Mother's Day Gift Guide for Earth Mamas

While you take some time this weekend to honor the mothers in your life, remember to honor our Mother Earth, and all mothers of the world. You can do that by giving gifts that are earth-friendly and fair trade. Here are some suggestions.

For Valentine's Day, I wrote about why it's important to shop ethically for flowers and chocolates. If you had those in mind for mom this year, check out that post from February.

Organic Bouquet offers flowers that are fair trade and organically grown.

Bangle bracelets from Alex & Ani are hugely popular right now. You've probably seen them on a few wrists, but did you know that they're made in America out of recycled materials? This bracelet features a flower and the word "Mom" so every time she puts it on, she'll know you think she's wonderful.

Mom bangle bracelet from Alex & Ani

A really great online marketplace to shop for moms is SERRV. They are "a nonprofit organization with a mission to eradicate poverty wherever it resides by providing opportunity and support to artisans and farmers worldwide." They sell a wide array of items that would make great Mother's Day gifts, such as housewares and apparel. My mother and I both adore scarves, and SERRV has a great selection of beautiful ones.

Painted Silk Scarf from SERRV

There are also some wonderful options for the new or expecting mothers in your life. Alicia Silverstone's latest book, The Kind Mama is a guide for anyone who wants to have a naturally healthy pregnancy. I'm a fan of her blog, The Kind Life, and have heard great things about the book. Another really thoughtful and unique idea is a package of pre or post natal yoga classes! Here in Buffalo, Yoga Parkside offers a series of those as well as Mommy and Baby classes.

The Kind Mama by Alicia Silverstone

Some moms can be really hard to shop for. If yours is like mine, she has everything she needs! If you want to do something meaningful for the woman who does everything for you, give to someone else in honor of her. Heifer International is a wonderful organization whose important work is helping to reduce hunger and poverty in developing countries. They provide farm animals and other resources to women and families, empowering them to create a sustainable source of income and to overcome hunger. This year, if you give the gift a goat or share of a goat to a struggling mother in southern Zimbabwe, your donation will be matched to make twice the impact.

Gift a gift to empower mothers around the world through Heifer International!

For more gift ideas for Mothers Day, check out my Pinterest Board, below!

Follow Rachel Gottlieb's board Mother's Day for Earth Mamas on Pinterest.


Here are some of my favorite musical tributes to moms!

Happy Valentine's Day to You and the Planet!

While some may view it as strictly a commercial holiday, Valentine's Day is a great excuse to do something nice for someone you love. Unfortunately, a lot of the traditional V-day gifts aren't so great for the planet, or the people on it. Thankfully, there are plenty of options that are better for the environment and don't exploit workers!

Flowers

About 78% of all cut flowers purchased in the U.S. actually come from Ecuador and Columbia. Workers, including children, earn minuscule wages, sometimes working 80 hours per week, while being exposed to harsh chemicals. Those chemicals are used to grow the flowers and to keep them looking good while they're transported to the U.S. They're extremely hazardous both to the workers and to the planet!  Organic Bouquet has flowers that are grown organically, without the the use of any harsh chemicals. They provide their farmers with healthy working conditions and fair wages. And their arrangements are beautiful! Both FTD Go Green and 1-800-FLOWERS also offer a range of fair trade certified bouquet options.

Organic Bouquet offers flowers that are fair trade and organic!

Chocolates

The candy industry is another big offender of crimes against the environment and human rights. More than 75% of the world's cocoa is grown in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Like the cut flower farmers, workers on cocoa farms have to endure dangerous working conditions and are paid next to nothing for their labor. The only way to protect both workers (including children) and the planet is to purchase only chocolate that is labeled fair trade and organic. That doesn't mean your options are limited! There are loads of ethical chocolates on the market. Some of my favorites include Taza Chocolate,  Endangered Species Chocolate, and Dagoba. For more brands, check out this list of ethical chocolate manufacturers.


