in the past couple of months, blake & i have become much more aware of our purchasing power.
i want to support small, local businesses that are doing good things HERE, in our country.
when you buy something that was made here in the us, you are supporting jobs, families, education, and the american dream.
i strongly believe that every person deserves a fair wage & to be working in an environment where they are being treated well. i am sure there are factories here that could be doing better, but it is next to impossible to uncover the REAL conditions & factories overseas where our products are made.
i hate to think that some child is sewing my sports bra for a dollar a day & the US company that hired her has NO need for transparency or disclosure. it makes me sick to think about.
humans deserve more.
i am starting a new feature here on the blog called 'yep, its made here', where i will be showcasing awesome [& affordable] products that are made here in the US. everything from food to furniture.
know of an awesome product or want to know where to find a certain item [bras, kitchen spoons, watches, ect] ; let me know.
today, we are starting off with FOOD [duh!]
1) wine & chocolate gift set from mama ganache!
wine from california & organic, fair trade chocolate handmade in US.
this would be a great mothers day gift!
beer & pretzel caramel here
sea salt caramels from painted turtle chocolatier here in plymouth, mn [a mpls suburb!]
they have tons of awesome products! [sea salt + caramel is one of my favorite flavor combos]
caramels here.
B.T. McELRATH makes super delish chocolates here in minneapolis. most of the co-ops & whole foods sells their stuff. the salty dog is my favorite.
here
5) following the paleo diet?
paleopax is a monthly subscription box that sends you a box full of paleo-approved snacks.
as far as i can tell, all of the snacks are made here in the us. [personal disclaimer : i have not tried this out, so i cant pinky-swear everything is us-made]
also, there is a waiting list for the box ; looks rad though.
sign up here.
hot fudge on top of [veg] ice cream is one of my favorite treats. check out here for where to buy.
hot fudge here.
7) seriously, i love chocolate. and bikes. and charity.
do you know theo chocolate? they are based in seattle & offer tours [hello, awesome thing to add to my 'to-do in seattle' list]. we buy theo chocolate at whole foods quite often.
this bar supports kids, aid workers & adults in rural africa learn to use & build bikes. i am such a strong believer in bikes ; they really can change lives.
world bike relief chocolate bar here.
8) beer lover? i think these candies are so cool.
hop candy is made from hops [duh]. dont tell blake, but there might be a box of these waiting for him..
find them here.
9) beans & grains ; two things that we eat a ton of. we buy a lot of rancho gordo products. this gift basket is awesome ; comes with 5 pounds of beans + a bean cookbook + a reusable shopping bag.
here.
10) seven sundays [yet another awesome MN product!]. do you eat muesli? we love it. if you live in the minneapolis metro area, a few storescarry these, otherwise you can purchase them online, as well. i love their packaging & their commitment to sustainability.
buy here.
yay!
i think buying food from US companies is pretty easy. living in a larger, progressive city makes it SO easy to support small, local companies.
purchasing other items such as electronics, clothes & appliances are a bit trickier, but we will tackle them in upcoming posts.
what 'made in the us' products are you loving?
AND what items would you like to see here?
