Full Moon Rising - Made In The USA

Steps Towards a More Sustainable Life of Less

I know this sounds like I have lost my mind, since we as a company make money selling things, but our philosophy has always been to only sell what is needed and to make the best recommendations possible.

It is also the reason we focus on USA Made products and Eco-Friendly products and solutions to marketing. By helping you to make good choices about clothing and promotional marketing items, you will increase your ROI (Return On Investment) and overall cost.

This article is from Zen Habits and I think is very appropriate for the times we live in.

Personally I have been moving away from having more things. I find the more clutter and things I never use that I get rid of the happier I am. I find joy in knowing that many of the items are used and needed by others. Some just end up in the recycling bin.

I'd like to hear what you think of this article and concept. 

Bryan

Steps Towards a More Sustainable Life of Less

Posted: 09 Mar 2009 04:07 PM PDT

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

When my grandparents were young, none of the appliances (let alone hi-tech gadgets) in our homes were in common use — not the refrigerator, electric stove, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, toaster, television, computer, air-conditioner, microwave, etc.

None of it. They had cars, but they walked far more often than we do today. They had telephones, but not cell phones or Blackberries or iPhones, and they weren’t using phones all the time. They had stores, but they didn’t order things online and they didn’t buy all the time. In fact, during their Great Depression childhood, they bought very little and used very, very little technology.

And while the last 70-80 years have advanced our lives in amazing ways, and there’s no doubt that the comfort and convenience of our lives have improved tremendously … we rarely stop to consider whether technology and consumerism have always changed our lives for the better.

I mean, I am as big a proponent of the miracles of the Internet as anyone, but have we given up too much of our lives that used to exist offline and outdoors? It’s great that we have such comfortable cars that can drive incredibly fast and take us anywhere we want to go in minutes … but have we thrown away the joy and the health benefits of walking places?

It’s great that we can communicate instantly from anywhere with our mobile devices, but have we given up personal face-to-face conversations and the pleasure of being outdoors, disconnected from the world?

It’s great that food is so convenient these days, but have we given up the pleasures of slow eating for fast food, the joys of cooking for microwaving, the wonders of real food for processed food?

It’s great that we can buy pretty much anything we want these days (and often do), but have we allowed the abundance of cash we’ve had (until recently, but even now we’re still pretty rich) to force us to have bigger houses just to store all our stuff?

I propose a life of less. A life that’s more sustainable.

And yes, some will wonder if that will hurt the economy even more — buying and consuming less will mean people will lose jobs, no? Not necessarily. Scaling back our lives means we need to find jobs for people that are based not on producing more goods, but on producing more value — valuable information, valuable inventions that require fewer resources, valuable contributions to the community. But how will all of this be paid for if no one is buying stuff? There will be less wealth produced because less is being consumed … but if we consume less then we actually need less wealth. We just need to get off the escalating cycle of consuming and producing more.

We work more than ever before, despite advances in labor-saving technology that mean we should be able to work less. We do so to support a lifestyle that has become more expensive than ever, because of the new levels of convenience and abundant consumer goods that we’ve become accustomed to. We can break out of this trap, by consuming less and then needing to work less.

I’ve thought these things for awhile now, but it struck me most as I was walking to a meeting with a friend and business partner. Most people where I live don’t walk — cars are used all the time, even if the destination is just a few blocks away. I’ve been getting into the habit of walking places — for traveling, not exercise — but I’m a weirdo for doing so. And it struck me that only 50 years ago, I would have been normal — everyone walked back then.

And I wondered how we lost this valuable activity — walking to get places.

We lost it because convenience and speed have become more valuable to us than health and frugality and the enjoyment of the world around us.

I propose a life of less. A life that is more leisurely, a little more spartan, a little less expensive, a little less heavy on consuming the Earth’s resources.

I don’t think we can change the economy overnight. We can’t even change our lives overnight. But we can make a gradual change in that direction, with small steps.

