Charitable Gift Giving

We surf the Web to find good products that help out a great cause.

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Best Dog Poop Bags

June 6th, 2021 · Amazon, Animal Causes

Most states are starting to ban plastic shopping bags at grocery stores. One of the unintended consequences of that is that now dog owners around the country have to go and buy expensive Hefty or Glad bags to take care of their best friend’s business, resulting in even more plastic being sent to landfills from bags that are much thicker than the old grocery store bags, not to mention a hefty profit (no pun intended) to the big companies that make them.

If you’ve shopped for doggy do bags, you know it’s almost impossible to find a bag that’s not so thick that it takes years to degrade and not so thin that it’ll fall apart in your hands the moment it touches anything wet.

These biodegradable bags from the aptly named Doggy Do Good Store on Amazon provides a great solution. For under $30 you can purchase 180 biodegradable bags that break down in just 90 days. And yet if you read the reviews, you’ll see rave comments. They’re thick enough (20 microns or .80 Mils thick) to not get residue (resi-doo?) on your hands and will not leak. And yet they’re so well made that they come easily off their roll and open easily.

Doggy Do Good is a mom-and-pop (mom-and-poop?) company based in the US. Every purchase gives back at least 10% back to the following animal rescues and no-kill shelters.

  • The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
  • The Humane Society of the United States
  • The Gentle Barn
  • Animal Welfare Institute
  • Friends of Animals
  • Best Friends Animal Society

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Portraits of Immigrants from President Bush

June 4th, 2021 · Amazon

Many ex-presidents have crossed the rubicon from being pilloried or ridiculed in the media to being respected elder statesmen. Richard Nixon managed to rehabilitate his image by the end of his life to be recognized as a foreign policy thought leader. Jimmy Carter left office ignominiously but is recognized today for his humble charity work.

When George W. Bush left office, he turn, of all things, to oil painting. Lot of people ridiculed his efforts, calling them amateurish and pedestrian. But then, strangely enough, the art world started to take notice. Through these “childish” paintings, somehow he managed to evoke the deeper essence of his subjects.

In 2017, he published a book called “Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors” that shared paintings and stories of military veterans. This year, he followed that up with “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants“. He stays well of politics (even to the point of delaying the publication of this book until it was well after the presidential elections), and created this book of paintings and stories of some of America’s most inspirational and successful immigrant stories.

While the news media seems intent on separating us and politicians on all sides seem intent on using immigrants as pawns in in their never-ending chess match, President Bush’s book is a wonderful attempt to bring us together by reminding us that every one of us immigrated from somewhere else, and it’s immigration that’s the lifeblood of this country. One need look no further than the glowing Amazon reviews from both the left and the right celebrating this book.

Proceeds from this book are being donated to organizations that help legal immigrants, as well as to the Bush Institute’s work on immigration.

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Children’s Book on Losing a Grandmother

June 2nd, 2021 · Amazon, Cancer

All too often, a child will lose a beloved grandparent at far too early an age. Too often, adults–sometimes stricken with grief themselves–are unable to explain to their children why they’ll never see the person they loved again, at least not on this side of heaven. This is a book written by Tracy Harding and illustrated by Mosca Anna that tackles the subject head-on.

The writing and illustrations are at once touching, tasteful, and beautiful and the book is suitable for reading to kids young and older as they think back fondly on the loved one they lost and grieve about their absence.

100% of all profits go to the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, the hosptial where the author’s own mother was treated for cancer. The title character is named after her niece who was the youngest person in her family and who had a close relationship with the author’s mother.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

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Giant Rat Stuffed Animal

May 31st, 2021 · Amazon, Animal Causes

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably noticed that stuffed animals aren’t as special to your child these days as they were to you when you were their age. When we were kids, our parents could maybe afford one or two stuffed animals that we’d cherish throughout our childhood.

But as manufacturing has gotten cheap, it seems that most kids have dozens or even hundreds of stuffed animals…bunnies, sheep, dogs, cats, fish, turtles, penguins, bears, elephants, unicorns, monkeys, pandas, foxes. Go to the zoo, the ballpark, the mall, a resort, and chances are yet another one is joining the menagerie. And don’t get me started with Disney.

