“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

                                                                       - William James, American Philosopher.

More often than not recycled bags look like tired, wish-this-were-new bags.  Well Rebagz is starting the revolution to change that very stereotype. Rebagz Handbags are redefining fashion by pairing smart style with sustainability. All their bags are made using recycled materials, and they’re as human-friendly as they are eco-friendly because Rebagz are all made under fair labor conditions.

Rebagz come in so many different styles and colors that everyone is guaranteed to find something they like – from bold and daring, to classy and sophisticated.  Part of the proceeds from many of their new “Statement Makers” help organizations such as Greenpeace, the KIND Campaign and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. One dollar from every order is also donated to Global Exchange, an organization the company’s president, Marty Stevens-Heebner, worked with when she did human rights work in Chiapas, Mexico.

See why In Style Magazine and The Today Show are all raving about Rebagz by entering for a chance to win a FREE rockin’ Leopardess Shoulder Bag!  To enter, follow the below instructions:

We at Roozt hope you continue to support companies like Rebagz and mother nature by sporting recycled bags at work and at play!

When you walk by a homeless person begging for money, it’s easy to make up a story of why you shouldn’t drop your change: he’s going to use it for drugs, she’s just going to buy alcohol, they should just get a job like the rest of us.

Photo courtesy of SPENT

But one stereotype doesn’t fit all.  Challenge your preconceived notions about poverty and homelessness with SPENT, an online game created through a collaboration between the Urban Ministries of Durham, a North Carolina nonprofit providing food, clothing, shelter and supportive services to the homeless, and McKinney Advertising Agency.

Photo courtesy of SPENT

SPENT allows you to see through the eyes of an average American adult who suddenly loses his job and needs to find a way to support his family and avoid homelessness.  It demonstrates the sense of fear as each new bill reaches due date and sudden unexpected expenses lead to difficult decisions.

You begin as a newly unemployed single parent who needs to find a job immediately to support your family.  Even a temp job requires qualifications that you don’t have, so you choose to work in manual labor.  Everyday brings a new monetary obstacle, including car troubles, health issues and missed opportunities.  In the end, whether you are successful at staying afloat for one more month or have no option but to resort to homelessness, the game allows you to make a difference in the real world by donating money or time to the ministry.

Play SPENT for yourself and face the many challenges that over 14 million unemployed Americans have to tackle everyday.  You might just learn that homelessness isn’t so far from home after all.

We here at Roozt love little more than seeing people creating something out of seemingly nothing!  This Halloween, try your hand at some easy, creative decorations and costumes from materials you already have laying around.  For those of you who procrastinated on picking your pumpkin or buying a generic get-up, this is the perfect opportunity to show off your talents!  Here are just a few ideas for some fun last-minute projects:

courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

• Glowing Jack-O-Lantern Jars – Take glass jars in various sizes and decorate them using yellow and orange construction paper with ghoulish faces cut out.  For the full effect, stick a flashlight or electric candle inside to light up the night. So much easier than all that gutting and carving!

courtesy of Midwest Living

• Mummy Cupcakes – Start with vanilla icing on the cupcake, then use two chocolate candies as eyes, followed by a dot of icing then two mini chocolate chips.  Finish it off with stripes of green icing to give your treats an easy mummy effect!

• Fred and/or Wilma Costumes – Easy to make and always a hit!  For Wilma, take an old white sheet, fray one end, then wrap the sheet around you Grecian style.  For the necklace, you can string together white Mentos for an extra special treat.  For Fred, take an old orange sheet or purchase one at the local Salvation Army or Goodwill.  Cut a hole for the head in the middle of the sheet and cut two opposite sides into jagged ends.  Next, take an old black fabric and cut random shapes to hot-glue onto the orange sheet.  Make the tie out of construction paper and you’re off to the party – shoes not required!

courtesy of Better Homes and Garden

• Halloween Silhouette Portraits  – Pick a character for each member of your family or friends and cut out silhouettes to put into existing picture frames.  The decoration will surely put you in the Halloween spirit!

courtesy of Real Simple

• Pumpkin Pie Costume – For those seriously last-minute guys (and gals), take a solid orange shirt, cut the Pi sign out of construction paper and tape it on the front and back.  Quickest no-bake pumpkin pie you’ve ever made!

courtesy of Sunset.com

• Creepy Spider Eggs – Have a Halloween party to attend?  Bring along some of these spider deviled eggs to entertain the crowd!  Make deviled eggs using your own favorite recipe.  Take pitted black olives and cut them in half.  Put half in the middle as the body of the spider and cut the other half into little legs to go around it.  Festive, easy and affordable!

We hope some of these ideas have inspired you to get creative and be resourceful this Halloween!  It might be easy to just buy something off the shelves, but there’s so much more satisfaction when you can tell people you made it yourself.  Have a happy and safe Halloween!

It’s almost that time of year when children of all ages get to play pretend and indulge in treats.  It’s so easy to get swept up into the gluttony of Halloween so here are 5 tips on how to make this year a year of giving back.

courtesy of Parents.com

1. Find your costume at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army – How many naughty nurses and pimp costumes is too much? This year, think outside your normal Halloween costume supply stores and visit a thrift store to create your own one-of-a-kind, wallet-friendly outfit.  In the process, you’ll also be benefiting others by purchasing from organizations who support those in need.

2. Roast your pumpkin seeds for a natural, healthy snack – It’s fun to decorate pumpkins, but remember that it’s also a vegetable!  For a wonderful fall snack, clean off the seeds from the inside of the pumpkin, lay them flat on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil and salt then bake in a 300 Degree oven for 40 minutes.  You’ll be making double duty of your Halloween staple!

3. Bring Fair Trade alcohol and treats to the party – Now that we are too old to go trick-or-treating, enjoying a good old fashioned Halloween party is a must.  Still, remember to try and support Fair Trade products by picking up a bottle of Fair. Quinoa Vodka or Etica Chardonnay for your friends. For a grown-up treat, also try Coco-Zen Halloween Chocolate bars to make everyone really feel like a kid again.

4. Donate candy to soldiers – Have a ton of leftover candy and need a way to get rid of the temptation?  Operation Gratitude is a wonderful way to support our troops by sending over packages of candy or snacks to those serving overseas.  This year, convince the trick-or-treaters around you to offer some of their candy to Operation Gratitude for the sweetest treat of all.

5. Host a Halloween party for a non-profit – nothing is more fun than inviting your friends over and having a costume contest.  Put a twist to this year’s festivities by opening your party up and gathering donations for your favorite charity.  It’s a great way to meet new friends and also celebrate the non-profit that you support!

Have a safe and socially-conscious Halloween!

Love your work, work for what you love, and change the world—all at the same time.

What matters most to you? Should you focus on earning a living, pursuing your passions, or devoting yourself to the causes that inspire you? The surprising truth is that you don’t have to choose—and that you’ll find more success if you don’t.

This has always been Roozt’s belief. We don’t want to choose between earning a living, empowering socially responsible products and giving back… so we do it all.  We truly admire TOMS’ One for One movement and how they have successfully become the voice of this message. You don’t have to be rich to give back and you don’t have to retire to spend every day doing what you love. You can find profit, passion, and meaning all at once—right now.

So when TOMS Founder – Blake Mycoskie wrote a book about the whole concept called ‘Start Something That Matters’ that launched last month, the Roozt Team quickly bought a copy to see what he had to offer!

Our Final Verdict? …Easy to Read, Encouraging and Inspirational!

Roozt reccomends it to people who are just starting on a road to self discovery, finding your own niche and need some motivation.

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Book Summary

In Start SomethingThat Matters, Blake Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS, one of the fastest-growing shoe companies in the world, and combines it with lessons learned from such other innovative organizations as method, charity: water, FEED Projects, and TerraCycle. Blake presents the six simple keys for creating or transforming your own life and business, from discovering your core story to being resourceful without resources; from overcoming fear and doubt to incorporating giving into every aspect of your life. No matter what kind of change you’re considering, Start Something That Matters gives you the stories, ideas, and practical tips that can help you get started.

Many of you may know October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month (see previous post regarding this topic here), but did you know October is also Fair Trade Month?

This October is the 8th annual Fair Trade Month in the United States.  Throughout the month, conscious consumers and ethically-minded brands will unite to celebrate and promote Fair Trade. A variety of education events, in-store sampling programs and online initiatives have been planned to help increase awareness and sales of Fair Trade Certified products, ultimately leading to greater impact for farmers and workers in developing countries. The theme for Fair Trade Month 2011 is Every Purchase Matters.

By supporting and purchasing Fair Trade Products, we can help enliven developing countries, relieve exploitation and promote environmental sustainability-  Check out this application by Fair Trade USA to find Fair Trade Certified products around your area!

Check out this video to learn more about The Power of the Consumer – aka YOU!

More often than not we make donations to organizations without knowing where our money goes or who the money supports.  We feel distant from the cause and eventually downsize our contributions because we can’t see the change.  We all want to witness our hard earned dollars make an impact on another’s life.

