Ever feel overwhelmed when it comes to finding fashion that speaks directly to you? Are you looking for a brand that offers more than just a high-end or popular label? Do you support companies with valuable products that inspire you to take the world by storm and live up to your potential rather than fall in line behind others? What about stylists who design for a cause? If you answered “yes” to any of these, then we’ve got something in common! We too crave more when it comes to the statements we wish to make with our clothes and accessories. Get inspired with us as we explore the options for those seeking serious style with a purpose.

Tees with quotes are definitely having a moment in fashion! While most teens and young adults are sporting Beyoncé’s “I Woke Up Like This” lyrics or something of the like as part of their favorite fashion, it’s probably more of a cry for attention rather than a form of self-expression. Ditch the monotonous memes, habitual hashtags and clichéd quotes that have saturated the clothing industry, and opt for All the Above Clothing.  ATA Clothing line for men and women features tees inspired by precious life moments and experiences rather than pop culture. Pulling inspiration from unlikely sources throughout life and history, ATA pairs abstract designs with meaningful themes that are sure to tug at your heartstrings. Whether it’s heaven, freedom, giving, unanswered prayers or courage, ATA Clothing features products that reach the heart and soul of their customers. To view the entire collection, visit ata-clothing.com.

Find and keep your daily motivation with casual jewelry born out of one woman’s need for inspiration. With an assortment of casual sporty pieces ranging from bracelets to shoelace charms, Momentum’s athletic jewelry will keep your motivation going strong. Amy, Momentum’s founder, was in search of a little something extra when planking during a fitness class! What a simple yet powerful “you’ve got this!” would have meant at the time is what inspired her to create functional fashion to get others through a tough workout or even a tough day! Whether at work, at play or on the go, this personal champion is the perfect pick-me-up! With a visible reminder to “Dig Deep” or “Live Every Day with Intention,” these vibrant baubles will truly speak to you when you need it most! To shop all of Momentum’s looks, visit DesignsThatMoveYou.com.

It was a simple request from her 10-year-old son Oliver that drove Mindy Scheier to challenge conventional clothing options for children and adults with physical disabilities. Suffering with muscular dystrophy, Oliver’s request to wear jeans to school left Mindy questioning why jeans were not created to fit over her child’s leg braces he needed in order to walk. She saw this request from her son as an opportunity to enhance his options by adapting mainstream clothing to fit those who are differently-abled. Whether confined by a wheelchair, leg braces or other obstacle that once left a person with fewer fashion options, the possibilities are now improving thanks to Mindy’s Runway of Dream Foundation. Now the authority on adapting mainstream clothing, Runway of Dreams’ goal is to “change the fashion landscape so it’s inclusive of everyone,” especially children like Mindy’s son. Collaborating with major players in the fashion industry, not-for-profit Runway of Dreams has launched a successful indiegogo campaign which encourages people to take action and change the lives of those struggling with fewer clothing options due to physical disabilities. Ultimately, the designer hopes that Runway of Dreams will become an option in major mainstream clothing stores throughout the nation and beyond. To support Runway of Dreams, visit RunwayOfDreams.org.

In her hometown of Montreal, Canada, Amanda was gearing up to raise money for The Women’s Weekend to End Breast Cancer, when she re-discovered her love for crafting unique jewelry that would help support a cause. Amanda, along with her sister Tiffany, launched Sweetheart Jewelry Box, an affordable and hand-made line of jewelry featuring bracelets, earrings and necklaces that won’t break the bank. Using gorgeous glass beads and chic crystals in their designs, Amanda and Tiffany have made it easy to find pieces to layer or match with others in their collection.  “We’re pursuing our dream to be creative on a daily basis,” says Amanda. “We are passionate about what we do and hope you can see the love we put into each handmade piece.” These delicate and feminine baubles can be found at SweetheartJewelryBox.com, and with the majority of the collection below $20, you’ll have the look of luxury without paying the price!

The post Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

November 4, 2014 – This week, crowdfunding platform, Deposit a Gift, announces it’s #GivingTuesday Give Back program to inspire users to engage in the 3rd annual global day of giving on December 2nd. Deposit a Gift joins the ranks of businesses, charities, communities, religious organizations and individuals who are transforming the holidays with this powerhouse day of giving.

In the spirit of the season, Deposit a Gift will be giving back too. The site is happy to announce that it will waive its platform fee and donate it back to participating campaigns.They will also be offering a free webinar prep course, extra marketing support and special social media spotlights. Founder and CEO, Dana Ostomel, is thrilled to offer this to our customers, “One of the greatest joys of running Deposit a Gift is our ability to help people on a mass scale. It’s our pleasure to take this opportunity to galvanize our community to give back and offer our support on #GivingTuesday.”

