nonprofitshoppingmall.com, everyday giving starts here. Choose from three easy ways to shop and give

We hope you’ll take a look at our entire PETS category, as each of our vendors has specialty items that our furry family members have come to rely upon for their welfare and comfort. In addition to our featured retailers, be sure to check out Pets United (dog.com) with its unique links to horse.com, ferret.com, bird.com and fish.com. Don’t know why they don’t have cat.com but perhaps it’s in the works. Not to worry tho, you’ll find plenty of fun stuff to please even the most finicky of felines in our other PET category brands.

Though ‘modern lifestyle’ has become something of a generic term, Feel More Human makes it clear that progressive, functional design can be as beautiful and relevant as ever. They promote a lifestyle that encourages the constant re-examination of commerce and philosophy by engaging in socially responsible business practices and by arguing the point that art should meet the needs of society without a distinction between form and function. A perfect example of this can be found in Feel More Human’s Dogs and Cats category. Simple, eye-catching, functional designs turn those “problem” areas in your home into artful pieces you will be eager to show off. My personal favorite being the eco-friendly Buddha Cat Habitat that literally turns your self-important cat into wall décor. However, my cat sized, self-important Chihuahua would vote for the retro looking Wowo Dog Pod or Wowo Single Feeder — the dog has exquisite taste, what can I say?

UnCommon Goods is one of our favorite retailers for its clever products and interesting designs. They have a vast assortment of unique must-have items from a range of categories, but what really caught my attention was their extensive collection of birdhouses and feeders. Truly different and broad in aesthetic, every type of bird lover out there will be able to find something that will match their style, sensibility and yard, porch or garden. Here are three of Uncommon Good’s radically different designs that give the birds in town great reason for stopping by or moving in. The Glass Donut feeder is an incredibly sleek and modern establishment for your feathered friends to dine while the Vintage Radio Birdhouse couldn’t be a more charming place to call home. If those two choices are too posh for you and your sparrows, you may prefer the 5th Wheel Birdhouse — this miniature 1950’s trailer home is retro-fabulous and after Astroturf makes the best accent to any tattoo, Elvis and apple pie lover’s patio.

I think we are all in agreement when I say it doesn’t get much better then being a pampered pet! With Organic Style’s pet products, you will have no problem providing your best friend with a lavish, over-the-top, yet conscientious life of luxury. Whether it’s with eco-beds, made from recycled soda pop bottles or in bathtubs filled with gentle, earth-friendly and invigorating Travel Dog Spa Set bubbles, it’s clear that Organic Style knows how to help you pamper a much loved pet. This is especially illustrated with the Welcome Home Puppy Gift Set. This adorable assortment comes with mini treat bones made of yummy organic ingredients, a cuddly monkey blanket and matching plush squeaky toy – both made with organic plush cotton and filled with all-natural cotton that is durable enough to withstand the teething habits of a pup, yet soft enough to be gentle on their baby teeth. From the newest family addition to old faithful, your dog will feel nothing but love, peace and pampering from anything Organic Style.

Only Natural Pet Store offers natural dog and cat products of the highest quality, consistent with a holistic approach to pet health. They strongly believe our animal companions benefit from natural living in the same way that humans do. They continuously add healthy, natural and organic products to their inventory, keeping things fresh and current with holistic formulas. With their products they give us the tools to improve the health, happiness, and longevity of our pets lives. A useful aspect of their website enables pet owners to research particular health conditions or concerns and then offers products and supplements to help sort it out. Separation anxiety, skin/coat problems, digestive issues, etc, can all be addressed holistically. Only Natural Pet Store is a warehouse of pet products you never knew existed, ranging from vitamins and supplements to food, toys, grooming, beds and all things PETS!

On Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008, we invite everyone to remember Rosa Parks, the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, by giving bouquets of lush, vibrant red, long-stemmed, long lasting Freedom® roses to the women you know who have made a difference for freedom, whether by influencing their own personal emancipation or by helping others in achieving theirs.

The first 381 persons to purchase the Freedom® roses will have the opportunity to write a brief dedication to their special person that will be posted on the Rosa Parks website. In addition to honoring your distinctive person, sales of the specially marked Freedom® roses will benefit the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, which is the legacy organization that Mrs. Parks co-founded with Elaine Eason Steele in 1987.

