upworthy

Skip Black Friday and shop discounts at these companies making a positive impact on the world

Michelle Gant
11.27.19
Courtesy of DoneGood

While Thanksgiving is meant to celebrate all we have to be grateful for, it's also the unofficial kick-off to the holiday shopping season. Last year, Americans spent about $1 trillion on gifts. What if we all used that purchasing power to support companies that reduce inequality, alleviate poverty, fight climate change, and help make the world better?

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the coming days will have spending on everyone's brains. But in an effort to promote the companies doing good for the world, DoneGood founder Cullen Schwarz created Shop for Good Sunday (which falls on December 1 this year.)

Dubbed the "Alternate Black Friday," Shop for Good Sunday is dedicated to encouraging people to shop brands that do good for people and the planet. It also serves as a reminder to support local businesses making a positive impact in their communities.

While Shop for Good Sunday technically falls on a single day, this year, participating ethical and sustainable brands are running discounts for the whole week prior.

Where you invest your dollars matters, and there's great potential to put that money to good use if you know how. Check out these six brands that sell amazing products while also making a positive impact on the world. You'll not only be getting your loved ones meaningful gifts, but also making the world a brighter place along the way.

Isn't that what the holidays are really about?

Functional outdoor gear

Parque Rain Shell

Cotopaxi makes unique, sustainable outdoor gear, like this Parque rain shell, while keeping ethics at the core of its business model. The company gives 1% of its annual revenue to organizations that fight poverty and improve the human condition.

Modern furniture

Simbly Coffee Table

Simbly is a direct-to-consumer furniture company that sells modern, sustainable products built in the U.S. made of FSC-certified wood. And for every product sold, the company plants a tree.

Beautiful jewelry

Tho Bar & Geo Buffalo Horn Earrings

Hathorway is a jewelry company that handcrafts its accessories with materials like ethically-sourced up-cycled buffalo horns and handwoven rattan. Each item is designed and assembled in the U.S. with thoughtfully selected materials sourced from Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea. A portion of the company's profit goes to initiatives that empower young, underprivileged women.

Luxe linens

Bamboo Charcoal Sheet Set

Ettitude crafts its home textiles from CleanBamboo fabric, a unique material made from 100% organic bamboo, the most resource-efficient plant on the planet. It also requires significantly less water to grow and produce than traditional cotton textiles. The products are also ethically made and come in packaging made from extra pieces of fabric.

Unique wood wares

The Charcuterie Board

Would Works creates and sells beautiful household wood products handcrafted by people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty. The company works with its artisans to provide job skills, financial literacy, and an income so they can reach their financial goals.

Empowering candles

She Inspires Candle

Prosperity Candle products are created by women refugees building a brighter future for themselves and their families. Each candle is made of soy-blend wax with essential oils hand poured in a well-designed container that is easily refilled or repurposed.

Find more of these great deals at DoneGood!

*Upworthy may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through affiliate links on our site.

black fridaycyber mondayshop for goodsustainability
Business

Guy put a weird Tinder exchange to music. Now it's a hit anthem for baffling questions.

Warning: You might be singing "I have one daughter" to yourself for the rest of the week.

Photo credit: Canva

"I Have One Daughter" has become an unexpected summer anthem.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who simply didn't make sense? You said something, and the other person responded in a way that didn't fit at all with what you said, but no matter what you say, they don't seem to get why the exchange is confusing. So then you're left scratching your head and wondering if you are one who was confused in the first place.

We've all been there, and now we have a theme song that exemplifies the phenomenon. And strangely enough, the lyrics come from a real but weird Tinder dating app conversation, which makes it all the more hilarious.

tinder, confusion, i have one daughter, weird conversations, john travolta Tinder is a dating app where you get matched with strangers of your choosing. Giphy

A guy who goes by Lewky has been putting all kinds of bizarre Tinder conversations to music on TikTok. Still, one text exchange that starts with a man asking a woman if she has any kids and quickly devolves into chaos has gone mega viral. Not only have there been over 17 million views on the original video, but people continue to use the audio to create their own videos tailored to their own baffling conversations.