Here are but a few ideas — I’m sure you could contribute some of your own:

• Can we walk to more places and drive less? We’d get fitter and use less fossil fuel. We’d have to loosen up our schedules to do this, but I think that’s a good change anyway.
• Can we start building more livable communities, where things are less spread out, so that we can walk more instead of driving everywhere? Where everything we need is a 10-20 minute walk away, or at least reachable by bike or public transportation? You might already live in a place like that, but not where I live, and not in lots of places. Even work should be close by. Again, this is a long-term change, but I think a good one.
• Can we start living in smaller houses, so that we need less heating and cooling and land and maintenance and cleaning? We can if we buy less stuff, which leads to …
• Can we start buying less stuff? We don’t need all the stuff we buy.
• Can we start celebrating things like birthdays and Christmas without spending sprees? We could do nice things for each other instead, or make things, or bake something.
• Can we start buying locally more? I know a lot of people already do this, but it would be great if this trend continued. It supports local farmers and drastically reduces the amount of resources needed to get food to our homes.
• Can we start packaging food less? Even non-food items (like toys) come with ridiculous amounts of packaging these days. I’d like to see a return to olden ways, when you scooped flour out of a huge bin into a container or something like that. Packaging we throw away (or even recycle) is so wasteful.
• Can we stop buying so much processed food? Real food is so much healthier, requires fewer chemicals and resources, and tastes better once you wean yourself from the addiction to processed foods.
• Can we eat slower, and enjoy the food more, instead of rushing through meals?
• Can we stop our addiction to mobile devices and being connected all the time, so that we can enjoy the pleasure of other people’s company without interruptions, or enjoy solitude or a nice quiet walk without being connected?
• Can we design cities and towns so that they aren’t based on the automobile, so that perhaps private vehicles parked at the outside of cities, and then people used public transportation or walked within the cities? We’d reclaim the streets for the pedestrian, make them alive once again with street markets, cafes, parks, children running around without fear of death, people exercising and doing tai chi and jogging and walking and enjoying a fume-free outdoors.

Again, these are just a few ideas. There are thousands more.

And I’m not saying we should give up techonology. I love connecting with people from around the world! I love being able to access information instantly that I would never have had access to just 15-20 years ago! I love the ability to express myself online that is unprecedented in human history!

But I also think we need to keep the good things that have come with the advances in technology, and throw out the bad, the things that have made our lives worse.
—
Read more about simplifying your life in my book, The Power of Less.

Tough cases for tough times

Here's a great mission statement:

"Our mission is to lead our industry by providing quality products, superior customer service, technical innovation, and on-time delivery. We realize that we cannot exist without the support of our customers, employees, and suppliers and we will treat them with the highest level of integrity and professionalism."

The problem with most mission statements is that they're only as good as the Good Times the company is enjoying, usually early in their history.  Once the Tough Times show up, all that good will goes right out the window, replaced with that all-too familiar Ebenezer-ish mantra of "We're not running a charity here!" and then it's all about the pleasing the bean counters, usually at the expense of customer service, employees, and integrity.

Usually, but not always.  

One example of a company that lives its mission statement is the same company that claims the above-quoted mission statement as its own.  It's a company that's been making incredibly high-quality, innovative, industry-leading American Union-made products since 1921.

Platt Luggage, Inc.  That's who.

L to R: Kathy Anweiler, Platt Luggage Sales Manager, and Brian Fallon, Full Moon Rising, Inc., at the PPAI Show in Las Vegas, January 2009.

I could post a LOT of pictures of the incredible variety of plastics, aluminum, and fabric cases that Platt Luggage produces.  But as Allan Evavold, Platt Luggage Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer told me, "A picture's worth a thousand words.  A sample's worth a thousand pictures."  

Truer words have seldom been spoken, because until you can actually hold one of Platt's cases in your hands and see - and FEEL - the quality craftsmanship, you'll understand that pictures just can't do these cases justice.  And until you need a custom-order case built to your specifications, you just can't appreciate how seriously Platt Luggage takes its mission statement.  But I'm sure you can appreciate these industry-leading innovations, ALL of which Platt Luggage can claim as their own:

• The first combination locks on luggage
• The first cushioned handles on cases and luggage
• The first to use their own hardware, produced for specific products
• The first to mold bowling bags from plastic
• The first to mold plastic end shells on catalog cases
• The first to mold a urethane pallet

Another innovation of Platt's is their TSA Approved locks, available AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT on over two dozen popular models of cases.  Platt's TSA locks have a window that changes from green to red whenever the TSA opens the case, so that as soon as you pull your case off the airport conveyer belt, you can know if it's been opened, and know to check the contents immediately.