Why is the number 381 significant? Because that’s how many days a citywide bus boycott led by Martin Luther King, Jr. lasted to mark her courageous act in 1955 to remain seated rather than to stand aside while on a crowded, segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her quite determination to remain seated and subsequent arrest for making that decision ultimately changed the course of our nation. On February 1, 1956, the Montgomery Improvement Association filed suit in the U.S. District Court, challenging the constitutionality of segregated public transportation. In June of 1956, the U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the Improvement Association and the decision declaring segregation on buses unconstitutional was adopted and implemented on December 20, 1956.

We encourage you to take this opportunity to add your ‘freedom fighter’ to the Rosa Parks public honor roll. Visit Organic Style to participate and let the world know whom you want to honor with this distinction. Orders must be received by May 7, 2008 to comfortably meet shipping deadlines. Please pass this e-mail on to others who are advocates for freedom and wish to assist in carrying on the work of Rosa Parks.

I realize we have a very short turn-around on this promotion, but we are happy to honor Mrs. Rosa Parks’ incredible legacy at Mother’s Day with our special 10% contribution offer, matched by another 10% from Organic Style for a total of 20%. We hope you will keep her in your thoughts as well by purchasing these lush, vibrant red roses through our site now and throughout the year to support The Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development.

In an attempt to better acquaint you with some of our shop green retailers, I’ve started this column so you’ll have an idea as to what you can expect to find once you go exploring on some of these sites, while at the same time, giving you a little background as to overall business philosophies and best practices. Over the last month of so, we’ve added a number of green retailers – it’s unlikely I’ll be able to outline all our eco-friendly merchants in this first go-round, so I’ve started with sites that are geared toward home décor, bed, bath and floral.

Relatively new to the marketplace, Organic Style is an eco-lifestyle boutique for people seeking inspiring products that uphold the well being of the planet and humankind. Doesn’t it just make better sense to know that all your shopping choices are contributing to a better world—from eco-chic apparel to gourmet gifts to luxurious bedding and bath pieces, floral bouquets and even to toys and treats for your pets. At Organic Style, you’ll enjoy all this eco-luxury at eco-nomical prices.

Just recently, nonprofitshoppingmall.com partnered with Organic Style in surprising a young military family on The Montel Williams Christmas Show. Unbeknownst to the young wife, her husband was flown home from Iraq for the holidays to meet their brand new baby. On air they were showered with a collection of all natural, all luxurious bedding and bath items, complete with a couple of cozy velour robes in which to enjoy their unexpected reunion and their new baby. Air Dates: December 24 2007 and January 11, 2008.

Flagship floral brand for Organic Style above, Organic Bouquet is widely recognized as America’s pioneer of organic and eco-flowers. By encouraging both small and large flower growers to initiate organic production, the trade, as well as the consumer, benefits from greater environmental protection and improved farm worker safety by eliminating millions of pounds of toxic pesticides from agricultural usage.

One of the things we especially like about this site is that it offers a wide variety Charity Bouquets. The proceeds from the sale of each bouquet in their collection is used to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to social justice, wildlife conservation, animals rights and environmental concerns. You’ll find quite a few organizations that appear on their list as well as ours. Buy their Charity Bouquet through our site and you’ll be giving twice as much to your favorite group.

Vivavi (vee-va-vee) is the ultimate resource for the interior designer in us all with its wide selection of stylish, ultra modern, eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings. With pieces to fit any of your living spaces from kids rooms to dining areas to outdoor living and workspaces, Vivavi’s aim is simple: live modern + tread lightly.
Vivavi’s companion resources; Modern Green Living, helps consumers in finding newly built green residences and green home professionals throughout the United States and Canada, while The Lazy Environmentalist, a nationally broadcast radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio and Lime Radio showcases stylish and innovative green trends, technologies, products and services that make green living easy, attractive, and super-convenient.

Vivavi is a member of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of socially and environmentally responsible businesses that donate 1% of all sales to environmental organizations.

In thinking of how I might describe VivaTerra best, I couldn’t find a single word or catchy phrase. I will say their products run the gamut from clothing to tableware to linens and decorating accents, all the while blending ecology with elegance and organic and sustainable sources in a way that celebrates life and the human spirit by honoring passionate designers, artisans, traditions and cultures the world over. Personally, I love the wide variety of Seaglass dinnerware available – wonderfully festive but not fiesta.