5 basic purchases to feel good about

How awesome would be if for every purchase you made, you were helping someone in need?

I mean, dang. That'd be fantastic.

Maybe someday we can get there. But for now, here are five basic necessities to get us started:

Toothbrush - Smile Squared

Image courtesy of SmileSquared

I blogged about this company a few months ago and still love their mission. Their motto is: "We believe even small, everyday products, like toothbrushes, can have a big impact on the world." One toothbrush means a toothbrush to someone in need for a healthier mouth.

Example:
$5.95 // one toothbrush

Socks - Mitscoots

Image courtesy of Mitscoots

In the winter, one of my most favorite things to do is to throw on a nice pair of socks and cuddle up under a warm blanket. And this winter, I think I'll need to grab some of these guys.

Image courtesy of Mitscoots

In addition to giving away a pair for every pair purchased, Mitscoots also employs the homeless to package up the socks. It's a win, win, win for everyone.

Example:
Women's Argyle Socks // $14

Water Bottle - Project 7

Image courtesy of Project 7

Stay hydrated and save a life! The great thing about Project 7 is that their products are located in retail stores, including Walmart. So you can pick up a pack of Project 7 gum or water bottles pretty much anywhere and proceeds go to a number of worthy causes: feeding people and saving the planet are just a few.

Snack Bar - 2 Degrees

Image courtesy of Two Degrees

I've been trying to be a lot more healthy lately and have been investigating healthy snack bars. So, naturally, I got a little excited when I found 2 Degrees. Nutritious bars for me, a healthy meal for someone in need.

Image courtesy of Two Degrees

Example:
Chocolate Peanut Bars - 9 bars // $17.95

Soap - SoapBox Soaps

Image courtesy of Soapbox Soaps

I can smell the freshness from here. It might not be something that you always think that people need, but soap allows good hygiene and good hygiene means fewer diseases, sicknesses, and illness.  You being squeaky clean means someone is healthy too.

Image courtesy of SoapBox Soaps

Example: 
Lemongrass Bar Soap // $4.99 

a sweat shop free outfit

I've always wanted to shop consciously with my clothes. I've heard all about the unfortunate and unfair treatment of people trying to simply put food on the table making clothes that I might wear a couple of times. And after the tragedy of the Bangladesh accident, it seems so apparent that we need a change.

But making this change isn't easy and it takes time. I would love for my entire closet to be filled with beautiful clothing and jewelry made by people being paid fairly and for my purchase to have gone to a cause bigger than my attire. But, for now, I'll start buying small items as I can and slowly fill up my closet.

I thought that I would share with you a few of my finds in my search for a sweat-shop free closet! All of these are either made in the U.S. or have strict requirements that their workers are paid fairly. Many also use a portion of their sales to give back to people in need. love. it.

top :: britta top by threads for thought

jeans :: stretch blue denim side zip pant by american apparel

necklace :: bushel and a pick necklace by united by blue

bag :: molly bag by better life bags

shoes :: burlap alessandra ballet flats by toms

 

philanthropy post :: Radiant Cosmetics

Ohhh, I'm so excited to share this lovely little company with you this week!

Radiant believes in beauty on purpose. What does that mean, you say? Let's let them explain: "We are not your ordinary makeup company. We believe through ordinary purchases we can make a difference in this world. Radiant Cosmetics was built around a passion to fight human trafficking. With every product you purchase we donate our time, money and effort to help fight the injustice."

Yes, please!

I'm actually currently running out of my over-priced Ulta makeup right now. My next makeup purchase might be some foundation and blush from this fantastic business.

They also deeply care about how their products are made. Most of their makeup is paraben/sulfate free. And, they're working on eliminating these ingredients from the rest of their product line.

They also ensure that their makeup is made from workers that are being paid fairly and their ingredients sourced ethically.

Approximately 20% of their profits go towards fighting human trafficking. They also partner with a ministry called Redeemed Ministries that works to eliminate human trafficking in our own country, even in my own home state, in Houston, Texas.

