2nd Annual Made in USA Holiday Gift Guide—Mindful Gift Giving 2011

As a follow up to our very successful Made in USA Certified® Holiday Gift Guide last year, for the second year in a row we are offering up some more great gift ideas.

As many of you know, Diane Sawyer, the anchor of ABC’s World News, has asked Americans to join her in pledging to buy more goods Made in America, saying that if all Americans on just one occasion spent just $3.33 more on goods made here, it would create ten thousand jobs.  We are asking you to join Diane Sawyer and Made in USA Certified® in that pledge and pledge this holiday season to buy four items off our list to help stimulate the economy.

In Bill Clinton’s new book, “Back to Work” where he references our company, Made in USA Certified®, he states, “Today only 25% of our money spent on shoes and clothes goes for U.S .- made products.  If we just raised it to 30 or 35%, we could create a lot of jobs in manufacturing throughout the supply chain.”

This year with unemployment hovering around 9% nationally with the real percentage of unemployed estimated to be around 23%., as many of the unemployed are no longer reporting or are underemployed or simply just given up.  The numbers are bleak anyway you look at them, and we understand that many may not even be able to afford presents this year.  But, all of us can afford a few thoughtful gifts with a Made in USA flair and know that the gift we are giving has so many positive reverberations attached to it.

As a mom to six kids, I am always trying to live very frugally and make a dollar stretch; I understand the pressure that the holidays can invoke.  There have been years, when we were growing our business, that we didn’t have much money at all for gifts.  The holidays for me, always are stressful, as kids don’t understand the pressures of running a household and a business, but, they still expect presents under the tree on Christmas Day.  So, holidays have always been hard on me, juggling our financial reality and the guilt of not wanting to disappoint all these little faces on Christmas Day. So, trust me when I tell you I understand how hard it is to try to Buy American.

However, as a family unit we have talked a lot about excessive buying and all this consumerism that has gotten us ALL in a lot of trouble.  We as a Nation are full of garages and storage units full of “stuff” that gave us a thrill for a minute and then the thrill passes and the “stuff” ends up in garage sales or junk piles.  All the “stuff”, doesn’t make us happy, it doesn’t make us feel loved.  It is really empty but, every year like clockwork we all feel the need to spend, spend, spend……..

I say NO more!  It is time to stop this unhealthy cycle.  We have got to change.  We don’t need all this “STUFF”.  We need a healthy economy, new job creation, and a future for our kids so, they all can move out into their own homes and get the heck out of ours!   (no offense kids)

So, what can we do to move us closer to that goal?

Well, we can continue to repeat the same unhealthy, compulsive, and programed consumer buying behaviors that got us all in this mess.  Or we can decide today to live and be different; to change our spending ways, buy more thoughtfully, more controlled and more mindfully.  Our family is choosing the later.

This holiday season, our family is making a PLEDGE to buy fewer, more thoughtful gifts.  Instead of having tons of gifts under the tree, each person will get one gift that is – MADE IN USA, meaningful and needed. We will save money, have less junk and stuff to store, less garbage in our landfills, and we will be a part of our countries solution, supporting U.S. manufacturers and the entire domestic supply chain.

We will be making our positive difference, contributing to the solution and not the problem.  This year we are not going to bury our heads in the sand and open up one more gift that says “Made in China”.  We are ALL a part of the solution and we have to use our consumer power to shift the pendulum. Together we CAN make a difference, but, it is ultimately up to the individual to make the choices and take action.  Choose wisely this holiday season and join the Made in America Movement! Pledge it with us!

Below is a list of Made in USA Certified® companies that have great products to give as gifts this year. 

Check them out and shop Made in USA Certified® this holiday season!

Bedding & Home Furnishings/Accesories:

Bed In A Box (www.bedinabox.com)

Carved Solutions (www.carvedsolutions.com)

Malpaca Pillows (www.malpaca.com)

Meissenburg Designs (www.oldwoodsigns.com)

New England Woodturners (www.newenglandwoodturners.com)

Old Glory Soldiers (www.oldglorysoldiers.com)

Pacific Hospitality Design (www.phdesign.com)

Stonebridge Upholstery (www.stonebridgeuplostery.com)

Thoughtout Company (www.thoughtout.biz)

Clothing & Accessories:

All American Clothing (www.allamericanclothing.com)

Black Halo (www.blackhalo.com)

Books on Shirts (www.booksonshirts.net)

Brand of the Free (www.brandofthefree.net)

Bring It Up (www.bringitup.com)

Hanky Panky (www.hankypanky.com)

Tough Traveler (www.toughtraveler.com)

ZKano (www.zkano.com)

Food & Drinks:

Belly Timber Bars (www.bellytimberbars.com)

Etched Wine (www.winesetched.com)

Orchid Island Juice Company (www.oijc.com)

Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory (www.ohcf.us)

Railean Rum Distillery (www.railean.com)

Silver Moon Desserts (www.silvermoondesserts.com)

Tito’s Vodka (www.titosvodka.com)

USA Coffee Company (www.usacoffeecompany.com)

World’s Best Carrot Cake (www.worldsbestcarrotcake.com)

Games & Boats:

Big Sunday Football Game (www.bigsunday.com)

Caravelle Powerboat (www.caravellepowerboat.com)

Marble King (www.marbleking.com)

Grills, Flags & Car Wax:

MAK Grills (www.makgrills.com)

USA Flag Supply (www.usaflagsupply.com)

Pinnacle Natural Brilliance Car Care (www.pinnaclewax.com)

Jewelry:

Gems By Design (www.concavegems.com)

Pledge Ring (www.pledgering.com)

Pet Food & Toys:

Greenfeather Bird Toys (www.greenfeatherbirdsupply.com)

Kona’s Chips (www.konaschips.com)

Wholesome Hide (www.wholesomehide.com)

MISC….

ADP Rivet (www.adprivet.com)

Alliance Rubber (www.rubberband.com)

EZ Backdrops (www.ezbackdrops.com)

OK Toner (www.ok-toner.com)

Water Jel (www.waterjel.com)