Here's how the original conversation went:

"Do you have any kids?"

"Yes, I have one daughter. How about you?"

"How many baby daddies do you have? if you don't mind me asking."

[…]

"I have one daughter."

"I understand that, is she by the same father?"

"I don't understand…"

@lewky____

This guy needs a math tutor #datinglife #funnysong #tindermusical

The song is catchy, no? People loved it, but this video isn't where many first heard it, as it quickly became a meme song that people attached to their own videos, portraying conversations they've had that feel like this.

For instance, a woman who has biracial kids with two different skin tones used it to illustrate conversations she's had with people who can't seem to grasp the way genetics work and who assume her daughters must have different dads.

@rubyselena123

blows my mind people don’t understand how genetics work 😂 #ihaveonedaughtertrend #biracialkids #toddlermom #momof2

Another woman used the song to share conversations she's had with people about her background as a Nigerian and her ability to speak fluent English. She explains that English is the official language of Nigeria, but people still compliment her on how well she speaks English and assume she must have learned it elsewhere.

@cynthiadieyi

Inspired by real life events 🥰 #firstgen #expatlife #fyp #foryourpage #foryoupageofficial #explorepage #ihaveonedaughter #lipsync

There are countless videos of people sharing how their racial, ethnic, or national identities seem to confound people. One woman used the "I Have One Daughter" song to illustrate ICE harassing Puerto Ricans.

"Several incidents involving federal agents, reportedly from Homeland Security (DHS) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have occurred at or near the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago, prompting claims of intimidation," she wrote. "And this how I imagine it went."

@cartoonyourmemories

#doyouhaveanykids

(Apparently, a lot of people don't understand that Puerto Ricans are American citizens who can't be deported.)

The song has branched out to all kinds of conversations about very niche topics. For instance, here's an exchange inspired by real events between an anesthetist and a surgeon who seems to think breathing movements somehow negate complete paralysis.

@triciapendergrastmd

Inspired by real events… #ihaveonedaughter #residentphysician #anesthesiatiktok #surgery #trending #fypシ゚viral #fyp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp

There are numerous versions of the "I Have One Daughter" song meme, and they're giving people life (while simultaneously giving them an earworm that they are almost guaranteed to be singing to themselves all week).

Lewky has created an extended version of the song, which is available on streaming music services. It just expands the confusion by listing off a bunch of celebrities who have daughters, saying those daughters don't all have the same father, as if that explains the argument being made. No, it doesn't make sense. That's the entire point.

@lewky____

I Have One Daughter Extended Version Feat Sad Alex is now out and streaming everywhere!!! Thank you @sad alex for adding her awesome vocals and writing to this song! #funnysong #comedysong #datinglife

Aren't humans just delightful?

You can follow Lewky on TikTok for more Tinder conversation tunes.

comedytindertinder textstinder conversationconfusing conversationsi have one daughterearwormtiktok memeinternet memehumor
Internet

Woman's cheeky PSA to swap sports metaphors for makeup lingo at work has other women applauding

"The deal's not over before we apply the setting spray" needs to be said in offices immediately.

@arikraemerhq/TikTok

Can we please normalize this??

Anyone who’s worked in an office setting knows that corporate lingo and sports jargon go hand-in-hand. In fact, the two are intertwined within history, but that’s another story. But while there’s nothing wrong with “knocking it out of the park” or “being a team player,” what if workplace language took a more feminine turn?

This was the thought experiment that began after Ari Kraemer, a 32-year-old sales and marketing professional from Minnesota, began quite literally flipping the workplace script by injecting makeup and beauty metaphors into the conversation. Honestly, it’s something Elle Woods would be so proud of.

In Kraemer's first video, posted in May, she says things like, "I know we want to move forward with this, but are we adding the foundation before the primer here?" and, "I'm seeing buying signals here too, but the deal's not over until we add our setting spray," which beauty aficionados will immediately understand.

@arikraemerhq We’re gonna need a full beat to win this pitch
♬ original sound - Ari Kraemer

If you need a translation, Kraemer is basically suggesting that someone is getting ahead of themselves in the first statement, and that the “deal” isn’t over until a final, cementing action is taken in the second. So maybe like, “You’re stepping up to the plate without a bat” and, “The game’s not over until the clock reaches 0:00”? I don’t know…I’m not a sports person!

