Category Archives: Cause & Effect

Kiss Slavery Goodbye With Radiant Cosmetics

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I first heard about Radiant Cosmetics through Grit and Glamour and just had to participate to bring attention to this subject.  To help bring awareness to human trafficking, I purchased a wonderful color in Radiant’s Moisturizing Lipstick called Park Avenue (below).  The lipstick itself is fantastic!  It is moist, the color is amazing and long lasting.  They have many shades to choose from, and I’m definitely going to check out their other lipstick colors as well as their other products because of the great quality.  I hope that you all will do the same and help bring attention to this very important issue by purchasing a lipstick.  Not only will 20% of the profits for each purchase be donated towards the cause to fight human trafficking, but Radiant will also donate a lipstick on your behalf to a survivor or current human trafficking victim during the month of January.  Please find some information below regarding human trafficking and let’s kiss slavery goodbye!

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WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING? *

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. As defined under U.S. federal law, human trafficking involves the commercial exchange and exploitations of humans including forced prostitution, various forms of “labor or services,” or servitude and debt bondage.

Human trafficking is considered to be one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, second only to drug dealing, which it’s expected to surpass in the next two years. The United Nations estimates that 27 million people are trafficked annually.

WHO ARE VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

There is not one consistent face of trafficking victim.  Trafficked persons in the United States can be men or women, adults or children, foreign nationals or US citizens.  Some are well-educated, while others have no formal education.
While anyone can become a victim of trafficking, certain populations are especially vulnerable.  These may include: undocumented migrants; runaway and homeless youth; and oppressed, marginalized, and/or impoverished groups and individuals.  Traffickers specifically target individuals in these populations because they are vulnerable to recruitment tactics and methods of control.
Undocumented immigrants in the US are highly vulnerable due to a combination of factors, including: lack of legal status and protections, language barriers, limited employment options, poverty and immigration-related debts, and social isolation.  They are often victimized by traffickers from a similar ethnic or national background, on whom they may be dependent for employment or a means of support.

DOESN’T HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAPPEN MOSTLY OVERSEAS?

While human trafficking happens widely overseas it’s also happening every single day here in the United States, in our own backyards. Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states. The United States acts as both a transit and a source destination country. The global reach of this injustice is staggering; 161 countries worldwide have been identified as affected by human trafficking.

The U.S. government estimates that over 100,000 children are in trapped in the sex trade in the United States each year. Most human trafficking in the United States occurs in New York, California, Texas, Florida and Georgia.

The U.S State Department estimates that around 18,000 foreign men, women and children are trafficked into the United States annually. Foreign women and children brought to the U.S. for sex trafficking find themselves forced to work in brothels, strip clubs, escort services, and massage parlors.

Sex trafficking also happens to U.S. citizens already within our borders. Around 300,000 American children are at risk for trafficking annually.

WHAT DO I DO IF I SEE A SITUATION WHERE I THINK SOMEONE IS TRAFFICKED?

You can report trafficking crimes and get help by calling the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-3737-888, a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. New laws provide options for trafficking victims regardless of immigration status.

*From http://www.radiantcosmetics.org/pages/human-trafficking

My Hubby Supports Movember!

I love this picture of my husband and my cousin, Leonard.  Deon’s hat and moustache along with Leonard’s bow-tie make me feel like they walked out of Boardwalk Empire!  But my hubby has a moustache for a very important reason: it’s to show his support for a movement called Movember, and it’s to promote more awareness surrounding men’s health.  To find out more about the movement and how you can participate, go to Movember.com to choose your region and register.

Vote 2012

It’s that time of year where we get a chance to have our voices heard.  This is also a very important year because we get to select who our next president will be.  If you are registered, be sure and vote.  For those of you in San Diego, here is a great link from the San Diego Free Press called Voter Guide 2012 to catch you up on the issues locally and nationally.  See you at the polls tomorrow!

Photo courtesy of San Diego Free Press

Grand Opening: The Limited at Fashion Valley November 1-4 2012

It’s always nice when fashion and a good cause combine for a special event.  The Limited is a store that I’ve always shopped at over the years, and they have recently undergone some major changes in their branding and overall image.  Their newest store at the Fashion Valley mall will open next week, and here are some details about the celebration:

For the entire grand opening weekend, shoppers will receive a 40 percent discount on all merchandise, a free gift with purchase (while supplies last), and a chance to win one of three $500 gift cards, raffled off once a day. The 40 percent discount will also be honored at The Limited’s other San Diego-area store at University Mall in La Jolla, Calif.

Additionally, a percentage of the sales that weekend will be donated to Dress for Success San Diego.  To read more about their organization, you can visit their site here.  For any readers of Any Second Now, I’ll be there on November 2nd, 2012 to help celebrate this great event.  If you are in the San Diego area, please stop by next week for great fashion and a wonderful cause.  Cheers!