Radiant is just another testament to consumer money going to good causes. Like Radiant explains, non-profit organizations shouldn't be the only one in the fight to free human trafficking victims. Businesses can bring in the help too.

Let me know if you end up purchasing something from Radiant! I'm going to get some blush here pretty soon. So excited!!

Please note that all photos are compliments of Radiant's website.

Redemption through Lemonade

For today's Philanthopy Post, Rachel Baxter is guest posting! Enjoy!

I am thankful and honored to have this opportunity to guest post today.  So that you know a little bit of who you are hearing from here are the basics, I am 34 year old wife to a soon to be pastor, (he is finishing up seminary this summer.) I am a mother to five wonderful(most of time) children(one of which is due to be born any day now.) I like taking my kids on adventures and "experiences," we take a lot of these.  I have recently discovered the love of writing, even though I have been blogging for 6 1/2 years.  Another hobby I have is party planning. I am one of those excessive kid party planners, if you don't like these types just skip my birthday party blog post. Our life is often messy but in the mess we get to see God make something beautiful in our lives.  I would love for you to come by my blog, www.make-something-beautiful.com and get to know my family and I better.



 

 



 

One thing that you will pick up from me after knowing me for only a short time is that I am a BIG fan of the underdog.  If you give me a good cause that helps people I will want to get behind it. I think I probably drive my "facebook" friends crazy with post, 50% are pictures of my cute kids the other 50% are post about various causes and needs in the world.  My husband often has to reign me in and help me focus because I can easily be caught up in so many good causes. Whether is rescuing woman and children from the sex trade, providing clean drinking water for those who lack this simple necessity, or standing behind the persecuted church in countries where Christianity is illegal you will find me "Amening" and getting fired up. But one underdog that I have loved for as long as I can remember is the orphaned child.  I have two siblings who were adopted and the home I grew up in was a swinging door of people in need, I guess it is in my blood. My heart grew significantly for orphans with Down Syndrome and special needs after the birth and Down Syndrome diagnosis of my first Son Sam in 2009. Although God has not seen fit through circumstances yet for us to adopt or foster we are doing what we can now to care for the orphan. For a long time I thought that adoption was the only way that I could help the orphan. I spent many, many nights on my computer looking at photo listings of kid is the US and internationally who need the love of a family and I would cry my eyes out. I would feel helpless and often hopeless, thinking there was no way to help these children. But one night God spoke to my heart and said stop crying, there is always something you can do, now get up and do it. So, I began to pray and ask God what he wanted me to do to help the orphan and he ended up leading me to a number of very "legitimate"and wonderful ways to care for the orphan.  I began to see that caring for the orphan was a big job and that there were lots of aspects that I could be a part of. I began an orphan care ministry at our church and we volunteer with two local orphan care ministries. Another way I was led to help has been in the area of fundraising and advocating for orphans. Adoption can be very expensive and there are often people willing and wanting to adopt who do not due to finances. I realized that I could be a part of this redemption.

 



 

Redemption is the act of buying something back, or paying a price to return something to your possession. Deliverance upon payment of ransom, rescue.   When you here the word redemption what pictures come to mind? Maybe it is a scene from a movie like Les Miserables where the old priest buys the undeserved freedom of Jean val Jean after he has stolen from him. Possibly you picture someone getting to go back to a pawn shop where they had sold something they loved and getting to repurchase it. If you are a Christian I know when you hear the word redemption you picture Christ on the cross paying the price for the sinners he loves. When I hear the word redemption all these things come to mind but one more stands out and it is the picture of adoption.  A child who has been abandoned by the death, neglect, abuse or abandonment of the biological parent, a child who is all alone in world being rescued through commitment and payment of new adoptive parents.

