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.

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Business

Conjoined twins separated with the help of virtual reality

"It is already historic that both of them could be saved."

Image by sasint/Canva

Surgeons prepared to separate conjoined twins in Brazil using virtual reality.

The things human beings have figured out how to do boggles the mind sometimes, especially in the realm of medicine.

It wasn't terribly long ago that people with a severe injury had to liquor up, bite a stick, have a body part sewn up or sawed off and hope for the best. (Sorry for the visual, but it's true.) The discoveries of antibiotics and anesthesia alone have completely revolutionized human existence, but we've gone well beyond that with what our best surgeons can accomplish.

Surgeries can range from fairly simple to incredibly complex, but few surgeries are more complicated than separating conjoined twins with combined major organs. That's why the recent surgical separation of conjoined twin boys with fused brains in Brazil is so incredible.

The twins, Bernardo and Arthur Lima, were almost 4 years old and had never seen one another's face. They've spent their lives conjoined at the top of their heads, facing opposite directions. Born as craniopagus twins (joined at the cranium), their brains were also fused together, making their separation extremely complex. According to the BBC, they had been cared for at the Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (Paulo Niemeyer State Brain Institute) in Rio de Janeiro for the past two and a half years.

Surgeon Noor ul Owase Jeelani is the founder of medical charity Gemini Untwined, which funded the surgery. He helped lead the team of nearly 100 medical workers who worked for months to prepare for the boys' separation, which was one of the most complicated of its kind.

Jeelani told the BBC that it was the first time surgeons in separate countries practiced by operating in the same "virtual reality room" together, wearing VR headsets.

"It's just wonderful," he said. "It's really great to see the anatomy and do the surgery before you actually put the children at any risk. You can’t imagine how reassuring this is for the surgeons. To do it in virtual reality was just really man-on-Mars stuff."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Prior attempts to separate the twins had been unsuccessful, making the surgery even more challenging due to scar tissue. However, after multiple surgeries that took more than 33 hours collectively, the boys were successfully separated in June 2022.

“It was without a doubt the most complex surgery of my career,” said neurosurgeon Gabriel Mufarrej of the Paulo Niemeyer State Brain Institute, according to EuroNews. “At the beginning, nobody thought they would survive. It is already historic that both of them could be saved."

Jeelani told the BBC that the boys' heart rates and blood pressure were "through the roof" for four days after the surgery—until they were reunited and touched hands.

According to Reuters, Bernardo and Arthur are the oldest twins with fused brains to be successfully separated.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Congratulations to the Lima family and to the global team that combined dedication, perseverance and the miracle of modern technology to create a brighter future for these young boys.

This article originally appeared on 08.04.22

conjoined twinsmedicinemodern technologyseparationvirtual realitysurgery
Science

Dad found out his son bullied a kid at school and came up with a brilliant teaching moment

"I told him that we have the opportunity to make things right."

@thehalfdeaddad/TikTok

Dad on TikTok shared how he addressed his son's bullying.

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

In January 2023, single dad Patrick Forseth shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.

The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat radical compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.

“I got an email a few days ago from my 9-year-old son's teacher that he had done a ‘prank’ to a fellow classmate and it ended up embarrassing the classmate and hurt his feelings,” the video begins.

At this point, Forseth doesn’t split hairs. “I don't care who you are, that's bullying,” he said. “If you do something to somebody that you know has the potential end result of them being embarrassed in front of a class or hurt—you’re bullying.”

bullying, kids, bully, parenting, lessons, teachable moment Kids bullying a boyvia Canva Photos

So, Forseth and his son Lincoln sat down for a long talk (a talk, not a lecture) about appropriate punishment and how it would have felt to be on the receiving end of such a prank.

From there, Forseth told his son that he would decide how to make things right, making it a masterclass in taking true accountability.

“I demanded nothing out of him. I demanded no apology, I demanded no apology to the teacher,” he continued, adding, “I told him that we have the opportunity to go back and make things right. We can't take things back, but we can try to correct things and look for forgiveness.”

@l.cant.die

Replying to @sunshinyday1227 And then it’s my kid 🤦‍♂️😡 #endbullyingnow #talktoyourkidsmore #dadlifebestlife #singledadsover40 #teachyourchildren #ReadySetLift

So, what did Lincoln do? He went back to his school and actually talked to the other boy he pranked. After learning that they shared a love of Pokémon, he then went home to retrieve two of his favorite Pokémon cards as a peace offering, complete with a freshly cleaned case.