Platt Luggage has come a long way since its founder, Benjamin Platt, took his talents learned from cutting leather Cossack saddle harnesses for the Czar's army at the turn of the 20th century and began to shape fine cowhides into sturdy suitcases and stylish bags. His new creations were well-suited to endure the rough handling that 1920-era trips entailed, and Platt Luggage was born.  Four generations later, this Chicago-based company continues leading the industry forward, and while they are rightfully proud of their rich heritage, they are certainly not stuck in the past.  Platt Luggage utilizes the latest cutting-edge Auto-CAD systems to produce their amazingly durable cases, as well as unique production scheduling and control system software which allows them to cut their production lead times and offer more reliable delivery performance, all at ever-more competitive prices. 

Such progressive practices are not just impressive; in today's turbulent economic climate, it's imperative.  Platt Luggage, founded in the Roaring 20's, didn't survive the Great Depression by resting on its reputation built on The Good Times.  Rather, its reputation was forged because of their devotion to their mission statement's constitution during the Tough Times.  "We've weathered a number of storms," Mr. Evavold said.  When I asked him about Platt Luggage's outlook over the next few quarters, he was matter of fact, "We're seeing continued activities in all our departments.  We're doing a lot of things [to adapt].  Business is still out there.  It's just taking a little longer for people to make decisions."

Built with modern materials which reflect an age of portability and efficiency, Platt Luggage Union-made cases are designed to endure some seriously rough handling.  Lead with a corporate culture of leadership, responsibility and integrity, Platt Luggage, Inc. is destined to endure through these tough times.  So when you need to get your gear on the move, give Full Moon Rising, Inc. a call and we'll help make your choice for industrial-strength cases and professional luggage a simple decision!

Coffee never tasted better

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce."  

~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Hi, my name's Brian, and I'm a caffiene addict.  There, I've said it.  Fact is, me and about 150 million other Americans just can't get our day started without that jolt of java.  

While I might need coffee to get my day started, the promotional products businessperson in me gets woken up with numbers like "300 million eyes, every day, see what's printed on that cup!"  Yea, sure, they see, and all those around them see it, too.  But do they really see it, or is that cup just another piece of visual spam?

Not if it's a cup from Sunset Hill Stoneware, it won't be!

 

Sunset Hill's hand crafted stoneware is exactly what its name implies: actual pottery stoneware, hand crafted on a potter's wheel, one at a time, to your exact specifications, by American artisans.  These are stunningly beautiful, weighty, kiln-fired pieces, shipped directly to you in 100% recyclable packaging.  All stoneware is food-safe, dishwasher & microwave safe, lead-free and Proposition 65 compliant.

Sunset Hill Stoneware was founded in 1997 with one mission in mind: to produce the highest quality hand-thrown stoneware possible.  Nestled deep in the verdant countryside of Wisconsin's beautiful Fox River Valley, Sunset Hill offers 33 different cup designs, and 14 different steins (after all, not everybody drinks coffee!).

For customized items, Sunset Hill applies your artwork to a hand-crafted clay medallion that forms a three-dimensional crest.  The unique process used to create this medallion captures even the most intricate detail.  Your logo will be colored with the same glaze as the cups themselves, while the medallion itself remains a neutral clay, which acts as the perfect backdrop.  Every piece is meticulously examined prior to packaging to ensure the highest levels of quality control. 

So when you're ready to get your customers to wake up and take notice of you, give Full Moon Rising, Inc a call and we'll get busy brewing up some spectacular promotional items for your drinking pleasure!

Rustic American charm

One thing I've noticed about blogs that always disappoints me - I can't smell them.  Call me old fashioned, but I still enjoy the look and feel and smell of books.  Especially leather bound books.  And for personal writing, there's nothing that is better than a journal with a nice thick leather cover to encase high quality paper.  The kind of paper that just begs to be written on.  In ink.  It brings out the inner-Walt Wittman in me.  