 



After Sam was born while doing research on the Internet on his condition, Down Syndrome, I discovered an amazing organization called Reece's rainbow. They are in the business of redeeming orphans with special needs. Special needs orphans are the bottom of the barrel as far as orphans go, they are often living is horrible conditions with out adequate housing, clothing, food, medical care and worst of all human interaction. Often children with mild and moderate disabilities are left in crib rooms for their whole life, never escaping the bars and white walls. Their bodies, minds and spirits never develop under these Holocaust like conditions. In the best case scenarios where they might live in a good baby home or children' home with adequate care when the children reach 4 or 5 years old are transferred to live out their lives in adult mental institutions -  where conditions are often horrible and more like concentration camps than homes. I know this is hard stuff to read especially after seeing happy beautiful photos of my children living the way children should live in safety, well fed and most importantly well loved.

Do you want to be a part of redemption for children like this? Do you want to buy back what evil has stolen away from these children? Then JOIN US and "MAKE A STAND FOR ORPHANS!!" Host a lemonade stand in the month of May or collect change to give toward the redemption of beautiful special needs children around the world.  You can give  directly to Reece's Rainbow and receive a tax deduction. FOR MORE TIPS PLEASE VISIT MY BLOG AND LET LEMONADE BE USED TO REDEEM!!

philanthropy post :: Headbands of Hope

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="466"] Image courtesy of Headbands of Hope[/caption]

Gosh, stories like this get me jazzed. I love hearing about someone seeing a problem and rushing in with a solution. Headbands of Hope does just that. Jess at North Carolina State University came up with an idea of creating headbands for children in need after an internship with Make A Wish Foundation. She saw how low a girl's self-esteem can be after shaving her head for chemotherapy. Her solution? Give them headbands!

With each headband purchased through Headbands of Hope, a girl facing cancer receives a headband of her choice. AND $1 is donated to St. Baldrick's Foundation to find a cure. Their motto: "Headbands of Hope aims to start with awareness and end with a cure."

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="605"] Image courtesy of Headbands of Hope[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="217"] Image courtesy of Headbands of Hope - Skinny Shabby headband[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="219"] Image courtesy of Headband of Hope - Black Rose Beaded Headband[/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love what this company does. Who wouldn't want a cute headband and on top of that, who wouldn't want to help a sweet little girl facing something that no one should have to face? I hope you check them out and even purchase one! You can also sign up for their newsletter too!

philanthropy post :: Help Boston

I don't have much of a connection to the city of Boston. I went there one time and loved it. But that's about it. Even still, as I read the horrific accounts of what had happened, I couldn't help but tearing up. As a runner myself, I can only imagine the elation of crossing the finish line in one of the premier races of your life to come face to face with one of the most horrific. But even more than that, I'm a human being. I can connect with those hurting on this level too. People are dead and lives are forever changed. It's horrific, devastating.

We've all seen or heard the accounts of runners, after completing one of the most difficult races, still plowing ahead to give aid where they can. Firefighters, police men, regular Joe citizens ran into chaos to bring order. I'm grateful for people like that and I hope that I would have done just the same.

In honor of those in Boston, I've dedicated this philanthropy post to how we, even those far away, can help others in Boston. The smoke is still clearing in the wake of the devastation and more businesses are hopping on board to help, but here is a short list of businesses donating proceeds to the One Fund or the Boston Red Cross.

Of course, be careful of scammers taking advantage of this disaster and people's charity. Read the BBB's Tips on Avoiding Charity Scams.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="682"] Image courtesy of Ball & Buck[/caption]

First up, Boston-based Ball & Buck will be donating a percentage of their online and store sales on Monday, April 22. They have an assortment of really cool stuff for "the sporting gentlemen."

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1130"] Image courtesy of Hold On Another Day website[/caption]

This unique group of musicians are putting together a compilation CD with proceeds to help the Boston victims. Their mission: "Our hope is to give hope to others - to give people a reason to Hold On Another Day."

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="283"] Image courtesy of Ink to the People[/caption]

Here's the first of many T-shirt designs benefiting those in Boston from Ink to the People. All proceeds from this shirt purchase will benefit the One Fund.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="607"] Image courtesy of Erica Sara Designs[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image courtesy of Erica Sara Designs[/caption]

Erica Sara Designs is offering 100% proceeds from both of these necklaces until the end of April. They are even holding a giveaway for people who donate to any charity of their choice. You can find more details on her blog.