Lincoln would end up sharing with his dad that the other boy was so moved by the gesture that he would end up hugging him.

“I just want to encourage all parents to talk to your kids,” Forseth concluded. “Let's try to avoid just the swat on the butt [and] send them to their room. Doesn't teach them anything.”

In Forseth’s opinion, kids get far more insight by figuring out how to resolve a problem themselves. “That's what they're actually going to face in the real world once they move out of our nests.”

father, son, talk, teachable moment, parenting Father and son talking.via Canva Photos

He certainly has a point. A slap on the wrist followed by being marched down somewhere to say, “I’m sorry,” only further humiliates kids most of the time. With this gentler approach, kids are taught the intrinsic value of making amends after wrongdoing, not to mention the power of their own autonomy. Imagine that—blips in judgment can end up being major character-building moments.

Kudos to this dad and his very smart parenting strategy.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

apologybullyingfatherfather and sonfatherhoodhow to deal with bullyinglessonparentsteachable momentparenting
Parenting
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51-year-old empty nester who struggled to declutter her house shares 8 tips that finally worked

"Shoes are put away immediately upon walking in the house."

Photo credit: Canva

Mom and empty nester shares her tips for decluttering her home.

Deep cleaning and decluttering a home is a daunting task—especially for empty nesters. After spending a lifetime creating memories and living together under one roof, doing a big declutter can take an emotional toll.

It's a milestone that many empty nesters know the sting of. And in an cleaning community on Reddit, a 51-year-old mom and recent empty nester shared her experience cleaning and decluttering her home after entering this new phase of life.

"In my entire life, my house has always been messy. I mean, I didn’t have a disaster-level situation going on, but if someone dropped by unannounced, it would’ve been super embarrassing," she shared. "When my kids were younger, we had a housekeeper because I just couldn’t keep up. Now that we’re empty nesters, I realized I never really learned how to keep house."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

She explained that the book Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess played an integral part in helping her declutter—and offered eight helpful tips to fellow empty nesters looking to organize their new lives.

1. Put stuff away, not down.

Her first tip is the key to decluttering.

"Whatever you have goes right back where it’s supposed to go when I’m done with it," she notes.

2. Do laundry every day.

And she doesn't just wash and dry her laundry when doing it.

"Just one load, start to finish. Wash, dry, fold, and put away," she shares. "Also, no chair or floor laundry. It gets put in the hamper or hung back up. No clothes are ever out."

3. I make the bed every day.

The benefits keep on giving by doing this, she notes.

"It just makes my bedroom look cleaner and I smile every time I come in my room," she writes. "Plus we aren’t fighting over the covers when we get in because the bed is straightened out."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

4. Do a quick daily clean-up of commonly used spaces.

She cleans the places that her and her husband use frequently.

"I keep a stack of cleaning rags in my master bath because it’s the only bathroom that’s used every single day. Every night, I spray the counter, wipe everything down, put everything back (that my husband leaves out), and wipe the mirror," she explains. "I also wipe down the toilet. I find that I don’t need a huge, big cleaning of this space because I’m keeping it up daily. Same goes for the kitchen."

5. Dishes are always put away, cabinet or dishwasher.

No dishes in the sink or stuck in the dishwasher.

"Dishes are finished in the dishwasher? It’s emptied and dirty ones are placed inside while waiting for the dishwasher to get full," she notes.

@brunchwithbabs

Life Changing Dishwasher Hack #tutorials #kitchenhacks #parentsoftiktok #dishwasherhack

6. Don't neglect your shoes.

When she takes them off, they get put away.

"Shoes are put away immediately upon walking in the house," she shares.

7. Knock out small tasks.

There is no time to waste.

"If it takes less than 5 minutes clean it while you’re waiting for something else to get done," she writes.

8. Take no days off.

Rather than assign certain days for cleaning, she is constantly doing it throughout the week.

"Lastly, I do not have scheduled cleaning days. I just do something all the time," she explains. "My life is kind of unpredictable, we love traveling or going out for the day so my so called cleaning schedule would be shot to hell every time. It’s better this way, because now I never feel behind."

Modern Families

The secret side of Disney World that runners use to maximize their vacation and relaxation

Disney's been keeping a secret.

Courtesy of runDisney

Secret side of Disney World runners keep to themselves.

Unless you belong to the exclusive club of Disney adults, going to Disney World seems like a family trip that involves a little crying, long lines, and too much junk food. Disney is for kids and Disney adults looking to relive their childhood fun, or at least that's what some might think. But there's another side to Disney that others may be unaware of: runDisney and the rejuvenation Disney parks offer for those who know where to look.