Leather journals have for me always symbolized classic, authentic quality.  Our country's forefathers kept leather journals (in fact, Benjamin Franklin started what is generally considered to be the first public library in America in 1734).  The Old West may have been won with guns, but it was the leather-bound journals that documented the feat.  And what was that gift that Michelle Obama gave to Laura Bush on Inauguration Day?  A leather journal and pen.  Classic.

This is why we at Full Moon Rising, Inc. were so excited about finding Rustico, a proud Made in USA company based on the outskirts of Provo, Utah.  Rustico recognized this rich tradition of fine leather tomes, and celebrates our rustic heritage with top-grain American cowhide products expertly hand-crafted by their team of artisans.

Isaac Childs, founder and President of Rustico, told me that he started making leather journals when, in the course of his travels, he found that the fancy and expensive imported journals he was buying were "getting trashed; I needed a journal that would last a while."  He taught himself all about leather, and with a couple of book binding courses, he fashioned for himself some journals that would, in his own words, "withstand some serious traveling."  He began making journals for friends and family, who were delighted with the all-natural quality and unique styling.  Word quickly spread, and local companies began to press Isaac to make leather books and binders for them in that rough-hewn look, and in a few short years, Rustico was born.  Soon after that, he was producing products for the likes of Disney, HBO and Oprah.

Rustico can personalize their products with a classic debossing process, which imprints the image into the leather, or for complex images, they can go high-tech and laser engrave the leather, producing amazingly crisp and detailed reproductions which really pop.  But the real key to Rustico's success is its American top-grain leathers which are tanned and processed specifically to Rustico's specifications.  "That's really rare," Isaac told me.  Most leather products currently offered by other manufacturers use Chinese leather, and there's little thought given to the tanning process.  By partnering with American leather producers and opting for high-quality eco-friendly paper, Isaac can ensure that every product meets his high standards for durability.  And let me tell you, they look great!

So if you're sick of being 'ridden hard and hung up wet' by your overseas producer, give Full Moon Rising, Inc. a call and let us help you get those burrs out of your hide.  And your logo onto some perfectly tanned hides which will make your customers want to saddle up with you!

L to R: Isaac Childs, President Rustico LLC; Brian Fallon, FMR Inc; Patrick White, Rustico Marketing; and Craig Daly, Rustico Sales Manager at the PPAI Show in Las Vegas, NV in Jan 2009.

Bamboo Dinnerware - A Unique Product Debuts

How many times have you gone to a BBQ or summertime event and gotten a thin paper plate on which to pile all your chicken & ribs, baked beans, corn on-the-cob and cole slaw, only to have the plate almost instantly get soaked through and collapse, spilling all your food - for which you waited 20 minutes in line - into the dirt?  Or gotten one of those thick, pulpy plates, which - upon finishing eating - you discovered you ate half of the plate itself, because it was disintegrating and becoming part of your food?  Or what about those plastic flying-saucer plates, which get blown all over the place and you see them along the highway and shoreline for months - if not years - afterward, because they are not bio-degradable?  

Full Moon Rising, Inc. has an affordable and uniquely brandable solution:  Bamboo Dinnerware.

This is a great Eco-Friendly product.  We had the good fortune to see samples at the PPAI trade show in Las Vegas last month.  We were impressed with how strong they are; no worries about them collapsing with a full plate of food.  Or even an over-flowing plate of food!

Bamboo Studio introduces a revolution in all-occasion dinnerware that is disposable, reusable and brandable.  Handcrafted from the husk of the newly emerging bamboo plant, these dynamic new serving pieces are elegant, strong and environmentally friendly.

One of the things we like about this product is that very little energy is required in the handcrafting  process.  No dangerous chemicals or beaches are used in the manufacturing process.  And of course, bamboo is 100% biodegradable.  

What makes these stylish dishes so strong, durable and leak resistant is how they are crafted; the husk is formed and crafted in its natural shape rather than being crushed to a pulp and then reformulated.

Dinnerware is just the beginning, the product line includes Platters, Soap Dispensers, Tissue Boxes, Soap Dishes, and much more.  If you're as serious about keeping your ecological footprint as small as possible while promoting your business or fundraising cause as much as possible, the give Full Moon Rising, Inc. a call at (630) 513-8728 to learn more.

