Hey, girly! What’s up? I know I say this in every blog, but I can’t believe it’s April, I’m shocked! Two months until summer and then I’m a freshman in high school?! I’m going to be so old – teardrop (stop messing up my grandma moment). While April is a month that goes by fast, it’s unfortunately still a pretty dreary, cold, muddy month here in Cleveland. So what can you do to make the time go by quicker, be more enjoyable and be meaningful, all at the same time? Shopping with a purpose! I want to tell you about some of my favorite brands that GIVE BACK when you make a purchase. Basically, you get some cute new things and at the same time you give back to the community, a perfect win-win.
Warby Parker might be one of the coolest sunglass and prescription eyeglass brand I’ve ever seen. Not only are they more affordable than brands like Ray Ban, but they also give back a pair of glasses to someone who needs them for every pair purchased. Also, Warby Parker has a great online service called “Home Try-On” which is where you can buy five different sunglasses (or prescription frames) and have them all mailed to your house to try on and compare to see which are your fav. I recently got three pairs to try out, and it was really helpful to see them all in person and try them on. The best part is that it is free until you find the pair you actually love and go to buy them 🙂 I would love for you to give them a try and let me know your thoughts.
Have you heard of Sand Cloud yet? This brand is all about preserving marine life. Their motto is #savethefishies and they give 10 percent of their profits to non-profits that support their mission of marine life conservation. Their creative, colorful tees, sweatshirts, towels, tapestries and blankets featuring cute sea animals and other cool designs are comfy and fun to collect. They also make fun presents, too! I’m actually wearing Sand Cloud in the featured pictures.
Love Your Melon, the brand you see everyone wearing on their heads in the middle of downtown Cleveland (and in a city near you)! Let me just say, Cleveland is a small place and most good trends get around fast. I posted about Love Your Melon, the comfiest new hats, a few months ago and then the next thing you know, I started seeing these hats everywhere — when I went to the doctor, at school, and even at random restaurants. It was almost like the trend was started by me, little ‘ol me. You should definitely go buy one now, and every time you do, they give a hat to a child battling cancer.
Have you heard the catchy Bombas ad on the radio? It’s the one with the guy saying “when we sell 1,000,000 pairs of socks, I’ll get a tattoo”. The next thing they knew, they sold 1,000,000 pairs in two and a half years. He thought it would take at least 10 years! Well, each day in the car, my mom and I would hear this commercial. We finally went to the website and bought a couple pairs for our recent ski trip for everyone in the family, and let me tell you, we all loved them. They had great details and style. They were so comfy, too! The company started because these two guys (who started the company) heard that socks are the #1 most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. They knew they had to do something so they started Bombas. So, for every pair you purchase, they donate a pair to someone in need. Their motto is “One pair purchased = One pair donated.” Bombas sells athletic socks, dress socks, casual socks, ski socks, hiking socks, and more.
While writing this, I’m in bed, in my room and I look out the window. I think there must be four feet of snow outside! Ok, maybe it’s a little exaggeration, but definitely at least two feet. I think I’ll write a letter to the clouds and tell them to stop the Nor’easter from coming to Cleveland, and that I’m ready for spring, so for once be nice and give us some sun! But until then, I guess I can stay in my bed and do some shopping with a purpose. Maybe I’ll get some more socks from Bombas (to keep my feet warm), a hat from Love Your Melon (to keep my ears warm) and some sunnies from Warby Parker to remind me that Winter can’t last forever and Spring is surely on its way.