It's OUR Responsibility to Create USA Jobs

If I hear another person demand 'what is the government doing to create jobs?' I am going to be sick. Look in the mirror and ask YOURSELF what YOU are doing to help create and support jobs in your country.

There are 2 things that anyone can do:

1. Start your own company. This takes some thought and is somewhat of a commitment.
2. Buy American-made products. This is a lot less commitment and a lot less thought.

Number (2) sounds easy, but not many people are doing it. We've become this culture of buying cheap, crappy, throw-away stuff with the idea that 'we can buy another' when it breaks.

Creating USA jobs takes an attitude shift and sacrifice on multiple levels.

Big Wheel Hot Cycle, baby! Remember those?

For consumers, instead of just walking out to buy the cheap imported item, you save your money and do some research to buy the good, domestic item. This isn't always easy, and it does involve some sacrifice. Personally, I've been struggling with a big wheel bike for my 3-year old son. Do I buy the cheap China-made Diego/Dora knockoff for $50? Or do I buy a real Made in the USA original Big Wheel for $150? Boy, I WANT one of those original big wheels for my son. So, I'm going for it. We'll just tighten our belts in other ways to pay for it.

The owners of the big companies need an attitude shift, too. There needs to be a sacrifice of short-term profit for the long-term goal of getting the American economy moving again. This is the hard one. Between Wall Street's pressure to have high profits, and the allure of a $1million bonus check if you do a good job, only certain C-level folks are willing and able to make the long-term investment.

What can we do as consumers to 'encourage' companies to make this investment?

Hurrah for New Balance!

First, support the companies that are already keeping their manufacturing in the USA. They NEED our support. Take the example of New Balance shoes. New Balance is the last major athletic shoe brand to manufacture footwear in the United States. They are struggling with foreign competition and free trade agreements that give the advantage to manufacturers from the outside. If you want to help support jobs, support companies like these!

Second, contact the companies that aren't manufacturing in the USA and complain. Especially the ones that used to do it. E-mails or letters are best because they are written correspondence. Express your frustration that more of their products aren't still made here. Tell them that you'll be taking your business elsewhere if they don't come back to the US.

Imagine what would happen if even one quarter of us here in the USA did this; I bet a lot of companies would come back in a hurry. Why don't we try and find out?

The Digital Amusement Park Photo Download is finally here

I just got back from my vacation, which included a trip to Hershey Park.

And I experienced an idea whose time has finally come: the ability to purchase the digital copy of the photos that those roller coaster cameras take. The parks have been taking these photos digitally for a while; I am THRILLED to see that I can now buy it. The pricing was great. I could have paid $15 for a print (that I would have bent almost immediately) or $14 for a digital download and a keychain with the image on it. It's not a good option for people who are not technically savyy, but makes a world of sense for those of us who used computers a lot.  I've downloaded my copy, and I'll be sending it to Snapfish to make prints for my folks, soon.  W00t!

Cool Shirt ... and Made in the USA, too? Whoa

I was sifting through the clothes at COSTCO the other day and stumbled on some shirts I really liked. I do not need new shirts. Not one bit. I have plenty of shirts. As I turned to walk away, I noticed the sign, Made in USA.

Stacks of Made in USA awesomeness

Really? I bought one, took it home and tried it. I love it. It is so soft and so pretty. It is made by SledgeUSA in California. I went back and bought 3 more. I love them all.

I must confess that I am suspicious of all these clothing manufacturers popping up in Southern California. (BedHead is another one.) I can't help but wonder if some illegal immigrant labor is being used, or if the fabric is being imported. Regardless, I'd rather have it being made here, keeping more of the money here, than made in Mexico or over in China.

Hurrah for Costco, and Hurrah for SledgeUSA.

Want great style at low cost? Check out the pajamas!

I hate shopping for clothes. Despise it. But about four times a year, after I get my hair cut at the big Tyson's Galleria mall (Tyson's Corner,Virginia), I give shopping a whirl to see if it is as awful as I remember it. (It generally is.)

Last week, I meandered through several 'designer' stores (with horrible clothes at exorbitant prices) and then ended up in Macy's.  I wandered through Macy's, taking in the horror. Striped, cropped pants paired with a flowered shirt, belted with a bright sash, and accessorized with a sequined scarf. Gad. Everything was just horrible. And the items that weren't quite as horrible were overpriced and cheaply made in another country (usually China). I really needed a pair of black slacks, so I tried on a few, but they were awful. Too tight at the top, huge at the bottom. Do these things actually fit people?

Like my 'sundress'?

I had given up and was getting ready to leave, but decided to visit the ladies' room first. I had to walk through Pajamas/Lingerie (a.k.a., 'Intimates') and Maternity to get to there. And that's when I hit the jackpot. The clothes in these two sections were actually good looking and were generally half the price of the 'normal' clothes.  I grabbed a few and tried them on. Not too bad a fit. Not bad at all. Pretty cheaply made, overseas, but definitely a better value than the rest of the store provided.

My friend Carolina and I would always joke that the best kept secret was maternity underwear (comfy, stretchy, fabulous). It appears now that the whole intimate department may be jumping on that bandwagon. I actually ended up buying several pieces of clothing from what I tried on. I've already worn some of them out, and gotten compliments. I got a pair of $15 black sleek pajama bottoms that I wore for an evening out, with a silver shaw. I also a $19 pajama top that makes a great sundress.

I'm not sure what to make of a world where the only clothes that I like are in the PJ section. Maybe it means I shouldn't get up in the morning. Then again, maybe it just means that the best designers are currently making intimate apparel while they build up enough 'street cred' to move up. I'm sure hoping it is the latter.

Stores are loud enough without this

blah, blah, blah

I was walking through the Giant grocery store the other day, and I realized that in addition to the background music coming over the main speakers, there was something else playing, too. I looked around and finally figured out it was a little screen advertising Nice 'n Easy hair products.

Gad.

In an age where everyone is supposedly asking "How can we save electricity?" the idea that we are putting energy into manufacturing and powering tiny advertising screens like this is frightening. And combined with the noise of the other shoppers and carts and kids and music, it was just annoying.

If marketing folks want to be able to put more information in front of shoppers, I think that the way of the future is the smart-phone-scannable Quick Response (QR) code. Everyone is switching to smart phones. (And even if you don't want to, you're going to need to because your old phone will wear out and you won't be able to get a new battery for it.) Using a QR scan, you can find out more info, get instructions for using the product, get special offers, etc. This is a much better technology to invest in, retail folks. Please don't start investing in your own little in-store TVs.

Why are you merchandising AFTER the register?

Why do stores pile up a bunch of stuff with big sale signs on them right AFTER the cash registers? I have actually thought once or twice, 'Oh, I could use that,' but if I've just stood in line for 30 minutes, there is just no way I am going to get back in line to buy one more item.

I think that maybe the stores are just out of space and don't have anywhere to put these things? It just seems silly.

Check out my New, Green, USA Shoes!

Last year, I first discovered Okabashi Shoes. Made in the USA, and capable of being recycled into new shoes, they are pretty nifty.

my new shoes

This year, I finally got two Okabashi pairs for myself, and I'm loving them. Each was under $20; a price point that no one can complain about. They are decently comfy -- certainly more so than the Jelly fad of the 1980s -- and come in great colors.  I got a green pair of clogs that I use in the garden. (These are PERFECT for that.) And, I've got a pair of red 'strappy' shoes that I've worn to work a few times with great success.

Anyone else tried these and can comment on them? Has anyone actually returned them to be recycled?