If you've already got the basics covered, but you're still looking for an eco-friendly gift for your Valentine, here are some really great ideas:

Ms. Betty's Original Bad-Ass Soy Candles - These candles come in glass containers featuring messages like "Be Mine (For the Night)" and "Blow Me (A Big Fat Kiss.)" They're made with soy and the heavy glass containers are reusable. You can choose from scents such as citrus and chili pepper or spearmint and eucalyptus. So cheeky!

Ms. Betty's Original Bad-Ass Soy Candles

A Subscription of Paris Letters - There's no city more romantic than Paris. If you can't be there, you can still get a lovely hand-painted letter from Paris every month! A subscription makes a totally unique and wonderfully romantic gift for your Valentine. (Or check out Paris Letters, the book!)

DaDa Underwear Subscription - This is a really fun gift idea for the man in your life. A membership in the DaDa Quarterly Underwear Club will get your dude a new pair of skivvies every three months. These aren't just your run-of-the-mill undies either. They're luxury underwear made from eco-friendly fabrics like bamboo, seaweed, or organic cotton. Choose from a variety of styles and fabrics when you order.

Do Amore - If you're planning to pop the question this V-day, make sure you do it with a conflict-free diamond! Your engagement ring should be a symbol of love, not war. Do Amore takes that concept one step further. Not only are their diamonds conflict-free, the company also guarantees that each ring is made using at least 80% recycled precious metals. Every purchase of a Do Amore ring provides a lifetime of clean water for two people, by funding wells. Celebrating the love of two people while giving a better life to two more? Now THAT'S romantic!

If you're single this Valentine's Day, there are even some planet-happy ways to treat yourself. Take another look at my post about recycling unwanted adult toys, and finding greener toys to have fun with!

Looking for a few more ways to be earth friendly this holiday? Here's a look at my Eco-Friendly Valentine's Day Pinterest board! It's loaded with ethical Valentine ideas like vegan dessert recipes, jewelry that gives back, and eco-friendly lingerie. There are great romantic gift and date suggestions for Valentine's Day, and every day of the year. Enjoy!


Follow Rachel Gottlieb's board Valentines Day - Earth-friendly romance! on Pinterest.



p.s. Need a soundtrack for your special day? Here's a playlist of some of my favorite love songs!

Best in Crowdfunding: February 2014

I've found some more really incredible products and campaigns that are currently seeking crowdfunding. If you have any crowdfunding projects you'd like to see featured, please submit them for future posts!

Bonaverde

I personally am not a coffee drinker, but this is still a project I can get behind. The international coffee industry is mindboggling. With the millions (billions?) of people who drink coffee everyday, you'd think that coffee farmers could earn a decent living. Unfortunately, within the current system, there are too many stops between the coffee farmer and the consumer to make it a lucrative trade for the farmers. There are a number of fair trade coffee companies springing up trying to remedy the situation, but this project takes it a step farther. Bonaverde has developed a machine that will allow users to roast and process their own coffee from raw beans. They can purchase the beans directly from the farmers, skipping all of the middlemen that usually come in between. This shorter process will enable farmers to ask for a fair price for their product, while also getting better prices for consumers. It's a win-win for both parties. Bonaverde is also setting up an online interface that will connect users directly with the farmers, providing a market place for the buying and selling of raw coffee beans. I was surprised by how affordable the machine is. It seems like a no brainer for any conscientious coffee lover. Check out the video below.
Campaign Goal: $50,000
Deadline: Feb 14
Platform: IndieGoGo

Heatworks Model 1

Tankless water heaters work by instantly heating the water when the faucet is turned on, rather than keeping a large tank of water hot all the time. It's easy to understand why these heaters are more energy efficient than traditional hot water tanks. But they're still pretty expensive, and the options and requirements one has to understand before purchasing and installing such a tank are pretty overwhelming. The Heatworks Model 1 is relatively inexpensive. It uses state-of the art water heating technologies and apparently it can fit in just about any home. Check out the video for more info.
Campaign Goal: $125,000
Deadline: Feb 16
Platform: Kickstarter

