Spend LESS. Give MORE. <3

CHRIST-mas PICKS

1. Mocha Club tee- $20

This unisex tee was created by Mocha Club, an idea forged on the concept of giving up two mochas a month & putting the money you save ($7) toward essential needs in Africa- food, water, education... HOPE. The tee reads, "I need Africa more than Africa needs me."What's especially cool about this tee is that you pick the project the $$$ goes toward.

2. IC Scarf- $17 (Reg. $20)

This 100% cotton Gun-camera scarf is limited-edition from Invisible Children. ALL of the proceeds from this scarf go toward IC's education and awareness programs to help end the war in Northern Uganda. Buy now with the special code "Bailout" and get $15% off.




3. Hopeline tee from TWLOHA- $15 (Reg. $20)

This tee from To Write Love on Her Arms 100% supports Hopeline- the 1-800-SUICIDE hotline. In the past ten years, Hopeline has answered more than 2.7 million calls. Give life this season by making sure someone will be there on the other end of those calls. Enter the code "RELXMAS" (Thanks Relevant mag!) to get the discount price on ALL TWLOHA clothing.


4. Starbucks Product RED - $4

Sometimes great things come in small packages. This holiday season, Starbucks is giving 5 cents back to the RED campaign toward aid for Africa on three exclusive drinks. Starbucks currently buys coffee from ten African countries. So grab a friend this Christmas and experience a delicious way to save lives.

5. Toms jacket- $48

This comfy hoodie comes complete with the clever imprint, "Drop TOMS, not Bombs." The phrase comes from a fav TOMS inside joke that got started when a man asked TOMS' Blake if it hurt the kids when his company
"dropped" the shoes. Blake laughingly replied that it did not hurt the kids since TOMS volunteers actually hand deliver the shoes.

Though the shoes won't be *directly* dropped---from overhead that is--- but the purchase of this hoodie does ensure a child in need will be given a pair of shoes.

The Betty- $24.99

Krochet Kids International
http://krochetkids.org/home.php

Krochet Kids was started by a group of university students who grabbed hold of a vision to change the world one stitch at a time. The crochet hats are handmade by a group of ten women in Northern Uganda (home to more than 20 years of war).

ALL of the proceeds get sent back to the women, who then use the money to feed their families, send their kids to school & help the greater community.


Buy a hat. Sustain a community. Have fun making a difference. Clothe yourself not only in style, but in love as well.

You can check out the other hats for sale by visiting

www.krochetkids.org/store.php

Suubi Project Necklace- $20

Suubi (Hope) Project
www.lightgivesheat.org/suubi/index.php

The Suubi Project is a group of about 65 Acholi women (mostly widows) who have fled the war and genocide in Northern Uganda. The women handcraft each necklace by forming beads from recycled paper.

ALL the proceeds are then directed back to Uganda through the organization Light Gives Heat, which runs literacy classes, English classes, computer classes, etc to offer restoration to Uganda & its people.

Right now, you can buy the necklace from Relevant & receive a free DVD for any order more than $20. www.relevantstore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=REL%2D1132

Hope Collection Tees- $25

2008 Hope Collection
www.jedidiahusa.com

The Hope Collection hails from clothing company Jedidiah. Each tee is designed for a certain humanitarian organization and its cause. Jedidiah donates $10 per tee to the organization it was designed for. As of June 2008, the collection has raised $196, 827 for social aid.

The collection has a tee for each of the ten organizations listed below:

<3 World Vision <3 Invisible Children <3 Gabriel House <3 Street Angels <3 ZOE Children's Homes <3 International Justice Mission (shown) <3 Blood: Water Mission <3 Surfing the Nations <3 Surf Aid <3 Love, Light & Melody

IJM exists to stand in the gap for victims of human trafficking and sex slavery when they are left without an advocate. You can read more about IJM by visiting www.ijm.org

GOOD magazine- $20 for one year

GOOD magazine
www.goodmagazine.com

GOOD magazine is made for people who want to live well & do good. Think of it as the recycling bin to your paper. The best part? 100 percent of what you pay to subscribe goes toward an organization YOU choose.

Organizations you can choose from:
<3 Youth Aids ~ curbs the spread of AIDS through pop culture and education.
<3 Hands on Network ~ mobilizes volunteers wherever they are needed.
<3 KIVA ~ distributes microloans directly to the people who need it.
<3 Slow Food USA ~ changes the way America eats by creating a food system that is good, clean & fair.
<3 Ashoka ~ supports leading social entrepreneurs worldwide.
<3 Room to Read ~ builds libraries in the developing world.
<3 Teach for America ~ enlists the nation's most promising future leaders in the movement to eliminate educational inequity.
<3 826 National ~ gives teachers and students the tools they need to stimulate youth literacy.
<3 Acumen Fund ~ supports enterprises that are bringing essential goods and services to the poor.
<3 Malaria No More ~ works to make malaria deaths a thing of the past.
<3 NRDC ~ implements solutions to the problems in our environment & in our lives.
<3 Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America ~ protects the rights of American soldiers.

GOOD's goal is to raise $1 million for the above organizations. So far, GOOD has raised $822,800. You can help them reach their goal while helping others by subscribing @ www.goodmagazine.com

TOMS shoes (green version)- $49

TOMS shoes www.tomsshoes.com

If you've been around the block of socially conscious businesses, chances are you've heard of TOMS shoes. TOMS was started by Blake Mycoskie under the philosophy of "one for one". For every pair of shoes sold, one pair is given away to a child in need.

But whether you're a TOMS veteran or a newbie, things at TOMS are getting better and better for everyone, including the environment. That's because the company has just teamed up with Whole Foods Market to sell its first eco-friendly vegan shoes.

The vegan line will feature nine designs to be sold exclusively at Whole Foods. The shoes will differ from their regular counterparts by having an exclusive micro-fiber sole instead of the normal leather. The line will also be made of 67 percent hemp & 33 percent post-consumer plastic bottles.

Shoes are given away during TOMS shoe drops. To get in on the giving (besides purchasing a pair), you can join TOMS on a shoe drop.

Applications are still being accepted for:

<3 New Orleans, Louisiana. Oct or Nov. Exact date TBA. Application DUE August 11th.

<3 Salta, Argentina. Nov. 22-29. Application DUE August 22nd.

To apply, visit www.friendsoftoms.com

Rosa Loves Tee- $25

Rosa Loves www.rosaloves.com

When creators Mike Fretto and Chris Lewis wanted to create a business that would make a difference, they decided to sell tees to benefit good causes.

But instead of donating proceeds to large organizations that have other means of financial revenue, Rosa Loves, they decided, would exist to support individuals in need who have no other avenues of help.

Each t-shirt supports a different person or community in need and is sold only until that financial goal has been met. Current t-shirts being sold benefit a scholarship fund for Bangladesh students and a building fund for a grandmother whose house burned down.

All shirts are fair trade and the one above ("From the Heart") is printed on organic cotton. Because everyone has a story.