Easing into Philantropic Buying

As a student in Chicago, I have yet to see the weather warm up yet (I don’t think this city understands the concept of “spring”)! I’m mostly keeping warm with one of my favorite pieces—a light sweater (also a perfect transitioning piece from winter to spring!). But spring sweaters only provide external warmth and happiness—however will I keep my insides warm!?

The obvious solution--buying from socially-responsible philanthropic brands! There are thousands of brands that not only create their products from completely fair-trade and eco-friendly materials, but also donate much of their profits to a noble cause--everything from animal welfare to combating human trafficking and child labor! (See? Aren't you warming up already?) c;

Using a spring sweater as the starting point, the three boards below are created from stores that are not on the Boycott List (see I told you you can be fashionable without shopping at J.Crew or Gap!) and then have one additional item from a philanthropic brand! 

You don't have to be dressed head-to-toe in philanthropic clothing, but even having just one or two little things from a company that is supporting a great cause can make a difference--both to your outfit/happiness and to people around the world! 

But you're probably thinking "oh gosh this is probs super expensive tho" because we think (okay fine it's kind of true, too) that most charitable and socially-responsible companies are also way out of our budget--we're so used to the cheap clothes brought to us by exploitation and child labor. But with just a bit of looking you can find all-around amazing organizations that have designed and created beautiful and affordable pieces! And here, I already did the looking for you--all you need to do is sit back and enjoy (and support them!)

Lush, an all-around amazing brand, not only creates all of its hand-made products ethically with natural and healthy ingredients, but is also incredibly philanthropic! In fact all of the profits from the purchase of their Charity Pot lotion goes directly towards small, grassroots organizations globally. They've already donated 350+ charities around the world that are helping with everything from environmental conservation to animal welfare!

Check out their Charity Pot Lotion (from only $5.95-$22.95) and read more about its work here: 

http://www.lushusa.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Lush-Site/en_US/Charities-Support

Hand crafted by Cambodians who are from underprivileged backgrounds or suffering from disabilities, 10% of proceeds from the Brave Collection bracelets are donated toward fighting human trafficking. So not only are you helping create jobs in Cambodia for people who would otherwise be denied work, you're also helping in the fight against a horrible human right violation!

Check out the Brave Collection ($38.00) here: http://thebravecollection.com/pages/shop

This statement Sunburst Necklace is handmade by artisans in India who even helped during the design process--in fact Mata Traders employs a team of 600+ Indian artisans who are heavily involved in the entire production process! Moreover the organization takes a prominent role in fighting poor child labor laws in India!

Check out the Sunburst necklace (also available in yellow!) ($32.00) here:  http://www.matatraders.com/handmade-necklace/sunburst-necklace-white/prod_809.html

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See? Buying socially responsible pieces that give back are not only easy and make you feel (and look!) good, but they are also affordable for most budgets (the total range of these items are from $5.95-$38.00)! Just their presence on the sets above just lifted the whole mood of the mood board (yes, trust me, if you took them off the whole board got dark and gloomy), and warmed them up--inside and out, and I'm sure they will do the same for you! c;

Also, if you didn't like my picks be sure to check out their site anyway--they all have quite a variety of do-good items!

Hope you have a lovely day, and thanks for reading!

<(‘)

Hoda is an Iranian activist and fashion blogger from Oklahoma going to school in Chicago. Her blog, JooJoo Azad, meaning "Free Bird" in Farsi, is filled with photography of personal style and discussions on social-responsibility within the fashion industry. Warning: this site is more than just pretty pictures.

You can find her on her blog, Facebok page, Twitter, or Instagram

Facebook Official?

When I first got a Facebook, I had to share everything. This was in freshman year, when I thought that everyone actually cared about what I was thinking, and what I was going to eat for dinner. Back in the day, everyone seemed to share everything. This was before Twitter, and before hashtags came into effect. Nowadays, Facebook has been getting less attention than in the past. One of the things is changing your relationship status.

Back in 2008, the first thing that you did after getting in a relationship (besides calling your best friend and turning your claddaugh ring around) was log onto Facebook and transform from 'single' to 'in a relationship.' Get ready to rake in the likes, people. 

I recently read this article about keeping relationships on or offline. It's a debate that has been around as long as the internet. Some people don't change their relationship status. While going to friend's profiles on my personal account, I have noticed that some people often opt to keep their relationship status private or not list it at all. On other accounts, I see people in a relationship and either choose to have their significant other in their default and post occasionally such as anniversaries. That's my opinion of relationships done right. And of course, there's those who constantly post about their relationship. You know those people who make every other status that they write daily about their boyfriend. And of course, the endless amount of selfies that are posted. Every. Damn. Day. 

I personally have mixed feelings about whether or not you should quickly change your relationship. Back in the high school hallways, if you didn't want to post that you were suddenly off the market then you were often perceived that you were ashamed of being in a relationship with that person. Oh, yes high school logic.  