If you've never heard of runDisney, you're not alone. It's an event that takes place before the parks open and after they close, so the average park-goer may not realize the events exist. They're not even advertised on the same site as park tickets, but multiple times a year, thousands of runners descend upon Disney World and Disneyland, some dressed as characters, others just in running gear. This year, I witnessed a man dressed in a full Captain Hook costume, complete with a wig, run the Wine & Dine 5K.

runDisney is actually one of the largest race organizers in the United States, but what makes them even more unique is that the runs aren't just for runners. Disney makes the races friendly to those who wouldn't consider themselves runners, with the 5K being untimed. Several runners bring their children to run in the shorter races, though most runners were adults, it's still Disney, so kids will also enjoy the races.

runDisney; running; vacation; wine and dine half marathon; disney vacation; exercise; fitness; staying fit; young adults; vacation Fun run with creative costumes: pasta and pups!Courtesy of runDisney

Runners can choose from the 5K (3.1 miles), the 10K (6.2 miles), the half-marathon (13.1 miles), or they can do the challenge, running the 10K and half-marathon for a special medal. My friend and I signed up for the 5K so we could take our time and enjoy the experience before heading to the parks for some sans-kid fun.

Aside from runners dressed up as their favorite Disney characters as they raced along the course (I was dressed as Snow White, my friend was Cinderella), runners can catch characters cheering them along. There are also several photo opportunities with characters, because even though some races can be competitive, fun is at the top of the priority list for Disney. In addition to the characters, live bands, live choirs, and park employees cheer runners along the route. The race really leaves you pumped up, forgetting you were out running at 5 a.m.

runDisney; running; vacation; wine and dine half marathon; disney vacation; exercise; fitness; staying fit; young adults; vacation Galactic adventure awaits at nightfall in Batuu!Courtesy of runDisney

For the runners in timed races, they were there to beat their personal record and possibly come in first place to qualify for other races. Diana Bogantes Gonzalez of Costa Rica crossed the half-marathon finish line in 1:19:25, making her the first woman to cross. She followed Josh Baden of Kansas, who won the race with a time of 1:15:57, according to runDisney.

But we runners didn't come just to race; we also came to vacation. Baden tells runDisney after his win, "I just love Disney in general. I mean, Disney is amazing. My wife and I are huge Disney fans. We're raising Disney kids now and we are annual passholders so we come back as much as we can.’’

runDisney; running; vacation; wine and dine half marathon; disney vacation; exercise; fitness; staying fit; young adults; vacation Runners celebrate crossing the finish line at the 2025 Wine & Dine Half Marathon!Courtesy of runDisney

When you're at Disney World as an adult for a race weekend, the focus is on you taking your time to stroll through the parks and utilizing the Disney facilities for relaxation. It's an amazing experience for young adults who are just at Disney to run and ride all the rides they can. Because there's no pressure to be anywhere, standing in line for Everest or Avatar's Flight of Passage isn't a big deal. You're taking the time to enjoy every thrill ride the park has to offer before heading to the rarely talked about coves of relaxation.

While many of the resorts are geared towards families, there are several that are more focused on adults, which can make the resort feel more like a private getaway for your run-cation. So, if you're going to Disney to run and relax, the resort you choose can make all the difference in when the relaxation starts. There's also no need to worry about getting off track with eating healthy. We found healthy food options at the resorts and the dine-in restaurants in the parks, like micro green salads and grab-n-go "runner's packs."

runDisney; running; vacation; wine and dine half marathon; disney vacation; exercise; fitness; staying fit; young adults; vacation Disney's Tower of Terror photo with spooky bellhops.Courtesy of runDisney

People can maximize the relaxation of their run-vacation by booking a spa treatment at The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which offers relaxing massages, facials, manicures, and more. The spa also has a wet room where you can soak in the jacuzzi or detox in the steam room. Spa guests can even just hang out in their robes, drinking tea while they rest on the lounge chairs. There's no rush to get to the next place before or after your spa appointment, but even if you don't have plans to go to the spa, the resorts have hot tubs as well, so soaking your aching muscles doesn't have to cost runners anything extra.

If you're not a runner, no worries. You can be a spectator and cheer along the runners or you can enter the untimed 5K and walk the course. It's certainly an experience that keeps runners coming back year after year, because it's like a huge private party with all your favorite characters. This is an experience where people come for the run and stay for the fun.

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