To win $100 off a JORD watch of your own, enter my giveaway here!

Before going vegan I only thought being vegan meant changing the way I ate but when I went vegan I started to see the world in a very different way. One of the documentaries I had watched prior to becoming vegan which had a large impact on my decision to live this lifestyle was Earthlings.

One of the scenes that affected me the most was in regards to the leather industry. I can still so vividly remember lying in bed watching these sweet cows, who were completely emaciated and exhausted, being corralled into an enclosure where each cow watched with terror in their eyes each cow being slaughtered before them with no way to escape. In their eyes I saw something that terrified me-hopelessness.

After watching this documentary and many others I made the transition to becoming vegan. I changed the way I ate immediately but then I started to think to myself “What other things do I own that are made from animals?”.

After going vegan, I went through my closet and started to make a mental list of all the items in my closet that were made from animals, specifically leather items, which were most of my purses, shoes, and accessories such as watches and wallets were the first things that caught my eye. It had never occurred to me prior to going vegan and watching Earthlings that leather was made from animal skin and it had never occurred to me the high price animals paid for such minuscule items like the ones I had in my closet.

As I stood in my closet with a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach taking inventory of the dead animals hanging up in my closet I was mortified. “How could I have contributed to this cruelty and abuse? I love animals” I thought.

I started to grab some of items in my closet with the trash bag in my other hand to start the process of removing these items until I stopped at one of the watches my dad had recently gotten me for Christmas. and As soon as I looked at the watch, I was reminded of that Christmas my dad came to visit and the amazing memories we had created over the holidays and I just didn’t feel right giving it away just yet.

I share this story because this is something many vegans struggle with as we transition to a vegan life. We have items in our homes such as leather couches, purses, shoes, watches, wallets and other items of the like that were made from animals. These items can be sentimental or simply a necessity for many of us and we don’t always have the luxury, ability, or are just not ready to part from these items yet like myself and my leather watch.

As vegans, it’s important that we do not feel guilt or shame for the items we purchased before we woke up to the terrors and the violence that so many innocent animals face every day. What is important is understanding moving forward that we can now choose to make sustainable, ethical, and cruelty free choices as consumers whenever possible to do the least amount of harm to the sentient beings we SHARE this earth with and to our planet.

Being vegan is about doing the least amount of harm and the most amount of good for our fellow sentient beings and for our planet we share with them. Abstaining from purchasing leather is an easy choice we can all make to do our part to help because not only does leather require an animal to die unnecessarily, it also poses a threat to our environment from the pollution caused by the toxins used in the tanning process.

I’ve since swapped many items apart of my wardrobe for more sustainable items over time and one of the products I’ve found as a sustainable alternative to leather is Jord watches. Jord watches offers wooden watches which are beautifully crafted and sleek, perfect for pairing with any outfit. I can wear it to work, out with friends on the weekend, and even for a night on the town. It’s so versatile and as soon as I put it on, I could tell that it was a quality made watch which was something I was nervous about as I’ve never owned a wooden watch before. I thought it might be scratchy or dull looking but the watch is polished and smooth in texture and absolutely gorgeous!

If you’re vegan and are looking for a sustainable watch this is a great option to consider and if you are not vegan, that’s ok too! This watch is perfect for everyone and we can all make these small changes to help save the lives of sweet, innocent cows used for their skin and to minimize the toxins that leather emits into our atmosphere.

For more information on Jord watches, check out their website. If you want to purchase the one I am wearing in this photo below, find it here. The style I am wearing is the Cassia Ebony & Sable watch.

To win $100 off a JORD watch of your own, enter my giveaway here!

“It Takes Nothing To Be Kind”

<!-- JORD WOOD WATCHES ARTICLE WIDGET START --><a id="woodwatches_com_widget_article" ishidden="1" title="Wooden Wrist Watch">Wooden Wrist Watch</a><script src="//www.jordwatches.com/widget-article/greatfullgirl|" type="text/javascript"></script><!-- JORD WOOD WATCHES ARTICLE WIDGET END -->

<!-- JORD WOOD WATCHES SITE WIDGET START -->

<a id="woodwatches_com_widget"  title="Mens Wooden Watches">Mens Wooden Watches</a>

<script src="//www.woodwatches.com/widget/greatfullgirl/250/250"  type="text/javascript"></script>

<!-- JORD WOOD WATCHES SITE WIDGET END -->