Click on the image to enlarge.

USA Made FlexSystems Responds Rapidly

Could you imagine ordering 29,300 jackets for your company, having to wait dozens of weeks for the overseas supplier to customize them and then load them onto a container ship to crawl its way across the oceans, sit for however long on a loading dock before finally getting onto a truck and to your door, only to discover that your logo was done incorrectly.  These jackets were a critical part of the marketing campaign launching your new product, and the deadline looms.

Oh, the joys of overseas distributors.

Now what?

This is a real example that actually happened.  Fortunately for this company, they found FlexSystems USA, a USA Made manufacturer of molded 3-D plastic labels who were able to completely remove the botched embroidery, produce and apply their unique flexible labels to all the jackets, and have them back to the company before deadline.

Real world solutions, done right, done quickly, USA Made.  That's what we're talkin' about!

We at FMR, Inc. feel a real kinship towards FlexSystems USA, for we share similarities in envisioning a better way to do things, and we share similarly humble beginnings.  FlexSystems began in a garage in Oakland, California over 13 years ago. They claim to be the 1st company of its kind, producing flexible 3D plastic labels in the United States on a mass market level.  FlexSystems plastics are not just recyclable, they meet or exceed California's stringent "Proposition 65" and EU environmental criteria for phthalates (pronounced fah-lates).  Made in USA, good for the world!  In fact, FlexSystem's plastics are so safe, they're UL tested medical grade, meaning that your company's full-color logo could be put directly onto medical equipment safely.   

Where else do you need your logo?  On beach sandals?  On backpack hydrations system?  On ski caps?  On stethoscopes?  On golf clubs (not just "on", but as the handle grips!)?  How do you need your logo to SMELL?  FlexSystems USA can actually add custom scents to its plastics.  How's that for branding?  

The possibilities are as endless as your imagination.  Give Full Moon Rising, Inc. a call and we'll work with you and FlexSystems USA to get your company's image onto that difficult-to-logo or completely unique promotional item.  Or to salvage that 29,000 jacket order that got botched overseas.  

All hail the King...King Louie America

Full Moon Rising, Inc. has worked hard over the years to earn a reputation for delivering customized quality products and apparel at affordable prices.  But in order for us to do this, we need to have access to the manufacturers which produce the highest quality products and apparel at affordable prices.

One of FMR's favorite USA Made apparel manufacturers is King Louie America!  King Louie is widely known for its superb quality and attention to detail.  King Louie is also proud to be a 100% Union shop, knowing that in order to produce the highest quality apparel, they need the highest quality workforce.

King Louie America is truly an American success story.  Founded in 1937 by a pair of Polish immigrant brothers, Morris and Victor Lerner began their business humbly as a cap manufacturing company.  Business thrived, despite the turmoil of the Great Depression and World War II (in which Morris proudly served our country in the Pacific Theater).  As the war wound down, the Lerner brothers revved up, opening new manufacturing plants and expanding into a full-blown apparel company they named King Louie. 

In the mid 1970's, King Louie was bought by a group of investors who continued to expand the size and scope of the company, but the flood of cheap, foreign-made apparel (often produced at the expense of extremely poor and poorly treated workers, not to mention the environment) into America over the next 20-some years proved to be overwhelming, and in 2006, it was announced that King Louie would be closing their doors.

Morris Lerner's son, Michael, couldn't stand to see his father and uncle's legacy go down without a fight, so he orchestrated the purchase of the domestic division of the company, now known as King Louie America.  "I believed King Louie’s reputation for quality products and services still justified the investment in a UNION MADE IN THE USA apparel manufacturing company," Michael explains.  "Our customers have proven me right."

We at Full Moon Rising, Inc. couldn't have been more pleased by Michael's unwillingness to yield his family's honor.  To us, Customer Service is King, and nobody helps us serve our customers better than King Louie America.  We love their helpful staff (a big 'shout out' goes to Rosalee & Rachel), their outstanding quality, and their consistent reliability in ensuring that we get just what we need, right when we need it.  And to know that King Louie values its employees, well, that's something that we just can't put a price on.