Keepod Unite

Here's a fascinating little USB device that will house an entire operating system. The idea is to give people access to personal computing capabilities without forcing them to buy a computer or learn how to use multiple systems. Creators of the device hope to launch a pilot program in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Sponsoring the device for someone in Mathare is very affordable ($17) and the Keepods are also available to backers. Backers also have the option to get five and give five. These devices could be great tools for empowering people here in our own communities, so I love that option!
Campaign Goal: $38,000
Deadline: Feb 14
Platform: IndieGoGo

Keepod software could be life-changing for people without access to their own computers!

The Love Mark

This one is super fun and, if you're looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gesture, super timely. (Even if you're not into V-day, it's still pretty great.) The LoveMark will be an architectural monument to the best thing in the world: Love. Funders will have a cube inscribed with their personal love message. The cubes will be used to build the monument itself. Take a look, because the design is really gorgeous. Obviously the message of love is a positive one, and art is a wonderful tool for inspiring people to be better to one another. But if that wasn't enough, the creators of this project are going to donate a portion of the funds to charity. The best part about the project is that the creators haven't chosen a location to build the monument yet. It's up to the contributors to suggest locations and then vote! How great would it be to see this awesome structure built right here in Buffalo? It could be the BuffaLoveMark! So I hope my fellow BuffaLovers will contribute and suggest a building location right here in the Queen City. Check out the video below for details about this project.
Campaign Goal: $175,000
Deadline: Feb 15
Platform: IndieGoGo

Get a Free Education Online

I've said before and I'll say again that I believe the most important element in making the world better is education. A more educated global population can work together to develop solutions to the world's major problems. I also think that an educated person is more understanding, accepting, and compassionate towards others. It's wonderful that we live in a time when information is so accessible. There a lot of wonderful sites popping up around the internet that offer access to education courses. I encourage you to take a class. Learn something that will help make the world better, like how to knit a hat for someone in a homeless shelter, how to help slow climate change, how to write a grant for your favorite non-profit, or how to change the world.

Academic Earth
This site has a wide range of university-level courses including business, literature, mathematics, and more. I like that all of the video lectures are available immediately, so you don't have to wait for a class to be live and they don't disappear when a course is over. Some users might miss the interaction that you get with participating along with other students while a course is happening. My favorite parts of this site are the curated playlists featuring video lectures mix-and-matched from multiple courses, and the "video electives" featuring some really interesting topics.

The Amazings
Learning from our elders is the concept behind the Amazings. The site offers classes on craft techniques such as felting, knitting, and hair styling, all presented by teachers with "years of experience." The classes are not free, but are pretty affordable, and your first class is half off.

Canvas Network
Canvas has a lot of really great course offerings from schools around the country. Offerings include courses on business, writing, social media, education, and more.

Course Buffet
This site is great because it pulls courses in from a variety of sites, and categorizes them into subject groups similar to the way courses are organized by major universities. So if you want to focus on world history, there is a list of suggested courses from around the internet there waiting for you. A lot like a course catalog.

Coursera
Coursera is my favorite of all the education sites, possibly because it was the first one I ever used. My experiences with it are what prompted me to seek out similar sites and ultimately to develop this list. Students are encouraged to participate in class forums while they experience lecture videos and course work. Content stops being available after the course ends. I'm especially looking forward to an upcoming course on the music of the Beatles!

CraftArtEdu
If you're interested in learning some fine arts techniques such as water colors or drawing, you can check out CraftArtEdu. They also have some crafting classes like jewelry making, polymer clay, etc. Not all of their classes are free, but some are. 

Craftsy
This site offers a variety of classes on crafts such as jewelry-making, fine arts, cooking, and more. The classes vary in both time commitment and cost, but they do offer some free mini-courses.

