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	<title>American Alternative &#187; Category Recap</title>
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	<link>http://americanalternative.net</link>
	<description>How American are your purchases? -- A guide to better buying</description>
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		<title>American Alternative &#187; Category Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net</link>
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		<item>
		<title>Men&#8217;s Dress Socks Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2013/05/17/mens-dress-socks-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2013/05/17/mens-dress-socks-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2013 03:13:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tommy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[socks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dress socks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hosiery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gold toe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gildan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crescent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sock monkeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fox River Mills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[american apparel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smartwool]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dockers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=1855</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Socks are a pretty simple commodity items, so it&#8217;s easy to buy them from overseas factories.  However, America has a long history with sock manufacturing too.  There are old US companies, like Fox River or Crescent Sock Co., that still employ people to make socks domestically.  These socks also tend to be made of US-sourced [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=1855&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/mens-dress-socks.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">men&#039;s dress socks</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">fox river logo small</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/three-gold-toe.jpg?w=150" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">three gold toe</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Snow Helmets Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2013/03/14/snow-helmets-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2013/03/14/snow-helmets-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:59:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tommy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Burton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Easton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[helmets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jarden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[K-2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RED]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skiing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smith Optics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snowboarding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=1644</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No snow helmet we found scored more than 1.5 stars, which was pretty surprising.  We thought that since snow helmets are somewhat simple products that don&#8217;t require too much labor to manufacture, and since they&#8217;re pretty bulky to ship across oceans, we would be able to find a company that manufactures domestically.  Unfortunately, that was [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=1644&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2013/03/14/snow-helmets-recap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">rehearsedpie</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/helmet-recap.jpg?w=326" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">helmet recap</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">helmet sign</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Wrap-around Ear Warmers Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2013/01/19/wrap-around-ear-warmers-category-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2013/01/19/wrap-around-ear-warmers-category-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:58:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ear Muffs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Winter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=1520</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ear warmers have been an interesting category.  None of the four products we reviewed scored higher than 1.5 out of 5 stars. These low scores are not entirely unexpected though.  All of the ear warmers we reviewed require a fair amount of manual labor (primarily sewing that can’t be completely automated).  And as a category, [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=1520&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2013/01/19/wrap-around-ear-warmers-category-recap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">huashengtuzi</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/capture.png?w=490" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Man wearing 180s, with snowboard</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Binders Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2012/12/05/binders-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2012/12/05/binders-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Dec 2012 04:46:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tommy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[3-ring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[back to school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[binders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[office supplies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=1369</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over the last several weeks, we&#8217;ve been reaching out to companies to learn more about their binders and their manufacturing process.  In an American Alternative first, we are wrapping up a category without single 5-star rated product.  All the companies we reviewed are US-based, but their products all have at least a significant component of [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=1369&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2012/12/05/binders-recap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">rehearsedpie</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">binders recap image</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Charcoal Barbecue Grills Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2012/08/21/charcoal-barbecue-grills-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2012/08/21/charcoal-barbecue-grills-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 03:27:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BBQ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Charcoal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grills]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=1179</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over the last several weeks, we’ve researched many different charcoal barbecues ranging from the iconic Weber One-Touch Kettles to the awe-inspiring Kamado Joe ProJoe.  Among the grills we reviewed, we found three distinct groups: portable, standard, and kamados.  Of course, those aren’t the only types of charcoal barbecues out there, but they are the three [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=1179&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2012/08/21/charcoal-barbecue-grills-recap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/2200aa595d1d2072a571dbca65cfaf40?s=96&#38;d=identicon&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">huashengtuzi</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/weberonetouchgold.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">WeberOneTouchGold</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Crayons Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2012/04/10/crayons-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2012/04/10/crayons-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:38:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arts & Crafts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crayon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=874</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After reviewing colored pencils for this website, we were initially afraid that crayons might prove equally unlikely to be made in the USA.  Fortunately though, that was not the case at all, as there are US-made versions of nearly any crayon type that you might want.  And for our comparisons, we’ll be separating all the [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=874&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2012/04/10/crayons-recap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/2200aa595d1d2072a571dbca65cfaf40?s=96&#38;d=identicon&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">huashengtuzi</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/crayons.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">crayons</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Colored Pencils Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2012/01/27/colored-pencils-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2012/01/27/colored-pencils-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:30:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tommy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arts & Crafts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colored Pencils]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=655</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Welcome to the wrap up of our colored pencils product reviews. There are some companies we have not reviewed, but most of these companies are foreign-based and cater to drawing enthusiasts with artist quality colored pencils. Much like Caran d’Ache, they would not score highly and would not be price competitive with the American-based companies [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=655&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2012/01/27/colored-pencils-recap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">rehearsedpie</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/colored-pencils-ring.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Colored Pencils Ring</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/general-pencil-made-in-usa.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">General Pencil Made in USA</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Finger Paints Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2011/12/24/finger-paints-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2011/12/24/finger-paints-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:11:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arts & Crafts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finger Paint]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toys]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=538</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Unlike other product categories, with fingerpaints there tended to be very little middle ground as to how made in America they were.  Of the seven that we reviewed, three of them were entirely made in the USA and the other four were very much not. The three five-star American Alternative-rated Finger paints are the Eco-Kids [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=538&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2011/12/24/finger-paints-recap/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/2200aa595d1d2072a571dbca65cfaf40?s=96&#38;d=identicon&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">huashengtuzi</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/fingerpaint.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Painted child hands</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/finger-paints-chart1.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">finger paints Chart1</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Quick Observation About Water Bottles</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2011/11/08/quick-observation-about-water-bottles/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2011/11/08/quick-observation-about-water-bottles/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:34:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water bottles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=355</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After putting together the Reusable Water Bottle Category Recap, we also noticed an overall trend when we looked at all the water bottle scores together.  Generally, the more “featured” a water bottle is, the worse it scored.  Conversely, the “simpler” a water bottle is, the better it scored. For example, the Nalgene Wide Mouth and [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=355&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://americanalternative.net/2011/11/08/quick-observation-about-water-bottles/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
		<media:content url="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/2200aa595d1d2072a571dbca65cfaf40?s=96&#38;d=identicon&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">huashengtuzi</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reusable Water Bottle Recap</title>
		<link>http://americanalternative.net/2011/11/07/reusable-water-recap/</link>
		<comments>http://americanalternative.net/2011/11/07/reusable-water-recap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Category Recap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Favorites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water bottles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://americanalternative.net/?p=348</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’ve spent months researching and reviewing lots of different reusable water bottles, and we are finally ready to look at other products.  But before we open up a new category, here’s a quick recap of what we found: If you’re looking for a simple and durable reusable water bottle, you can’t go wrong with the [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=americanalternative.net&#038;blog=24529585&#038;post=348&#038;subd=americanalternative&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">huashengtuzi</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://americanalternative.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/1l-grey-wm-nalgene.png?w=150" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">1L-Grey-WM-Nalgene</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">libertybottles</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Platypus SoftBottles</media:title>
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