Deposit a Gift and #GivingTuesday are a natural fit. #GivingTuesday is practically built for crowdfunding and who better to lead the charitable charge than Deposit a Gift, a company who’s name is based in giving. Deposit a Gift is dedicated to making the process of getting involved with #GivingTuesday as simple as possible. It’s perfect for kicking off a year-end appeal or fundraising for a specific need.

To learn more about how it works, please visit: http://www.depositagift.com/raise-money-for-a-cause

About Deposit a Gift
DepositaGift.com is the most flexible funding platform for organizational and personal fundraising. The all-in-one platform for donations, sponsorships and ticket sales is built to leverage social networks and viral sharing! For anyone looking to raise money and rally supporters, Deposit a Gift offers the perfect way to showcase exactly what you want money for and incite people to contribute. Launched in 2010, Deposit a Gift serves the growing need to raise money online for anything from charitable organizations and disaster relief, to school fundraising, help with medical bills, memorial funds, pet rescue or crowdfunding a personal project. To learn more and start your fundraiser today, visit: http://www.depositagift.com

The post Deposit a Gift Joins the #GivingTuesday Movement to Inspire Spending with Purpose appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

The holidays are a beautiful time of year when we can gather with our families to celebrate the joy of giving, but with kids’ gifts drawing the majority of spend during the holidays it’s all the more important to help kids understand just how fortunate they are.  That’s why it is important to keep kids grounded and focused on giving rather than getting during this holiday season.

Here are some tips from mom insider Laurie Schacht on how to teach your kids the joy of giving:

1. Charity Learn-A-Thon: Take some time this holiday season to teach your kids about some of the wonderful charities out there, and the important work they do. You can even turn it into a fun family trivia game by making flash cards that list charities’ descriptions and getting kids to guess the name of the organization. Then, encourage kids to think about which causes touch their hearts the most. Tykoon has over 75 charities listed on the site with descriptions so it’s a good place for kids to start picking up social awareness.

2. Experience the act of giving: Take a family outing during the holidays to volunteer at your kids’ favorite charities or at a soup kitchen.  This experience can give them a real sense for how important it is to help those in need, and can make lasting impressions and amazing family memories.

3. Pay it forward: It’s easy for kids to lose sight of just how lucky we all are during the holidays, especially as family members shower them with gifts. To help kids remember and share some of their joy with those less fortunate, try instituting a pay-it-forward policy for holiday gifts: For every gift your kids receive, encourage them to donate a certain number of minutes of their time to volunteer for or donate a few dollars to the cause of their choice.

4. It takes a village, so get it involved: Inform extended family and friends about your mission and get them involved! Work together to teach and encourage your kids to give. Consider having family match their contribution for donations and encourage kids to remember those in need.  

5. Manage cash gifts responsibly: Helping your kids manage their holiday cash gifts is a fantastic opportunity to start teaching them the basics of money and set them on the right track to a steady financial future. Help them practice money management skills by making sure that any cash gifts are managed responsibly, with pre-determined percentages going to savings and giving as well as spending.

6. Wishlists for others: When crafting holiday wishlists this year, encourage kids to add in items or donations for those in need, not just for themselves.

Tykoon is an online rewardbank for kids and parenting tool (Web & iOS) that makes it easy to connect with charities and apply all the tips above with built-in wishlists, savings trackers, task lists, direct donations and extended family sharing.  Tykoon allows your kid to determine how much they wish to allocate to giving, choose their favorite charities, and make parent-approved donations. They can earn virtual badges for their donations, and share their activity with parent-approved family and friends. These friends and family members can access the child’s ‘Wishlist’ on the Tykoon shop platform to treat your kids for their efforts.

The post Teaching Your Kids the Joy of Giving appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Ouchies will pick 5 winners, with each of their designs in a tin where 100% of the profits goes to three pediatric cancer organizations: Cookies for Kids Cancer, Childhood Leukemia Foundation and American Childhood Cancer Organization. 

Help in the fight against Pediatric Cancer with Ouchies For Others. This is the first program of its kind: A special line of bandages designed to help others. An essential component to the Ouchies for Others program is our partnerships with outstanding organizations. 100% of the profits from this program benefit our partnered organizations who are devoted to the fight against Pediatric Cancer and helping put a smile on the face of the kids affected.Now is your chance to design a custom Ouchies bandage!

For this contest, Ouchies For Others is partnering with: 

• Childhood Leukemia Foundation (www.clf4kids.org)
• Cookies for Kid’s Cancer (www.cookiesforkidscancer.org)
• American Childhood Cancer Organization® (www.acco.org)

It’s simple to submit a bandage design. Just 4 easy steps! Click here to learn how it works.