After a while, you begin to notice that every stuffed animal is the same. So many of them are just rolled off a factory assembly line. At some point, your kid may have so many nondescript plush animals devoid of any uniqueness or personality that you wonder if they should be paying you rent.

Shelter Pets is a company that breaks the mold–literally. It’s a company with a unique idea–they learned the stories of real animals that were adopted from non-profit shelters and created unique stuffed animals based on them. For example, the little guy you see above is named Chunk the rat, who was donated from the Seattle Human shelter. You can read his story here.

Look through Shelter Pets’ Web site and you’ll see other pets and pet stories, from Ostera the bunny who survived a vicious dog attack, to Oakland the husky puppy with his one orange eye and one blue eye, to Rosie the Guinea Pig, rescued while she was pregnant.

For every Shelter Pet sold, 10% of sales are donated to non-profit animal shelters, including the shelter that the actual animal who inspired the stuffie came from. You can buy cheap stuffed animals of boring dogs and bears anywhere, but here’s where you can a unique one with an interesting story that you can use to teach your child about compassion, treating animals with care, and the important work that non-profit shelters do.

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COVID Post-Pandemic Thank You Cards from Black Tabby Studio

May 30th, 2021 · Amazon, Conservation

post pandemic thank you cardsAs we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a good time to think of all those people since last March who have helped you. From doctors, nurses, and EMT personnel to delivery drivers, restaurant owners, and volunteers of all kinds, a lot of people stepped up in the last year to make the insanity just a little more sane. And many of them quite literally put their lives on the line to help. 

Before things get back to normal, think over all these people and jot them a note to say thanks.

These Thank You cards from the Sugartown Greetings line of cards from Black Tabby Studios, available on Amazon, are a good way to get started. They have minimalist, modern hand-drawn designs that look so much more personal and sincere than the superficial, hackneyed, mass-produced junk you see from Hallmark and American Greetings.

There’s a lot to love about these cards. They’re made in the USA and printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, and yet the paper has a premium quality about it. And 10% of all proceeds are donated to charities that help nature in meaningful ways, like maintaining nature trails and rehabilitating wildlife here in the US, to building schools and providing water to families in impoverished areas overseas.

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And…we’re back!

May 29th, 2021 · Uncategorized

It’s been a while since I posted a charitable gift on this site and for good reason–six years ago a beautiful little girl came into my life and pretty much removed any free time I had, and then three years ago I got a job as an executive at a major company.

Well, my little girl is on her way to first grade, which means I’ll have a lot more free time. And the wonderful corporation that hired me three years ago in all their wisdom decided to give me the axe a few weeks ago. So I figured, why not dust off the old blogging keyboard and start from scratch?

We’re not #1 on Google for “charitable gifts” anymore, and companies aren’t bombarding my email begging me to feature their products anymore. But hey, let’s start this whole thing all over again and see where it gets us, shall we? 🙂

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The Cat in the Hat for President 2016 #catinhat4prez

July 26th, 2016 · Children's Charities, Conservation, Literacy, World Hunger

I normally don’t get political on this blog, but I’m going to make an exception in this case, as The Cat in the Hat is running for president!

cat-in-the-hatHere are some reasons why The Cat deserves your vote this November:

  1. If he can balance a cup and a cake and two books and a fish and a little toy ship and some milk on a dish, surely he can balance the Federal budget.
  2. Sure, he gets himself into messes, but he always cleans things up.
  3. He doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Name me one other presidential candidate with these credentials.

Okay, I’m just getting into the spirit of the fun, but aside from being a very clever and well-timed marketing campaign from Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Amazon, and Random House children’s books, there’s a serious point. Along with having fun, the three companies will donate $20,000 to a charity that receives the most votes. Kids can vote at the “campaign headquarters” page on Amazon.com (logging in with their parents’ Amazon account) for one of five causes, each of which is linked to a Dr. Seuss character: Dick and Sally from The Cat in the Hat support reading (First Book); The fish from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish support ocean conservation (Oceana); the Lorax speaks for, what else, the trees (Conservation International); Sam-I-Am from Green Eggs and Ham Fights Hunger (Feed the Children); and Horton from Horton Hears a Who supports an anti-bullying organization (PACER Center).

