Made in america christmas

This year I decided to join the challenge to purchase American made products for Christmas gifts.

1. beauty rest therapeutic mattress topper for us
2. tervis tumbler for Boyd - filled with candy
3. tervis tumbler for Tom - filled with candy
4. tervis tumbler for Sherri - filled with cocoa
5. tervis tumbler for Nathan - filled with candy & cash
6. tervis tumbler for Jordan - filled with candy & cash
7. 8 handmade place mats for Mom
8. handmade quilt for Sherri
9. sinful nail polish for Brittany

This is most of the gifts I gave, the other items were all under $5. I'm happy with how I did.

What I learned.... I could find out where physical products were made, I could not find out where most food products were made. That is so wrong!

With my sewing projects, unfortunately I was not able to find fabrics made in the USA. I have them on the list since I made the finished product.

I did struggle with one thing. Hot cocoa if you can believe it. I heard that we should buy Swiss Miss instead of Nestle, because Swiss Miss is an American company and Nestle is not. While Nestle may not be owned by Americans there are 28 Nestle plants in America, including one in my town. I went with Nestle to support the local division. I have not researched Swiss Miss to know if they make products in the USA or if they are just an American owned company.

Will my purchases make a difference in the grand scheme of things? The news says yes - many of the companies featured on the news are adding employees.

On another note, if you're looking to add cabinets in the bathroom/kitchen, look for made in America - even at the local box stores. Word is they are expanding the Made in America lines since the foreign made cabs don't last as long. - working for an American cabinet company, I know that they will appreciate it. If you happen to buy from the company I work for, I will appreciate it. =)