My Buy American Christmas Shopping Journey

I try to buy stuff that was made in America for all my Christmas shopping. I've been doing it for a decade and was surprised to realize it has gotten easier.

The easiest place to go is etsy.com, where you can find unique hand crafted gifts made by artisans around the world. You can narrow your search to the US.

This year, I did an internet search for "made in america gifts". In the past, this has yielded overalls and socks or lists of expensive baubles. This time, I was happy to find more diversity with a bit more reasonable pricetag. Here and here.

Another good option is food. Who doesn't like a basket of brownies or fudge? I had a favorite auntie who used to send chocolate dipped apricots. It was so decadent. I hope these will aid my attempt at favorite auntie status.

Happy Holidays to all. Please comment below with any suggestions you have. I still have one gift to find!

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.