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="379"] Image courtesy of Old Try[/caption]

My friend Ginger from Let's Give Today informed me of this beautiful print from Old Try. Again, all proceeds will benefit Boston. The print is based on the first flag of New England.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="294"] Image courtesy of Rue La La[/caption]

I found this T-shirt from Frugal Coupon Living that's from Rue La La. You have to sign up for Rue La La, but it's at no cost to you. You just get put onto their email list, which you can unsubscribe to at any time.

[caption id="attachment_1588" align="aligncenter" width="312"] Image courtesy of ChowdaHeadz.com[/caption]

ChowdaHeadz.com is donating 20% of all proceeds to the One Fund. They have a huge assortment of Boston-related items.

[caption id="attachment_1590" align="aligncenter" width="412"] Image courtesy of Kess In House[/caption]

Kess In House will be donating 100% of proceeds from this Boston print all this week. It comes in both a throw pillow (as shown here) and as a shower curtain.

 

[caption id="attachment_1591" align="aligncenter" width="439"] Image courtesy of Packer Shoes[/caption]

Need new shoes? Now's the time to buy some quality New Balances for a cause! Packer Shoes will donate 100% of the proceeds on the NB 990 and NB 890 shoes from April 18-22.

[caption id="attachment_1592" align="aligncenter" width="317"] Image courtesy of Greta Bean[/caption]

The cute design company Greta Bean will be offering 100% of proceeds towards the One Fund for the letter "B" charm.

Hope this helps you as you search for ways to help the Boston victims. Of course, you can always donate directly to the One Fund or the Red Cross in Boston.

Have you heard of other businesses using their products to help others? Tell us in the comments! We want to hear!

philanthropy post :: Better Life Bags

I stumbled across this fantastic woman-owned business several weeks ago when I joined the Influence Network. And I am oh-so-glad that I did! Rebecca Smith is a mom and entrepreneur of Better Life Bags that has creatively woven her own creativity into her business to make it not only grow, but help others.



Reading all about her business' mission made me giddy. Not only does Better Life Bags give 10% of all their purchases towards Kiva.org, but she also employs first-generation immigrants in her town to make the bags. It's truly a win for everybody!

Another unique aspect of the business is that customers have the option of custom-making their own bags. Customers can choose from e-reader/tablet covers, leather bags, laptop sleeve, even a DSLR camera bag. Before ordering, you can choose what fabric you want to make the bag specially yours. You can even pick black or brown leather on the leather bags.

 

 

I l-o-v-e these bags. I think I might even order one for myself here soon. You can even buy prayer cards for yourself during pregnancy, your husband, or for your children.



The next time you're thinking of buying a purse or diaper bag or even an iPad sleeve, make sure you check out Better Bags! They're cute and they help people in the process! Better Life Bags shows that it is possible to enable creativity and entrepreneurship for not only our good, but the good of so many others.

philanthropy post :: smile squared

This is a part of my weekly businesses giving back series. Click here for more of them!


Their motto is "Rethink Buying." And I love it. "We believe even small, everyday products, like toothbrushes, can have a big impact on the world."



Do I even need to be writing? Perhaps you would be better off just going to the website yourself.

But I'll indulge myself and keep on going.

Smile Squared sells toothbrushes. They're a one for one company. So for every toothbrush you buy, someone who doesn't own one gets one too.

Seeing this company made me realize that we take something as simple as a toothbrush for granted. In fact, I typically get my year's supply of toothbrushes in my Christmas stocking from my mother-in-law (She is just fantastic like that). But when I think about what it would be like if I didn't own a toothbrush, it can be kind of a big deal. Think of the diseases that can grow within your own mouth. Your overall health can dramatically deteriorate. The solution is so simple: give them a toothbrush!



And that's what these lovely people do.



