AAPI-Owned Businesses You Can Support

AAPI-Owned Businesses You Can Support

Like all of you, we’ve been devastated by all of the recent acts of hate against the APPI community. Not only are many AAPI-owned business owners dealing with the pandemic just like everyone else, but their businesses are also seeing lower rates of reopening, and unemployment was up 450% among Asian Americans in 2020.

We’d like to take some time to highlight a few of our favorite AAPI-owned small businesses that you can shop and support. If you are an AAPI-owned business or know someone that should be added to our list, please leave your information in the comments!

Table of Contents

1. Apparel and Accessories
   1. A Sight for Sport Eyes
   2. BAGINC
   3. Miane’s Shoppe
   4. CurveGirl
   5. Newchic
   6. Purple Feathers Boutique
   7. Whizz
2. Beauty
   1. Glow Recipe
   2. Em Cosmetics
   3. Tatcha
   4. Skylar
   5. Live Tinted
3. Home & Garden
   1. Sticker Eden
   2. Poketo
   3. The Sill
   4. Baisun Candle Co.
   5. The Wok Shop
   6. Lume.ly
4. Kids & Baby
   1. Honey Lemonade
   2. Little Bumper
   3. Mimochai
5. AAPI Amazon Sellers
   1. LUXFURNI
   2. AIFENG
   3. VIEWKA
   4. Coolflash

Apparel and Accessories

Shop these AAPI-owned businesses for tops, bottoms, dresses, handbags, eyewear, and shoes.

A Sight for Sport Eyes

A Sight for Sport Eyes is an eyewear merchant that specializes in sports goggles and athletic eyewear. Most of their frames are available with prescription lenses, ideal for athletes. Shop styles for men, women, and children at affordable prices.

Owner Shannen Knight has worked in the optical industry for over 20 years and saw this as a growing niche in the industry. She has been published in several trade journals as an expert in the field of sports eyewear and sunglasses.

BAGINC

Baginc strives to sell the styles of handbags you see celebrities carrying but at a much more affordable price. They began in France in 2004, and their slogan is “fab without a fortune,” bringing you quality bags at wholesale prices. Shop clutches, handbags, totes, satchels, crossbody bags, and more.

Miane’s Shoppe

Also featured as one of our woman-owned SHE Shop sellers, Miane’s Shoppe offers clothing, jewelry, and other accessories for great prices. The founder, Melissa Violette, focuses on comfortable styles over trendy fads, noting that you can be cute and comfortable at the same time.

Shop Miane’s for affordable quote tees, necklaces, bracelets, headbands, and so much more, with many pieces well under $20.

CurveGirl

CurveGirl is a high-fashion, trendy clothing website for women with curves. You can use their measurement app to get a custom-tailored outfit in one click. Or send a picture with event details to their online stylist to get free wardrobe consultation.

In their 2.0 release, they are hoping to expand the scope of CurveGirl to customize for maternity and physical disabilities.

Newchic Company Limited

Newchic’s mission is to provide high-quality, low-priced fashion products with unique design styles to their customers. Founded in 2015, New Chic Company Limited offers clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, home and garden, and more.

Purple Feathers Boutique

Purple Feathers Boutique offers tops, bottoms, dresses, and outerwear for women in its online shop. Founder and owner Loan Kieu has two goals for her online shop. The first is to encourage and empower women in every stage of life to feel confident, strong, and beautiful, one outfit at a time. The second, as she is a former teacher and loves children, is to be able to give back and do her part to ensure that children feel loved and protected.

Whizz

Created by two small teams in France and New York, fashion retailer Whizz focuses on the 3M equation for every piece they offer: Modern French, Mindful Quality, and Moderate Price. Shop blazers, dresses, pajamas, and accessories, and get free shipping on US orders.

Beauty

We’ve found some AAPI-owned businesses ready to help you make you feel your best. Many are all natural, cruelty-free, and vegan.

Glow Recipe

Founders Christine Chang and Sarah Lee started Glow Recipe because they wanted skin care to be a fun experience. And they have succeeded. Just a friendly reminder that there is a human behind this blog post, and this human absolutely loves Glow Recipe!

Their products are fruit-powered and clean, cruelty-free, and free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates. Many of their products are also safe for pregnancy. The colorful packaging and quality products make for an enjoyable self-care moment every night.