In addition, on that page you’ll see links to all kinds of merchandise, like an actual Cat in the Hat stovepipe hat, stickers and badges, and T-Shirts, my favorite of which is this Winston Churchill-inspired Keep Calm and Vote for the Hat T-Shirt, currently in stock for adults and girls sizes.

 

 

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All Natural Deodorant, First Aid Cream, and Lip Balm from Green Goo

July 14th, 2016 · Children's Charities, Developing Areas, St. Jude's, Veterans and Military, World Vision

For some reason, I am really, really allergic to just about everything you put on your skin. I can’t use lotion, insect repellent, underarm deodorant, or sunscreen without really bad allergic reactions. As a result, during the summer while everyone else is at the beach, in the woods, or playing summer sports, I’m usually cowering under the bed.

I’ve tried so hard over the years to find products I can use. Even ones that are marked “natural” have caused horrible reactions. My body is clearly trying to tell me something each time I try one of these things.

Even if you’re not allergic to these things, have you ever thought about what goes in them? Here are the words from a label of popular underarm deodorant.

  • Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY
  • Cyclopentasiloxane
  • Stearyl Alcohol
  • Isopropyl Palmitate
  • PPG-14 Butyl Ether
  • Talc
  • Mineral Oil
  • Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  • C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
  • Dimethicone
  • Fragrance (Parfum)
  • PEG-8
  • BHT

Now believe it or not, most of these ingredients probably are harmless, but that first one (which is the active ingredient in most of the major anti-perspirants) isn’t good news. The way this ingredient works, aluminum (yes, the same Al found in your Reynolds Wrap) and zirconium ions absorb into your skin, cause your skin cells to swell, and then pinch the sweat glands closed, keeping them from releasing sweat (ergo the word “antiperspirant”) and also absorbing odor. It’s truly a miracle of modern science, but just a bit creepy when you look into the details. Your body is obviously trying to do something very natural in expelling perspiration, and yet you’re blocking your body from doing so. Even though scientists say that there’s no harm in these chemicals, there’s just something downright unnatural about keeping your body from expelling sweat (and the toxins that go with it).

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those “natural living” warriors who’s out to destroy all the pharmaceutical companies and bring us back to an age where no one uses chemicals and everyone’s got dry skin that’s getting attacked by mosquitoes–at least the ones who who aren’t repelled by the terrible odor emanating from you. On the other hand, it’s difficult to deny that we have way, way too many unnatural chemicals in our lives today, from the food and drinks we ingest, to the topical ointments we put on our bodies.

Enter Green Goo. Green Goo, also known as Sierra Sage Organics, produces a bunch of products that are natural, and not “natural” in the way that mass-market companies with big marketing departments claim. To see what I mean, take a look at this list of ingredients in their 100% All Natural Deodorant stick:

  • Organic Shea Butter
  • Organic Coconut Oil
  • Organic Cocoa Butter
  • Organic Calendula Flowers
  • Organic Chamomile Flowers
  • Aluminum-free Baking Soda
  • Organic Arrowroot
  • Organic Sunflower Oil
  • Organic Beeswax
  • Lemongrass, Lemon, Orange, and Sage Essential Oils

I had to do a bit of a double-take when I read the ingredient list. It sounds more like a healthy smoothie than a stick deodorant. And there’s no ingredient that’s more than three syllables long!

How does it work? We had a heat advisory in my town this morning, with temperatures up to 93 degrees and humidity at 87 degrees. I applied some of the stuff earlier today to clean armpits (just one or two swipes, following the directions). It felt dry and a little flaky when I first touched it, but when I applied it it went on smoothly. The stuff smells absolutely wonderful–the cap says that it’s “Lemongrass and Sage”, but the aroma is amazingly fresh and delicately balanced between the flowers and the citrus and herb essential oils.  It’s not overpowering like perfume or cologne.