DoItYourself
This is a great resource for homeowners or handymen/women who want to learn how to do certain home-improvement projects. There are also some great tutorials on gardening, automotive, crafts, and green living.

edX
edX was created by Harvard and MIT. A lot of the courses on the site are offered through the founding schools and their colleagues. They offer a really great selection of higher education courses. Students are give the option to either audit the class, or to actually try for a certificate of completion.

GCF LearnFree
The Goodwill Community Foundation created this wonderful resource for the under-served community. It's perfect for anyone who wants to learn basic computer and internet skills, improve their English, or write a resume.

Khan Academy
The Khan Academy is a registered not-for-profit organization with a mission of helping people learn. Specifically, most of the video tutorials are to help people learn pre-university level math. The founder, Salman Khan, did a Ted Talk about how he got started. To say I struggled in math would be a massive understatement. I really wish that this had been around when I was in high school. Here the video:





Learn That
Learn that offers video tutorials on a lot of business and technology topics.

Lynda.com
Lynda is actually not a free site, but they do offer a free 10-day trial. The courses available on the site are mostly design, development, and other tech-related fields.

Mind Picnic
This site isn't as well organized as some of the others, and the source of some of the course content is a little ambiguous, but it does seem to have some interesting lessons, including a lot of language courses (Italian, German, Russian, French, etc.) which, I've noticed, aren't available on a lot of the other sites. They don't seem to be complete courses, but are broken down into more manageable lessons.

Open2Study
This is an Australian-based site that offers a variety of university-level courses.

Novo
Novo features a lot of free courses, most of which seem to be in the fields of business and finance. They have a special course track for entrepreneurs.

Saylor.org
Saylor is a great site if you want access to courses in the basics, like English composition, or calculus. They have a lot of courses for university level, as well as K-12 and professional development courses.

Skillshare
This is a robust site that features video tutorials and classes, mostly about design. Topics include advertising, music, publishing, film, food, and much much more.

Udacity
Most of the courses available on Udacity are for web developers and the tech sector.

Help Others Get Access to Education

Even more important than these wonderful free course offerings is actually being able to access them. I hope you'll support these efforts towards global education, and seek out other ways to give education access to those who don't have it.

A Human Right
Today, the internet plays a huge role not just in the global education system, but almost every aspect of modern life. Communities without internet access are at a huge disadvantage. A Human Right is a non-profit organization working to bring access to those without, all around the world. Here's a quick video by founder Kosta Grammatis about why it is so important to get internet access to anyone without. Click here to donate to A Human Right.




Kiva
This is a really great site that connects those in need with potential lenders. You can browse through borrowers to find individuals who need assistance paying for their education. Most of the loans are small, and they ask lenders to pay only in $25 increments.

Library for All
Library for all started as a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of building digital library of ebooks and other learning materials, and providing access via low-cost ereaders to communities in need around the world. Thankfully, the campaign was successful and the organization is on its way to fulfilling that mission. You can help by clicking here.

Celebrate Socktober by Giving Back!

You probably know who Kid President is. His videos encourage viewers to "be awesome" by being good to others. Many of them have gone viral, and been viewed by millions of people. This month, he's asking everyone to participate in "Socktober" by gathering socks and other items for our local homeless shelters. I'll let him tell you more:




You can learn more about Socktober by clicking here, and you can click here to watch more Kid President videos! I seriously love this kid.

Happy World Gratitude Day!

Today is world gratitude day. What a great excuse to take a moment to recognize how wonderful life is! I try to remind myself how lucky I am every single day. I have a job that I enjoy, a roof over my head in the best city in the world, and most importantly, the love and support of friends and family who are without a doubt some of the most amazing people on this planet. That's why I think it is so important to always be looking for ways to help others as often as I can. I hope to some day feel like I've given back enough that I come close to deserving all that I have been given in this life.

So today I encourage readers to take a moment to show gratitude to someone or something in your life that you are grateful for. And maybe to try to think of a way to have that kind of positive effect on the life of someone else.