Kraemer’s silly-but-smart video quickly went viral and got such positive feedback.

"Great analysis of how gendered language is," one person shared.

Another said, “As someone who works at Ulta corporate, I’m using all of these.”

Similarly, another added, “I work in cosmetic science. I’m going to legit start using these at work.”

And of course, people were inspired to contribute their own suggestions.

"We're aiming for a natural glow, not a full beat."

"I think we're veering on blush blindness with this. Let's scale back."

“Great initial idea, needs a blending shade.”

“You’re trying to add lashes before the glue is tacky.”

"The client wants Charlotte Tilbury quality on an NYX budget."

Following her viral success, Kraemer has posted quite a few more of these bad boys. Including one below where we really get to see makeup and sports metaphors go head-to-head…ultimately coalescing in the most wholesome way.

And to think, this all started after going to a work summit where the speaker constantly used sports metaphors, leaving Kraemer and a female colleague feeling isolated. "It kept distracting from his point," she said in an interview with BuzzFeed. "My female colleague and I joked about it, and I thought, Why not flip the script? Why do we always default to sports and war when talking about business?"

In a subsequent interview with Newsweek, she added that, "Traditional sports metaphors feel overused, and they exclude those of us who do not follow sports.” She believes her videos “resonated because so many women want to show up in ways that reflect their authentic experience.”

@arikraemerhq Replying to @anna f curtis • skincare stuff more requests from the comments and a few originals #corporatehumor #womeninbusiness #worklife ♬ original sound - Ari Kraemer

And for those who would like to infuse a bit more beauty gab into the workplace to give it a true glow-up, Kraemer even wrote a book, titled Touching Up, compiling some of her most beloved makeup-inspired phrases. The book, of course, is an unapologetic hot pink. Again, so Elle Woods-coded. Love to see it.

ari kraemerbeautymakeupcorporateworkofficeworkplacewomen in the workplacegender rolesgendered languagelanguage
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Bargain shoppers share 32 half-price items that are actually the biggest money wasters

"Half the price, but you use 3× as much."

Image via Canva/Oleksandra Polishchuk

People share cheap items that are not worth buying.

Bargain shopping is a smart way to save money, however, the appeal of buying cheap or heavily discounted items can end up backfiring. While you may spend less up front, cheap products are often poor quality.

To avoid wasting money, thrifty consumers shared the half-price products and cheap items they've purchased that have not been worth it. These are 32 cheap products that are not worth it.

half price, half price items, half price shopping, bargain shopping, cheap Add To Cart Buy One Get One GIF by VeMoBro Philippines Giphy

"Any bad cleaning product, honestly pointless just makes things dirtier and ruins them, especially clothing!" - KindOfKissed

"If you are a company that tries to save money by buying 0 ply toilet paper, just know that I'm using four times as much as I need just to spite you for trying to spend half as much." - MoreLikeZelDUH

"Paint. Buy the cheapest and it's just colored water and the walls won't look good even after 4 coats. End up buying better paint to finish the job. Buy 2 rubbish buckets and 1 medium one. Spend days. Buy the good stuff and one coat is enough. Use only part of 1 bucket in 1 afternoon. Save the rest for the next job." - Zombie-dodo

"Watered down dish detergent and hand soap from the dollar store." - Alexis_J_M

"Cheap paper towels. They’re so thin that you have to use several sheets just to get the job done." - -titikaka-

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Bin bags! I haven’t had a split bag since I started buying thicker more expensive bags a couple of years ago. Avoiding bin juice incidents = priceless." - tethermops

"As I'm painting the kitchen right now, I'd like to add masking tape. The cheap stuff I still had in the basement is total crap compared to the roll of professional masking tape the plasterer left me." - bluemercutio

"Boots if you work a blue collar job. If you cheap out on boots, you’ll spending more money either buying replacements or in medical bills. Spend the money upfront for a quality pair, and you’ll save more money on the long run." - RecipeAggravating176