Just now I just got back in after a long, grueling walk trying to catch Pokemons. While the deodorant didn’t stop me from sweating, it did cover much of the odor.  and best thing of all, unlike with other deodorant sticks, I’m not breaking out into itchy rashes and hives. In fact, I feel great.

The next GreenGoo product I took a look at was their First Aid ointment/salve. Their company slogan is “rethinking First Aid”, so I’m guessing this is one of their signature products. It comes in a package like this.

Opening the box reveals a tin.

And inside the tin is the eponymous “green goo”.

Now I hadn’t planned this, but it so happens that a few days ago I burned a little bit of my forearm on a Pyrex dish of over-roasted carrots. The burn has healed up nicely, but I have to say there’s still a bit of irritating. And so I applied a little of the green goo. Here are the ingredients:

  • Olive Oil
  • Plantain
  • Chickweed Yarrow
  • Sage
  • Calendula
  • St. John’s Wort
  • Comfrey Leaf
  • Gum Benzoin
  • Myrrh
  • Chaparral
  • Vitamin E Oil
  • Beeswax
  • Essential Oils of Lavender and Rosemary

Again, after dipping my finger I was tempted to taste it, as the aroma of lavender and rosemary was heavenly.

The combination of herbs reads like a time-tested list of herbal medicine. I know a lot of people scoff when they hear the words “herbal medicine”, but remember that ALL medicine was “herbal” until the first synthetic drugs were introduced in the 20th century (in fact, pharmaceutical companies like Merck, Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly, Hoffman-La Roche, and parts of Glaxo Smith Kline, and Pfizer all started as small apothecary shops in the 1800s distributing botanical drugs).

In other words, this isn’t snake oil, but a combination of truly natural ingredients that have been used to treat various ailments since ancient times.

Does it work? It was an interesting feeling–the surface was smooth and solid, but after putting my finger in it it sort of “melted” into my finger. It definitely felt soothing putting it on my burn. And according to their Web site, it helps relieve symptoms not just of burns, but also of insect bites, cuts and scrapes, cracked hands, poison ivy, cold sores, sunburn, chapped lips, blisters, ingrown toenails, fungal infection, and chafing. The combination of herbs doesn’t just cover the wound, but actually has antibacterial and antiseptic qualities. It’s completely safe for children, and they even have a version for pets.

Finally, I got to try out their lip balm, in the Cool Mint variety.

The tube looks like any other lip balm. But the contents don’t feel anything like any lip balm I’ve tried at all (and I’ve tried all of them–Chapstick, Blistex, Softlips, EOS, and a gazillion others that I’ve bought when I find myself with chapped lips but lost my lip balm, which seems to be a regular occurrence).


Some of those lap balms feel like you’re applying a candle to your lips. Others are way too gooey and messy. The Green Goo lip balm was..stunning. Like I said, I’ve tried them all, and this one surpassed them all.

When you apply it, it goes on amazingly smooth and silky–you can feel the moisturizing effect almost immediately. But the best part is, a few seconds later you feel the “whoosh” of the cool mint cooling your lips. And this isn’t just from a chemist who concocted a “natural flavor”–this is the real deal.

The ingredient list again is remarkable.

Active Ingredients

  • Organic Calendula Flowers
  • Organic Sunflower Seed Oil

Inactive Ingredients

  • Organic Peppermint Essential Oil
  • Organic Olive Oil
  • Beeswax
  • Organic Coconut Oil
  • Organic Jojoba Oil
  • Organic non-GMO Vitamin E

Trust me, this is one lip balm I will NOT be losing! It’s almost making me look forward to the next time I have red chapped lips just so I can try it out 🙂

There you have it–three products that work, that are actually good for you, and are good for the planet to boot. I admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about this company’s products, but I’m a believer. In fact, I’ve been looking for this company for my whole life–I must have tried 7 different brands of deodorant, and 5 different brands of lotion, each which caused bad allergic skin reactions that required me seeing a dermatologist. I can’t wait to try out their SPF 30 sunscreen (I love the name of it, which is “Solar Goo”), their dry skin care for dry cracked hands and feet, and their bug repellant.

