#BlackFriday, Thanksgiving Thursday, & #CTWW

I want to give a warm Thanksgiving shout-out to an eco-friendly blog I've followed for years - Reduce Footprints.  Also on Twitter as @smallftprints, this site quietly works to make the world a better place with a Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) Challenge.

Each week Reduce Footprints and her green group of friends pick something designed to lighten our impact on the world.  The challenge is posted and participants try it out for a week with discussion and feedback afterward.  Everyone always learns something they can do to live a more healthy, lower-impact lifestyle - usually saving time, money, and frustration along the way.  All good!

I thought I'd share something I do once a year on Wednesday - the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  My family and I go through our belongings - clothes, toys, books, movies, etc. - and gather gently-used items that have a lot of life left and on "black" Friday we make a donation to the local Rescue Mission instead of hitting the stores.  Our small "change the world Wednesday" practice benefits others and sets a calm and thoughtful perspective for the holiday season.

This year everyone's questioning the mega-corporations' commercial pressure to buy gifts we can't afford with credit borrowed from mega-banks who prey on their "customers".  For too long these "too big to fail" institutions have wrung blood from stones.  Our nation is waking up and protesting these bad practices.  

Now, more than ever, we need to "Shop Small Or Not At All" and, when you do buy, look for American-made products whenever you can.  Here's a place to start.  I remember the old bumpersticker "Buy American: The Job You Save Might Be Your Own"... now, the job you create might be your own.

No matter how you celebrate the end-of-year, don't feel pressured to do ANYTHING that isn't right for your strength, safety, and security and that of your family if you have one.  And do check out Reduce Footprints and the #CTWW Challenge... you'll be glad you did!