Wine Hopes To Make a Difference

At BowlHer, there was a great reward awaiting anyone who bowled a strike…A bottle of ONEHOPE chardonnay! While this was music to my ears because I enjoy an occasional (*cough*) glass of wine, I was also thrilled because our particular wine promoted breast cancer awareness. Launched in April 2006, the wine has been building buzz across the country for its flavorful tastes and fundraising efforts. For each bottle purchased, the company donates 50% to a specific nonprofit cause!

Here’s the breakdown of how the wines pair up with the organizations:

AIDS (AIDS/LifeCycle) – Merlot

Autism (Autism Speaks) – Cabernet Sauvignon

Breast Cancer (Susan G. Komen for the Cure) – Chardonnay

The Planet (American Forests) – Sauvignon Blanc

Our Troops (Snowball Express) – Zinfandel

ONEHOPE is currently available in restaurants and stores in nine states, and can be bought online and shipped to 33 states. For locations and to access the online store, visit www.onehopewine.com!

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Summer of Service – Chicago!

Hey, guys…I’m a day behind with the service opps, but here you go! Have fun

Sat, 6/27: Head on over to Humboldt Park to help plant, weed, water, and organize the Campbell community garden from 10a-12p! Click here for details!

Sat, 6/27: South Siders, come on out to Jackson Park and help cut brush, seed, and plant native species in Bobolink Meadow and Woods and on Wooded Island from 10a-1p! Click here for details!

If your organization has an outdoor event and/or project coming up and you need volunteers, please send the details to thefabgiver@gmail.com! I will post events every Tuesday for the current week…

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Kiehl’s Gives Back

A couple of weeks ago, I started following Kiehl’s on Twitter (@kiehlsnyc), and noticed every now and then they would donate 100% of sales of any given item to the Waterkeeper Alliance. They called the campaign “10/10/10,” which essentially meant that for 10 days they sold 10 products for only $10 and donated 100% of the sales to the Waterkeeper Alliance, up to $10K. Got it?

Well, the 10/10/10 campaign is over, but that doesn’t mean that Kiehl’s commitment to charitable causes has ended. While browsing KiehlsGivesBack.com, I learned about two other initiatives that the company is sponsoring.

The first, in continuing support of Waterkeeper Alliance, is the donation of 100% of sales of limited edition bottles of the Superbly Restorative Argan Body Lotion line ($55). Kiehl’s partnered with 3 celebrities (Adrian Grenier, Erykah Badu, Kelly Slater) and Parsons School of Design to develop artsy labels related to each person/institution (Clockwise: Grenier, Badu, Parsons, Slater).

The lotions, developed with argan oil and Vitamin E, are said to create an ultimate barrier of softness for your skin. Knowing Kiehl’s reputation with eco-friendly and amazing products, I don’t doubt this!

In addition, Kiehl’s has partnered with YouthAIDS, an organization committed to reaching and education youth in over 60 countries about HIV/AIDS. The brand has created new limited edition packaging of their Classic Lip Balm ($8.50) to benefit the organization.

So, folks, there you have it! Be sure to pop on over to KiehlsGivesBack.com to learn more about their dedication to the environment and various causes over time! And, if you’re in Chicago, click here to find out details for tonight’s (5/12) screening of Sundance’s new original series Eco Trip: The Real Cost of Living at the West Armitage store (907 West Armitage). Cocktails will be provided AND attendees will receive 10% off of all purchases!

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Macy’s Celebrates Earth Day with a Sale!

It’s time for most of us to re-up our summer wardrobes, and need to do so without maxing out our budgets!

Stop into Macy’s tomorrow, the 25th, and enjoy savings between 10-20% as they host a special shopping event to benefit the National Park Foundation and other organizations which protect the environment on a local level!

So, here’s what you do:

1. Purchase a $5 One Good Turn Ticket (proceeds to charity)

2. Receive an all-day in-store shopping pass AND $5 off a purchase of $15 or more

3. Shop and Save!

 

And, if you’re shopping online, you will see the discount in your shopping cart, provided that you’ve purchased the ticket! As always, there are some item exclusions, etc so visit macys.com for more details and the store nearest you!

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Happy Earth Day!!!

How are you affecting the Earth? Ever stopped to think about it…?

