That time of year again

 As if holiday shopping isn't hard enough, this is my ninth year shopping for products made in America. Years ago, an ABC News report said that if each of us spent just $64 on American made goods during our holiday shopping, the result would be 200,000 new jobs. I think that's a challenge worth taking.

I think Christmas is only for those who believe in Santa. As my friends kids get older, I've relaxed this rule a bit. As far as I know, they're still believers.

When I'm looking for US made kids clothes, I usually go straight to etsy.com.

For kids who are constantly outgrowing their wardrobes, you can afford several outfits of likenew brand name items at ThredUp.com.

I've always had good luck with the American made section of FatBrainToys, which has reasonably priced, educational toys and games.

I always ask for readers to send me their suggestions and finally got this guide to US made toys & games that allows you to search the list by age range.

For several years now, my family has decided to donate to charity in lieu of gifts to each other. We have given to Unicef, Heifer, CharityWater, and OxFam to name a few. Before selecting a charity, I always check them out at Charitynavigator.org to find out how much of donations go to services and how much they pay the CEO. (I can't stand charity CEOs who make millions.) I recommend checking out your charity here before donating. You can even look at their list of top-rated charities if you need ideas.

Stop supporting sweat shops

My most recent blog post about this got the least amount of traffic. I think it's a subject that makes people uncomfortable. They don't want to think about it.

So let's talk about it again.

The reason sweat shops exist is that corporations are greedy and the reason they get away with it is that consumers are greedy.

We're also isolated and aren't forced to think about where our cheap stuff comes from. If it all came with a warning label with a picture of the exploitation it supported, we might not buy it.

I'm not interested in making people feel hopelessly guilty. Let's share some solutions. Buying sweatshop free means paying the real cost of things. In my last blog, I explained how to search for US made products on Amazon and wait for them to go on sale.

Here's another: I just spent $50 on boring underwear at American Apparel because their products are made in America, sweat shop free.

I've also found etsy.com is helpful, especially with gift buying. Their site will allow you to search for American artisans in your state.

If anyone has other tips to share, I'm always on the lookout.

Be the Change

I've found it's gotten really hard to buy clothing manufactured in this country. We don't really make anything here anymore. See, there are laws that keep companies from exploiting American workers so those corporations get around it by firing American workers and exploiting workers in foreign countries instead.

And for some reason, we're still allowed to buy those products. We try not to think about it when we see a $2 shirt. What a bargain! We don't consider the human cost. It's a really cute shirt.

Last week, John Oliver tackled this issue in a way only he can. I hope you'll watch the video because he explains it so much better than me. This problem didn't go away. We just got tired of thinking about it.

The truth is that American-made clothing often costs more. That extra money you're paying is the real cost of getting that thing without mistreating other human beings. It's the price of being a good person.

It's hard, I know. My New Year's resolution was to buy only American made clothing. So far I've purchased five items, including a pair of True Religion Jeans on Amazon for $60. (They're usually $200, but I waited for them to go on sale. You can put US made items on your wish list and wait for the price to go down.) Amazon lets you search for things with "US Made" as the criteria.

Mostly, buying American clothing on a budget means purchasing things less often. When I see that adorable $2 shirt, I know I can't have it. My wardrobe is smaller, I do laundry more often. I wear things until they actually get holes in them. 

And today, I designed this American made t-shirt, because tackling the bigger problem is going to take bigger solutions: