Do you know Penzeys? It is a spice store, with online shopping and brick & mortar locations, too. Yesterday, I needed a few gifts for friends, and I hopped online to place an order, ready to pick-up in a few hours. Lucky for me, all of their "Choose Love" gear was half-off! A few mugs, a few dish towels, some of their amazing cinnamon* and their extra delicious spice blend, Justice - salt-free, flavorful, and so very good in scrambled eggs, strata and other egg dishes.
It felt so good to shop my values for birthday presents. I still do use Amazon (despite a deep commitment to several my local independent book stores and BookShop.org, too), because too often, I'm saving myself several trips (yes, they totally have my number). I stay away from Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A because of the actions of their owners, and my daughter has taught me a few things about "fast fashion" and how I need to be a smarter consumer of clothing, if I want to shop aligned to human rights. I try to balance these decisions with understanding cancel culture, and again, my daughter steered me to deeper learning, putting a great article** about Loretta Ross in front of me, asking me to read it and follow-up with her.
I know I can do better - to think about what I do in addition to avoiding a particular chicken sandwich here or an impulse T-shirt buy there. However, I'm celebrating the dollars spent with a values-aligned store that also brings me joy, and I think, will spread joy as I share the presents, too. It remains important to consider these small ways to make our world more just. I will try to keep choosing love, just like Auggie!
* Did you know there are all kinds of flavors & heats of cinnamons? I learned to toast some cinnamon and add it to my chili as a secret "oomph" from a Penzeys recipe.
** What If Instead of Calling People Out, We Called Them In?
My daughter shops Penzeys, and I have been the benefactor of some lovely spices including the China Cinnamon! I did not know of their "Choose Love" gifts. I may have to do some shopping on their site today. I will check out that article as well. Thanks.
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