Em Cosmetics

Started by YouTube beauty icon Michelle Phan, Em Cosmetics was created to give you the tools to express yourself through your makeup. Their products are 100% cruelty-free and a majority of them are also vegan.

Shop tinted SPF, serum blush, mascara, eyeliner, brow cream, and more. Sidenote: Michelle Phan also founded the monthly makeup subscription box Ipsy!

Tatcha

Serving up luxury beauty products from Japan, Tatcha was founded by Victoria Tsai. She turned to Eastern beauty for a more holistic, less-is-more approach to skin care while suffering from dermatitis. Tatcha’s products are created by scientists in Japan and the US and use Hadasei-3™, a trinity of anti-aging superfoods: green tea, rice, and algae.

They also give back to the community through the Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures program. Every purchase you make helps support the childhood education of young girls.

Skylar

A fragrance company with products made in the US, Skylar creates hypoallergenic fragrances with clean, conscious ingredients. Shop personal scents, hand and body lotions, and candles, which are all made free of parabens, SLS, phthalates, synthetic dyes, and animal-derived ingredients.

Skylar also contributes a portion of its proceeds and time to Step Up, a non-profit organization that provides mentorship for underprivileged high school girls across the country.

Live Tinted

“If you’ve ever felt left out of the beauty narrative, Live Tinted is for you.” We absolutely love the message this beauty brand sends. Launched in 2018, Live Tinted created a digital community focused on inclusive, diverse beauty and storytelling for underrepresented people in beauty.

Their 4-in-1 Huestick Corrector was born from discussions about beauty concerns within their community, and it is now a best-selling item. You can also shop their Huestick Multistick, Hueglow serum, and their Unity balm.

Home and Garden

Whether you’re looking to spruce up your home with some live indoor plants, up your planner organization game, or add a little color to your house, the following AAPI-owned businesses are a great place to start.

Sticker Eden

Planner and calendar lovers rejoice! Sticker Eden offers a huge variety of stickers for your paper planners and calendars. With categories like foodies, travel, and seasonal, you can bring some bright and unique fun to your dull planner.

Founder and owner Samantha fell back in love with paper planners the day she discovered planner stickers, and she strives to bring that feeling of having fun while doing business and staying organized to everyone.

Poketo

Founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife team Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, Poketo is a lifestyle brand hoping to bring art and design into everyday living. Their first ever product was a series of artist wallets, and they’ve since branched out, selling a huge variety of home goods, apparel, accessories, and stationery.

The Sill

The Sill makes buying indoor plants fun, easy, and convenient. Founded in 2012 by Eliza Blank, The Sill started out exclusively online and delivered plants to homes all over the US. You can now shop in-person at their brick-and-mortar stores in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Shop their website for plants based on the lighting your home gets, your budget, and your personal style, and know that you’ll get access to their Care Library and a digital team of plant experts to help you care for your new plant. They also offer monthly subscriptions and online workshops for plant parents.

Baisun Candle Co.

Handmade candle creator Baisun Candle Co. seeks to spread awareness of Asian culture and traditions through high-quality soy wax candles. Each scent in their collection is created to replicate specific notes that resemble fragrances and aromas that Asian Americans grew up around and are familiar with.

Shop fragrances like Chrysanthemum Tea, Honey Spiced Tonka, and Lucky Orange or collections based on the Chinese New Year, seasonal aromas, and more.

In the process of writing this post, I purchased one of their Yuzu-scented candles and one of the Chrysanthemum Tea candles. I will report back when they arrive!

The Wok Shop

Based out of San Francisco’s Chinatown, The Wok Shop is family-owned and specializes in hard-to-find Asian cookware and tools. For over 40 years, this shop has provided woks, clay pots, cleavers, bamboo steamers, wooden and bamboo cooking utensils, chinaware, and vegetable seeds to cooks from all over.

They also offer a Knowledge Base section on their website where you can find information on wok seasoning, sushi making, cast iron care, and much more.

Lume.ly

Based out of Denver, the design and lifestyle home furnishings company Lume.ly was started by husband and wife Alex Nguyen and Lilly Zheng. Shop shower curtains, throw pillow covers, wall tapestries, and kimonos all with bright, fun patterns to brighten both your home and your mood.