Earth Day: How I Minimize My Carbon Footprint

With Earth Day coming up tomorrow, my office has asked all employees to send in 3 suggestions for our “Acts of Green”.  Typing up my suggestions for submission prompted me to think about what else is it that I do to be more eco-friendly.  What do you do to minimize your carbon footprint?

Don’t scrap the scrap:  At work, one of the ways we “go green” is to use scrap paper before using any new notebooks or tablets.  The way we do this is by taking the paper that is left behind on printers (that doesn’t need to be shredded) and reusing them as scrap paper.  While there is print on one side, the other side is perfectly fine to take notes.

I’ll Tumble 4 Ya:  I recently purchased a few tumblers, mostly for coffee.  But I recently bought one of those BPA safe clear tumblers (with a straw) for my juices and soft drinks. Before, these types of reusable tumblers used to run upwards of $15.99 or more. Now, you can get them as low as $5 each. Our office did away with paper cups a few Earth Days ago, so these tumbers have come in very handy.

Be a Bag Lady:  Back in the early 90’s when I went to Toronto, I remember my cousins bringing their own plastic grocery bags to the supermarket. They stated that the grocery stores in Canada charge if you continue to use their bags. I have heard that may be the case here in the US as well, so why not just stock up on those reusable bags that are usually $2 and under?  I actually started collecting these types of bags, and have some from several different cities (including London).  I keep them in my car and use them when I grocery shop.  I can just recycle them when they become soiled, and because of the availability and the price, they are easily replaced.

When I go clothing/accessory shopping, I carry a couple of fabric and foldable ones in my purse (I have a Topshop one and one from H&M).  They are very compact, and when it comes time to bring home my purchases, I just pull them out and hand them to the cashier.   I’ve actually been complimented by cashiers in many stores, saying it’s great that I carry them and actually use them.

Take advantage of vintage:  Speaking of shopping, another great way to “give back” to Mother Earth is to shop vintage and second-hand.  Bella of The Citizen Rosebud, is always sharing her vintage/second-hand finds and treasures, but two recent posts that stood out that I’d like to call out for Earth Day are SHOP SECOND HAND FIRST and Lemon Drop Swap.  These are great ways to ensure that you are being a responsible shopper by limiting consumption and perpetuating sustainability.

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(Image 1 courtesy of Q-100 Atlanta; Image 2 courtesey of amazon.com)

A Facebook Event: UNITE TO HELP For Japan With Love

Any Second Now is participating in a Facebook event to continue to raise awareness for the fundraising project “For Japan With Love”.  To participate, click on the following link and follow the instructions in this post.  Spread the word and take part in this wonderful event!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192951477408293

From the official “Unite To Help! For Japan With Love” Facebook page:

UtterlyEngaged.com and Ever-Ours.com launched a fundraising project called “For Japan With Love” to raise money and awareness for the disasters in Japan through Shelter Box. Shelter Box provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most. You can read more about their fundraising project here – http://www.forjapanwithlove.com/

On March 30-31, we invite you to join us in — UNITE TO HELP! For Japan With Love — a facebook event, to help spread the word so that Japan can get all the help it needs.
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********* HERE’S WHAT YOU DO ON MARCH 30-31 **********
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1. On March 30 – 31, replace your Facebook profile picture with the UNITE TO HELP badge, just like the event “photo” on the top left or you can go here to download http://www.forjapanwithlove.com/unitetohelp.html.
Hesitant to replace your profile picture? Place a small badge over your profile picture instead. http://www.picbadges.com/forjapanwithlove-com/1446360/

2. Copy and paste to update your status to
“UNITE TO HELP For Japan With Love. Get involved and donatehttp://WWW.ForJapanWithLove.com/ ”

3. Share and invite your friends on Facebook and spread the word to donate. Every little bit helps!

For Japan With Love

Tomorrow, I will be participating in a “Bloggers Day of Silence”, which means I will not post anything in commemoration of the victims of the disaster in Japan.

You can also participate in the day of silence by going to Utterly Engaged or you can donate by going to the For Japan With Love page. Donations will go directly to ShelterBox, one of the first organizations asked by Japan to help.  Please Tweet and Re-Tweet about the site and spread the word.  Every little bit helps!

Thank you,

Cyrillynn

Into The Gap

I was going to post my “How-To” on making greeting cards, but that’s going to have to wait until tomorrow because it’s going to take a little while to put together.  Instead, I’m going to post my latest purchase.  I’m sure you won’t mind!

I have been coveting these Pierre Hardy for Gap wedge sandals on The Glamourai for about a month (pictured left and seen here).  I didn’t realize that they just came out at the beginning of the summer.  I was looking to use a “Give & Get” coupon that my best friend sent me (she works for Banana Republic).  Feeding America gets 5% of what you spend when you use the 30% off promo code online, or the coupon in the store.  I was browsing through Piperlime.com and decided to check out Gap.com.  I found the shoes still online…and on sale!

Originally $98, they were on sale for $59.99.  With my coupon, they were just $41.  So I saved money and gave to a great cause.  And as I posted not too long ago, it’s still an endless summer for wedges (see the entry here)!