Contest rules: You must be 18 years old or younger, to create artwork that will be used on an upcoming Ouchies For Others bandage. Submitted artwork will be publicly posted to Ouchies Facebook page. Fans will vote by “like”-ing submitted artwork. The top 10 submissions with the most Facebook “likes” will be judged as potential winners. A jury will then select 5 design winners.

The post Ouchies For Others Contest – A fun way to teach your kids to help others! appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

A note from AKA Mom Associate Publisher, Wendy Manning:

I was recently invited to my first Trades of Hope home party at a friend and neighbor of mine’s house. I was truly inspired by the idea behind this company. I hope you will read the article below and be inspired to make a difference in the life of another. The uplifting feeling of helping someone will definitely make a difference in yours! Please help spread the word about Trades of Hope.

While attending a candle party, Holly Wehde of Palm Coast, Florida had an inspiration:  If candles and kitchenware can get into every home in America through home parties, why not use a home party business to help women all over the world out of poverty? And that is how Trades of Hope began.  It’s a mission AND a business which creates a market for exquisite handcrafts such as scarves, jewelry, baskets, wall hangings, purses, etc.

Trades of Hope is NOT a typical “party” business where mass-produced items are sold to benefit only the manufacturer and the saleswomen.  Here’s the difference:  the women who create Trades of Hope products are real people with real needs.  They are women who love their children, but who, through no fault of their own, have not been able to feed and clothe those children.

Trades of Hope works through fair trade organizations, ensuring that artisans are paid fair wages, which gives them the opportunity to improve their living conditions and provide for their families.  Women are being rescued from the sex trade, sweatshops, slums and extreme poverty.

The “party with a purpose” and the idea of “women helping women” has been warmly embraced by customers.  Each Trades of Hope item comes with an attached card stating where it was made and telling something about the artisan.  These products make wonderful gifts, as the giver is giving twice….once to the gift recipient and once to the artisan.

The following is a message from a Trades of Hope artisan who lives in Bangladesh:

“My name is Shova. I am 35.  My only son died of a fever when he was four.  My husband did not earn enough money to feed us so he left me and I had to move in with my brother.  Before I started making products to sell we did not have proper clothes or food. Our house was a mud hut. Now I make more than most people in my community and I send my brother’s children to school. I receive respect now and other women ask for my advice. I must give a message to those who buy my baskets and journals. Thank you for understanding our sorrow and situation. You have given us food and shelter and respect.”

Since its inception in September, 2010, Trades of Hope has acquired 90 representatives (Compassion Entrepreneurs) in 21 states, and continues to expand. The company also gives back 10% of sales in Gifts of Hope, buying sewing machines for women Haiti, and chickens, goats and pigs for women in Africa, thus enabling them to further improve their lives and become self sustaining.

 To learn more about Trades of Hope, visit www.tradesofhope.com. 

*Information above was provided by Deborah Adair – Compassion Entrepreneur in Tennessee. Deborah Adair is selling Trades of Hope as a ministry. In addition to the product sales helping women in poverty, Deborah is using her commissions to give to world missions and to organizations such as Compassion International, Samaritan’s Purse and Rafiki African Orphanages to meet the needs of children in poverty around the world. To learn more about hosting a party or becoming a Compassion Entrepreneur, contact Deborah Adair at 931-490-0698, by email at debiadair@gmail.com or visit her Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/TradesofHopeDeborahAdair

The post PARTIES WITH A PURPOSE appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Audrey’s greatest fear is to be pregnant or see her friends and loved ones pregnant. She almost died with one of her deliveries. She still shivers when she thinks about that time. The odds are against mothers in her country. An estimated 13,000 women die from pregnancy and delivery related complications each year, most from a lack of proper obstetric care.* Tanzania has the 21^st highest rate of maternal death in Africa. Audrey also worries about children’s health, about babies dying before their time — many from vaccine preventable diseases.

I wish we could all jump on a plane together and visit with Audrey and her friends in Tanzania. However, there is so much we can do from here. From sharing issues on our blogs and via social media, donating as much as we can afford and a bit more, writing letters to influencers and policy makers.

You can join us in taking the Million Moms challenge, a coalition of global health partners for mothers and babies founded by the United Nations Foundation and ABC News. Take action for moms and babies everywhere! There are many things you can do right now. Our donations page takes you to a variety of on-the-ground maternal and child health projects you can support immediately.

This week is World Immunization Week, and our partners at the UN Foundation are launching a powerful campaign called Shot@Life, to help make sure every child gets the vaccines they need to have a shot at a healthy life. Here’s how you can help.

Audrey and her friends are fighting this battle every day. Let’s take a few minutes today to join them.

*Source: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/tanzania_statistics.html

*Photo courtesy of Bonbon mini

The post On the Path of Pregnancy and Birth Together appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.