The more I looked into Sierra Sage, the more impressed I was. They’re a family-owned operated business in Lyons, Colorado. All their products are made with certified organic herbs and pure grade essential oils. Their packaging is environmentally friendly, they use sustainable practices, and because their products are natural they won’t cause pollution or danger to nature. And best of all, they are big supporters of some amazing causes. They are big supporters of World Vision, a great charity we’ve highlighted many times in the past. They support the troops through Snowball Express, serving the children of our fallen military heroes. They donate a portion of their great mother and baby products to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.  Great products, great causes.

Green Goo products are available on Amazon as well as on Sierra Sage Organics’ own site. Check them out for yourself.

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Basketbox – T-Shirts, Onesies, and other Clothing that Let You Wear Your State Proudly

June 8th, 2016 · Disability

I was born in New Jersey and spent most of my life there before moving to New York about 10 years ago. While to most casual observers outside of this area New York and New Jersey are pretty monolithic, the truth is long-time residents of each know that each has its own very distinct culture.

Even though I’ve been in New York for so long, I still get feeling of “home” when I cross the tunnel or bridge into New Jersey.  For some reason, the hoagies (not “heros”) taste a little bit better, it’s nice not having to pump my own gas or make U-turns, and there’s nothing better than a Jersey fresh tomato.

Most people don’t realize that originally the colonies, and eventually the states, were all pretty much independent of each other in the beginning. Each had its own government and each was pretty self-sufficient, and the concept of a federal government was there really to help out with things that no state could do on its own. Of course, over the years the size and scope of the federal government has gotten just a wee bit larger. Plus, things like railroads,the interstate highway system, and air travel started to grey the lines of the borders a bit. Today, if you go from city to city, you’ll see Starbucks, McDonalds, Walmarts, and other things that seem to make everything blend together just a little more.

And yet, talk to anyone who’s lived in their town for more than a few years and you’ll see that there’s still a certain pride in what makes them and the place they live in unique.

Basketbox is a fantastic company that creates apparel which anyone can use to celebrate their home state or hometown. It makes a fabulous gift for someone who’s proud of their roots, whether they’ve lived in their same state or town all their lives, or like me, have been uprooted but still feel a special bond to the place where they grew up.

The concept behind Basketbox’s designs is simple and yet brilliant. They have everything from T-Shirts to hoodies to mugs to pillows to mugs to baby onesies. The design is a simple silhouette of the state (or in some cases like Houston, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, DC, Long Island, Staten Island, and Brooklyn, a city or region) along with block letters that proudly state the demonym of that person, whether it’s “Hawaiian”, “Iowan”, “Californian”, or “New Yorker”.

As I’ve mentioned on the blog before, my daughter was born last August in Queens, New York. And so I jumped at the chance to have try out the “New Yorker” onesie.

The onesie came packaged in a beautiful gift basket, festively wrapped with cellophane that had a colorful, whimsical design and a ribbon tied into a bow.

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The basket contained this onesie and this bib.

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The first thing I noticed about the onesie was that it was made by American Apparel. I first got to experience an American Apparel shirt when I got one at a conference I went to years ago. Over the years, that shirt became my single-most favorite t-shirt. I don’t know how they do it, but where other brands of shirts (even well-known brand) are thick and uncomfortable to wear, my American Apparel t-shirt was soft to the touch from the first day I got it, and only seemed to get softer and more comfortable with every washing. It’s years later now, but that same shirt is still the most comfortable thing I choose to wear, and it’s withstood many, many washings.

I noticed the same thing about this onesie. Maddie loved it as soon as we put it on her. And true to the New Yorker that she is, she let us know it right away.

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Today the onesie and the bib are probably among our favorites; while other bibs (include a New York Yankees one that was given as another gift) have long since been destroyed, this one is a really great quality one. And the onesie is just as soft and durable as my favorite t-shirt.

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Most of all, as the first native New Yorker in the family (her mom is from Taipei and I’m from New Jersey), I love the fact that she can wear her state proudly. The onesie has gotten lots of smiles and great comments wherever in New York we go.

