Today is Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving, an American holiday older than the U.S. itself, but the following Friday has become a holiday of sort all to its own. Black Friday, as it is known in retail circles, is the biggest shopping day of the year.

As shoppers prepare for the holiday season, Black Friday is a popular day to find the best deals on all your Christmas gift needs. And since one of greatest ways to support veterans is to buy veteran-made products, we thought we’d highlight a few great products available.

Here are four veteran-made products that are perfect for your Black Friday shopping lists and will also make you feel good about buying them:

Combat Flip Flops: “Business, not bullets:” That’s the motto of Army Rangers Matthew Griffin and Donald Lee, creators of Combat Flip Flops. After securing an investment on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” the military entrepreneurs set out to help educate women in developing nations with the proceeds from their sales. According to their website, “Our Cover and Concealment sarongs are handmade in Afghanistan by local women. Each one takes three days to make, and each sale puts an Afghan girl into secondary school for a week.”
Turbopup: No Christmas is complete without buying a gift for man’s best friend. Tubopup is a healthy, portable dog meal created by Airforce veteran Kristina Guerrero and her husband. Another “Shark Tank” success story, Turbopup is a grain-free on-the-go dog meal that offers 28 grams of protein and promises easy digestion for Fido.
Disgruntled Decks: The military version of Cards Against Humanity, Disgruntled Decks is a card game created by Army 1st Lt. Matthew Coble. Coble launched the idea on Kickstarter. Coble said he checked and his game does not infringe on Cards Against Humanity’s copyright and he now plans on creating versions for all branches of the military.
VetCrafters: Home décor made from recycled materials was the vision of Air Force veteran Sue Loomans, who was inspired to start her business after remodeling her home. VetCrafters hires veterans to help make its products. According to the company’s web site, “the majority of sale proceeds goes directly back to the veteran so that they can affordably participate and have a chance to grow.”