L to R: John McMillan, King Louie V.P. Sales & Marketing, Brian Fallon, FMR Inc., and Brett Hackworth, King Louie CEO, at the PPAI Show in Las Vegas last week.

We're in the process of updating our USA Made Clothing and Union Shop webstores to showcase the 45 new styles and colors King Louie America has added to its already large selection of Union Made shirts, outer wear, active wear, and ladies wear. 

Thank you, Michael, for doing the right thing, for your family, your workers, and America.

Customer Service? How are we doing?

We were recently in Las Vegas at a trade show. PPAI, Promotional Products, Clothing and more.

We had the opportunity to hear Scott Deming during a luncheon.

To say we were impressed would be to diminish the experience. Scott is an exceptional speaker, and has many stories to tell that illustrate his points.

We have always worked to improve our service level, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. Always striving to do better and figure out ways to make the experience better. We attended this luncheon hoping to find some new ideas.

Scott had some great examples: His story about Sears is a classic. How Sears failed to provide Scott the help he needed. Scott then proceeded to cut up his credit cards and then tell everyone he knows about it. He has also written 3 books including this experience in each one, and spoken about it to groups ever since. Sears even contacted him once to try and repair the relationship. Then once again they failed to follow up in the end and here he is still telling the same story.

I like these types of stories, because they illustrate how important it is for everyone in a company to always do their best in each customer encounter. That person you just blew off may be a CEO or a janitor, you never know who they know either way.

There is also another relationship changing concept he brought up. I do not think I will explain it as well as he did, but I will offer a synopsis and you should buy his new book to get all of this and more in his style.

I'll start with an example. A father comes home from work, bad day and tired. He wants to have some quiet time alone. As he walks in the door his kids greet him and have something to tell him that they think is important. The inclination is to brush them off and tell them we will talk later.  This is hugely disappointing to the kids. However, if the father for a moment considers things from the children's perspective, he would know that this is important and would take the time to listen.

If in each encounter, I think to myself, "What does this person want from me right now?  What would this person want me to do right now? or, What would they like for me to say?"  I believe that this kind of perspective can be relationship and life-changing if I do this with each encounter.

Overall it was a great experience and as you can tell I am doing just what he wants. I am telling others about the positive experience. This is what we all want our customers and those we come in contact with to do. Be our evangelists, tell everyone about us and why they should call us or use us for whatever service we provide.

I'd like to know what examples of great customer service you have experienced.

Thanks for listening

Bryan

P.S. Best sushi I have ever had. RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, Vegas. Get the Angry Lobster roll if it is available.

Come Join Our Community - Support USA Made Products

Come join us in Cyberspace!

We participate on most of the social networks, and we would like for you to join us.

This is a chance for us to get to know each other better. Facebook especially is very personal, laid back and a fun place to visit. LinkedIn is great for professional networking.  Not only will we get to know each other a little better, but it will give us a chance to learn from each other as well.

We are building an online community to support and learn about:

American Workers and USA Made Products
Eco-Friendly Products
The Environment
Community Service

These sites are all free, and all feature many things of interest. no matter what your interests, you will find some of your friends already there and others who share your interests.

If you are not a member you can send us an E-Mail and we will send you an invite to the network of your choice. This will allow you to create your own account and begin to participate.

Facebook - Community Oriented, allows more personal interaction than the other services. Bryan Thompson BThompson@fmrinc.org Brian Fallon BFallon@FMRInc.org Sue Urban SUrban@FMRInc.org Kerry Wanthal KWanthal@FMRInc.org Facebook pages   (Become a fan of these pages and get updates) Full Moon Rising, Inc The Union Shop Awareness Ribbon Clothing USA Made Clothing

LinkedIn - Business Oriented, good Professional Networking site. http://www.linkedin.com/in/fullmoonrising BThompson@fmrinc.org http://www.linkedin.com/pub/6/a6a/288 BFallon@FMRInc.org http://www.linkedin.com/pub/7/892/386 SUrban@FMRInc.org