"I’ll add socks to this…a pair of Darn Tough wool socks costs about $25. But, they will outlast 25 pairs of bulk whites, will keep your feet drier, and won’t ever bunch up or slide down." - rufuckingkidding

"Chargers. i used to buy the cheapest ones all the time, then realized a more expensive one lasts way longer." - mydoghaslonghair

thrifty, being thrifty, cheap shopping, shopping deals, cheap items Leah Remini Budget GIF by TV Land Giphy

"Costco tortilla chips. You use 3x as much because they are good, and the bag is really big." - zoqfotpik

"Shampoo and conditioner." - jorgentwo

"Cheap clothing, especially shoes, is a pretty classic example. I have some 20 year old pairs of shoes that still look great. Some have had repairs, but most just show minor wear that can't be cleaned away." - Samsquanch-Sr

"Kids' shoes, but it doesn't really matter. The soles are thin rubber and the insides are CARDBOARD. That sucks, but kids outgrow shoes so fast, it doesn't matter. So buying three pairs of cheap little kids shoes is better than one high quality shoe because that good shoe will last, but be too small in just a few months. Whereas you could have bought new lesser quality shoes in three different sizes and before they break, the kid needs the next size anyway." - ClownfishSoup

"I've found that if I spend $5-$10 on a single pen that's just a little nicer than the kind I used to buy in packs, I go years without losing it. When I used to buy packs of five for around the same price, I would lose them all the time, and had to buy new pens way more frequently." - MaskedBandit77

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Name brand deodorant at Dollar stores. It's 5% cheaper, but up to 15% less product in the same size container. 3oz compared to 3.4+oz." - weasil22

"Herbs and Spices. I used to buy whatever the least expensive one was, and more recently started buying organic herbs and spices in bulk from the organic market. Not only is it cheaper because you're not paying for the container, they're of higher quality and taste dramatically better." - 900mg_caffeine

"Non-Stick pans. Very few non-stick pans are actually built in a way that they will last more than 2 years. Most last less time than that. Buy a quality pan, die with a quality pan. Cast iron, carbon steel, stainless steel, copper are usually great options." - AnonymousMenace

"Cheap batteries. Might cost half as much, but works for 1/10th of the amount of time." - Grounds4TheSubstain

"Idk if it’s a 'good' example but the generic disposable tooth flossers at CVS are absolute garbage compared to the name brand. Usually the floss slips out after 4-5 teeth. Worst $2 I ever saved." - christyless

cheap, cheap stuff, cheap shopping, cheap items, cheap products Cheap GIF Giphy

"Toilet drain snake. Pay for a 'Toilet' version and don’t just use a regular snake. The toilet versions do not scratch up your toilet. Yes this was my last Wednesday night. Haha!" - Temporary-Age-1841

"Laptops." - GreyGriffin_h

"Fabric scissors. I splurged on ginghers with a 50% off coupon. No more jagged cuts and last a lifetime and beyond." - Radiant_Ad_6565

"Definitely agree with bandaids. Every time I've tried a store brand to save money, they just don't stick on as well as the real thing." - Tannhauser42

"The blister on my finger is telling me oven mitts. Just learned that lesson." - apexncgeek

Community

American ordering Chipotle abroad reveals subtle difference between USA and UK English

Though he said 'Please' and 'Thank You' many times, British people said he was being rude.

MiosotisJade via Wikimedia Commons/Photo credit: Canva

American ordering Chipotle in the UK has British people upset.

It's pretty safe to say that in the United States, it's universally accepted that saying "please" and "thank you" are considered good manners. They're two of the first few words we're taught after baby babble starts becoming single-syllable words. Every household will vary on whether you should seek permission for something by saying "can I" or "may I," but "please" and thank you" will always be signs of politeness.

A man named Noah Osborne was on a trip in the UK recently when he found a Chipotle restaurant. In a TikTok video, he excitedly brings the audience along as he orders food from this American restaurant chain in the land of tea and crumpets. Nothing seems amiss from the American viewers' point of view, but his seemingly very polite ordering technique bristled the Brits. According to a number of people across the pond, the main issue is that he was rude.

