Tag Archives: Hillary Clinton 2016

Your guide to excellent, sustainable, made right (here) gifts – from companies against bigotry

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Despite all the negativity surrounding us lately, a joyous season is upon us. I don’t know about you, but if we are to fiercely fight for what’s right in the coming four years, I think we need a nice break and to sit back and relax this Christmas, knowing that Obama and Biden are still in office.

Last week I shared an important post about where to donate your dollars this Holiday Season to make an impact and spread some eco-love. This week, I’d like to focus on promoting some ethical, eco-friendly brands, who just like us, openly supported a Hillary Clinton presidency and stand against hate and racism. These brands will help you give excellent, sustainable, made right (here) gifts to yourself or others worthy of a treat.

1. Bead & Reel

Bead & Reel is an ethical online boutique offering eco-friendly, cruelty free (vegan), sweatshop free fashion. Fair trade, organic, recycled material, female run brands – whatever you feel strongly about, they’ve got it. They’re good at listing where everything is made, so you can shop local if you want to too.

2. National Geographic

Can I just give a shout out to National Geographic? With their fantastic (yet frightening) environmental series Years of Living Dangerously and the new Leo movie Before the Flood, they sent a clear message about voting for the climate this election. A magazine subscription might not be the most zero waste gift, but one I’d sure like anyway! (Or go ahead an purchase Years of Living Dangerously on I-tunes!)

3. Rackk and Ruin

Rackk and Ruin is a Berlington, VT (Bernie’s home base) jewelry maker focusing on using natural materials like leather, feathers and metal in her handmade pieces. She’s offering safety pin gold earrings right now as well, so you can show off your anti-Trump feelings.

4. Skin Deep Naturals

You might remember Skin Deep Naturals from when I got my reusable, organic cotton make-up remover rounds earlier this year. However, there’s more to the brand than that. It’s a natural skin care line using safe ingredients straight from nature, without any synthetic ingredients or preservatives. Most ingredients are organic and fair trade certified and all are hate-free.

Cat stripes Cotton tote bag
My made in USA, cotton tote-bag from Seltzer Goods

5. Seltzer Goods

Seltzer Goods are so much fun! They’re definitely on the “nice to have” scale of things, but one deserves a fun and colorful treat now and then. Tote bags, magnets, pens and more, with most everything being made right here. I bought myself a striped cat tote from them earlier this year, which is made in USA, 100% cotton and so cute.

6. Tabii Just

This zero waste, feminist designer just launched her fall collection, and it’s looking classy. Tabii Just is based and made in New York. I scored a gorgeous scarf made from scrap fabric this fall and I couldn’t be happier with it (maybe it’s the cute ball hem!?)

7. The Little Market

The Little Market is an online shop where customers can purchase handmade, fair trade products made by (female) artisans around the world. Every purchase, whether it be a blanket, accessory, candle, baby beanie or little apron, generates meaningful income for the artisans and their families. Lauren Conrad is one of the founders.

8. Tradlands

I just modeled my new shirt from Tradlands in my last post here on the blog! They’re all about perfectly crafted women’s shirts, keeping it small business and always made in USA with love (not hate). Check out their soft flannels or business button-ups.

State optical glasses tradlands shirt
My Made in USA, cotton flannel from Tradlands

Please readers, if you know of any great eco-brands, who openly and proudly voted against hate and bigotry, please share them with me in the comments! I sure can’t keep track of them all by myself ;)

In addition to voting with your dollars and buying what’s right, you should also avoid shopping at places that did support a Trump presidency (it’s a search away). Funny enough, the sustainable community is very unlikely to have done so, whereas, places like Hobby Lobby (Chinese junk store) and Chick-file (mass produced chicken) probably did.

If you’re more into zero waste gifts, check out my other posts on gifting and donating.

The unthinkable happened. But we, we will never stop fighting for what’s right

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I had prepared a completely different blog post for this week. It was about hand me down items for eco-baby since I figured I wouldn’t feel the need to post anything about the election. Hillary would win, all the polls and predictions said so, we’d all be ok. There wouldn’t be anything to write about on an eco-blog like mine.

I was wrong.

And you know I don’t like being wrong.

Around nine pm on Tuesday I had a sudden, uncomforting feeling that she wouldn’t win. I had struggled all day not to cry (maybe pregnancy hormones made it worse) and at that point there was no holding it back anymore. The entire evening became a blur.

Frustrated with the reporting, I went to bed, but woke up in the middle of the night. Someone was honking and screaming “Woooooo!” outside. Living in Texas, I knew what that meant.

The anger and sadness I felt at that moment is hard to describe. I didn’t know it would hit me so hard. Like a punch to the gut. Like an overwhelming wave of grief and loss. He had made America hate again.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Hillary’s. Sure, she’d get the job done, and I agreed with her on most issues but she didn’t have my heart like Bernie did. But this election, for me and for many others, especially women, was never about her. It was about defeating the person who threatened our democracy. The person who offended pretty much everyone (except white middle-aged men). The person who said he doesn’t believe in climate change and that he’d defund the EPA. This person, who so clearly knew that the only people stupid enough to vote for him were the Republicans, that went on to win the election.

Darkness won.

As friends, family and the eco community have posted, tweeted, texted and supported each other throughout this horrible day of 11/9, I am somewhat uplifted by their love and comforted by the fact that Hillary did win the majority of the population’s votes. Yet I am, like so many of us, left wondering; where do we go from here?

I’ve always known the answer to that. I knew it already at nine pm last night.

We keep fighting. We hope and work our hardest to elect a progressive democrat as president in 2020. We support and protect our friends who represent the minorities of this country. We embody equality. And we keep focusing on making the world a better place.

We keep reading up on climate issues. We vote for plastic bag bans. We support the Native Americans standing up against the Dakota Access Pipeline. We sort our trash. We recycle. We eat vegan food. We drive our hybrids and electric cars. We shop small.

No matter how hateful he is, he cannot take our passion away from us. Our passion will not only inspire change, but it is and will fuel the entire economy of this country. We are the future.

Thank you to all who voted against him. Thank you Bernie Sanders – You’re the classiest.

Ending with a quote from Hillary today.

“This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”