I do! People always laugh at me because I recycle my water bottles (from the little ones to the gallon ones) and my pop cans, but I don’t unplug my appliances when I leave the house. Or I take my eco-totes to the grocery store to cut back on plastic bags, but will get my coffee in a to-go cup. However, in reference to that last thing, if I’m sitting in the coffee house, I will ask for my coffee to be placed in a mug!

My point is that most of us are not walking around in organic clothes or biking to work, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t little things that we can do!

If you’re looking for some tips, I suggest that you check out TheGreenGuide.com! This website offers buying guides, fast facts, travel tips, restaurant suggestions, and so on and so on! It’s a great starting point and not too overwhelming!

I’ve also rounded up some of my favorite eco-fab websites for you to check out! 

Ecorazzi

Feel Good Style

EcoStiletto

Enjoy everyone…And, good luck going green

-kb

Designer Spotlight: Kristinit

 

The beautiful top above is one of the many pieces in the spring Kristinit collection. The collection, created by Kristina Lenss, features beautiful pieces which are feminine and romantic. Kristinit uses innovative organic fabrics, local manufacturing, and fair trade practices, and the company donates a percentage of each sale to One Percent for the Planet and the Pachamama Alliance.

You can find Kristinit designs in stores in California, Florida, Georgia, Oregon and Texas. If you aren’t in any of those areas, you can find some items through her online sample sale. Five percent of online sales will benefit World Vision, an organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. 

For more information, visit www.kristinit.com.

-kb

Will You Buy Me a Slanket?

Okay, all things considered, I lead a fabulous, fun lifestyle…But, if you really know me then you that I take huge pride in curling up on the couch and watching DVDs. Oh, it’s the truth! Between Netflx, Redbox, and taking from my friends’ collections, I watch tons of movies/TV shows. 

I’m saying all that to ask if someone out there would buy me a Slanket. You know…the blankets that look like backward robes! I’ve decided that I can’t take it anymore and I have to have one! Before you laugh, you should know that the purchase of Slankets actually benefit various charities…I’m serious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the blue Slankets raise money for H20 Africa. The green, brown, and grey Slankets raise funds for the Natural Resources Defense Council. The lavender, ruby wine, and apricot colors support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

See? Now, when you support my Slanket obsession, you’ll be supporting one of these fine charities I can hear some of you laughing, but don’t sleep on the Slanket. I hear they are super comfortable! Or was that the Snuggie? Anyways, you get my drift! For more information, please visit www.TheSlanket.com!

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Kimpton Hotels: Charitable and Swanky!

Kimpton Hotels, a group of boutique hotels across the US, is not only skilled at providing swanky hotel stays, but they also do a great jobs supporting charitable causes. The hotels have lasting partnerships with Dress for Success and the Trust for Public Land, and also contribute to local HIV/AIDS organizations in the cities of their hotels.

In addition to the various events hosted by Kimpton Hotels, they also offer you the opportunity to “Join the Fight by Staying the Night.” When you stay at a Kimpton Hotel, you can enter a donation code to have $10 from each night of your stay donated to either the Trust for Public Land or one of 18 HIV/AIDS organizations (via their Red Ribbon initiative).

To donate to the Red Ribbon groups: Use the special rate code RRC until June 30, 2009

To donate to the Trust for Public Land: Use the special rate code TPL throughout the year

You can also support the Trust for the Public Land by purchasing select eco-friendly merchandise from the Kimpton Style store. Click on the pic below to be taken to the store!

To learn about more Kimpton socially responsible initiatives, be sure to visit the Kimpton Cares section of their website!

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Lush Cosmetics – Charity Pot

It’s no secret that the winter can bring about horribly dry skin. I feel like I’m applying lotion and a slew of other moisturizers CONSTANTLY. I guess it’s just one of those things that we can’t avoid (like political scandals in Chicago). 

If you’re looking for a new moisturizer to add into your routine, I suggest that you check out LUSH Cosmetics’ Charity Pot. I sampled it a few days ago and my hands felt super soft after using it, and the smell was actually very light and nice. 

The best part about the Charity Pot is (obviously) the retail price is donated to LUSH’s Charity Pot program, which donates money to a host of animal and environmental rights charities. You can purchase the Charity Pot as a stand-alone item (7.9 oz, $20.45), or you can purchase it as part as the Charity Pot Holiday Gift Set ($59.95).

(Includes Charity Pot, and fair trade lotion, a massage bar, soap and shower gel)

For more information on the organizations that LUSH supports, click here!

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