I even am in love with the packaging. Nice and simple and still lovely all the same. It's even earth-conscious with a 100% recyclable box. The toothbrush handle, too, is biodegradable!

And if you already have enough toothbrushes, but still want to help out, there's an option to buy two toothbrushes for the same price as one and donate

Thanks for what you're doing, Smile Squared! You're making a difference!

 

Philanthropy Post: Charity Miles

This is the first (of hopefully many!) post on businesses giving back or allowing a platform for others to give back. These will be appearing weekly!

How would you like to donate without even opening up your wallet? What if all you had to do was lace up your tennis shoes or fasten your helmet, open an app, and go?

With Charity Miles, that's all you have to do! This fantastic free app records your running or biking miles and makes a donation off of that distance! It's such a fantastic feeling after your run. I've used it on two or three runs so far and I'm loving it. Not only did you run for yourself, but you helped somebody else in the process. Double whammy.



Charity Miles from Richard Reininger on Vimeo.

How Does It Work?

Walkers and runners earn 25 cents a mile while bikers earn 10 cents a mile. The website explains that the organization has a one million dollar sponsorship pool. Each mile you walk, run, or bike comes from that sponsorship pool towards a charity of your choice. You can choose from the following charities: Feeding America, Autism Speaks, Wounded Warrior Project, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Stand Up to Cancer, RED, World Food Programme, The Nature Conservancy, ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, the Luekemia & Lymphoma Society, Partnership for a Healthier America, Pencils of Promise, Girl Up, Shot at Life, NothingButNets.net, Ironman Foundation, Every Mother Counts, Achilles International, or DoSomething.org.

The Impact

Once you choose your charity and whether you're going to run, walk, or bike, you hit "Start" and go! The app tracks your time, mileage, and even the impact you're creating. I usually choose Feeding America and it shows me how many meals I'm feeding people. So when I get tired, it helps for me to click on the "Impact" tab and see what my work is really going towards.

When you're finished with your run or bike, you simply click on "Finish" and the app will ask you to accept your sponsorship. You click yes and you can share it on social media. Finally, they'll send you an email letting you know the amount you were able to donate and how much you were able to help!

You can visit their website and download the app there.

Enjoy!

A Little Makeover

Like most things in life, movement is a good thing. Being stagnant is almost always not healthy and I'm working to make sure that this blog doesn't become that way.

So I've decided to make a few tweaks and to start adding things a little more regularly. I've done a steady amount of research on how to grow a blog and there's countless posts, books, articles, podcasts, tweets, you name it, all telling you how to do this. It's overwhelming, really. But the overall theme in all the advice I've seen is this: consistent and quality content.

Good content? My gears had trouble spinning and I became frustrated in figuring out how to deliver something of high quality. What could I write about that people would actually want to read? I came up with a list of ideas, but I got bored simply reading the list. How can I keep the content fresh, exciting, authentic?

Then it hit me in the car one day driving to get my hippy, organic shampoo.

In order to provide inspiration or encouragement, I have to live that way. I have to live the content that I want to create.

Do I want to be inspirational? Then may my days be filled with big ideas and the pursuit of such ideas.

Do I want to live minimally? Then may my days be filled with getting rid of what I don't need.

Do I want to encourage creative giving through businesses that give back? Then may I do that myself.

John Piper, in a recent podcast about a writer's influence, said it perfectly: "Writing is living and living is for the glory of God." I always pray that my writing would glorify God. Sometimes it's easy, though to let the words escape the lips and never permeate the flesh. If I want to glorify God in my writing, then I'll glorify Him with my life.

I'm going to live the content that I want to create.

Which will mean a few changes on the blog around here. Every week or so, I'll feature a business that's giving back or that allows you the option to give back. I'm giddy to share these with you!

I've also decided to start making this blog an outlet for you to get to know me, as a photographer and as a person. Writing is as deep a passion as photography. Why not combine them here?

My first philanthropy business post will be on Wednesday! Be on the look out - I'm so excited! :)