Roozt

This week I am taking us back to a cause that will cost a little more but it’s actually at a discounted price! Roozt.com is an organization that promotes socially responsible buying and does so by having deals every two days. It is very much like groupon in that you are taking part in a group thing. Another cool thing is that they now have a cause every month that the purchases made on the website also contribute to. For example the deal going on today is for Harvest, a t-shirt company that plants a tree every time a shirt is bought. Their t-shirts are also made with “organic and recycled material, are sweatshop-free, and come from natural and sustainable fabrics”. The shirts usually sell for $24 but with the deal you get them for $12 and then also shipping (at a reduced price). It is a great site and fun to see that there are people doing research so that people like us can find socially conscious companies and support them. Happy ethical buying!

Until next week,

Annie

http://www.roozt.com/index.html

TerraCycle

I apologize for my absence last week but I was on a trip volunteering in Los Angeles with 75 high school students! I’m back though and going to share my new obsession for this week’s entry. TerraCyle. I love recycling and re-using as much as I can but TerraCycle just took recycling to a whole new level. They take unrecyclable materials (chewy bar wrappers, cereal bags, beauty products, cameras, cell phones, writing utensils, etc) and make them into new things. On top of that, for most of their “brigades”, like items being recycled, they will give .02 cents to the charity of your choice or you can instead get points and donate them to projects on their website, like Heifer International. All you have to do is sign up or find somewhere locally that is already collecting materials for TerraCycle. I have found that it is a bit difficult to find people locally so I just signed up myself. I’d be more than happy to collect people’s things, just let me know! So this week when you are unwrapping your toilet paper and going to throw away the plastic wrapping, think again because through TerraCycle those items you are throwing away may be able to be recycled. Happy recycling!

Until next week,

Annie

http://www.terracycle.net

Little Acts of Kindness

In trying to decide what to blog about this week I decided to go “offline”. As summer is drawing near and it is getting hot out (at least where I live), I decided to blog about something related to that. Before you head out this summer try and remember to put an extra water bottle and/or granola bars in your car or purse so if you happen to come upon a homeless person you have something to offer them. Nine times out of ten if you offer them something to eat or drink they will graciously take it; like the man my family gave a piece of pizza to the other day because that was all we had. But if you come prepared even a single water bottle will show them that they aren’t alone and that someone cares about them. This doesn’t have to cost much and can bring great joy to many lives! So don’t forget to carry a little heavier load this summer when heading out. Happy bringing joy to others!

Until next week,

Annie

Gap

Who doesn’t enjoy getting new clothes and this week Gap has made it even more appealing. Between now and May 29, if you bring your old clothing into Gap they will donate them to Goodwill and in return you get a 30% discount on your purchase. So if you still have your spring cleaning to do or have not found anywhere to take the clothing you no longer want then head to Gap donate your old and bring in some new. This is a great and easy way to donate your things plus allows you to possibly get some new things at a discounted price. Happy dressing!

Until next week,

Annie

Advertisement for donation: http://gap.m.delivery.net/w/webView?cid=19840563664&mid=1797091315&pid=903970&vid=3&ee=aWxvdmV2ZUBjb21jYXN0Lm5ldA__&si=&mv=H&bv=H&oc=H&sc=&k=1h7M*p

Newman's Own

Most of us know Paul Newman as an actor yet he was also a humanitarian and someone who cared greatly for his community and helping others. He more recently created “Newman’s Own” a food company that you can find in many of our grocery stores today. The cool thing about these food items, and what goes along with my blog, is that all of the post tax proceeds are donated to charities worldwide through his foundation. “Newman’s Own Foundation” has donated over $300 million since 1982 to numerous charities. So when you are at the grocery store this week, think about trying one of Paul Newman’s food products because you will not only be nourishing your body but also helping others. Happy Eating!

Until next week,

Annie

http://newmansown.com/index.aspx

http://www.newmansownfoundation.org/

Nike Reuse-A-Shoe

This week we are helping recycle while also helping build different athletic surfaces. Nike has a department called Nike Grind that dedicates it’s time to making different athletic surfaces including using the “reuse-a-shoe” program. What they do is take used tennis shoes, separate them into three parts, and then use those parts to build tracks, tennis courts, carpet underlay, etc. It’s an awesome program and for someone like me who uses my shoes well past their ability to be donated to be reused, I now have somewhere that I can take them instead of just throwing them away; I will try and post later this week about different organizations that take gently used shoes. Another neat thing is that converse shoes as joined in on the fun so you can now also donate your old converse as well as your tennis shoes. The site that I am including shows drop-off locations and whether any are in your area. So when you are doing your spring cleaning, make sure to set aside your old tennis shoes to take into a nike location instead of just throwing them away. Happy shoe donating!

Until next week,

Annie

http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/

P&G Thank you Moms

This week we are celebrating moms and in doing so are able to donate to the Special Olympics. Whenever someone “like”, shares, or comments on the P&G facebook page, P&G will donate $1 to the Special Olympics Team USA. This is not only allowing you to become more connected with P&G (which offers great coupons) but is also allowing you to celebrate mothers and the Special Olympics. So for all of you with facebook pages, sometime this week just go onto facebook.com/thankyoumom and either like, comment, or both to help bring happiness to so many people. Happy Celebrating Mothers!

Until next week,

Annie

www.facebook.com/thankyoumom