British; American; Chipotle; fast food; chain restaurant; good manners; rude americans; british manners Chipotle's inviting entrance, ready for customers to enjoy a meal.MiosotisJade via Wikimedia Commons

In the video, Osborne's tone is light and friendly; he greets the workers upon entering and continuously says "please" and "thank you" throughout the ordering process. It's a seemingly overly polite interaction by someone who appears not to want to offend the locals. Since Chipotle is much like an assembly line, Osborne uses his manners before and after every added ingredient—something that might be a bit too much for an American Chipotle worker.

"Guys, I just stumbled upon Chipotle in London, and now I feel like I have to try it on my last night here and compare, see which one's better," Osborne explains as he enters the restaurant. "Hi. Can I do a bowl, please? Here please," he says in response to the worker asking if he'd be dining in. "Do you have white? Ok, yeah. That's my only option," he nervously chuckles as she scoops brown rice into the bowl before she asks about the type of beans. "Let's do black, please."

British; American; Chipotle; fast food; chain restaurant; good manners; rude americans; british manners Enjoying coffee and conversation at an outdoor café.Photo credit: Canva

The entire interaction is full of pleasantries to convey appropriate manners, but British folks thought the process from start to finish showed just how "rude" Americans are, with one person writing, "'Please can I have' must not be in the US language."

Another says, "Maybe if you weren’t so rude you’d have gotten the portion size you wanted. 'I’ll do'. How about please may I have? Gross."

One person asks, "Manners banned in the US?" While someone else throws out, "Maybe she gave you less cause you talked like that."

@notnoahosbrne Chipotle in the UK vs the US @Chipotle #uk #ukfood #londonfood #americanfood ♬ original sound - notnoahosbrne

It seems that the main complaint is the order in which he used "please," that riled up the British viewers. Apparently, in the UK, they prefer you to place the "please" at the front of the sentence. The other complaints were not only criticizing the placement of "please" but also his use of the phrase, "I'll do." It would seem that if you're ordering food in the UK, you should speak as if you're the titular character of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist: "Please, sir, may I have some more?"

In all seriousness, there are cultural differences in the United States itself. In southern states, you'll likely hear a lot of people say "May I," while in northern states, you'll hear more people say "Can I." If the phrases change from state to state, they're likely to change from one English-speaking country to the next, and Americans were quick to point this out in defense of a fellow American.

British; American; Chipotle; fast food; chain restaurant; good manners; rude americans; british manners A restaurant counter.Photo credit: Canva

"Being rude is only relative to your own culture. I’ve been to the UK several times and I initially saw them as very cold, sarcastic, and judgmental. But I never was offended because I realized they had different cultural practices. Being introspective is an important trait," one American argues.

"Thats how we order here guys relax different countries have different mannerisms, and here in the STATES thats considered good," another chimes in.

"A lot of you in the comments are insufferable my goodness do a lot of you not comprehend there are different ways that Americans learn what politeness is? And as long as he’s saying please and thank you why tf does it matter he was in no way shape or form being rude" one person responds.

British; American; Chipotle; fast food; chain restaurant; good manners; rude americans; british manners Frustrated woman reacting to text on her phone.Photo credit: Canva

"It's completely acceptable that he's traveling and not going to use the same phrases as a native Brit. That expectation is completely unattainable. It would take several visits or longer stays to speak as a native would that goes for any English speaking country. Just like if a Brit visits the States we aren't going to expect them to automatically know how to speak as a United States English speaker. Also things to consider, we have a lot of different races and cultures here such as people who are native Spanish speakers and that also influences how people speak in certain regions. I'm sure this war with the Brits ended in the 18th Century and we should appreciate our differences rather than argue what is correct or not," someone else declares.

Some sort of American Bat Signal must've been shone because Americans quickly outpaced the British in the comments to the point where new commenters are confused about what people are arguing over. The overwhelming defense by Americans, aside from frustratingly pointing out the double standard for when British people visit the States, was arguing cultural differences. We're all a little different from country to country, and that's okay. Osbourne has certainly learned a unique cultural lesson, and the Brits in the comments have learned to have a bit more grace for tourists.

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