So, what to do? My friend Ben {who you may remember from Michigan} has the answer. Ben just started an as-yet-nameless but very smart blog, and is challenging his readers, friends, and family to a Conscientious Christmas Challenge {or Winter Solstice or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, etc.}. Says Ben:

…We could spend {our holiday dollars} buying plastic trees at Wal-Mart and ordering CD’s and books off Amazon, but these are corporations that have no interest in creating jobs, and no responsibilities to their communities.  There is no denying that what is better for your local community’s economy is better for you.

This year, I am challenging myself to do all of my holiday shopping, decorate my house, wrap all of my friends and family’s gifts and simply celebrate this holiday as ethically as possible.

By purchasing something from an independent bookstore or record shop rather than ordering off Amazon, you are choosing to keep that money circulating in your city.  By purchasing a live tree or a fresh cut tree from a local farmer’s market (Hint: If you purchase the tree, chances are they’ll plant a new one.  Simple supply and demand!) rather than purchasing a plastic non-biodegrading one from Wal-Mart… you are not only helping your local economy but helping the environment. These are just a couple of examples!

So how can you participate in the Conscientious Christmas Challenge? Join the event on Facebook. If you don’t have a Facebook account, or if you’d prefer not to join on Facebook, you can still take part. Here are the rules {well, more like guidelines}:

1. Support local businesses first. There are alternatives to nearly anything that you could purchase from a Target, Wal-Mart, or other larger business.

2. Support independent businesses and entrepreneurs first. This goes along with the first rule. If you go to websites like etsy.com or do a bit of searching, you can find tons of businesses starting up in your area that need support! If you can’t find options that are local, you can foster creative thinking, a more diverse economy, and know exactly where your money is going.

3. Know what businesses stand for. When it isn’t probable for you to shop local or independent, know what it is that you’re supporting with your money. Target is known for supporting anti-gay politicians, Wal-Mart treats its employees atrociously, etc.  Sometimes it’s hard to really decide what business decisions trump others. Take American Apparel for example: While their CEO is clearly a bad egg, the company uses all-American labor, and all-American products. So do you support the company or not? You have to make that decision in consideration of your own priorities.

4. Cook ethically. Head to the local farmer’s market, check out a co-operative and shop free range, organic and GMO free. Choose the ethical option when cooking your holiday meals. Avoid GMO food {especially Monsanto} and whenever possible, purchase organic food! It’s significantly healthier for you.

5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Challenge yourself not to buy any new wrapping paper. Instead, wrap your gifts in newspaper like my family does, or hit up thrift stores and antique stores in search for unique ways to wrap up your gifts. Not only will you be reusing, thrift stores and antique stores sell what is given to them, therefore purchasing wrapping paper or other materials won’t affect the supply and demand of the product. The less paper/plastic bought new, the less paper/plastic produced the next year, and the less paper/plastic that ends up in landfills.

6. Get creative! While writing someone a short story or creating a song for them may sound a bit sappy to some, you can always get more creative with gift giving. Visiting your parents in a far-off state? Put together a local product basket, filled with foods and products created in your area. Looking to be less material? Donate to a cause near and dear to their hearts.

7. Do what you can. Honestly, celebrating the holidays in this way won’t always be the most affordable option. If you can only afford to use recycled wrapping paper, that’s fine. If you truly have to buy something from a megastore for your relative or friend, buy it. Just do the best that you can to participate the way you can. If this was an easy thing to do, it wouldn’t be a challenge!

8. Last but not least: No snobbery! Shopping local, organic, etc. has started to get a bad reputation. When you tell people about the challenge or people ask how you’re doing on your Christmas Challenge don’t act holier-than-thou. Be positive, excited, and inspiring. The more who participate {at any level}, the better!

Ben & I love to hug and shop locally.

So, join Ben & I! There are a number of ways you can get involved in passing along the challenge to others. Link people to these rules and the other blog posts related to the challenge to get people thinking about what they can do. Join the Facebook event here, and invite all of your friends and family! For my part, I’ll be posting non-stop until the holidays are over with concrete ways to apply these rules to your {and my} holiday shopping, including links to independent shops/artists, CT indie events/fairs {like the Brazen Betties Indie Craft Fair this Friday}, and even gift & wrapping ideas.

I’m looking forward to shopping indie for the holidays with you!
xoxo,
Sami

Why Consign?

Because we’re broke, but we still like to keep up with the latest fashions, consignment shops are the best place to find really great clothing and accessories at prices we can afford. Being a consignor {bringing your clothes into consignment shops to sell them and make a percentage of the money} is a good way to make a few dollars, and selling and buying pre-loved clothing is also super sustainable, because you’re essentially recycling clothes rather than participating in a demand to create new clothes. More on this in the future.

Why Peonies?

Because it carries designer labels like BCBG, Chanel, Gucci, Isaac Mizrahi, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang {the list goes on and on!}, Peonies is the perfect place for girls like us {i.e., chicks on a budget} to stay in style without breaking our banks. Also, we just love Pam & Laurel, and their sense of design. As Mish says in the video, Peonies {named after Pam and Laurel’s favorite flower} looks nothing like your traditional consignment shop. “Most consignment shops visually assault you with clothing,” said Pam, and she’s right. But the first things we noticed at Peonies were the soft lights and pastel colors, the antique mirrors, rustic doors and furniture, and the beautiful faux flowers bursting from all corners of the store. It reminded us of a garden… a garden of peonies!

“We’re not most consignment shops,” continued Pam. “We think of ourselves as a high end boutique, and most of our clothing and accessories originate from high end boutiques. As such, we needed to bring design and order to the store. We’ve organized everything by article type then color, like many women organize their closet. We did this so that when you walk in, you feel a sense of place right away.” We think they were incredibly successful.

Another thing that makes Peonies so unique is their social outreach. They are one of very, very few consignment shops that delivers weekly e-mails {“what’s in store for you”} with photos of their latest consigns {they call them “blooms”}. You can subscribe to their weekly updates here. Additionally, you can become a fan of Peonies on Facebook or follow them on twitter.

We couldn’t resist going home with a few items, especially with their Winter clearance going on {tons of brand name clothing marked down to $5, $10, and $15!!! More on that here}:

P.S. If you’re curious about One Pearl, the jewelry company/charity organization Mish mentioned in the video, check out their website for more info and for gorgeous jewelry with a purpose. {We plan on writing more about One Pearl, too}