauty or personal care products, make sure they are safe and healthy for yo momma. xo

Highlighting some current favs below. Reach out with any and all questions and let me know if you purchase one of these ideas for your mama or yourself! -Amber

PS, have an idea for a gift to be added to the Make Simple Happen guide? Contact me!

1. Beautycounter Body Care: Safe and Luxurious Body Care, in newly upgraded sustainable packaging. Give mom the gift of relaxation without harmful chemicals. Favorites include: Luminous Hydration Body Oil in Citrus Rosemary, Melting Body Balm, and the Sugarbuff Body Polish in Lemongrass

Award-winning products, Leaping Bunny Cruelty-free certified, free of 1,800 known toxins and carcinogens, Environmental Working Group (EWG) Certified, and a registered B Corporation that’s women led and owned. Yes please! I’ve been advocating with this amazing company for more than 3 years. And you know what led me to it? Wanting safer products for my momma after a cancer diagnosis. And I can’t stop, wont stop, until all products are safe for us, and we don’t have to watch our loved ones suffer from disease and illness at alarming rates in this country. I know we can do better and I’m so encouraged by the progress made and the shifts in the industry already happening!

2. Hand-poured Terra cotta Tripod Candle:

These Refugee-made wax candles from the nonprofit Preemptive Love, include beautiful terra cotta tripod containers (REFILL them and keep em going!), Soy candles fragranced with phthalate-free essential oils, wooden wicks, and the best part, besides how cute they are–Every candle provides relief and jobs for families fleeing violence around the world.

3. Mama Sweatshirt from Ollie and Penny

Handmade from Ashley in California, order this soft and cute sweetshirt from her Etsy shop and share your support of small female makers. I loved this coloring and font combo so much, and how it can work for a “comfy-at-home” or “out on the town” option.

4. The Eclipse Earrings

I love everything I own from Threads Worldwide–the quality, beauty, and especially the stories behind them. This pair of earrings jumped out to me–made from upcycled bullhorn, bone and wood, each pair is handcrafted from women in Vietnam through a fair-trade workshop that creates jobs and independence.

5. Plant Lady Sun Hat from ModParty on Etsy

Super cute sun hat for your favorite plant lover. Comes in a variety of styles from a female maker on Etsy with 5-star reviews. Double bonus–sun protection! Pair it with your favorite mineral sunscreen (suggestion: Beautycounter’s Daily Sheer Defense).

6. Handwoven Plant Basket

Speaking of PLANTS!

Not only do plants look gorgeous for decorating, but there are several varieties that have been linked to detoxing the air! My favorites are Peace Lilies, Spider Plants, Ferns, and Aloe Vera plants. (and lucky for moms that don’t have a “green thumb”, these varieties are also easy to keep alive!). Read more about how to reduce your toxic load through plants in my post here.

Other ideas:

Buy your flowers from your local Farmer, which promotes seasonality, sustainability, and shopping local (stat: over 80% of all flowers sold in this country were imported–“We can’t possibly care about climate change and global emissions while demanding year-round flower availability”). Shop Local and In-Season Instead: You can locate your local flower farmer here.

Poetry! I am especially into Morgan Harper Nichols, and anxiously awaiting her new book “How Far You Have Come”, which should arrive before Mother’s Day. You can find her work, and really beautiful gifts on the Garden 24.co shop.

The Perpetual Calendar!!! Everyone needs one of these for birthdays and anniversaries!

Product Free Gifts: Foot rubs, hikes together, cooking together, cleaning her house for her, planting a garden for her, HUGS after Hugs (especially after a year of very limited or nonexistent hugs).

BE well, loves!

-Amber