MySpace - Community Oriented. http://www.myspace.com/fullmoonrisinginc  BThompson@fmrinc.org http://www.myspace.com/n90saft1st BFallon@FMRInc.org http://www.myspace.com/431339677 SUrban@FMRInc.org

Ning - Business Oriented Support USA Made Products Full Moon Rising, Inc

Twitter - Business and Community Oriented http://twitter.com/USAMade  BThompson@FMRinc.org

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By Roger Simmermaker, Author How Americans Can Buy American www.howtobuyamerican.com With Christmas Day about a month away, many patriotic Americans are thinking about what kind of American-made gifts they might want to put under their Christmas trees. These same patriotic Americans may want to get an American-made, artificial Christmas tree to use as a gathering place for all those great and thoughtful gifts for friends and loved ones, but the problem is many consumers don't know where to go to get one.   If you're planning on heading out to the stores to find an American-made artificial tree, you're probably going to end up wasting your time. By visiting www.uschristmastree.com, you can save time, avoid the headaches of dealing with all that traffic, and support American workers at the same time.   It's no secret that many Americans are losing their jobs in today's unstable and uncertain economy, and you can help make both the economy and the lives of more Americans more stable and more certain by buying an American-made artificial tree instead of that cheap, Chinese-made tree you might have seen at the mall.   The prices at www.uschristmastree.com start at $27.99 for a three-foot tree and start as low as $99.00 for a 6.5-foot tree. But if you type in the special code HTBA just before checkout, you'll save a full 10% off of your purchase price. Your tree will be shipped from New York where it will be made just a few days after your order. And in keeping with the Christmas spirit, you'll know you've given one of the best gifts you could ever give - the prospect that another American will be able to keep their job and be able to buy Christmas gifts of their own for someone else.   You can choose from some of the most popular types of artificial trees including Alberta Pine, Columbia Fir, White Pine, Aberdeen Pine and Douglas Fir.   If you have any questions about any of the trees at www.uschristmastree.com, they'll be happy to answer them at their American-based customer service center by calling 1-877-437-1225. You can even ask them about their 110% money-back guaranteee. That's how sure you'll be satisfied with their 100% American-crafted U.S. Christmas trees!   One of the hardest areas to buy American these days is in the apparel category, but that's not a problem if you visit www.theunionshop.org where you'll find union-made, American-made clothing of all kinds for men, women, kids, and even pets. You'll also find American-made accessories like aprons, tote bags, fleece blankets and more. And for something surprisingly special this Christmas, check out their impressive collection of custom-carved glass. And now you can save 10% when you type in the special HTBA code before checkout.   With all the talk of how best to stimulate the economy these days, the folks at www.theunionshop.org know that the best economic stimulus can be acheived by buying U.S.-made products, and that's exactly what they offer.   Something I'm looking at right now to order from www.theunionshop.org is at least a couple of pairs of casual pants, which are available in navy or khaki color. I have plenty of American-made denim jeans, but it's more difficult to buy American-made, non-denim casual pants, and I definitely want to support the companies that makes these clothes in the USA so the demand will be there for them to keep making them in the USA.   At the Union Shop (www.theunionshop.org) you can find union-made, American-made clothing of all kinds for men, women, kids, and even pets. You'll also find American-made accessories like aprons, tote bags, fleece blankets and more. You can also browse their impressive collection of custom carved glass.   Have you found it difficult to buy American made for your kids, including toddlers and infants? The Union Shop probably has what you've been looking for but couldn't find. The selection of apparel at www.theunionshop.org includes all the traditional shirts, sweater, pants, shorts and jackets you would expect, but they also carry specific kinds of work clothing, fire fighters apparel and tall sizes. For the women, you'll find intimates and sleepwear choices.   You can also choose from hundreds of custom-designed logos including military and patriotic. Everything done by the union members at the Union Shop is done right here in America, whether it's embroidery, screen printing, graphic design, sales, or marketing.   You won't find foreign labels or products at www.theunionshop.org or www.uschristmastree.com, so browse American and buy American at either of these sites before the end of the year and use the special HTBA code to get an additional 10% off your American-made purchase. And remember, by buying American and saving American jobs, you can not only help make it a better Christmas for more Americans this year, but you can also make it a better economy for more Americans next year as well.