Here's a little bonus for you. Showing gratitude to someone else will also make YOU happier in the process. Take a look at this touching video to see how.



Want to give back but don't know where to start? Take a look at this FREE course on How to Change the World. It's offered through Wesleyan University online via Coursera.org.

On Prop 37

I don't live in California anymore, so I can't vote on proposition 37. This post is for all my friends and family (and other readers) who can!

Prop 37 will dictate that all genetically modified foods require a label.
Here are some details about proposition 37.

If you have a short attention span and don't feel like reading about Prop 37, here's a video that explains it.



And here's a super adorable video that is way shorter.



Most of us may not live in California, but that doesn't mean that Prop 37 won't affect us. If it passes, it won't be long until we start to see GMO labels across the country.

Wondering why anyone in their right mind would vote against Prop 37? So was I. Here's what I found.

If you don't live in California, you can help by calling your own friends and family who do, and encourage them to vote YES on Prop 37.

One Plastic Bag

Every once in a while I forget to bring my reusable bags with me when I run my errands. I recently found myself picking up a few small things at the little grocery store near my parents' house. When I asked the cashier to fit everything into one bag, she insisted on double-bagging it so the bag wouldn't break. Uhm, you're kind of missing the point there, sweetheart. And when I got home I discovered that she'd wrapped an item it its own bag before packing it, so I actually wound up with three bags instead of just one. D'oh.

So I'm making another small change. I always keep a stash of reusable bags in my car to avoid these situations. But now I'm going to start keeping a reusable grocery bag in my purse too.

If you're not convinced that your occasional plastic bag makes that big of a difference, take a look at some of my favorite infographics about plastic bags.

 

This is a great visual, but take this inforgraphic with a grain of salt.
It was produced by a manufacturer of promotional reusable bags.

Before you go out and buy a reusable bag, check your junk drawer and ask your friends. They seem to be everywhere these days and, unfortunately, are being over-manufactured by companies who want to cash in on the growing trend. My mom is always asking me if I want the bag she was given for free and some store or other. You should have no problem getting your hands on at least one without spending a cent!


Further Reading
Here's an interesting range of information including arguments both for and against the banning of plastic bags, and the rising popularity of reusable bags.

• http://www.reuseit.com/learn-more/myth-busting/cheap-reusables-are-a-good-thing
• http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/10/05/Chinese-smear-mongers-push-US-plastic-bag-bans
• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444165804578006832478712400.htm
• http://savetheplasticbag.com/ (wait, WHAT?)
• http://www.petside.com/article/dog-poop-cleanup-rethinking-plastic-bags

This Video is Just Fun

Why I Don't Wear TOMS

The terms are being used more and more frequently, but it's important not to take every "eco-friendly" "sustainable" or "socially responsible" branding message at face value.

TOMS shoes are a hugely trendy brand, best known for popularizing the "Buy One, Give One" business model. For every pair purchased, another is donated to someone in need. I was tempted to nab a pair of the shoes for myself, but ultimately I decided against it, and here's why.

Teach A Man to Fish

TOMS gives shoes to people who need them, and that's great. But what happens when the "Buy One Give One" trend comes to an end? Will they be barefoot again? Perhaps it would be more beneficial to set up shoe-making facilities in the target communities. Provide them with jobs. Or better yet, teach them how to make their own shoes! This article from the New York Times opinion blog states the problem better than I could:

"'There is definitely a need for footwear in underserved markets,' said Valeria Budinich, vice president of Ashoka, a nonprofit that supports social entrepreneurs. 'But those markets need new technology, production processes and distribution chains that [are specifically designed for] rural areas. Models like Toms have many great features but aren’t designed to come up with that level of transformation.'"

