Happy happy Friday! While it was only a 4 day week this week, it definitely felt just as long as a normal week. Maybe it’s because I attempted to cram just as much in as a normal week, or maybe because the weather was rainy and gross, but I’m just as excited for the weekend this Friday as I am any other. Cheers to the freaking weekend, am I right?!

As for this weekend, I’m looking forward to celebraring my sweet friend Cadence’s birthday tonight at the J. Parker {my favorite rooftop bars in the city}, heading to the Chicago Women’s march downtown tomorrow morning with friends, taking some photos for the blog on Sunday with my sweet friend Aimee, and watching the Packers {hopefully!} crush the Falcons Sunday night! While it’s definitely an action packed weekend, I’ve been trying to find more time to relax and unwind rather than totally draining myself during the weekend to be even more exhausted come Monday morning. Hopefully I’ll find some time to prep for next week, get my life in order and have a lazy morning staying in bed too long reading a good book, which has quickly become one of my new favorite weekend rituals. Hopefully you have the perfect mix of fun and relaxation ahead of you this weekend too!

In other news, I’ve been trying to simplify and be more meaningful with my decisions this year, which has actually been going better than expected. In the past I always created lofty resolutions that usually didn’t stick, so this year I’ve been trying to live by the word “simplicity” in as many ways as possible, which has actually cannonballed into trying to be more meaningful with my time and other decisions too. Since so many of my friends have birthdays coming up in the next few months {including my own in a few weeks} I’ve been trying to think of ways to make gift-giving a more meaningful by finding gifts and brands that give back to charity. After going down quite the rabbit hole of sustainable living blogs, round-ups and aggressive googling, I found a few new companies that do an amazing job at giving back to worthwhile organizations.

Here are a few of my new favorites goodies I’ll be gifting this year – they’re the perfect mix of chic and awesomely philanthropic.

1. Tory Burch Seed Box: Tory Burch basically slays at everything she does, so when she decided to put together a box that benefits her charity, you basically know it’s going to be ah-freaking-mazing. Tory features a mix of cool global companies and 100% of the profits go to help empower female entrepreneurs in underserved communities. You go, girl.

2: Desert Rose Clutch from Krochet Kids International: I discovered KK international from a feature in Real Simple a few years back, and I’ve loved the company and their mission ever since. The company employs women in empoverished communites around the world, which helps women create a stable, safer and more fufilling future for themselves and their families. Plus, the company makes adorable tees, knits, purses and more, which I am always all about.

3. Forget-Me-Knot Bracelet from Purpose: Delicate gold jewelry has become one of my favorite accessories, and this gorgeous bracelet from Purpose is at the top of my birthday list. Purpose employs women who’ve escaped sex-trafficing, allowing them free education, housing and counseling.

4. Maya Luna Pendant Necklace from Made Fair: Made Fair is a brand that curates fair trade brands from around the world, supporting a variety of philanthropic companies and cooperatives. This beautiful necklace {with a lovely name, I might add!} supports a fair trade artisan cooperative in India, which is more than I can say about my last Madewell necklace purchase…

5. Sseko Ankle Strap Flats: Sseko gorgeous leather shoes and sandals are hand-made by a group of young woman in Uganda who make the sandals to earn money to finance their university education. Not only are they philanthropicly minded, but the shoes are gorgeous – and I’m planning on investing in these pretty leather sandals this spring.

6. Estrellas Rug from The Citizenry: One of the best brands I discovered in 2016 was the Citizenry, a home decor company that works with various artisans around the globe to sell unique and beautiful pieces. I love that 10% of all proceeds go back to the artisan communities the company employs through Entrepreneur Development Grants, which help their partners grow their businesses. I’m in the market for a new living room rug, and I love the idea of purchasing one that gives back to the people who so beautifully crafted it.

7. Creme Blush from Honest Beauty: I’ve been a long-time fan of all things Honest, and I love that the company creates all-natural products that give back to a variety of organizations like FEED and Baby2Baby. I recently bought their creme blush and I love the color for spring!

8. Tiny Disk Stacker Ring  from Tribe Alive: Going back on that delicate gold jewelry comment above…you can never have enough! I love this disk ring from Tribe Alive, a company that believes in building sustainable partnerships with marginalized groups in developing countries by connecting them to the global marketplace. They have so many gorgeous jewelry pieces, accessories and home goods that I could easily see buying one of everything – which isn’t so bad when you know you’re helping others, right?

Alright – enough of my ramblings, but seriously – next time you think about buying a gift for your best friend, girlfriend or yourself, consider buying from a company that gives back first! The above are a few of my favorites, but I’d love to know what other shops you’re into too! xx