Kids & Baby

Shop cute blankets, inspirational books, developmentally appropriate toys, and more with these AAPI-owned shops for kids and babies.

Honey Lemonade

The founder and owner of Honey Lemonade is an inspiration. Hsiang-Yu started the company, previously called Bundled Joy Baby Gifts, to generate profit to support charity, specifically childhood cancer research. In 2019 alone, which was their first year in business, they were able to donate $4,000 to Boston Children’s Hospital for childhood cancer research.

Honey Lemonade creates blankets for babies, toddlers, big kids, and even adults. Choose from fun patterns like rainbows, dinosaurs, and mermaids. Or choose from more muted designs like floral botanical prints. Each blanket is super soft and made for snuggling up and creating memories with your family.

Little Bumper

Created by moms for moms, Little Bumper offers a broad range of toys, clothes, goodies, and essentials to make time with your child fun, easy, and fulfilling. There are items for moms and dads too! Founder Jeralyn Peagler is focused on one thing: discovering and inventing the best specialty kids and baby products out there.

Find developmentally appropriate toys for all ages, clothes, feeding accessories, and everything you need as a parent. You can rest easy knowing that these products were sourced by other busy parents like yourself to make your life easier.

Mimochai

An independent creative studio based in Los Angeles, Mimochai creates high-quality picture books and illustrated products. Their owner Mimi Chao is a former lawyer who was looking to reconnect with her childhood dream of writing stories and creating art.

Their first picture book, Let’s Go Explore, launched in 2017 and encourages readers to take on the adventure of their own lives. You can also get a $5 digital copy of the book if you prefer! Shop their site for picture books, art prints, and apparel.

AAPI Amazon Sellers

These are a few Amazon sellers we work with and enjoy.

LUXFURNI

LUXFURNI is an Amazon seller with a large selection of jewelry armoires, jewelry cabinets, and vanity mirrors. Their jewelry armoires can be mounted on your wall or a door and come in several sizes. They also have stand-alone jewelry cabinets in the same style. Several of their jewelry storage options also come with LED lighting to double as a makeup mirror.

AIFENG

The Amazon-based brand AIFENG sells phone cases for iPhone, Samsung, and Pixel phones. These cases also coordinate and come with wristlets to hold your cash and credit cards safely with your phone. Choose from a variety of styles for each phone type and size.

VIEWKA

VIEWKA is a small business that sells electric coffee and spice grinders. Their grinders are quiet, have stainless steel blades, and come with a brush for easy cleaning.

Coolflash

Coolflash is an Amazon seller focusing on outdoor party banners and signs. Whether you’re planning a drive-by baby shower, graduation party, or another event, Coolflash can supply you with fun outdoor decor to celebrate safely and socially distanced.

I ended up purchasing two candles and a fragrance sampler while writing this blog post. Let me know if you purchase anything in the comments and we can discuss!

The post AAPI-Owned Businesses You Can Support first appeared on The Brad's Deals Blog.

What Is It Going To Be Like Traveling After The Pandemic?

What Is It Going To Be Like Traveling After The Pandemic?

The pandemic will hopefully be a past event in the near future, but for now, we have a lot of changes to deal with, especially when it comes to traveling. If you haven’t been out and about since March 2020, there are some things you should know.

Table of Contents

1. Changes, Changes, Changes
2. At The Airport
3. In The Air
4. At Your Destination
5. International Travel

Changes, Changes, Changes

If you are traveling in the immediate future and haven’t since the pandemic began, there are a number of changes that you should be aware of. First, masks are now federally mandated for all public interstate travel. Before the Biden administration, it was only recommended and up to the airlines, ferry, and bus companies to enforce their own company policies. That was problematic because there was no punitive enforcement measure that employees could fall back on to implore passengers to wear masks, besides the company’s own “ban” list.

At The Airport

Now, you’ll have to wear a mask in all federally controlled spaces, like airports and airplanes. The only time you’ll be able to remove your mask is if you’re actively eating or drinking or have a precleared medical issue that prevents you from wearing a mask. Refer to your airline’s website for the process to be given clearance not to wear a mask while traveling.

A welcome change has been a move to more mobile-friendly technologies to speed up the check-in process, which will likely be in place post-pandemic. Touchless bag check-in is one example that some airlines had before the pandemic but now is commonplace.