Made in China

Check your labels. TOMS are made in China. They aren't handmade by artisans in South America. They aren't bringing manufacturing jobs here to the good ol' U.S.A. In fact, it's hard to find any information at all about TOMS manufacturing practices. Here's a paragraph taken from the "Corporate Responsibilty" page from the TOMS' Web site:

"...our shoes are made in China, Ethiopia and Argentina. We are aware of the challenges associated with overseeing a global supply chain and our global staff actively manages and oversees our suppliers and vendors to ensure that our corporate responsibility standards are upheld. During 2012, we will ask our material suppliers to certify that the materials they supply to us are procured in accordance with all applicable laws in the countries they do business in. We also clearly define appropriate business practices for our employees and hold them accountable for complying with our policies, including the prevention of slavery and human trafficking within our supply chain."

I'm not sure what that means. What are your "corporate responsibility standards?" Who is actually manufacturing your products?

From what we know about manufacturing practices in many third-world countries, we can only assume they aren't ideal. It's quite likely that your super awesome vegan shoes are being manufactured by underpaid overworked child factory workers.

Dolla Dolla Bills Ya'll

It's important to remember that TOMS is a for-profit corporation. The money you spend on their (overpriced cloth) shoes is not being donated to communities in need. It's going into rich guys' pockets. It's sitting in coroporate banks and being invested in things like offshore drilling (ok I have no idea what their money is directly invested in. I don't have access to their financials. But big banks don't typically make the most ethical investments!)

To clarify, I don't think that Blake Mycoskie (Founder and "Cheif Shoe Giver" at TOMS) is a bad guy. I'm quite sure that when he started the organization, he had great intentions and sincerly wanted to help others. Somewhere along the line though, he may have lost sight of the real impact of his business practices.

Other Shoe Options

Wondering how you'll cover your feet without your precious TOMS? Don't fret! There are other options out there.

Sole Rebels - These shoes are hand-crafted by artisans in Ethiopia who receive fair wages for their work. They're made from recycled and locally-sourced organic materials, and are the world's first fair trade footwear company. On top of all that, the designs are attractive and the shipping is free!

Sseko - I have a weak spot for convertible apparel. These awesome sandals are no exception. They are manufactured in Uganda by young women who need to earn money for university. The sandals themselves consist of a leather base, and interchangeable straps that can be tied in a seeminly-infinite number of styles. To learn more about Sseko's mission and the women they support, watch this video.

Ethletic Footwear - These sneakers resemble Converse One-Stars but are made with organic and fair trade certified cotton. The rubber is also fairly traded and FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council.) The shoes are assembled in Pakistan by workers who receive fair wages as well as access to health and welfare facilities. They can be purchased domestically via The Autonomie Project.


Still want to help those in immediate need of shoes?

Soles 4 Souls is a not-for-profit organization that facilitates the distribution of used (and new) shoes. Donated shoes are distributed to those in need both stateside and overseas. For more information, visit http://www.soles4souls.org/



Further Reading (You don't have to take my word for it...)

http://www.buzzsawmag.org/2011/11/02/why-i-hate-toms-shoes/
http://goodintents.org/in-kind-donations/toms-shoes
http://whereamiwearing.com/2011/04/06/toms-shoes/
http://whereamiwearing.com/2012/04/10/3-things-criticizing-toms-shoes-has-taught-me/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruzan-sarwar/toms-sustainability_b_1835285.html
http://www.toms.com/manufacturing-practices
http://www.toms.com/giving-report
http://www.ecouterre.com/eco-friendly-vegan-shoe-brands/

Small Ones Surround Us Every Day

"Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day."  -Sally Koch

Welcome to Small Ones Surround Us. I'm here to share small steps I'm taking, and steps I hope readers will take, to make every day a little bit better for people, animals, and the planet. That means seeking out responsible fashion, buying and cooking food that's better for us and the planet, and teaching others about how they can make small changes of their own.

Sometimes small changes locally can have an impact on big changes globally, so occasionally my posts will be specific to my hometown of Buffalo, but everything I share is about making small changes that affect the big picture. I'm slowly making adjustments to my lifestyle that I hope are making every day better for our planet, our fellow man, and our animal friends.