Conscious Christmas Shopping

I live in New York City - Where the month of November is but a gearing up for Black Friday, in a country where people leave their homes before digesting their turkey in order to get in line for the grand sales of the next day.

Yet, our country is edging towards a 10% unemployment rate. Couldn't we be doing more this season than just dashing for the next sale?

Here are just a few sustainable initiatives which have sparked my attention this Holiday Season, among others:

- Heifer International - You can give a Heifer, sheep or flock of ducks along with many other livestock, which provides someone in a developing nation with means to a sustainable living.

- Kate Spade and Women for Women International have created a partnership in Afghanistan and Bosnia, making quality goods while providing high wage jobs.

Both of these Afghan-made knitwear products can be bought in Kate Spade Boutiques in New York.

Ten-Thousand Villages also has goods from all over the world using Fair Trade Practices.