At TSA, you’ll be asked to remove your mask briefly for identification, but the experience is largely the same as it was pre-COVID.

In the airport, many restaurants are shuttered or have reduced hours. If you’re flying through a hub, you’ll have more options, but if you’re starting your travel from a regional airport, your airport restaurant may be closed. Eat before you go or bring snacks with you when you travel.

Some lounges are still closed but are beginning to reopen as travel picks up. For example, American Airlines still has its Flagship Lounges shuttered, which cater to business and first-class clientele traveling internationally. If you’re traveling through a hub for an airline, you’ll have a lounge to go to, but some lounges in certain terminals may be still closed. Assume that lounge hours are reduced from pre-COVID hours, and check your airline’s website for the most updated times.

In The Air

The airplanes themselves will seem cleaner (no, really!). As part of the appearance of safety, airlines around the world are doing deep cleanings after every flight. I’ve noticed on my flights that the crumbs on the floor are gone–a welcome change in my book!

In-flight service is diminished, especially in economy. My biggest advice for travelers flying in economy right now is to assume no service and to bring what you need on board. Airlines are emphasizing limited person-to-person contact, including their own employees. In first class, alcoholic beverages are being serviced on all US-based airlines. On longer routes, meals are served, but the size and quality of meals has been reduced compared to pre-pandemic.

At Your Destination

Uber and Lyft have implemented mask protocols as well, regardless of your destination’s mask policy. If you’re using them to transport yourself from the airport, you should also be conscious of the capacity controls–if you have a larger family, you might not be able to all fit in your car.

While some destinations have varying mask requirements, it’s important in the immediate and near term (while the vaccination rollout is ongoing) to continue to wear your mask. It’s not only the right thing to do for those around you, since it reduces the chances of spreading the coronavirus, but it also prevents any awkward interactions when traveling. While a city may not require masks, private businesses might (especially restaurants). It’s important to respect local law and business policies to make your trip as drama-free as possible.

Once at your hotel, you’ll notice some amenities cut back or with reduced hours. Entire towers are closed in larger hotels. For instance, my recent stay at the Wynn Las Vegas was excellent, but their sister property, the Encore, was completely closed during my mid-week stay.

In addition, your favorite destination may have reduced hours to control their budget during the pandemic. One big example of this is Walt Disney World. All of the theme parks are open now but with reduced hours compared to 2019. Only one of their water parks, Blizzard Beach, is currently open, and some experiences are still shuttered.

International Travel

Right now, international travel is quite scattered (and that’s putting it lightly). The State Department currently does not recommend traveling internationally if you can avoid it due to the pandemic. There is always a risk of getting stranded in a foreign country if a lockdown occurs while you’re away.

If you do choose to travel internationally, you will have to perform a COVID-19 PCR or antigen test 72 hours or less before your travel back to the United States. Many properties, like all Hyatts in Mexico and the Caribbean, are offering free COVID tests for guests. Thankfully, an antigen test is very quick and cheap to perform compared to a PCR test.

Some destinations are currently open, like Mexico and most islands in the Caribbean. Each destination has its own entry rules, rules once you arrive, and exit requirements. If you don’t normally get travel insurance, some destinations may require it now. We have some travel insurance partners on Brad’s Deals to help you in your search.

Other destinations, like most of Europe, are still closed to travelers. It’s not known when destinations there will open up to Americans, and when they do, expect lots of hoops to jump through. A digital “vaccine passport” may be employed by the European Union to make entry easier, but time will tell which countries opt in.

Check back soon for our next blog post about what travel deals are out there for travelers and read our previous post on When Will Safe Travel Resume?

The post What Is It Going To Be Like Traveling After The Pandemic? first appeared on The Brad's Deals Blog.

The Benefits of Bamboo Toothbrushes

The Benefits of Bamboo Toothbrushes

Are you looking to take your oral routine to new, more sustainable heights?

Purchasing a bamboo toothbrush could be just what the doctor–or should we say dentist–ordered. The bamboo toothbrush is becoming increasingly popular these days for eco-minded consumers who want to “green” their lifestyle in every way possible. Unlike the plastic toothbrush, which is the most popular type of toothbrush on the market today, bamboo toothbrushes are derived from natural materials, specifically the fast-growing bamboo plant. Aside from being something that’s sustainably harvested, bamboo toothbrushes are also 100 percent biodegradable. In other words, they don’t just sit in a landfill for hundreds of years as a plastic toothbrush would.

