The Boho Magazine Blog

Hurrah! The summer issue is out- and it is AWESOME!! If you haven’t already subscribed, be sure to pick up a copy. You don’t want to miss out on this one.
Pip pip!

Am I the only one that freaks out when it comes to giving donations? There are so many deserving parties! Should I help animals? People? Ecosystems? Children? Gaaah!!!! I CAN’T DECIDE!!!
Because I have difficulty choosing recipients, I have decided to make donation decisions based on the organization receiving my money. Because cash is a bit scarce these days, I focus on the places that get the most bang out of my buck. After all, I don’t want 30% of my donation to go toward some large bureaucracy- I want as much of it to go directly to the intended recipients as is physically possible.
One of the charities that does this best is DonorsChoose. My room mate Caroline pointed it out to me about two years ago, and I have been raving about them ever since. On the DonorsChoose website, school teachers post proposals for various classroom improvements (such as upgraded reading materials, dry erase boards, calculators, and project supplies) that have corresponding prices attached. Proposals are screened by DonorsChoose volunteers before they make it to the site, so you can be sure they are legitimate. Once requests are posted, prospective donors have the opportunity to check them out and provide funding. DonorsChoose uses the money to purchase the requested supplies and ship them to the teacher, and donors recieve thank you notes from the class, photos, and a teacher Impact Letter.
What I love about this system is that it allows donors to know exactly where their money is going. I also love the gratification that donors get from the class pictures and thank you notes. So many charities accept donations that seem to go directly toward something tangible by giving you the chance to, say, buy a goat for a family in a developing country, however more often than not, the fine print reveals that the “goat” is only a representation of what may be purchased with your donation. DonorsChoose donations, on the other hand, go precisely where you think they will. Now that is awesome!!

[image from Twirls and Twigs]

Do you remember when green tea started showing up in everything? And pomegranates? And acai? Sometimes I wonder if our interest in them is more based on popularity rather than quantifiable merit. Back in the day, people feared saturated fat so much that food producers sought to avoid it, which led to thecreation of trans-fats. Did we think these new foods were healthier? Yep. Were they actually? Not so much.
Occasionally, I also question the merit of various organic products. It’s not that I’m against everything going organic, but industrial farming is still industrial farming, whether it is organic or not, and sometimes organic produce is shipped so far to come to our plates, we’re doing more harm than good to the environment by encouraging long-distance, carbon and pollution-gushing supply chains. For this reason, I prioritize local over organic.
But what about organic cotton? I have never been that well-informed about it. Is it worth it to buy organic cotton? Or, as with organic food, are there hidden caveats that make some types less environmentally friendly than one might imagine? I decided to do a bit of research.
What I found was that organic cotton is pretty much as good as it seems. Actually, the more I read about it, the more I felt that I never wanted to buy conventional cotton again! According to AboutOrganicCotton.org, “conventionally grown cotton consumes approximately 25% of the Insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world” and about a third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers is required to make enough cotton for just one shirt!! Yikes!
I’m glad to know that more cotton farmers are going organic every year (there was a 158% increase from 2007-2008 alone, according to the Organic Trade Association!) and that it has real merit beyond the buzz. Still, I think it’s a good idea to be skeptical about products that boast their eco-friendliness. It’s all fine and good to be up on the latest trends, but when it comes to sustainability, it’s downright square to blindly accept faulty fixes.

Thanks to the conveniences of modern transportation, communication, and retail, we live very comfortable lives. Unfortunately, these conveniences also remove us from reality. Sometimes I spend so many hours sitting in front of a computer, eating packaged food, and researching abstract topics that I hardly feel human anymore!
Thankfully, I have methods for winning back my humanity- one of which involves trekking out to the local farmers’ market.
There is so much to love about farmers’ markets! The food is fresh, the people are friendly, and the prices are fantastic (especially considering the quality you get). What’s more, buying local food and produce is great for the environment. Personally though, I adore farmers’ markets because they are splendidly grounding. I love having the opportunity to shop in the open air instead of inside some climate controlled cave, and it’s incredibly comforting to see a real connection between the food I eat and the people and places they come from. Maybe one of the biggest problems with today’s environmental crises is that we forget about our connection to the natural world. Thanks to cars, complicated supply chains, and the Internet, it’s all too easy to do so.
Fortunately, it is also extremely easy to rebuild that connection. All it takes is a little thought, and farmers’ markets provide just that (plus that DELICIOUS food. Mmmmm). Websites such as LocalHarvest.org and FarmersMarket.com make it super easy to find nearby markets, and there are many additional directories, such as Fruitstands.com, which provide market listings on both national and local levels. If you don’t frequent your local market already, I strongly encourage you to plan a visit. Nothing beats fresh air, fresh food, and a fresh connection with the beautiful world that’s all around us!

Photo by Saquan Stimpson on Flikr

Is there ever a season that’s not for giving? Birthdays are year round after all, plus there are tons of other celebrations and a whole variety of holidays in between (including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, which are quickly approaching!). Instead of buying something for your friends and family, why don’t you consider making a group gift this time around? Here are some ideas for you to consider:

The Group Letter
If you have a friend who lives far away, a great (and easy) gift to send would be a group letter. Next time you have your friends together, pass around a paper and pen, and have everyone write a little something. It’s a great way to share good times with a friend who can’t be present.

The Group Story
Let’s say you’re more on the creative side. If that’s the case, you really ought to write a group story. Instead of just having friends write a letter to the recipient, have them contribute to a story. Google Docs can make this super easy, especially if not everyone is in the same location. Chances are you’ll end up with something really hilarious- and certainly more memorable than 99% of the impersonal disposable gifts out there!

The Group Scrapbook
To give contributors more flexibility, you can allot them space in a scrap book instead of giving them a specific writing assignment. They can design special pages, include pictures, write stories, or do anything they please. In the end, you’ll have a beautiful collection of wonderfully personal contributions that the recipient will love.

The Group Photo Album
If you are planning your gift far in advance, consider this an option: buy a couple of disposable cameras (or lend out your digital), and give the recipient’s friends and family a chance to take some pictures of themselves for you to put in a special album. You can ask people to make all of the pictures related to something- such something that characterizes their relationship with this person. You’ll get really fun results!