I do think that you should change your relationship status, but eventually. I personally am a fan of the whole not posting it right away thing. I'm talking about waiting for a few days or weeks to pass before posting. I believe that relationships are a private thing, so if you don't want to be online, there shouldn't be a pressure. If you told your mom, your BFF, and your cat, who else really matters? At least, in my opinion no one does. 

We live in an age where it seems like everyone cares about what's on their dinner plates, and taking selfies has become a daily thing. Life as we know it has changed, as a result of technology. So has relationships. This, my friends, is known as becoming 'Facebook official.' That is a bigger step than perhaps meeting the parents. 

To post or not to post about your relationship is up to you. However, it should be done your way, and that's it. Take that internet. 

A Life Update

Hey everyone!
It's been a while since I've done one of these, so I figured today would be as good of a time as any to update you all about what I've been up to lately.

• I'm going to LA! I'm leaving Wednesday for the ACP journalism conference. I'm so excited because I've never been to California before, and I am looking foreword to the conferences. I'll also be sure to be blogging about it when I get back. In the mean time, I'll be having some lovely people guest posting. 
• School and work on #repeat. Let me tell you it's not easy being green. Things have finally slowed down in my life since I've dropped a class, and for the first time I'm actually really happy with things. 
• I discovered red velvet oreos. That is all.
• New haircut! I recently went short with my hair. I was looking for a change, and I decided on a whim to cut about five inches off. That's a huge change for me, because I rarely ever trim my hair. I am honestly so happy with my new hair, and I am so glad that I decided to go short. I'm still getting used to having 'medium length hair,' so any styling suggestions are welcome. Let me know what you all think! Also special shout out to Elisia, who held my hand and then listen to me obsess over it.

Before: 

After: 

                                                    New haircuts mean multiple selfies right?;) 

• I've been so lucky to have awesome friends in my life, such as Elisia, Griffin, and Gabriel. I've been a hot mess lately, and having them for moral support is always a good thing. I'm realizing how lucky (and rare it is) to have such awesome friends! 

• I'm also actually attempting to make plans and have fun. This is a first since I never make time for my friends other than in breaks and summer. It's important to have fun! 

What have you all been up to lately? 

Why It's Important to Love Yourself.

Source

LOVE. Last week, was the week of celebrating love for the special people in your life. However, there's something about the importance of self love and acceptance of yourself in your own skin. I think that it's important for you to be able to say that you love yourself. It's a hard thing to accept oneself, however let me stress the importance of doing so.
Lately, I've been in this emotional and mental black hole of emotion. I haven't been feeling..well good about myself. It's also been making me realize the importance of loving yourself whenever your down.
First things first, you've got to treat yourself well. That means taking the time out of the day to read a few pages out of a book, to drink tea, or to simply catch a break. It's something that I myself have been struggling with. But get this through your thick head-it's important to take a break. So plan for a few minutes of downtime, because those few minutes can be crucial.
Actually make time for friends. I've been a horrible friend to pretty much all of my friends. Honestly, I have been so wrapped up with what's going on with my chaotic life that hanging out with my friends have become the least bit of priorities. It's nothing personal to my friends, but it's something that I have to work on. I need to focus more on being a friend, and less on my chaotic, hectic life.
Just remember one thing. Loving yourself is the key for ultimate happiness. Forgive yourself when you make mistakes. Treat yourself to a cookie or something to make you smile. Be happy, and if you feel like you're alone talk to a friend. Pet a dog. It's important to tell yourself that you're worth a million, because you are. 

Shake It Off..

Ever have those people in your life that just make you feel completely awful about yourself? You know the type of people who sa that they aren't judging you, but man they are judging you. They think that they are the best kind of person on the planet. And whatever you have that they don't agree with, they automatically tell you that what you're doing is wrong.

Well who died and made them the ruler of the world?
I have this friend who whenever I talk to her, she makes me feel completely awful about myself and my decisions. Whether it's not being on Dean's List or not having a bae, she always  has to rub salt in my wounds. She thinks that her opinions are the best, and to be quite honest, she's just really annoying.
Want to know what I learned?

There are some people that you simply need to flip off. Excuse my language, but that's true. There are haters around in this world, and they come in all ways, shapes, and sizes. When you encounter them, you do one thing-shake it off. 

This would be a good time to blast Taylor Swift's Shake it Off, my friends. 

The bottom line? 

If someone is telling you how to live your life, then they need to go where the sun don't shine. It's rude, and unnecessary. You do you, cause that is all that matters. I don't believe that there is a person out there that is better or worse than another. I believe that we are all works in progress, and everyday go through getting better. This doesn't happen when someone is constantly telling you what you're doing isn't up to their standards. Chances are, they are just insecure. 

That's all.