Looking through the other products at basketbox.com, there are lots and lots of other fantastic products, from T-Shirts for dogs…

texas t-shirt for dogs

…to mugs…

mug for chicagoans

…to t-shirts for human adults.

california t-shirt

What’s even more remarkable is that a donation from each order is given to the International Dyslexia Association.

I asked the founder, Emmanual Sullivan, why he chose this charity, and here’s what he wrote back to me:

I chose the International Dyslexia Association because of my own struggles with spelling and reading in primary school. I conquered the handicap, for the most part, during high school. I had to work extra hard during those years and in college to advance. I really didn’t know until later in life that I might have the disability. Looking back, my parents and other family members struggled with it too. It’s something that lingers as well.

So, since my products have a spelling component, I thought the organization would fit perfectly with what we sell. I’ve only recently paired up with the association, but from what I can see they do great things with teachers and others involved with dyslexia. They are also very transparent in their mission and goals, unlike other dyslexia organizations that I’ve researched.

To me, it’s a brilliant pairing, especially given all the questions and debates people tend to have about demonym spelling. “Is it ‘New Jerseyan’, ‘New Jersian’, or ‘New Jerseyite’?” “Is it ‘Seattlean’, ‘Seattleite’, or ‘Seattleer’?” And so on. Not only will Basketbox apparel end the debates once and for all, it’ll let you proclaim your allegiances proudly. It makes a great gift for college students heading out-of-state for the first time, for homesick expatriates from another state, as a souvenir gift for people visiting your state, and much, much more.

Learn more at Basketbox.com.

 

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Thick, Soft, Warm Socks made from Bison (Buffalo) Down #comfysocks @unitedbyblue

May 25th, 2016 · Conservation

When you think of luxurious socks, you’ll usually think of sheep and goats. Sheep’s wool has had a monopoly on warmth for centuries, while the wool from cashmere goats are what people think of for softness.

The one animal that people don’t usually think for both warmth and softness of is the American Bison. But if the socks I’m wearing right now are any indication, it’s time to think twice.

First of all, a little about the American Bison.

For years, people referred to these animals as “Buffalo”. From Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed singing “Buffalo Gals Won’t You Come Out Tonight”; to the name of the city of Buffalo, New York and the Buffalo Bills; to the biggest celebrity of the late 1800’s, Buffalo Bill Cody; to the design of the nickel that was used from 1913-1938, this animal has left an indelible mark on the United States.

Here’s something you might not have known. In the United States the buffalo was never a buffalo. It’s more accurately called a bison. Specifically there are two subspecies, the plains bison (B. b. bison) and the wood biston (B. b. athabascae). In fact, it’s only distantly related to the true buffalo that you’ll generally find in Africa. But the malapropism stuck and so for the foreseeable future you’re going to hear people using the word buffalo and bison interchangeably.

When the first settlers came to North America there were tens of millions of them. But with westward expansion came the loss of their natural habitat and uncontrolled hunting. By the year 1900 the number got down to as little as 300. The largest animal in North America was at the brink of being gone. Even to the time I was in grade school in the 1970’s we were taught how buffalo were endangered and at the brink of extinction.

What happened next is a model for success in terms of stopping the extinction of an entire species. In the public sector, laws like the Endangered Species Act and the National Park System helped bring awareness to what Americans were doing to this animal.

Just a few weeks ago on National Bison Day, Colorado State University published a Vine that showed bison being returned to their old stomping grounds in Northern Colorado for the first time in 150 years.

And in the private sector, the American bison was brought back from the edge of extinction through methodical breeding and building up livestock herds. And happily, we’re at a point today where they have been removed from the Endangered Species list. By the year 2000 the number was about 360,000 and today they number more than half a million.

So when you see bison meat on the menu, don’t think of it as akin to a dodo bird or passenger pigeon sandwich. It’s actually quite tasty (the reason it was hunted to near extinction), and good cuts will taste as good or better than cattle beef but with less fat and cholesterol.

But like I said, something I would never have guessed is how amazingly comfortable bison down is to wear. While the animal looks pretty rugged on the outside, they have an inner coat of incredibly soft down. And when this down is spun it has a consistency that’s genuinely as warm as wool but soft as cashmere.