Well today, meet Musu. Musu is about 6 years old and was found selling nuts in the slum area where we work in Monrovia, Liberia. The founder of More than Me, Katie, smiled at Musu, who was sitting in the dirt with her peanuts for sale on her side. She started following Katie with her broken flip flops slapping against the pavement. Katie walked by a vendor selling flip flops and offered to buy Musu a new pair. She was quiet when receiving them but Katie said she could tell Musu was happy with her new flipflops. Katie had to leave but put a few dollars in Musu’s peanut money bucket as well as a slip of paper with Macintosh, our Liberian program volunteers’ phone number and asked if Musu’s mom could call him. Musu’s mom called Macintosh and he went to meet up with both Musu and her mother. Musu’s mother has an eye disorder and has difficulty seeing and she has several children, none of whom are in school. Musu is one of the breadwinners for her family. Musu will now be enrolled in school next year for her first time because No One Without!

Here is the amazing part: You can help fund Musu and countless of children’s continued education by shopping at No One Without! More Than Me is just one of five amazing non-profits that N.O.W. works with in their ‘For Purpose’ business model. When you checkout with all your new tees and hoodies, you’ll have a chance to select one of the following organizations to contribute 20% of your purchase to:

More Than Me Foundation, Inc.: An organization working in developing countries to reduce poverty through the power of education.  More Than Me believes that “it is education that will provide the next generation with the tools to fight poverty and conquer disease. School also offers children a safe environment, filled with support, supervision and socialization.”

Thirst Relief International: An organization working to save lives through granting access to safe drinking water. Their goal is “to overcome death and disease resulting from the consumption of contaminated water by providing safe, clean drinking water to those in need around the world.”

Giving Children Hope: An organization supporting the roughly 22,000 homeless children in Orange County, California “by continuously providing a stable and nutritious source of food to carry home during the weekends along with providing them with nutritional education.”

These Numbers Have Faces: A non-profit working to provide college scholarships for ambitious township youth in Capetown who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity for higher education. In return for their college scholarship, TNHF scholars participate in the TNHF Community Impact Model in which they engage in community service, mentoring, tutoring, leadership & financial literacy training.

The Chisomo Idea: An African-born global grassroots movement connecting the privileged young (and young at heart) to issues of poverty in Africa and providing them with a framework for action. The group creates learning centers to build leadership skills and provide safe, engaging extracurricular activities.

Now that you know more about the 5 foundations No One Without supports, enter the Give-A-Way Contest! All you have to do is ‘Like’ N.O.W. and become a fan of Roozt on Facebook, then tell us which of the organizations you would support and why!  Entries must be posted before Midnight on October 10th. Best of luck and keep believing!

(On Left: Shirt: No One Without Sidewayz Navy, Jeans: Levis 8979, Sunglasses: Moral Eyes Bleeker Unisex Zebra Striped Wayfarer; On Right: Tank Top: No One Without Charcoal Yer World Tank Top, Necklace: Falling Whistles Gun Metal, Bag: Wayuu Taua hand-woven in Black with Multi-Color Strap Shoes: TOMS Black Canvas Classic)

As the Fall weather descends upon most of the country, many of us are swapping out our sandals and searsucker for boots and blazers. This season, why not combine style and social impact for the ultimate fashion statement?  Shop for your Fall look from the top eco-friendly, globally-responsible designers that Roozt has found to kick off your Autumn style.

One of our new favorite brands is  No One Without, a “for purpose” company offering fun graphic tees and hoodies in an array of colors. With each purchase, 20% of the profits will go to one of five charities of your choice. Each organization is involved on the ground and help young people escape poverty through education and enrichment. Add some N.O.W. tees into your wardrobe and let your inner beauty shine through.

On Left: No One Without White Yer Werld Tank, Looptworks Kampung Shorts, Hat: Krochet Kids ‘5207.5’Hand knit slouchy Beanie, Sunglasses: Proof Bud Stained Bamboo Grey, Sandals: Indosole Black Canvas; On Right: V-neck Tee: No One Without Set Er Free Depp V, Shorts: Stewart Brown Earthy Apparel, Bracelets: Light Gives Heat Neon Lights Bangle & Anchored White Bracelet, lPriti Nail Polish Color Cambridge Scarlett, Shoes: TOMS Ivory Women’s Glitter

For those of you fortunate enough to still be basking in sunshine, pair these fabulous socially-responsible accessories with your N.O.W. tees for the perfect look good, feel good ensemble.

If you are in Downtown LA tomorrow, please join Roozt in bringing your dusty, unused, or broken electronics to be recycled for a chance to win gift cards and prizes!  Roozt will be at the 7th and South Park View corner of McArthur Park from 11am – 6pm Saturday for the ReGreen Corporation’s Electronic Recycling Fundraiser.  The proceeds will go towards building a solar panel for local radio station KPFK.  Participants who bring in electronics will also be entered into a raffle to win cool prizes, including a $10 gift card for Roozt!  Twenty Roozt gift cards will be raffled out by ReGreen and if you stop by the Roozt booth and don a cool Rooster hat for a picture, you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card!  Please come support your Roosters and ReGreen at a day of fun, food and music.  We look forward to seeing you there!