Estimated Read Time: 4 Minutes

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at bamboo toothbrushes, how they’re made, the benefits they hold over plastic toothbrushes, and more.

Table of Contents

1. How Bamboo Toothbrushes Are Made
2. Bamboo or Plastic Toothbrush: What’s Better?
3. Are Bamboo Toothbrushes Worth the Price?
4. Shopping Tips: How to Find the Best Bamboo Toothbrushes
5. Where to Buy the Best Bamboo Toothbrushes

How Bamboo Toothbrushes Are Made

Bamboo toothbrushes are comprised of a bamboo handle, nylon bristles, and charcoal. The first step in creating a bamboo toothbrush is harvesting the bamboo plant for the toothbrush handle. The handle is made solely of bamboo. The bristles are typically made of nylon and infused with charcoal to provide an extra assist in teeth cleaning. Nylon and charcoal are mixed together in order to create the bristles and then extruded before being installed on the bamboo handle.

Bamboo or Plastic Toothbrush: What’s Better?

If you’re asking yourself this question specifically from a sustainability manner (assuming that both types of toothbrushes can clean your teeth the same), the answer is an easy one: bamboo. Think about it this way: Plastic toothbrushes are not recyclable or biodegradable, and it’s estimated that some 23 billion are discarded worldwide every year. Every year, that’s 23 billion plastic toothbrushes clogging up landfills. That’s 230 billion toothbrushes in a decade.

Bamboo, on the other hand, doesn’t just present a sustainable material that is naturally harvested and biodegradable, but it can also clean just as well as a plastic toothbrush. In addition to sustainability benefits, bamboo toothbrushes are also BPA-free and have antimicrobial properties as well.

Are Bamboo Toothbrushes Worth the Price?

One potential drawback to using a bamboo toothbrush is the comparatively higher price point versus plastic toothbrushes. But think about it this way: Plastic toothbrushes tend to be cheaper than bamboo toothbrushes because it’s far easier and cheaper to make plastic than it is to harvest bamboo. However, these affordability benefits also have some very negative environmental consequences.

Think of the comparison between corrugated and paper-based packaging and plastic packaging. The former is more sustainable in that it can be sustainably harvested, and then after such packaging is used, it can be recycled. Even if it’s inadvertently thrown away, paper-based products will decompose over time rather than sitting in a landfill. Most plastic-based packaging isn’t recyclable. It’s widely used because it’s so cheap to produce. But this upfront affordability has some very dire environmental consequences. You could make the same case when justifying why bamboo toothbrushes are worth the extra price.

Shopping Tips: How to Find the Best Bamboo Toothbrushes

We’ll conclude this piece by focusing on some shopping tips and advice on how to find deals on bamboo toothbrushes. The first thing you should know is that you’re likely not going to find a bamboo toothbrush at the same price point as a plastic toothbrush. While plastic toothbrushes cost anywhere from $1 to $2 per item, good bamboo toothbrushes cost about $4 per toothbrush.

Here’s a look at some tips to get the most bang for your buck with a bamboo toothbrush:

• Look for one with activated charcoal bristles as it will help remove stains and promote better overall breath.
• Try to bundle: Though bamboo toothbrushes come at higher price points, it is possible to bundle your purchase. For example, Isshah sells a four-pack of bamboo toothbrushes for just $5, or about $1.25 per brush. While the quality and ergonomics might not be as good as other bamboo brushes, the price might make more sense for many families.
• Look for sustainability certifications: To ensure your toothbrush is fully sustainable, look for green certifications such as Green America, nontoxic, BPA-free, and zero-waste packaging, among others.

Where to Buy the Best Bamboo Toothbrushes

You can find bamboo toothbrushes at the same stores you’d buy your plastic toothbrushes, including big-box department stores and pharmacy retailers. Below are some of our favorite stores to buy bamboo toothbrushes.

• Target
• Walmart
• Walgreens
• Amazon
• Rite Aid

Have you ever used a bamboo toothbrush? How do you think it compares to a plastic toothbrush? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Benefits of Bamboo Toothbrushes first appeared on The Brad's Deals Blog.