One thing I’ve discovered about socks is that you really do get what you pay for. For years I bought socks at BJ’s that were made in China. They look decent, but after just a few wearing I noticed threads would start to unravel or there’d be holes in them. So ironically, while I’d maybe pay $3 for a pair of socks I used to pay $10 for, I’d go through five of those cheap socks before the one I paid a little more for would even show signs of wear.

I had a chance to try out some bison down for myself, a product called The Ultimate American Sock from a company called United By Blue. I got the box in the mail, and right away I could see that this was a high quality product just from the box.

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Opening the box I saw the thick socks. Again, I’m used to buying cheap, thin socks stuffed into plastic bags so these looked gigantic to me.

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The craftsmanship of the socks is beautiful. Not a stitch out of place. You can tell just by feeling them that these aren’t going to wear out after just a few washings.

But I still had to be convinced. I’m someone who doesn’t like the scratchiness and abrasiveness of sheep’s wool, so I wondered to myself if I would really like these.

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Putting on these socks, well, knocked my socks off. I was hesitant as I slipped on the first sock, expecting the usual sandpaper-like sensations you get with wool socks. But these socks were amazing. The softness is easily comparable to cashmere as far as feeling soft, smooth, and gentle. They do this by making a blend of merino wool, bison down, nylon, and spandex. They actually have a whole page that talks about the impressive engineering where every detail was thought of, from the spandex rib knit welt to keep your sock up without any irritation, to how they reinforced the toe and heel with nylon, to the rib arch support that helps circulation in your feet, to its moisture wicking capabilities, to the flat and reinforced toes seam.

When I put them on they just slipped on and instantly enveloped my feet with a warm cozy feeling, which was perfect on the first cold autumn day of the year.

I got up to walk in them and it’s like walking on a cloud of pillow, thanks to the padding on the soles.

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The thickness is not only great for warmth and comfort, but as the day went on I could feel them wicking the moisture, which makes these ideal for when you’re doing a lot of physical activity in the cool months.

Here’s how comfy they are–my original intent was to review them and chance back into my regular socks for work. But I decided to just leave them on all day.

If you look through United By Blue’s catalog you’ll find the socks and also other new products like a bison down jacket. You might have a hard time justifying $38 for a pair of socks, but these are not only more comfortable and durable than almost any other sock you’ll be, it’s completely made in America. And “made in America” doesn’t mean like other companies they import foreign material as assemble it in the US. They designed the socks and packaging in Philadelphia, they collect bison down from ranchers in North Dakota, they blend the bison down with American Merino Wool and spin it into yarn in Massachusetts, and they knit and package them in Iowa into packages made in Wisconsin. It’s a great gift for the person in your life who has everything, because chances are they don’t have this yet!

But something I appreciate most about this company is their charitable efforts focused on ocean and waterway conservation. Just as mankind almost decimated the American Bison population by careless, thoughtless and selfish actions against God’s creation, mankind is also just as careless in dealing with its rivers and oceans.

I live in the New York area, and it’s heartbreaking to see what our fellow humans still do. It’s sad when the government needs to publish brochures warning the public against eating the fish that live in the oceans and rivers around us because of all the toxins in them, thanks to years and years of dumping by industry. And as much as has been done to clean up companies people are just as thoughtless on an individual level. I can’t go I go hiking in the woods or talking on the beach without seeing plastic food containers, bottles and cans, tires, candy wrappers.

All it takes are a few selfish and thoughtless people, both on an individual level and a company level, to ruin it for everyone else, not to mention for future generations.

Most of us see these things, shake our heads and say, “someone should really do something.” But then there are those that do.

For every product sold, United By Blue removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through company organized and hosted cleanups.

Specifically, they’ll organize and host ocean and waterway cleanups across the country, bringing together thousands of volunteers to pick up things like cans and bottles, tires, appliances, and everything else that makes its way into the aquatic world. So far, they’ve hosted 141 cleanups and removed 252,042 pounds of trash from rivers, streams, creeks, and beaches across 23 states. You can see photos and even sign up to participate yourself here.

Great product, great cause, this is just the sort of product I love to highlight on this blog.

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